Where to start, well as this post is about Friday, let's begin. I had a call from a friend the night before letting me know that he was also going so we all went together, me, the girls and my friend. We arrived in torrential rain just as the first band hit the stage, Kids in Glass Houses, a band that my kids wanted to see. Off they went, a-runnin' through a field of wood chips and mud towards the stage in the distance. I hate to say it but I really don't remember them, this means they can't have been bad but I did spend half the set tracking down my daughters.
I was a good Dad and kept my girls in sight but didn't stand with them. Next up were Black Stone Cherry, they were the "headbangiest" band of the day. I wasn't familiar with them but it turns out they are a Florida Southern Rock band. I know exactly what that sounds like and they lived up to it. The band were good and a great way to start a mini fest. A special shout out to the drummer, he was fearsome. I've never seen a drummer hit as hard as that, he broke so many sticks it was incredible. The only thing I would say is that the Americans don't get the English way, sunglasses are for sunny days and then only outdoors, shades are not cool indoors, at night or on rainy days, they make you look like an ass. That aside, I enjoyed them: Blackstone Cherry
Next up were Cold Chisel. I knew the name from years ago but nothing by them. It turns out that it was Jimmy Barnes original group. He has a gutsy voice and when you find out they are Aussies, his voice makes sense. Then you find out that they are huge in Australia, bigger than AC/DC and then you hear them.....very light weight and country-ish, very not me. I can't slate them, what they do they do well and the vast contingent of Aussies in the crowd can't be wrong......However, when a 60 odd year old man with a paunch hits the stage in skintight leather pants, I felt it was time to grab some food.
The kids got their T-Shirts and food and decided they wanted to watch Cold Chisel. I know that they wanted to secure a place at the front for the rest of the festival and let them go. I saw some of Turbogeist and they were good and a little bit of Skindred who were also very good but it was Iggy and the Stooges time so back to the mainstage.
I couldn't see my kids so I dropped them a text to find out where they were and to let them know I would find them. I got this response:
Please we having fun you know where we are, don't come over pleeeeeease
I had this sudden flashback to Knebworth 1985, my first festival. My Dad took me and I abandoned him pretty quickly. This was exactly the same and I knew exactly how my kids felt. I let them be, today was their day not mine. I had some concerns but knew roughly where they were.
Iggy took to the stage, all 65 years of him, bare chested looking like a man wearing someone else's skin, bony and caricature-ish. Ron Ashton looked arthritic but played superbly and James Williamson looked distinguished. This was the Stooges, the guys that influenced everything after 1973, Punk and Grunge owe these guys a huge debt and here they were. I am almost at a loss for words. Iggy is a legend and a true rebel, polite and funny and really not giving a sh*t about what you may think of him. He was incredible. The Stooges were tight and can really play. Hell, they kicked off with "Raw Power"
Iggy headed down to the crowd midway through "I wanna be your Dog". I looked at the huge screens eiter side of the stage and my 14 year old daughter was right on the barrier, screaming and reaching for Iggy. I found out later that when he was holding out his hand to the audience, she grabbed it and hung on for dear life. Throughout the set they kept showing the crowd that side and she was always there, screaming and reaching out, a star struck teenager:
Iggy the legend No, I don't feature on this video.
On to Soundgarden, it amazes me how similar in attitude Iggy and Soundgarden are. They both do what they do on their own terms. What I had forgotten was how heavy Soundgarden are. They don't need to thrash or trash it out, the music is measured and as heavy as it gets, heavier than Maiden, as heavy as Sabbath and Priest. I can not tell you how happy it made me to see them playing again. They were tighter and more accomplished than the kids I saw playing in '92. Chris Cornell's voice was incredible all the way through but I have some bias here as you know but I think this clip shows the range and power of the man: Beyond the Wheel
Now I haven't been to a festival in a good many years and forgot about mosh pits until one opened up around me. It was filled with the idiots that we used to be, guys my age reliving a youth long past. I bet they hurt in the morning. I was shoved around a bit but it was more good natured with just half of them being a*seholes. It did make me a little concerned for my girls though. Two hours worth of Soundgarden, it simply flew by and by the time they finished their encores and the curfew kicked in, it seemed too short, way too short. Still they did promise some new material later this year and a return visit.
So in a nutshell, Hyde Park Calling is brilliant. It is small for a festival, shorter than a full festival and incredible value for money. As I mentioned, I hate festivals but as this was smaller, I enjoyed it more. Sure I got wet from the constant rain and was caked to the knees in mud but it was worth it.
My girls survived it too and both really enjoyed the whole day being undecided whether Iggy or Soundgarden won the day, decided on a tie.
Black Hole Sun
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