Simon Rushworth
rushonrock regular Viki Ridley will be bringing us a fan’s eye view of this year’s Hard Rock Hell festival with updates from Prestatyn across the weekend.
But with less than 24 hours until the action kicks off our very own rock chick picks out the must-see bands at the must-see metal event of the year.
Wales: The Final Frontier. Our mission? To boldly go to a holiday camp in Prestatyn in the middle of winter and catch the very best in rock’s emerging talent coupled with many of the bands that have long been considered iconic in their genre. Their mission? To entertain a captive audience of thousands at Hard Rock Hell V – Village Of The Damned.
Now considered one of the festivals to attend if you consider yourself to be a connoisseur of all things rock, Hard Rock Hell, now in its fifth year and already boasting selling tickets for year six, has sprung from the rise in popularity of summer rock festivals.
Far too cold for camping, hordes of denim and leather-clad fans descend on Prestatyn and occupy Pontins for a weekend of mayhem and metal. This year’s line-up is rammed with classic acts standing shoulder to shoulder with the new breed of rock – legendary names alongside rising stars on a bill that is sure to please fans of all genres.
The festivities kick off on Thursday night with a new brand of sleazy glam from Carlisle rockers Falling Red sure to get the party started and the UK’s original female metallers Girlschool on hand to close the show.
Friday’s highlights include Irish boys Sweet Taste who are snapping at the heels of The Black Crowes with their swagger and groove. Voodoo Six bring their impeccable but downright dirty brand of classic guitar rock and with Ginger, Therapy? and Magnum rounding off Friday, something tells me there will be little sleep taking place in preparation for Saturday’s all-day antics.
Day two’s must-see artists are, of course, Michael Monroe, The Quireboys, and Black Stone Cherry – the US stars bringing their ‘down home’ Southern-style rock to heat up a freezing cold holiday camp in Wales.
Of course there are so many acts to see and so little time to see them – the line-up is eclectic but the standard remains incredibly high across the weekend. Watch this space for updates over the next four days…Viki