Friday, July 2
Hello from Roskilde
Well here I am using the free yes FREE Internet terminals at the marvelous Roskilde Music Festival. It's so civilized here and Scandinavian and everyone is fluffy and lovely with clean teeth and perfect skin. In fact if it wasn't for the torrential rain we've had for almost three days it would be a perfect festival.
It's stopped now but for a while the festival turned into a quagmire of epic muddy proportions...everyone else has bought Wellingtons but I resisted and with the sun now drying the mud I feel my decision has been vindicated, despite my trainers probably being ruined...but they were two years old.
Copenhagen was pretty cool. We stayed in a hostel run by a guy now known affectionately to us as Big Ian....a very friendly chap indeed... We hung out in an Anarchist Commune, went to a Theme park that is smack bang in the middle of Copenhagen and nearly been ran over as we peddled through Copenhagen on our matching free tourist bicycles - it was like a scene from the Tour De France as 'Team Huxley' went over Copenhagen's main bridge in a streamlined chain one after the other...with me as team leader at the back of course....protected from the wind by my team members or 'domestiques' as I believe they are known in the trade... ask the Delgados.
So bands I have seen so far -
Thursday: Blonde Redhead were pretty cool. Two Italian/New York brothers and a Japanese singer with a voice that could shatter glass. Next was TV On the Radio and I have a feeling that these guys could go somewhere...also from New York they are a 4/5ths Black five piece who mix rock with a whole host of other influences...needless to say they were very cool and seemed genuinely touched by the crowd which was nice.
I've vowed to see one obscure Scandiavian act ever day and yesterday it was Tim Christiansen. A man that could only be accurately be described as 'the Danish Brian Adams'! The crowd were going nuts for him and one look at his cheeseboard shirt/waistcoat combination and it was easy to see why... Tablecloth Tim wowed the crowd with his Chris De Burgh looks and Brian Adams vocals - the females of all ages in the crowd found it difficult to resist his charms as he was 'whispering from the top of his lungs'.
Friday:
First band of the day were Norwegian rock gods Silver. We must remember that Scandinavia is a part of the world where people walk around with ghetto blasters listening to Bon Jovi without irony, so it was easy to see how they landed the opening slot on the main stage. These boys have obviously watched Spinal Tap several times and took some detailed notes. There was much 'axe wielding mayhem' and 'extreme guitar action' as Silver delighted the audience with their poorly translated English lyrics, cardboard stained glass backdrop and crotch thrusts.
The last time I took musical advice from Fincho I ended up watching a Sisters of Mercy gig, so it was with much trepidation that I went to see Dutch Goth metallers Within Temptation. Basically they are like a European Evanescence - kind of like Lacuna Coil...only not quite as good. Their stage set consisted of large ornate columns and sculptures and a video screen which showed various gothic imagery such as graveyards, dark mountains and an owl morphing into a human head....oh yes...these Netherlanders dressed in black had it all.
Basically the set up is five ugly blokes and one beautiful woman as the singer complete with the de rigour goth combination of big skirt, combat boots and corset. They wasted no time in getting the crowd into action, pumping their fists, waving their arms, clapping above their heads. At one point the guitarist stopped the gig to instruct us that our hand clapping was good but could be better, proceeding to give us a demonstration.....thanks for that mate...
But there was more....flames, smoke, fireworks, explosions, the singer dancing like an octopus in a goth club..... it was an impressive show that featured a Kate Bush cover and the singer nearly getting her skirt set on fire when someone went a bit mad with the flames at the front of the stage...wuite exciting all in all for a bunch of goths.
Also today I have seen Numb who are an Japanese electro duo - Also witnessed some quality Danish Rap by a midget and an amazing version of Bohemian Rhapsody in the Karaoke tent by a guy who looked like Fidel Castro....truly the highlight of the day....
Tonight is the Pixies, Wire the Hives and maybe some Argentinian Electro-tango at 2am if I last that long.
Next time.....Mullet Watch European Edition and the Danish obsession with peas...
If you want to read more about our adventures, check out Big Dave's Journal
Well here I am using the free yes FREE Internet terminals at the marvelous Roskilde Music Festival. It's so civilized here and Scandinavian and everyone is fluffy and lovely with clean teeth and perfect skin. In fact if it wasn't for the torrential rain we've had for almost three days it would be a perfect festival.
It's stopped now but for a while the festival turned into a quagmire of epic muddy proportions...everyone else has bought Wellingtons but I resisted and with the sun now drying the mud I feel my decision has been vindicated, despite my trainers probably being ruined...but they were two years old.
Copenhagen was pretty cool. We stayed in a hostel run by a guy now known affectionately to us as Big Ian....a very friendly chap indeed... We hung out in an Anarchist Commune, went to a Theme park that is smack bang in the middle of Copenhagen and nearly been ran over as we peddled through Copenhagen on our matching free tourist bicycles - it was like a scene from the Tour De France as 'Team Huxley' went over Copenhagen's main bridge in a streamlined chain one after the other...with me as team leader at the back of course....protected from the wind by my team members or 'domestiques' as I believe they are known in the trade... ask the Delgados.
So bands I have seen so far -
Thursday: Blonde Redhead were pretty cool. Two Italian/New York brothers and a Japanese singer with a voice that could shatter glass. Next was TV On the Radio and I have a feeling that these guys could go somewhere...also from New York they are a 4/5ths Black five piece who mix rock with a whole host of other influences...needless to say they were very cool and seemed genuinely touched by the crowd which was nice.
I've vowed to see one obscure Scandiavian act ever day and yesterday it was Tim Christiansen. A man that could only be accurately be described as 'the Danish Brian Adams'! The crowd were going nuts for him and one look at his cheeseboard shirt/waistcoat combination and it was easy to see why... Tablecloth Tim wowed the crowd with his Chris De Burgh looks and Brian Adams vocals - the females of all ages in the crowd found it difficult to resist his charms as he was 'whispering from the top of his lungs'.
Friday:
First band of the day were Norwegian rock gods Silver. We must remember that Scandinavia is a part of the world where people walk around with ghetto blasters listening to Bon Jovi without irony, so it was easy to see how they landed the opening slot on the main stage. These boys have obviously watched Spinal Tap several times and took some detailed notes. There was much 'axe wielding mayhem' and 'extreme guitar action' as Silver delighted the audience with their poorly translated English lyrics, cardboard stained glass backdrop and crotch thrusts.
The last time I took musical advice from Fincho I ended up watching a Sisters of Mercy gig, so it was with much trepidation that I went to see Dutch Goth metallers Within Temptation. Basically they are like a European Evanescence - kind of like Lacuna Coil...only not quite as good. Their stage set consisted of large ornate columns and sculptures and a video screen which showed various gothic imagery such as graveyards, dark mountains and an owl morphing into a human head....oh yes...these Netherlanders dressed in black had it all.
Basically the set up is five ugly blokes and one beautiful woman as the singer complete with the de rigour goth combination of big skirt, combat boots and corset. They wasted no time in getting the crowd into action, pumping their fists, waving their arms, clapping above their heads. At one point the guitarist stopped the gig to instruct us that our hand clapping was good but could be better, proceeding to give us a demonstration.....thanks for that mate...
But there was more....flames, smoke, fireworks, explosions, the singer dancing like an octopus in a goth club..... it was an impressive show that featured a Kate Bush cover and the singer nearly getting her skirt set on fire when someone went a bit mad with the flames at the front of the stage...wuite exciting all in all for a bunch of goths.
Also today I have seen Numb who are an Japanese electro duo - Also witnessed some quality Danish Rap by a midget and an amazing version of Bohemian Rhapsody in the Karaoke tent by a guy who looked like Fidel Castro....truly the highlight of the day....
Tonight is the Pixies, Wire the Hives and maybe some Argentinian Electro-tango at 2am if I last that long.
Next time.....Mullet Watch European Edition and the Danish obsession with peas...
If you want to read more about our adventures, check out Big Dave's Journal
