Hard Rock Hell 3 - Day 2 - evening

And so it was back out for the Saturday evening to finish off Hard Rock Hell for another year.

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With a superb atmosphere building at the main stage, everybody singing along with the music played over the PA, it was time for a show and boy did we get one.

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WASP
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Frontman Blackie Lawless allegedly pulled out of a gig in Swansea just days before because the venue was said to be 'a shithole'.

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No such problems here, as we had power, volume and presence in abundance.

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Basically it was a greatest hits set with a few new ones, featuring:
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Love Machine (you tube)
I Wanna Be Somebody (you tube) and
Blind in Texas.
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Queensryche
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It's fair to say that 'thinking man's metal' band Queensryche are not everyone's cup of tea, and their headlining spot here definitely split opinion.

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Technically proficient no doubt, they did little to win over new fans here, by sticking to material from 3 albums only, and excluding some of their more accessible material.

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New York Dolls

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With just 2 original members, New York Dolls took us through the midnight hour with some good heavy/punky rock. They over came some early sound glitches overcome to deliver a full set of sleazy rock n roll.

Lauren Harris
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Now I like Lauren Harris. I've got the debut album, saw her at Twickenham supporting Maiden, and have followed her progress since. But it has to be said that this was a rather strange set.
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In announcing that next year the band would have a new name, there'd be a new album, and we were going to hear lots of new songs, it seemed as though a line was being drawn under the solo career.
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I'm really not sure where's she's going because to be honest she could learn a lot about stage presence and energy from her old man (Steve of Maiden).
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A lack lustre set in my view with too many new numbers.
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Out of her older stuff, here's the cover of Gun's 'Steal Your Fire' (you tube)

And that was that for another year @ Hard Rock Hell - there was thrash still going on on Stage 2 - but I'd had enough, 19 bands in a day and a half is pretty good going!

An excellent festival all round, the best of the 3 HRHs so far in my view.

And so to HRH4 next December - how about Y&T and the Michael Schenker Group? - book me in now.