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ROSKILDE

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FESTIVAL

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Roskilde, Denmark: 02 – 05 July 2009

Diversity (n) – diversity is an old, old wooden ship used during the Civil War.

Festival number 3 in 3 weeks brings us to the infamous Roskilde Festival in Denmark. Diversity is the name of the game here. You have metal heavy weights like Amon Amarth, Nine Inch Nails, Darkane, Satyricon, Down, and Slipknot, yet also bands like Coldplay, Oasis, and Kanye West to name but a few.

Having a media pass means missing out on about 40% of the fun, the camping. I would say 50%, but I’m taking off 10% for the price of admission. This beast of festival will set you back about $420 AU. Once you’ve picked yourself up off the floor, let me tell you what you get for that. 4 days of music, 7 stages, and over 180 bands. Prior to that, the camping is open for 4 nights, with up and coming bands playing in the ‘pavilion Junior’ stage, with cinemas and other activities to keep you all occupied during the party like atmosphere that is camping at Roskilde.

So my Roskilde experience starts on the Wednesday, the day prior to the festival site opening. For normal festival goers, if you take the smart option and arrive by train, you get off at Roskilde station, and take the ‘festival train’ that will drop you off outside the ‘west’ camping area. If you’re with the media you have to guess the direction to the check in area.. eventually I found it, got my photo wrist band, and dodgy directions to the restricted camping area.

Set up tent, grab gear, make way to press area for free net. Kill time, grab food, miss small bands as I forgot to check my schedule. Sleep.

Thursday is another day of enjoying whats available on the camping grounds, but for me it was about catching up on lost time on the Internet before the festival grounds open at 5pm, for the first of 4 nights of music. Once the gates open, the masses waiting in line quickly take their space in the festival area. Its a weird look with an empty front barrier area, but queues nearby. But after the 9 deaths at the 2000 festival, Roskilde was the first to introduce measures like the D barrier, but also to take it one step further, and they empty the D after each band, so you have to think in advance who you really wanna see the most.

The first major band on the bill is a band I only know from Guitar Hero… Social Distortion. In front of a massive crowd at the 17,000 person tent, they gave the crowd what they wanted to hear, and put on a solid show. Reviewing a festival like Roskilde as a photographer is impossible to go into details about bands, as with 7 stages, over the 4 days only 3 bands I saw entire sets from. From the sweaty as fuck arena tent, it was off to the infamous orange stage, for Volbeat. For anyone who read the review from Metaltown, they will know my opinion on this band, and things haven’t changed. But it was still something special seeing a band on such an iconic stage. After Volbeat it was time to kill before Kanye West.

There were gay-fish flags everywhere in the crowd for Kanye (unbeknown to me, this was in reference to a south park episode featuring the man). He had a great stage setup, and was quite enjoyable to watch, especially in such a massive crowd, but after a 15 minute rant/song/spoken word section talking about the problems he’s had in his life, how they’ve made him stronger, the haters, and Michael Jackson, it was time for me to leave for something slightly less dramatic! In todays case, this was a trip to my tent, skipping trentmoller, a massive DJ.. apparently.

Waking again in a sweat set the tone for day 2 of music. Sweat, and heat. Friday was a fucking huuuuge day. The opening band of the day was Frenchmen, Gojira, who put on a surprisingly enjoyable set, considering I’d avoided their recorded music. An hour later Satyricon were on the Arena stage to get the fist pumping started, and got a massive reception from the packed tent. Indie kids Fleet Foxes slowed things down a little before heading off to catch Isis, who fell into the same category of Gojira, fun music, with zero knowledge. An hour after the start of the Isis set the orange stage opened for the massive Faith No More, who again could do no wrong, with a quality set, including Mike Patton trying to find someone to sing the ending to a song in danish, as his knowledge extends only to spanish, italian, and english! Down played to a packed and sweaty Arena stage, before things only got better on the main stage with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, with Nick Cave managing to beat Mike Patton in the category of fucking awesome front man.

The Mars Volta brought their…. music… to the Arena getting a great reception from those on enough Ecstasy to enjoy their set. Oasis slowed things down on the main stage, before Grace Jones just plain weirded things out! More costume changes than a britney spears show, yet the same skimpy outfits, the +60 year old had the crowd in the palm of her aging hands. Nine Inch Nails tore the place apart after the Oasis set on the main stage. NIN like to bring their own lighting rig to festivals, especially when headlining, but this not being possible at the orange stage, they had to work their own system into what was available to them at roskilde, and they put on an awesome show. Trent seem pissed from the outset, after opener Somewhat damaged swinging his guitar into the mike, before throwing it into a drum set used for The Fragile. Crazy Trent. This anger continued through out the set, making it a night full of energy. An awesome set followed before I had to leave for to catch a long ship to the Odeon stage for headliners Amon Amarth. These guys know how to put on a good show, and have a great time while doing it, always laughing on stage, this while having flames spray up from the front of the stage. Awesome stuff. Back to NIN for the end of their set, and the time has just gone 3am. There were still 2 bands about to start at this time, but after 15 hours and 12 bands, it was time to make the trek back to the tent.. during daylight.. at 4am. Things get slightly weird the more north you go.

Saturday had no chance of comparing to the day prior, but still had a lot to offer. My day started with an enjoyable set by …And you will know is by the trail of dead, before a few hour wait till Gogol Bordello, American gypsey rock on drugs. These crazy guys were a popular last minute replacement for rapper Lil Wayne. Slipknot were one of 2 major headliners for the day, and due to the openness of the main stage time wise (3.5 hours between bands starting for instance before slipknot) a full slipknot set was to be enjoyed by the massive crowd at the orange stage, from bloody loud canons to start off the show, to songs I had missed the week before during slipknots set at Metaltown, it was enough metal to tire out the crowd in preparation for a band I was very keen on seeing.. the Pet Shop Boys! I loved these guys as a kid, but the 16 year older me was just as keen to check them out. They rivaled Grace Jones for costume changes, but with better songs, had the place in a state of euphoria, from the opening beats of heart, I too fell into the same state. Love comes quickly, Always on my mind, Domino dancing and its a sin kept the remaining crowd happy (despite probably 20% leaving after the 4th track, go west. West end girls finished off their set, and I left for the tent a happy little boy.

Sunday was an early start with Darkane kicking off procedings in the pavilion, before norweigan pop/rock/crazyness by the name of Ida Maria, and on the main stage the sleaze rock of Eagles of Death metal. Madness brought things back a few years on the main stage, before the yeah yeah Yeahs brought the cooky back on the arena, with some general enjoyable weirdness from front woman Karen O. Every stage was finished by 9:30 for a speech by Muhammad Yunus, nobel peace prize winner in 2006, for his micro credit scheme, giving a speech on hope and the future to a very receptive, and massive crowd. Once finished, the final act, and headliner of the Roskilde Festival was to play. That band was Coldplay. Having not seen these guys in 8 years, I was very keen to check them out, and they didnt disapoint. Playing on multiple stages (main stage, small platform on the side of the stage in pit area, and small stage set up at the rear of the D barrier) the crowd was loving it from their hits, to the Billy Jean cover after the death of michael jackson, to the mexican wave from back to front in the dark with mobile phone screens, to the yellow balls sent out into the crowd during yellow, a great concert all round. Worthy finishes to a great festival.

Unfortunately one of the great annual events at roskilde I couldnt comment on, that being the naked run. The winner in the mens and womens categories win a double pass to the following years festival, baring all can win you the double pass, and will also get your photo on the front of the paper on the next day.

After 4 nights of music, and for some 4 days of camping prior to that, you are happy to head back to normal life, a tired little camper. Comparing it festivals in australia (BDO, falls fest, splendour) the price of AU420 doesnt seem too bad for the quality, and diverse line up that you get. I don’t think I’d go back to the festival alone, but next time I’m in Europe with a group, Roskilde will be on the itinerary!

Review and photos by Scott Boelsen