Sonisphere 2011
Friday 8th to Sunday 10th July 2011Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, SG1 2AX, England MAP
£170 with camping or £145 without camping
Daily capacity: 60,000
Another year and another UK leg of the Sonisphere Festival rolls into Knebworth, and we roll up too, in the hope it lives up to the enjoyable event of last year.
It did, in fact it quite possibly trumped last year's event by having three memorable headliners as opposed to last year where only Rammstein's performance was one that still stuck in the mind a year on. But, for me, the festival wasn't just about the big four on Friday, but the other acts appearing in the Red Bull Jam Tent, on the Jagermeister Stage and in the expanded Bohemia tent.
Okay so the last two may be a little harsh, there's also the option of Adnams ale - not settled on Friday, and there are a few options for those who prefer their food of the non potato, noodle, or bread based products. Vegetarians had very little choice. But, this is a rock event, so I'm not overtly bothered, or surprised.
The other item on the checklist of rock, is usually brutal security, disappointing then to find pleasant security guards and friendly stewards. Everyone of the day glo jacketed folk I saw was helpful, even when I couldn't get in a venue, which happened often as they were over capacity. For that read full by the entrance loads of space at the front.
The police were okay too, those on horse back were lit up like wandering Christmas trees at night, and the covert ones were far too young, and with my seasoned eye I was able to spot them. perhaps it was the fact they weren't paralytic on booze and weed - unlike nearly everyone else.
Anyway Friday started badly, we had to take down our awning - rules apparently (although everyone else around us had them and tents). We didn't get into the arena early, as was the plan, because we had some friendly Serbian neighbours who handed out free shots of vodka, absinth, and cherry liqueur like it was going out of fashion. A friendly bunch who also cooked us breakfast and offered an interesting choice of music on their van's stereo - I'm liking a few of the foreign acts I heard at the time when I should have been watching Diamond Head, and half of Anthrax whilst all the time ominous clouds avoided us, and the expected downpours held off all night.
I head back to see Protest The Hero, and for the first of many times, discover the Red Bull Stage is so rammed that they won't let us in, there's masses of us wanting to see the set, the crowd going all the way back to the bar, and at one point the weight of numbers of fans desperate to see them collapses the barrier and loads of security are suddenly deployed. I give up trying to even get close enough to hear them, and head back. To find a bloke unconscious beside the ice cream van, with a distraught woman in tow, I look for a steward, security, anyone - it takes me until I get to the disabled platform to call down a steward who gets help on the way. It's only then I realise there are no stewards at all anywhere in this part of the arena, presumably they're all dealing with the crowds at the front at Slayer, and outside Protest The Hero.
review by: Scott Williams
photos by: Danielle Millea / Karen Williams / Zelah Williams
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