In 1969, Woodstock set the trend of Rock festivals. It was a time of rebellion, community, self-discovery, and a changing tide in the American culture: A time of independence from a stagnant generation. Most of all, it was a time of music. Twenty years of Rock and Roll lead up to that moment in history. The genre had gotten through the dam and swam into the main stream. Forty-six years later, the Rock festival is a semi yearly event: from Bonnaroo to Rock in Rio to Hard Rock Calling to Louder Than Life. If you look, you can find a music festival near you, almost anywhere. They don’t seem to have the same profound meaning as Woodstock did, but, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe the fact that after all these years, people are still traveling to get the chance to see their favorite bands, willing to spend their hard earned money (and money they might not even have) to see these bands. The fact that thousands of people will pay for overpriced beer and water, fight through hordes of people, use horrendous outhouses akin to overflowing sewage plants, just to get a glimpse of that band whose music touched their lives is much more profound than anyone could ever understand. For years I have been filled with doom and gloom of the death of an artistic culture. The poisoning of the mainstream with lazy lyric sell-outs, onstage lip syncing pornographers, and corporate stooges have kept my glass away from the media tap, but after my first music festival, I realized, the dream is still very much alive. I just had to wake up to see it.
If you haven’t been to a music festival, there are a few things you should to know. 1) Wear comfortable shoes: You could be standing for twelve straight hours. 2) Get there early: The lines will be backed up as far as you can see. You will have to be there as early as possible to get a decent parking spot and decent is a term I use loosely. Those good shoes will come in handy as you make the long walk to the gate. 3) Bring plenty of money if you plan on having anything to eat or drink or buy a souvenir. 4) Make a schedule: You will want to know when and where the bands you want to see are playing. You may have to make a tough decision when two bands are playing on opposite sides of the field. We have a nice guide to festivals, and we urge you to read through before battling the raging hordes.
I arrived at the festival just in the nick of time. I drove up a hill to the soccer field that was being used as a parking lot, paid the price gougers twenty dollars (for the first day only) and began my long walk to the gate. The lines moved surprisingly quick, considering we had to be thoroughly searched by Marge the disgruntled TSA dropout. While in line, I chatted with a family from Alabama. They had hoped to win free tickets in to the show, but when they lost, they decided to make the trip to Louisville Kentucky anyway, after being hyped up for the festival during the contest. They weren’t the only ones. People from all over had come to Louisville for Louder Than Life. It was nice to see people coming to this town for something other than basketball or horse racing for a change. Once I made through the gate I came face to face with a large statue of a bull filled with fire. At first glance I feared this was the Ammon statue of Moloch, but it was Big Bully, a statue created by the gifted artist Charlie Smith. During the cold first day of this festival, many were great full for this fiery. It was a cold, wet, muddy day. Only the true fans would wade through the deep muddy field to see their favorite groups. The first few bands had canceled. And first on my docket was Butcher Babies, on Stage North (strangely located right next to Stage South, both opposite of Stage East). I crossed the massive field, looking at all the food trucks. There was Chicago Taste Authority, El Luchador, the old familiar Lil Cheezers, The Comfy Cow, and many others, they even had Lobster. There were a dozen souvenir stands with novelties of the Metal variety and shirts to remember this fine Weekend. I passed through the Bourbon World tent. They had an old timey piano raised up in the center with a pianist playing nonstop. In order to make up for the outrageously priced half-shot of bourbon I was forced to buy to alleviate spinal play I grabbed three handfuls of cherries, lemons and limes, and shouted toward the angry bartender, “Just getting my money’s worth!” I was here. I had arrived at the Mecca of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock.
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| LOUDER THAN LIFE: Trivium | |
Amazing artists and fans from across the globe came to Louisville Kentucky to bask in the universal unifier that which is Rock and Roll. Far and wide they traveled to be here, and metal after metal experiences were had, but as we all know, we can’t be in two places at once! Going back through images of the weekend, it left us salivating for more and more rock! Check back as we add more and more photos/interviews of this AMAZING weekend!
Incredible performances were thrown down by Seether and Bring Me The Horizon:
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