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Monday
A late arrival, due to the inevitable circumstance of sleeping the day away. Let me tell it at once, this will be a day without metal, as we consequently miss Zerozonic from Kristiansand (aka Pantera metal from southern Norway).
Our first experience with the festival then takes place in the city centre of Arendal, where we will take the boat over to Tromøy island. Loads of youngsters stand in line in front of the ticket office bearing large supplies of liquids, shout and sing, the usual...
On the other side, we are to take a bus to the festival entrance situated 10km from the side of the island we are on; there are supposed to be busses waiting for us, but we get to wait a bit and taste the festival mood in the queue. Hopefully we have a bottle of Norwegian mead, and thus decide to celebrate and where we stand we are totally unaware that the bottle is to be taken from us at the entrance (one doesn't need more to make me grumpy at a festival).
When reaching the main entrance place, I clap myself on the shoulder for fetching my bracelet in advance.
If I may bitch a bit I'd say that everything is so reglemented you rather feel at the opera than at a rock festival.
Sometimes if feels like this is a country slightly novice in matters of big rock festivals.
This evening we can taste some Baroness, prog with the effect of a sleeping-pill. They're good of course, but too between metal and progressive; where they start on a progressive part, it is too soon interrupted and gets mainstream and nagging.
I call it an evening... got a few dates tomorrow instead.
Tuesday
The Grimstad metal scouts on a trip. Today I choose to go and wake up the Carcass (that dear Saab 900).
With the car full loaded, we head towards Arendal, where we decide to test the press parking place I've reserved. After cruising around the festival area a certain amount of times, finally we see a sign...but do we have the parking sheet required? No, no way...who was to know about that?
Well....back to the crowded and messy entrance to fetch that stuff...they can't find the list, but if I would just write down my name and the car number they' ll give me the parking sheet...which they do. I tell them I'm from the press and ask if there's something I should know about the parking, but noooo worry. We head back to the press entrance just to hear we have got the wrong pass...true enough, there is a mark in a corner, telling which of the 8-10-12 - who knows? - parking lots the pass allows us to park on.
All that brings us to missing most of Black Tide, but as we rush after the sound of an old Iron Maiden hit and Metallica's Hit the lights, we manage to catch the last couple of songs...
Reglementation on the festival area: still high.
Information and organisation: good possibilities of improvement.
Black Tide
...are teenagers on fire, and their good old metal played skilfully gives us a fresh breath and makes us wish we saw more. They do have an album or two out there, that are said to be good, for those interested. Let it be said, they will kick many Hove metal bands' ass this year!
Audrey Horne
Are my focus today. I've followed the band since they released their first album No hay banda, mostly because of the musicians involved (known from Enslaved, I, Gorgoroth) at first, but for the band itself these days.
They wake up the chilling crowd with Twin Peaks's intro and manage to gather quite a bunch in the pit.
At once they let flow their heavy, deep post-grunge, and with my favourite Sweet taste of revenge. Now I understand that compact energy, that almost gets claustrophobic on record, is the secret ingredient to set the stage on fire.
Their mature riffs blend and create a complexity that is still easy to follow, as the vocalist encourages the audience to sing along on the choruses.
The bass player owns me as he sets for his own melodic lines all in tapping.
My second thoughts about Audrey Horne on record are completely eradicated after today's performance.
I've managed to erase the line-up, but here it is in more or less random order: Sweet taste of revenge, Death Horse, Last call, So long euphoria, Jaws, Confessions and alcohol, Threshold, Get a rope.
Unfortunately, my back that got stuck as I went out the car earlier strikes alert, so I go home and repair for the big night tomorrow.
Wednesday
I've eaten pain killers and got needles planted on strategic places to loosen the trouble in record time. Been eating mucle relaxing pills all day and will go no matter what!
We'll drive again, singing and growling along, warming up to today's soundtrack.
The day's first date is with my freaky mate Idar, who has promised me Flogging Molly will be a blast.
The punkish inspired Irish rock does liven up the audience at incredible levels and soon I find myself at the middle of jumping cattle in pink mittens; scary surroundings, but I let myself be charmed.
Bad Religion, on the other hand, could have made me lose my hard on if I was able to get one.
I had actually looked forward to the show and supposed they would do something special as this is their only appearance in Norway and first one in many years, as far as I know.
So then we grab the opportunity to go and get beers every 15th minute, and take pics of Norway's culture minister, surrounded by a bunch of youngsters and Gaahl who's queuing to pee...have to let time pass and chill out before the evening's peaks.
Things go crazy, I go even crazier say the ones I bump into and try to drag to the front rows in the pit.
Wasn't that drunk, though, but then I got the confirmation that I still can get overwhelmed by concerts after half a life in the business.
Behemoth
...mean they need an introduction and do it all in Norwegian. Great trick to gain the attention of the audience.
They unleash a fantastic line-up at 125% speed. The sound seems to vanish from the stage to the top of the hill, so I personally get a luke-warm feeling, but people standing away from the stage assure me all is as it should be.
How not.
Behemoth has taken the habit of covering Norway's big sex, drugs and rock n' roll divas Turbonegro's I got Erection.
I can tell you that tonight everybody gets one. Thank you, come again!
Line-up:
Slaves shall serve,
At the left hand ov God,
Prometherion,
Antichristian phenomenon,
Demigod,
Conquer all,
Christgrinding avenue,
Decade of Therion,
Chant for Eschaton 2000,
I got erection (Turboneger cover)
Primordial
...provides a moment of heathen communion, a show full of human energy and fire, which gets right to my heart.
After 12 years, I finally got to see them!
Their mid-tempo folk metal is as good as on record, maybe slightly too alike, but I really can't blame them for that.
The whole show is deeply atmospheric and inspiring.
The evening's favourite.
Line-up:
Empires fall,
Gallow's hymn (crowd sings),
As Rome burns,
The coffin ships,
Gods to the godless,
Heathen tribes.
Dimmu Borgir
...has become very experienced and delivers a good show. They still use their psychedelic screens in the background, have become more of a horde of orcs in their habit, know who they are and what they do. Last seen in 1996 and I like the live personality they have become.
I have to leave the details to the fishes (they've gone right from my eyes and ears to the waste bin), as the evening has been long as a meter beer...
Line-up, quote from an SMS to myself:
"Spellbound by the Devil,
musical one from Enthroned- oi they really renew their line-up these days,
The serpentine offering,
barbed wire circle on the screen wooo,
A sinister awakening ["Anti spiritualis" - Shagrath],
from Puritanic in darkness (??? - red.),
Succubus in rapture,
beat-beat-beat from Puritanic?
Encore:
Progenies of the great apocalypse,
Mourning palace,
Outro from Puritanic".
Something that strikes me at this festival is how clear the sound always is. Congrats, sound people.
Thursday
This day will mark the festival's summum for me.
The responsible for this are the brothers Cavalera, who perform a hell of a show.
Cavalera Conspiracy
Not a moment to get bored during their show.
I rediscover the originality and strength of Sepultura's music.
Nice to see that Igor has transmitted his drum skills to his nephew Igor Cavalera jr. At about 12, Max's son gives us a nice demonstration when he is called up to the stage and lead the band on Troops of Doom.
Moshpit like in the good old thrash days they command the audience to make too.
I simply feel overwhelmed.
Line-up as collected by Roadrunner's Blabbermouth:
01. Inflikted
02. Sanctuary
03. Territory
04. Terrorize
05. Refuse/Resist
06. Wasted Away
07. Inner Self
08. Nevertrust
09. The Doom Of All Fires
10. Orgasmatron
11. Hex
12. Black Ark (with Richie Cavalera)
13. Arise
14. Dead Embryonic Cells
15. Troops Of Doom (with Max's son Igor)
16. Attitude
17. Must Kill
18. Roots Bloody Roots
Friday
Last day at the festival and Opeth and In Flames, two bands I've been more and more interested in the last months are playing. I've known both for many many years and seen Opeth several times, but never have I enjoyed their live performances as I imagine I will do this time; sometimes there is just too little action going on with them for me. But this time, I've really let the music sink and Iæm looking forward to it. And I'm not the only one...
Now the news has already wandered far, and everybody knows that Opeth had to cancel, due to Mikael Åkerfeldt lying in bed with chickenpox!
The Hove crew did a good job finding a replacement, no less than Satyricon, who were happy to take a pause from the studio.
Satyricon
...is always welcome to be playing where I am. They are always such a live presence, and show a unique readiness, at least do Frost and Satyr.
Today, they unexpectedly fuel the audience with The pentagram burns. The air gets quickly thin as they fire hits from the past, like Forhekset. Unfortunately, the bass and the one guitar are almost constantly untight, but the mimics of the bassist seem to work positively on the audience. Synchronized banging, drums rumbling, effective minimalistic title and riffs with My skin is cold (new EP), are enough elements to feel the good smell of black metal.
Line-up:
The pentagram burns
Forhekset
Now, diabolical
Havoc vulture
My skin is cold
With ravenous hunger
Fuel for hatred
Mother North
In Flames
...can liven up the dead, or be incredibly boring live, if the sound is foul. When today's much awaited headliners perform, it is as disturbing as the flimmering background screen they have taken in use (ever watched the labyrinth screen saver of Windows without getting pissed?). They seem to be appreciated all around, but really, I hardly recognize one song, as the bass drum and the bass guitar turn into a thick porridge, and steal the whole sound picture.
Line-up, with a lot of help from my friends, and more or less in random order:
Cloud Connected
Trigger
Transparent
Alias
I Am The Highway
The Mirrors Truth
Disconnected
Delights and angers
Colony
Ordinary story
Graveland!
Only For The Weak
The Mirrors truth
Move Through Me
My Sweet Shadow
Quiet Place
Take This life
Come Clarity
My Sweet Shadow
My last words:
The critic that comes again concerns security. Not lack of security - they are to be found everywhere- but unappropriate and unconsistent security routines. There are both voluntary and hired people in the staff. The former seem to complain about being hold apart from information updates and consequently don't know how to do things.
When it comes to information staff, it is about the same. Noone, not even at the press office will be able to tell me the entrance to the press camp!
Hope all this gets improved in next year's edition of Hove festival!
When it comes to the diversity of activities or the food, I've got only good things to say. You can both shop, read in the cosy library, play video games, surf the internet, watch art exhibitions or witness live art (dancers perform at random times here and there on the festival area), bathe, eat good and stuffy ecological meals for a reasonable price.
I'll be back and believe that next year's metal bill will look good again!
Some of the concerts performed at Hove festival are available for watching at: http://nrkp3.no/konserter/
Hove Festival: www.hovefestivalen.no
Attending: Laurence
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Photo credits: Rasmus
First steps on Tromøy island;
Arendal town in the background.
Voluntary security and info staff -
mostly without a clue.
Black Tide - youth gone wild \m/
The Amfi-scene is the place.
During Bad Religion.
Trond Giske at the center ...
The dreadful Behemoth are popular
at Hove.
Nemtheanga steals the show.
Dimmu Borgir deliver a great show
for both old fans and newcomers.
Cavalera Conspiracy with Igor jr.
Satyricon: the synth chick's banging
doesn't get unnoticed by the male
audience.
Art in all its manifestations are part of
the life at Hove.
pic credit: www.hovefestivalen.no
A lamp exhibition in the Hove forest
creates an unusual festival mood.
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