eFestivals interviews Stuart Galbraith

[kipper64]

Mildly interesting. Although it's already been mentioned, ale being available is really good news. This quote re H+H amuses me "The thought of having the strains of Black Sabbath songs going out over Knebworth park fills me with excitement. I think that will be fantastic." Shows the lack of value the name Heaven and Hell has.

[brian.fantana]

t8yman is clearly a c**t

[t8yman]

t8yman is clearly a c**t

[biffoire]

t8yman is clearly a c**t

[saltybugger]

Welcome to efests. How are things on the official forum?

[beLIEveR]

He may well be a c**t (as am I), but it's funny that the people who feel the need to call him one have mysteriously recently joined and only seem interested in the sonisphere forum.

Round here, you are allowed to have whatever point of view you want. We are not fanboys. We don't unconditionally asslick what we like and unconditionally slaughter what we don't. We say things how we see them, regardless of whether or not other people want us to say them. And long may that continue, even if we do occasionally make c**ts of ourselves.

Edited June 8, 2009 by beLIEveR

[edgar]

He may well be a c**t (as am I), but it's funny that the people who feel the need to call him one have mysteriously recently joined and only seem interested in the sonisphere forum.

Round here, you are allowed to have whatever point of view you want. We are not fanboys. We don't unconditionally asslick what we like and unconditionally slaughter what we don't. We say things how we see them, regardless of whether or not other people want us to say them. And long may that continue, even if we do occasionally make c**ts of ourselves.

[brian.fantana]

c**ts

[Lithium05]

c**ts

Edited June 8, 2009 by Lithium05

[she bangs the drums]

From the Sonisphere forum:-

Arena

What time will it be open?

11AM on Saturday and Sunday. The arena will be separated from Bohemia by a temporary fence, which will be removed when the arena opens.

Tell us about the layout

The Bohemia area is adjacent to the main campsites and early bird, and houses the tented 3rd stage – there is no campsite stage.

The 2 main stages are now called (provisionally) The Main stage, and Stage 2, in order of walking from the main campsites – bohemia → 2nd → main. The 2nd and main stages do not face each other, the main is over a small hill from the second but the walk is only 2 minutes – with ample room to avoid crushing.

The Main stage is only a 5-8 minutes walk from the back of the main campsite, barring ticket checks/crowds etc...

Have the organisers twigged that if they do have a stage at each end and don’t get the distances between the stages right this could be horrifically dangerous as everyone turns around and pegs it to the other side of the arena?

There is plenty of space between the two stages. There will not be any need to rush from one mainstage to the other.

There has been some confusion as to how the two mainstages will work. Although NIN and Heaven and Hell are sub-headliners, it appears that they are not playing second to last overall - that role is taken by Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet for my Valentine. Is this correct? If so, will the band headlining mainstage two have a longer set time than the sub-headliner/penultimate band on mainstage 1?

Correct. The Sunday will go NIN, then A7X, then Metallica. The set times will be worked out nearer to the festival, but it is anticipated that the sets will be of similar length for the last band on mainstage 2 and second-last band on mainstage 1.

How is the 3rd stage going to work alongside the other 2? Apparently the acts are arranged to not conflict musically with the mainstages. Does this mean clashes? Or will the bands be on afterhours?

The original plan was to just have comedy and silent disco amongst other things, but we decided to make use of it for the rest of the weekend by putting some bands on it. Bands will run from midday to midnight on the Saturday and Sunday, with the bands scheduled so as to not conflict musically with the bands on the mainstages. Therefore there will be clashes, but only between the two mainstages and Bohemia. No mainstages bands will clash with each other. The bigger Bohemia bands (Corey etc...) will be scheduled so they will not clash with a huge name on the main stage, possibly taking an early set. Bohemia will get gradually quieter: noisy until main closes, then comedy, then silent disco till 0300, funfair runs as late as they are.

Will there be any big screens either side of both of the stages?

Yes. Big screens either side of mainstage one and one to the right of mainstage two. This will become the cinema screen after the bands have finished.

What are your thoughts on potential flag bans in the arena? Either a ban on them right at the front of the stage or maybe just a message on the screens reminding people with flags to be a bit considerate towards others around them?

We like the flags but not when they’re being waved in front of people at the front of the stage. We will not ban the flags being taken into the arena or campsite, but we will make sure that the stewards down the front have a quiet word with those causing a nuisance with their flags during the band’s set.

How long will the anticipated gap between bands be?

5-10 minutes

What will the barrier set ups be?

A ‘T’ barrier for mainstage one and a normal barrier for mainstage two and the Bohemia stage. No secondary barrier for mainstage two and nothing that requires special wristbands to get into areas in front of barriers.

Will there be texting onto the big screen?

This will be looked into.

Disabled Access - How is it going to work? Will there be 2 separate platforms for each stage. Moving back and forth from each stage could be awkward for them.

Special needs campers will have their own separate entrance and separate campsite, near the VIP section. There will be two platforms available to enable those with special needs to watch bands on the two mainstages. It was stressed that those customers with special needs should get in touch with the organisers prior to the festival to ensure that the organisers can cater for their needs and sort out their requirements. The Sonisphere Team will be working with a group called ‘Attitude is Everything’ who will be carrying out a survey of the site and then liaising accordingly regarding the best routes for the customers requiring special needs. The definition of ‘special needs customers’ includes those in wheelchairs, those with bad back, or other physical impediments. Those who fall into this category should consult the website for a telephone number/email that will also be sent out with tickets.

Shade - Assuming the 2 Main Stages are open air, people will be out in the sun all day. A lot of people like to pop into tent stages at other festivals to get out the sun for a bit, will any shaded points be around the site?

One potential solution is to have a marquee or a seated area with chairs and tables to give the bar areas a beer garden feel.

There will be the two mixing desks in the centre of the arena and there will also be bars, merchandise, and catering areas to provide shade. On top of that, there will be trees providing adequate shade around the arena and Bohemia.

Are there any sound restrictions as to noise curfew? If so, how late?

Yes. Mainstages to finish at 11. Bohemia can run on at a lower level until 2 or 3 in the morning.

With regard to crowdsurfing (including those in inflatable boats!): will anyone doing it be evicted? Will persistent offenders be evicted? Will offenders be taken out the back and be made to go the long way around to get back to the crowd? They're doing this at Reading. Effectively if you crowdsurf to get out because you're cramped/hot etc then you can have a breather. if you are doing it for the lulz, then you get take out a way which means it'll take ages for you to get back... so you could miss 5/10 minutes of the show.

Those who crowdsurf persistently run the risk of being ejected from the festival.

Campsites

How will this be laid out?

The main camp site is split into areas such as Yellow 1, 2 etc, Indigo 1, 2, etc...There are also separate wristbands/campsites for campervans, VIPs, those with Special needs, and there will be a family camping area which will be further from Bohemia than the other standard camping areas.

Will there be watchtowers or fire breaks or a campsite cabin for each areas of the campsite? These could double up as meeting points?

Yes. There will be observation towers with a gazebo at the bottom. These will have stewards and security. There will also be a crew of volunteers known as Sonifriends to help out in the event of any assistance required. There will also be a special ‘crimestoppers-style’ number to call in the event that you see anything suspicious that you want to report.

Will the campsites be opening one field at a time or will it be free-for-all camping?

One field will be designated for all the early entry holders. The rest of the fields will be opened up once this has been filled. Each area will be filled up before moving into the next one.

What campsite entertainment is there going to be in addition to the Bohemia Village (if any)?

None. All entertainment will be within Bohemia and the Arena.

Following on from the point above re first aid and welfare - would it be a good idea to have a cabin/tent/gazebo in each campsite so that if there are accidents or problems, campers won't have far to walk to the first aid/welfare point? Maybe have a 'manager' to deal with these.

Dealt with above.

Can we have a list on the website prior to the festival of what is and what is not allowed in the campsite? Certain items such as gazebos and gas canisters are permitted at some festivals but not all of them.

There will be a comprehensive list of what to bring and what to not bring. Gas will not be sold anywhere at the festival. Cans are allowed in the campsite, but not the arena or Bohemia. Glass is not allowed on site. Gazebos will not be allowed. Drugs will not be allowed as they’re as illegal at a festival as they are anywhere else. Also, people are advised to be sensible as to the size of the tents they bring (i.e. 2 people in an 8 man tent is ridiculous and should be avoided). Bags will be searched on arrival for any items not permitted. No containers will be provided on arrival to enable you to transfer glass bottles.

Following on from that, what cooking items are allowed? The FAQ on the website states that disposable bbqs, hexi-block style cookers but no liquid fuels or gas canisters will be permitted. What about trangia stoves - will they be allowed?

Solid fuel burners only. Trangia stoves and any other stoves that run on liquid fuel are not permitted.

Will there be showers in the campsite? And will they be open 24/7 or will there be restrictions on time when they can be used?

There will be showers, but they will not be open 24/7. Hours to be decided.

Will campfires be allowed?

No. And there will be no communal campfires.

Bars and Food Outlets

Will it be tokens or cash payment for the bars at Sonisphere? How will it work if it's going to be tokens?

Cash only. No tokens.

Will there be any seating/beer garden type areas?

There will be a bar/garden/seating area at one of the bars in Bohemia.

What drinks will be on sale on site? In particular, what lager, cider, and spirits will be available at the bars?

Carlsberg will be the lager. Gaymers will be the cider. Jagermeister will be available. Bitter will also be available and there will be a full bar service.

What range of food will be available? Will it be the standard burger vans, spud wagons, toastie vans, and pizza wagons that you would expect to find at a festival?

The more popular ones listed above will be there along with vegetarian options, falafel, cafes, and meat pies. A pizza carry out service is also being looked into.

Will food and drinks prices be capped and monitored? Are there any plans to publish the prices list in advance of the festival? Can these be kept to a reasonable level?

Yes. Prices will be published on the website in advance of the festival. There is a set tariff agreed with the company that the catering and bars are done through. It will be £3.50 a pint. £3 for jagermeister. We are not able to reduce the price of the pint.

Lager Carry Out Bar, moderate success at Reading where you could get a crate of 24 cans ice cold lager onsite?

There will be something called a ‘Slab Bar’ where you can get a crate of cold Carlsberg onsite for £30

Cold Beer Amnesty - replace warm lager with an ice cold can - any plans for this? Maybe also have one for warm cider with ice cold cider?

Carling did this and it is not something that Sonisphere will be doing.

Can we get walking cold beer / cider dispensers?

We are looking into this.

We have had free Snickers and Muller Rice in the past at Download. Anything like that happening at Sonisphere? Maybe have a sponsor interested in giving out free food or drink samples?

No Snickers or Muller Rice, but we will look into free samples and advise in due course.

Some of the forum have suggested Margaherita Slushes - any chance that these could be served at Sonisphere?

We will investigate. On the subject of ice, this is something that we will also investigate as a means for keeping beers cool or maybe a service to keep cool packs frozen by taken them off you for however long it takes to refreeze. Both options will be considered.

Amenities

Will there be tattoo artists available? What about semi-permanent tattoo sellers?

Yes.

Some gigs and festivals use bluetooth to download information, news, updates, and lineup times onto your mobile phone. Would this be something worth doing?

We are year 1 into the festival and do not feel that this is something to do yet.

Maybe a text service to find out who is playing now or next, maybe extended to text the band name to find out what time, what stage etc?

A text service is being looked into along with possibly a live Twitter service to a screen in the information tent to keep people updated about bands that have pulled out on the day or bands switching sets.

Signing Tent / Meet and Greets - Will either of these be happening?

We will look into these.

Will there be any points to recharge your phone over the weekend?

Inside the lockers only.

Will there be a sufficient amount of cash machines available?

Yes.

What sort of toilets will be on site and will they be monitored by security? Will they be the same in the campsite and the arena or will there be one variety in the campsite and one in the arena?

Polyjohns will be used for campsite and arena. They will be joined together to prevent overturning. There will not be any longdrops.

Can we have free condoms available onsite? Maybe from the Main Information Tent / Welfare Tent?

We are looking into this.

We presume that there will be first aid tents - how many are there likely to be? Will there be St Johns Ambulance and local police presence just in case?

Yes. There will be St Johns Ambulance presence on site and there will be police presence. There will be an onsite field hospital as well as an onsite police station.

Welfare sections - are there going to be any volunteer groups involved (such as Salvation Army etc) with a tent in say the Bohemia Village? This has worked quite well at Reading.

Samaritans, Ministry of Welfare and Sonisfriends. There is a potential idea of having some sonisfriends on tennis umpire chairs at the entrance with ‘Ask me I’m here to help’ t-shirts and they can help direct the arrivals to wherever they need to get to. The chairs will be fixed down. Another service being looked at is a wheelbarrow service where you pay £5 to rent a wheelbarrow at the entrance to take your bits to wherever you are camped. A volunteer will accompany you and then take the barrow from you once it has been unloaded.

Some festivals have introduced 'left luggage' areas where people can secure certain items. Is this something you are considering for Sonisphere?

We are looking into this

Lineup

Explain the rationale behind the lineup. There are many mainstream rock and metal acts of different heaviness on the bill. Is this what we can expect from Sonisphere in future?

Sonisphere is a rock festival. It is not a hard rock or a metal festival, nor is it an indie-rock festival. Although different people have different interpretations of what rock is, there may well be metal, ska, punk, hardcore, grunge and alternative music etc...represented on future lineups.

What criteria do the bands that you are booking need to fulfill? Is it in terms of album sales, live sales, their appeal and presence in the media, or is it just because they pull off an awesome live show?

It is more down to who is available and who is on tour.

Metallica, The Sword, and Machine Head played together on tour earlier this year - are Metallica involved in the selection of bands for the Metallica day at Sonisphere?

No.

Are there any plans to further diversify? I understand that there will be no indie for example, but what about punk, ska, and hardcore? How far are you looking to spread your appeal to the public? Thinking outside the box, would you consider hip-hop acts such as Cypress Hill or Beastie Boys or dance crossover acts like Prodigy and Pendulum or industrial/EBM such as KMFDM or Assemblage 23 or would you rather stick to the formula of rock and metal and their sub-genres?

As long as an act is within the rock umbrella, they will be considered. Bands such as Franz Ferdinand, Snow Patrol and Lethal Bizzle would not be considered whereas other bands spoken about more favourably were Muse, Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance, Pendulum, AC/DC, Beastie Boys, Hollywood Undead, The Prodigy and Cypress Hill. There are four slots left on the mainstages to fill and there is nothing lined up as of yet.

When are the lineup times likely to be available? Some festivals announce them some months in advance whereas others leave it til the last minute - where do Sonisphere stand in that?

These will be put up on the website on the week leading up to the festival.

Bohemia Village

Tell us more about it.

The Bohemia area is adjacent to the main campsites and early bird, and houses the tented 3rd stage –there is no. campsite stage. It houses the Monster Army Rock Camp and there will be a funfair. The tented 3rd stage also has comedy and Silent Disco. It can run as late as 2 or 3 in the morning depending on the demand.

What days will the bands be performing and how will it work alongside the two mainstages?

Saturday and Sunday from midday to midnight.

Will there be any bands playing on the Thursday? It would seem a bit unfair on those who cannot do early entry if they would miss say Corey Taylor or Attack! Attack!

No live bands of any sort on Thursday and Friday as there is no licence in place for live bands on these two days.

Millets had a camping stall at Reading last year (had to use it to buy a tent) - what chance of there being something like this in Bohemia?

There will be something like Joe Bananas stall which will sell camping essentials.

There is discussion of people going off-site to the local supermarkets to stock up on booze and food. Could a supermarket have a stall in Bohemia?

There will be a supermarket on site which contains everything required.

Non Music Entertainment

Rugby - A team of sonisphorumers would like a rugby match, similar to the football to be arranged on an alternate day to the footy. Is this something that the organisers could help arrange?

No FKN way! We will end up with too many injuries.

Football - What is the set up of this going to be and how will it be managed?

Sonisfootball is go! The boardies are already organising it, balls and goals to be provided. The boardies will be left to organise the teams and referees and Sonisphere Organisers will provide you with somewhere to play it.

How will the Guitar Hero Competition work?

The Guitar hero competitions will be arranged with Activision soon. Involving three onstage duel-offs in between bands with try-it Pods and heats held in Bohemia. At the end of the weekend, the winners go backstage to meet the band.

Cinema - What films will there be? Can we have a list and vote on what we want to be screened?

There is a voting process going on either via the forums and/or Facebook. Final list of what’s popular to be put forward and the organisers will ascertain whether they can obtain the most popular choices.

What rides are likely to be brought in on the funfair?

Standard stuff such as dodgems, waltzers, white knuckle, arcade, and big bungee thing.

Travel

Entrance to Knebworth might get congested - what are the plans for managing traffic in and out of the site?

We are hopeful that the traffic plans in place will ease the congestion. There are contingency plans in place just in case. As arrivals spread over days, then traffic should not be a problem

We are aware of the free coach deals offered, but will there be a shuttle bus running to and from the station / nearest Airport? And if so how much will it cost?

No plans as there is no contract or arrangement with the Airport. There will be one from Stevenage train station into the campsite entrance. We will post the exact times for them to leave on the bus. As there will be rush hour on the Monday morning, it might be worth having the buses leaving after the rush hour has died down.

Will a shuttle bus run from Stevenage to site and will it run on Thursday?

Yes and yes.

Is there any chance of a shuttle bus doing a trip to the local supermarket in the mornings?

No. We aim to provide everything you need on site.

Is there any chance of offering the free coach travel deals to those who bought their tickets before the offer was made?

The deal made with the coach travel could only be made to new ticket buyers unfortunately hence we are unable to extend this offer to existing ticket buyers. We want to use it to extend the attendance of the festival.

Merchandise

Official merchandise - a t shirt with all the acts? a boardies special shirt? a VIP special shirt? Programme? A lanyard with laminates with stage times?

There will be t-shirts with lineup on. Boardie shirts (frakk this gooseberry) can be arranged subject to design and logos. Forums to investigate maybe doing competition to design the best shirt and report back to the organisers to see about getting the shirts printed. A Founder Members shirt is being planned. A VIP shirt will be produced. There will be a 24 page information booklet given out for free on arrival to the festival, not a programme. Also this will be distributed in advance in certain popular rock magazines in the run up to the festival. It will not include the lineup times as the booklet is being printed before the times are finalised. Instead there will be a lanyard with laminates containing stage times, maps and signing information.

Will there be any pre-festival merchandise available by mail order?

Yes. Check the website.

Will there be a compilation CD available to get us all hyped up pre festival by mail order?

No

Will there be a buy now, collect at the end of the festival option? like at airports?

Probably not, though there is scope to do so with posters. It is being looked into as to whether these could be sent out by mail at the festival’s end to avoid them being damaged in the tents etc.

How much band merch will there be available?

Full range. All bands playing mainstages will have merchandise available.

Will there be stands from retailers like Criminal Damage?

Yes

Environmental Issues

Cup Deposit Returns have been very successful at other festivals. Are there any plans to implement this over the weekend?

Yes. We are hoping to maximise the recycling potential over the whole weekend by entering into a partnership on recycling to go at it properly. We will look to recycle paper, metal, and plastic. Caterers will be recycling and everything served will be CFC free – it will be wood and paper.

Would there be any incentive in giving back 10 or 20 pence for recycling bottles? Might stop any bands being potentially bottled - as far as I know, no festival offers a monetary incentive to recycle bottles - is there a reason why not?

No. Recycling scheme above will handle that as discussed.

Will there be recycling bins available around site?

There will be recycling bins around the site and there will be bags handed out in campsites or available for collection at the observation towers/gazebos.

How about recycling a bag of rubbish for a free beer/drink from the bar?

This will be looked into. It has worked in the past with some success.

VIP

What kind of 'extra entertainment' is there going to be in the VIP area?

VIP area will have a private bar, with a catering option provided by Knebworth's own corporate entertainment people. The VIP backstage area will also host a private rock disco, giant jenga and other garden toys. I think that there will be a BBQ in there as well. There is a separate car entry route and car park for VIPS, next to the VIP campsite, which is located on a hill between the 2nd and Main stage. VIPs can enter from 3pm on Thursday. There will be and exclusive VIP t-shirt, and loads of other goodies in the goody bag TBA.

Can we have some more information about VIP registration desk - what will be required from us/rough idea of when we will be contacted re: our arrival times?

It will be at one entrance separate from the main entrance. Information will be sent out nearer the festival as to what’s required by email.

Security

Will they all be SIA registered?

Yes

Where do we go to report our issues?

The Main Information Point, located just inside Bohemia, is the first port of call. The Information Point Team will be overseeing Front of House Customer Satisfaction and there will be incident, complaints, and suggestions forms available for you to complete, for submission to the organisers. Incidents and complaints will be assessed on individual merit on site and where necessary will be brought to the attention of the organisers at the earliest opportunity. G4S are the security company (formerly known as Rocksteady), based in Edinburgh and run Ibrox and Murrayfield. They have been used at Hyde Park and we consider them to be the best company in the country.

Will all security have number shown?

Yes

Would Soni be interested in "undercover" teams at Soni that have proved invaluable at other festivals? They would provide feedback throughout the day from the camp sites. Gives the organisers an independant neutral view on issues onsite during the festival weekend. "mystery shopper" Do everything from reporting abusive staff to checking all vendor food pricing to providing customer feedback on new systems

Yes, some Better Festival Group volunteers will be reporting back on a daily basis about their experience.

Where will they be patrolling?

Campsite, arena, and Bohemia. Police will also patrol in uniform in car parks and campsite, but not arena or Bohemia.

Will there be one company for the whole site or different ones for car park, campsite, and arena?

All one company.

Campsite Security - What measures will be put in place / taken? We all know about Reading and Leeds' yearly Sunday night issues.

We are aware of what has gone on in the past and have taken this into account. Brief of security is customer care and security.

Tickets and Offers

With the offers of discounted Guitar Hero Metallica being made to prospective buyers, can this be extended to existing ticket holders? Alternatively are there any other ways to reward the buyers who cannot take advantage of this offer (free merch etc)?

The deal with Activision meant that we could only offer to new ticket customers only, not existing customers. Although this (and the FMC) were put forward with best of intentions, there has been disenchantment among some people, but unfortunately it is the way the deals are done and there is nothing we can do. We already had in mind the FMC and decided to bring it forward our thinking on this because of the comments on the boards. 500 applications have been made for additional numbers so far. Despite the complaints on the message boards, we have gone out to put things forward with the best of intentions and we are not out there to stitch anyone up. It is frustrating because we introduce ideas that we think are good and will be popular, but the alternative would be to do nothing. We volunteered to refund the booking fee and wanted to not charge booking fees on the outset, but had to sort things out with the ticket agencies.

The FMC has two purposes for us: one is that it is year 1 and would like to see people help to sell other tickets; and to accelerate the development of the community.

Will day tickets be going on sale and if so how much will they be?

They are now onsale. £67.50.

How successful has the deposit scheme been?

Very successful. Thousands have taken up the scheme and it’s our intention to run it next year.

General/Other

Is Sonisphere being corporately sponsored and if so by who?

Guitar Hero Metallica, Jagermeister, TIGI Haircare, Jackson and Gibson. TIGI Haircare beautify the rockstars backstage.

Will the smoking ban have any effect as to where people can smoke at Sonisphere?

The law applies at Sonisphere in the same way as everywhere else. For instance there will be No smoking inside Bohemia Tent.

Will gazebos be on sale on site? How much will they be?

No.

How have the other Sonispheres fared in comparison to the UK Sonisphere in terms of reception, sales, and coverage?

Finland has been most successful to date. 55,000 tickets were sold.

We've heard that there is the possibility of televised coverage. Is this correct?

Scuzz will film some sets but no televised highlights. It is very unlikely to be in place for year 1.

At the end of a festival, there is much waste in terms of unused food and drink and other goods. How about a drive to hand over unwanted food, drink and other items after the festival over to charities on the way out? Or donating tinned food on the way in?

We get a lot of litter. There is a recycling policy in place for the festival but there are logistical problems with donating tinned products in terms of costs and having people onsite. There’s no guarantee that the products are not contaminated or not gone out of date and it is difficult to convince organisations as to these health and safety problems. It would be easier to make charity donations at the festival. However, if people want to leave their tent behind as a disposable item, leave it but do not trash and we can use them for schemes that we are working on. Charity will be Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy.

Could we have some more information regarding the clubnights? Will there be giveaways and sets featuring Sonisphere bands? Will there be any special promotions?

There will be giveaways and promotions. No sets featuring the bands. Information will go up on the website.

Boardie BBQ - you mentioned the possibility of having one this year before the chatboards were up. Is this likely to go ahead? If so, where and when? How many will be invited along? And will it be strictly boardies only or are '+1s' allowed?

There will be the Founding Member Party though on the Friday evening for members. This is likely to take place in the Bohemia bar. We will look into the Boardie BBQ.

Future

Are there any plans to sell tickets for Sonisphere 2010 at 2009 prices once the festival is over? This has been moderately successful with Reading in the past.

Not as soon as the festival is over as it would be presumptuous. There is possibility of selling 2010 tickets at 2009 prices next year though at some point.

Sonisphere 2009 is concerned with 5 single day gigs and 1 two-day festival. Is this what we can expect in 2010 or are there plans to have more countries?

Maybe expand it through other European countries but will see how year 1 pans out.

Would it be worth expanding Sonisphere UK to a 3 day festival?

Depends on capability and how year 1 pans out.

This year certain bands have played all other Sonispheres but not the UK one. Will next year see bands sign up to play all of them or will you stick with the variety given with the different Sonispheres?

Will try this for year 2, but it is down to availability of bands at the time. Also different bands mean different things in different countries (bill for Germany is better for Germany).

We understand from comments in interviews that Metallica will be involved with developing Sonisphere. What role will they be taking in relation to future Sonispheres? Are they involved in selecting some of the bands for next year?

They headline the six Sonispheres but they will not headline Sonisphere UK every year. If Sonispheres expand to other territories, then we have the option to discuss with them to headline these new ones. There will be two different headliners next year.

[thegremlin_1999]

nice find there dude