If you fall into this category (and you know who you are) let me assuredly tell you that Bat Sabbath has the power to change your mind and make you a believer in the magic of covers. If you don’t fall into the above-mentioned category, let me still tell you that Bat Sabbath can make you a believer in the magic of covers.

Now, I know that cover albums and cover bands can often be simple, shoddy attempts at quick fame and recognition, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth when it comes to two time Juno-nominated Cancer Bats and their Black Sabbath cover project. These guys are overflowing with talent, charisma and unbelievable stage presence, all of which are skillfully showcased and blatantly obvious during their live shows, no matter what songs they happen to be performing. Heck, they could probably take a folk album and turn it into one worthy of head banging and sore necks nationwide.

What started out as a one-time surprise performance at the Sonisphere music festival in Bohemia earlier this year turned into an 11-date tour of Ontario and Quebec this past month.

Taking Masters of Reality into their own hands – while also taking the liberty to rename the classic, dubbing it Bastards of Reality – Bat Sabbath made it clear from their first moment on that stage why the show had been such a success in Bohemia and why it had transformed into a mini tour. (Which will hopefully spawn a second tour and maybe even some recorded material. Hmm? I’m talking to you, Bat Sabbath. Please, please, please?)

In Montreal, the band performed at infamous punk/rock/metal hotspot Les Foufounes Electriques where the utterly captivated crowd grew bigger and bigger with every song.

Taking to the stage under the cover of darkness, surrounded by a cloud of smoke, with frontman Liam Cormier wearing a black cape (Note to self: capes officially make everything more badass), Bat Sabbath played all the Black Sabbath classics in a set that lasted slightly over an hour and had only one downside: It ended way too soon. I know that might sound cliché, but too bad, it’s the truth.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a band so genuinely humbled by positive feedback and so focused on giving fans what they want. Just to prove my point, let me point out that Cormier was at the band’s merch table till the moment he had to get up on stage and was right back at it the second the set was done and he jumped off into the crowd and walked back over.

And to prove my point again, when fan after fan started getting on stage during the encore song, the band didn’t try and push ‘em off, instead choosing to embrace the mayhem unfolding around them as they continued to play. One lucky fan even had the chance to sing part of the final song as Cormier momentarily took a step back and let him do his thing.

I said it on Twitter right after the show and I’ll say it here again because even days later, I still feel the exact same excitement about this one of a kind show I was lucky enough to finish my 2011 concert season with: Bat Sabbath = a.ma.zing. Black Sabbath reunion tour 2012 should take notes and sleep with one eye open. 

For everything Cancer Bats: www.CancerBats.com

Yes, the same Sheepdogs who graced the August 18 cover of Rolling Stone after beating out 15 other bands in the magazine’s Choose the Cover competition, making them the first unsigned act to accomplish such a feat.

Having seen them only a little while back when they opened for Kings of Leon in the city’s largest venue, the Bell Centre, I was curious to see what The Sheepdogs would be like in a more intimate setting.

From the first song, it was evident that this is one rock band that performs better in a small, sweaty, overcrowded venue. Right in their element, The Sheepdogs, who actually released their first album back in 2006, were right on point. Musically tight and with a voice that makes you think ‘Oh, baby!’ they managed to quickly win over the crowd and even have them cheering for an encore at the end.

It was interesting to pick out individuals in the crowd who were there solely to see what all the fuss was about. ‘If Rolling Stone put them on the cover, they must be good’… and they are. The only question is if they’ll be able to keep up their momentum.

It would be great to see The Sheepdogs go on to have a successful career spanning years – we definitely need more Canadian talent making it big – but in this fickle industry, who knows?

If I were to pinpoint one issue, and this is something I noticed in both their arena gig opening up for KOL and this particular show from their headlining tour, it’s that The Sheepdogs need to figure out a way in which to ensure monotony doesn’t seep in to their set. A group of core songs, which stood out as interesting and uniquely Sheepdogs, was surrounded by others that just sounded too similar and, with minimal on-stage banter, the tunes began to almost blend into one another. Rather than continuously building up, up, up throughout the hour and leaving the audience wanting more, the mix of hits and older, less stellar tracks had the energy level swaying like the stock market.

With that said, the band’s latest release, Learn & Burn, was certified Gold in Canada on November 24, so if The Sheepdogs keep relentlessly building on their momentum and newly found fame and respect, they may just be around for a while.

For everything Sheepdogs visit: http://www.thesheepdogs.com/

Montreal’s annual Osheaga festival is known for bringing audiences a wide array of performances, from different genres and regions of the world, but this year’s installment seemed to fall victim to the aforementioned trend. Now, before you decide whether you agree with my review or not, please allow me to plead my case.

So, let’s get right to the numbers: 92 bands on five stages over three days. At first, this seems exciting and extremely appealing (92 bands for one ticket is a steal, right?), until the reality sets in that it just won’t be possible to see all the bands you want to see (unless you have a time machine you’re not telling us about). But life is all about choices so I must say that I would have interpreted the sheer volume of bands on the bill as a great plus, if the event’s organization wasn’t so lacking. Where last year’s Osheaga went off without a hitch (at least as far as I remember it), Osheaga 2011 had several downfalls.

My festival experience truly began on Friday night with Janelle Monáe’s Montreal debut. Having seen her perform at CMW only a few months ago, I knew what a spectacular set she was bound to put on and I waited in anticipation for her entrance. The wonder that is Monáe did not disappoint in the least and within minutes, she had both devoted fans and passersby in the palm of her hand. The dynamo – who is a bit like a mix between Michael Jackson, David Bowie and Lady Gaga – put on a killer set packed with costumes, dancing and her own miniature orchestra, which included a unitard-clad cello player whose instrument was nothing more than strings on a black frame.

Having arrived early, I was able to snag a place in the front row, which I was excited about, until my view (and the view of those next to me) was blocked by the arrival of numerous individuals in the photo pit who were not photographers. Let me say that I was given a photo pass, or so I thought until I showed up at the media tent and discovered I was allowed to take photos but not from the pit. Slightly confused by this concept, I accepted the fact that there must just have been too many applications and only a few were selected, which was fair game. The arrival of other bands, techs, families and unidentified individuals in the pit, not just for three songs but for a majority of the set, was unnerving.

Known for its ability to serve up every genre from hip-hop to hardcore to rock in one weekend, Osheaga delivered once again. After all, in what other scenario could you imagine seeing Canadian rockers Sam Roberts Band, American rapper Lupe Fiasco, francophone indie darlings Malajube, alt rockers and music veterans Death Cab for Cutie and Canadian hip-hop artist Shad playing as part of the same line-up?

However, the one minus I’d like to point out is that having changed the festival’s length from two to three days, Osheaga seemed to wear itself out a little too quickly. The most anticipated act of the weekend, Eminem, rocked the crowd on Friday night and it was a downhill journey from there. Saturday night headliner Elvis Costello, for example, drew a crowd that wasn’t anywhere near as big. The buzz seemed to build up to Eminem, explode during his set, then venture off for the rest of the weekend. In past years, when the festival only ran for two days, the talent seemed to ooze from every passing second, but this was not the case once everything was stretched out to span over an extra day.

As for Eminem’s first return to the city in over ten years, it left me wanting more. Eminem’s newest material, which made up a large chunk of the night, just isn’t as impressive as his classic stuff and the moment a rapper uses a backup singer for most of his set, I raise my eyebrows. Last year’s performance by Snoop Dogg was unforgettable and this one, not so much. The throngs of fans leaving before the end of the set (many of them wearing Eminem merch) made me think I wasn’t alone in my opinion.

On Sunday, the third and final day, the Tragically Hip and Flaming Lips managed to bring the end of the festival back up a number of notches by delivering solid performances. However, what wasn’t so solid was how Beirut, due to technical difficulties, cut half an hour into City and Colour’s set. No matter how loud City and Colour fans screamed and booed, Beirut would not stop playing. Even once all City and Colour members were up on their stage, ready to play, nobody stopped Beirut. The fiasco seemed like the perfect moment for an organizer to step in, but that was not to be and City and Colour left after twenty minutes, their fans sad and disappointed after having waited in the scorching sun, thinking they were going to be treated to much, much more.

The question I was left mulling over on my way home that night was: Where do you draw the line and when does a lot become too much?

For all the latest on Osheaga 2012: http://www.osheaga.com

From the moment the official schedule was released, it was obvious that Evenko was pulling out all the stops they could to make the third edition of Heavy MTL the best one to date. If the organizers’ hope was to continue on the path to establishing Heavy MTL as one of the most respected and unique rock/metal festivals in North America, they certainly contributed positively to their goal this year. Although, I must say, debuting a Heavy T.O. on the very same weekend, with many of the same bands on the bill, seemed strange. Why would you want to take a chunk of the annual crowd that would drive in from Ontario away from Heavy MTL?

But other than this, and one more change that occurred this year, which I’ll talk about later, Heavy MTL was, as a whole, a weekend of unbelievable music, head banging, moshing and all-around great moments.

Montreal may be known for its mind-numbingly cold winters, but the great forces in charge of weather sure must love their metal because the Heavy MTL weekend was filled with nothing but (lots of) sun and sweat.

Bracing the Sahara-like elements on Day 1, festival-goers were rewarded with the likes of Trivium, In Flames, Billy Talent, Godsmack and, to close the shenanigans on the first night, Disturbed. A fitting choice, as far as I saw it, since the band has announced an indefinite hiatus and this allowed all Disturbed fans to see them tearing up the stage one last time before disappearing for who knows how long.

Having never seen Billy Talent live before, I have to say I was impressed not just with the band’s performance (frontman Ben Kowalewicz is like a wild animal that’s just been freed from its cage and fed about forty tonnes of sugar) but also with their perseverance through technical difficulties. Following the fall of their banner, Billy Talent got on stage and started their set right on time, only to find that lead singer Ben’s mic wasn’t turned up, even though he was singing his ass off. But no worries, nothing but professionals here, Billy Talent kept on roaring straight through until all problems were left in the dust and the band was able to serve up a get-your-ass-moving performance.

A number of memorable moments filled the day, but the greatest one of them all, at least for me, was the discovery of Sweden’s In Flames. Yes, I now know they’ve actually got ten records behind them and that means I’ve been out of the loop for a tad too long, but I’m glad as hell that I was finally introduced to the wonders of In Flames. Their melodic take on metal combined with an unrivaled stage presence did it for me and I can’t wait to study up and educate myself about In Flames’ entire back catalog, and everything that’s to come from the band that took me by surprise, grabbed me and now refuses to let go.

Day 2 was definitely the day to beat, kicking off with Montreal’s Endast – take my word for it when I say they’re the local band to watch out for – and leading into a killer night of Anthrax, Motörhead and KISS.

These musical legends have been around for decades and all three gave the new generation of bands performing at Heavy MTL a serious run for their money. They haven’t lost the slightest bit of badass over the years and their live shows were impeccable, musically and on a pure performance basis. Having all three in one night didn’t allow for much of anything else, including blinking, as missing a moment could mean the difference between witnessing a piece of history being made and losing out, then having to listen to all your friends telling you about the magic you missed while you hang your head in shame.

Towards the end of the second day there were, as expected, KISS haters who walked around putting their opinions out into the universe even though nobody asked, and no one really cared, but that couldn’t ruin it for the mass crowd that gathered to see the legendary band’s almost two-hour set. They brought all the costumes, blood and pyro you would expect and they left nothing out – why should the rules be different for festival shows vs. arena shows? They even capped off the night, and the weekend’s festivities, with fireworks. Now, back to the question I posed at the very start of this review – how could Heavy MTL possibly have gone wrong?

With nearly 33,000 fans attending the weekend-long festival, there’s no question that Heavy MTL was a great success, despite some small negatives, which included having a third stage off in the woods, quite far from the main stages. Although this is customary for the Osheaga festival, it had never before been done at Heavy MTL and if you ask me – it didn’t do much service to anyone.

With only two stages (like in years past) anyone who hung around the grounds got to see everyone on the bill without any effort, as the bands alternated between two side-by-side stages with no wasteful breaks in between. With this kind of set up, whether fans were in the front row watching intently or sitting on the hill enjoying a beer, they got to enjoy all of the festival’s music without any regrets. Not so this time around.

This year’s new third stage took some effort getting to and not only meant missing main stage bands but also wasting time in moving back and forth between the two areas. Decisions are rarely fun and these certainly weren’t; what do you do when two bands you want to see are on at the same time? The addition just seemed to complicate everyone’s life and although it did allow for more bands to play the festival, which is always a positive thing, I’m just not sold on the concept. Sorry.

But going back to the positive, Heavy MTL is the only place I can imagine seeing Anthrax, Motörhead and KISS within the span of a few hours and if the festival’s organizers keep things movin’ along nicely on this exciting track, I can’t wait to see what they’ll serve up next year. And in two years. And in five.

For all the latest on Heavy MTL: http://www.heavymtl.com/

(All Photos: Barbara Pavone)

Boulder, Colorado’s 3OH!3 (yes, Boulder’s area code just so happens to be 303) has gained international success (from the US to Finland to Australia) with hits like “Don’t Trust Me” and “Starstrukk,” and has collaborated with artists as varied as Katy Perry and Lil Jon.

The duo, which is made up of Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte, has released three albums since 2007 and is now working on a follow-up that’s slotted to drop in early 2012. That is, if they can find a moment to breathe. On the road for almost two and a half years, I caught up with Sean Foreman just as 3OH!3 had only about ten days left until their (much deserved) break from touring.

Q: You guys are VWT veterans, how is this year stacking up against years past?

A: The tour is really great this year. I guess the camaraderie is really good, there’s BBQs afterwards, and everyone just gets along and parties. Sometimes, just ‘cause there are so may different types of bands, there’s been some friction in years past but this one, there’s a lot of different types of music but people just generally have a mentality of getting along.

The shows themselves have been really, really good for us. There are a lot of bands on this tour that I like to go see and there are some new ones that I’ve never seen that I’d like to.

Q: I was going to ask, do you get a chance to check out any of the other bands’ performances?

A: There are a few bands that I had heard of but I’d never seen that are great. Bad Rabbits is really good, Foxy Shazam [too]. You get to go side stage and watch the shows so it’s kind of like free reign.

It was pretty surreal, last night we had a BBQ and Lucero played and it was just like all of us watching them play, which, they’re an awesome band.

Q: What are the biggest ups and downs of VWT compared to a tour where it’s just you and one or two other bands?

A: There are a lot of downs on Warped Tour in the sense that, they do the best job they can but there are so many bands to take care of; you gotta use porta-potties everyday, shower behind the bus with cans of water, literally [laughs]. But it’s like summer camp, you get used to it.

The upside to that is that you don’t have any bands that have giant egos…it’s a pretty leveled playing field. The smallest band on Warped Tour gets treated exactly like the biggest band, as far as that all goes. The shows are great, the fans that come to Warped Tour are awesome and I think anyone would say they prefer a venue tour but I think Warped Tour is a great way to expose your band.

Q: What’s been the most memorable moment so far, or has anything horrible/absolutely crazy happened yet?

A: I’ve had some incidents in past Warped tours. This giant scar right here (at this point, Sean extends his leg out to proudly show off the scar on his right calf) I fell on the drum riser during a song and I just split my leg open. I thought it was just like a little wound so I finished the set. I was just bleeding through my pant leg and when I lifted it up, [my leg] was split open, like an extra orifice. It was pretty gross; that was a pretty gnarly moment. People are like, ‘Dude, you should put stuff on it to get rid of the scar,’ but for me it’s kind of like a tattoo.

Q: What happens when you get back home? How is it readjusting to ‘normal’ life?

A: It’s kind of like a post-tour depression … Honestly, it takes me about a week and a half to sleep on a bed that isn’t moving. I make a joke that I have to put it on my washer and dryer. Obviously it’s a lifestyle we choose and it’s awesome, but it is funny, it’s hard to readjust. Just even the conversation of ordering coffee at a local place, you’re just not completely used to it.

Q: I know you’re working on the new album now, how’s that coming along so far?

A: We just released “Robot.” We had a video, it’s kind of like a viral video, and it’s kind of just a track for our fans, it’s not really a radio playable song, which is fine. It’s the structure of how we wanna build the next record: a couple of steps backwards to where we came from, but also stepping forward with our production and stuff like that, but still having fun and keeping a good sense of humor about the stuff that we do.

Q: You’ve had some great collabs over the years, any funny anecdotes you can share?

A: Katy Perry did the first Warped Tour that we did, which was three years ago, and we became friends with her during the course of that and that’s how that developed. Funny story on that, I think it was Kansas City, no, just a strange spot, she came on stage when we did “Starstrukk,” that was actually before she was featured on the song, she was dancing around and she decided it would be a good idea, in her mini skirt, to crowd surf. She jumped in the crowd and I think there are a lot of lucky seventeen-year-old boys that got a handful of something. It wasn’t the best idea for her to do, she was kind of upside down in the crowd, but that was really funny. That’s when I knew she was about having fun.

Ke$ha was a friend just because we knew her in the studio, we met her through mutual friends…She obviously writes to kind of a persona but she is pretty crazy. I think the first time she came in the studio she called me a “little bitch” for no reason, which I initially hated her because I thought she was so upfront, but within two days I was like, she’s awesome, she’s a sweetheart, she’s cool. She just has this immediate front.

Q: If you could collaborate with anyone, past or present, who would that be? Maybe feature Beethoven on a track? [Laughs.]

A: [Laughs.] I was gonna say, I’d like to get Abe Lincoln to spit out eight verses, that’d be pretty awesome. Elvis is the king, I’d love to get him on a chorus, but maybe I’d go in the future, an alien or something.

Q: Finish this sentence for me: “3OH!3 is…”

A: It’s hard. I’m having like an identity crisis [laughs]. 3OH!3 is dumb for not being able to answer this question [laughs]. This is what happens when you spend weeks on Warped Tour, your brain is fried. There, 3OH!3 is warped!

For all the latest on 3OH!3: www.3oh3music.com/

It may have been about 400 degrees outside (okay, maybe it was closer to 40, but who’s keeping track?) and Parc Jean-Drapeau isn’t exactly the shadiest of places, but that didn’t stop a flood of fans from continuously piling into the festival site throughout the day to catch a sliver, if not all, of the 69 bands on the bill.

The punk/rock/pop/hip hop extravaganza was set to start at noon, but showing up at five minutes to the hour, I was met with the disappointing news that Grieves and Budo had already gone on stage at 11:30. After that mix-up, there was no more room for error and it was full steam ahead with stellar standout performances from 3OH!3, Larry And His Flask and The Exposed.

What many may know about Colorado’s 3OH!3 is that they’ve collaborated with the likes of Katy Perry and Ke$ha and have had great success on the airwaves with their it-won’t-get-out-of-your-head-no-matter-how-hard-you-try singles, but what most don’t know is just how powerful this duo is on stage. (Which isn’t to say that their touring band isn’t beyond talented.) 3OH!3 just has that something which commands attention; an undeniable stage presence that can’t be turned away from or disregarded. The lyrics are sometimes over the top, sometimes smartass, but always attention worthy, and the music is hot – they’re the perfect band to keep your summer rockin’. Okay, and your winter too.

Wandering around the festival site, I came across Oregon’s Larry And His Flask by complete fluke, stumbling onto the six-piece while they were playing one of their many sets of the day in between a couple of merch tents. Yes, possibly the biggest band on the tour, and definitely the one with the most interesting set of instruments (banjo, mandolin, double bass…), and they were the ones playing in different locations across Parc Jean-Drapeau throughout the day. Frankly, I thought they were a bit out of their minds – who dresses to a T and jumps up and down while slapping a double bass and throwing it around like a feather in the middle of festival grounds at midday under the scorching sun? Surely, you have to be mad, but in the most delightful way. It’s been a few days since VWT and I still can’t stop thinking about the unbelievable performance this hillbilly masterpiece put on. Here’s a toast to Larry And His Flask *clink*

Over the years, it seems that VWT has been stepping away from its punk-only roots and becoming more open and welcoming to more and more genres, but my last personal highlight of the day plays right into VWT’s history. The UK’s The Exposed brought a load of ass-kicking punk rock to the tour and stopped me in my tracks as I was strolling by them while they were on stage. The band was slightly reminiscent of The Clash, but I suppose any really good punk band that was legitimately from the UK would draw that comparison in my mind so, it’s a compliment. Yes, it’s definitely time to get a little more Exposed in your life.

Coming to the end of the night, I have to admit that VWT, once again, kicked my ass. No matter how hard you try to train before the event, thinking you’ll be able to make it from the first band all the way to the last, there is just no way to do it. Admitting my defeat and on the verge of a miniature heat stroke, I packed up my camera and headed home, missing the last several bands on the bill. I suppose that’s the only real downside to VWT – you can’t catch everyone, no matter how hard you try. But complaining about that is like whining about getting too much champagne or more filet mignon than you ordered and I’m not crazy, so I’ll stop writing now and say that if you have the chance to check out this music extravaganza, do it!

Build it – fill it with great live music – and they will come.

This year’s Formula 1 celebrations were accentuated by the LG Grand Prix Festival, which took over Crescent Street from Thursday to Sunday, providing great entertainment to all those in attendance from 11am to 11pm every day. Having set up a large stage at one end of the street to be on to celebrate F1, the LG fest treated Montrealers and tourists alike to nonstop entertainment.

Each day’s festivities kicked off with a local DJ who pumped up the crowd, turning Crescent Street into a massive party, and were capped off by performances from some of Canada’s most rockin’ musical talent. The transitions between DJ and live act could have been smoother, energy was always lost while the DJ left and the band of the night set up all the necessary gear, but as soon as said band would begin playing, all was good again.

The festival was kicked off by Fefe Dobson on Thursday night, followed by underrated Canadian rock legends Sloan on Friday and rising stars Down With Webster on Saturday.

Sloan played a medley of old and new tunes for the crowd who seemed to be enjoying the quartet from Toronto via Halifax. Some witty banter and talk between songs would have been appreciated, but they sounded as tight as ever and they definitely pleased those in attendance, so who am I to complain?

For Saturday night’s big finale, the LG fest brought in Toronto’s Down With Webster who wasted no time in grabbing the attention of everyone on Crescent Street. From the moment the band got on stage with Cam waving their signature DWW flag, to the moment it was resurrected  for their set’s finale, the crowds surrounding the stage were at full attention, dancing and singing like nobody’s business. Yes, it rained, but there wasn’t a single person around who wasn’t having one hell of a great time.

DWW’s music is infectious; an eclectic fusion of rock and hip hop that isn’t like anything that’s currently out there. The word “unique” gets thrown around a lot in the music industry, but these guys truly are. The audience obeyed all of their demands and went wild when Cam jumped off stage to greet them close up; it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out – these guys know what it means to put on a great show, and they’ve got great music to back it up.

Throughout their set, it became evident that DWW must undoubtedly make new fans everywhere they go, and Saturday night was surely no exception. I mean, they even got a customized DWW bra thrown at them.

*NEWS RELEASE*
COLDPRO FESTIVAL

Surf, Sounds and Soul
www.coldpro.org
Sat 4th & Sun 5th June 2011
White Strand, Milltown Malbay, County Clare, Ireland

‘Cold waters, Warm Welcomes’.

On the first weekend of June, Cold Pro festival is braced for blast off on the West coast of County Clare, Ireland. Described as an epic celebration of international sounds and Irish surf culture, Cold Pro showcases a musical line up of established legends alongside cutting edge talent, underpinned by a unique high stakes surfing contest, featuring some of Europe’s best riders battling it out for €20,000. It’s no wonder Cold Pro is already being hotly tipped to set the pace for Summer 2011.

THE MUSIC

The musical focus is on three stages featuring an incredibly eclectic range of talent, spun in an ‘alice in wonderland’ style web around the festival site. Artists already confirmed include Imelda May, Jamie xx, Peter Hook’s ‘The Light’ (playing Joy Divisions Unknown Pleasures), The Nextmen, Electric Wire Hustle, Scott Mathews, Ben Howard, The Amplifetes, Le Galaxie, Ivan St John, TY, Masters in France, Ellen and the Escapades and Those Dancing Days – to name but a few! More acts are being unveiled by the day, with over 60 mindblowing performances due to be going down over the weekend.

THE SURFING

With the festival site surrounded by some of Europe’s premiere surf spots, the Cold Pro Invitiational has been conjured exclusively for the festival with this in mind. It boasts a unique, high stakes contest format, pitching teams from the Celtic nations of Ireland, Cornwall, Scotland, Brittany and Wales against each other in a variety of breathtaking competitive challenges, out amongst the waves of Irelands mighty West coast.   Each days action will be documented, cut and displayed up on a big screen at the festival each evening. 20 surfers, 5 teams, and €20,000 is the prize. Three stages of competing, including a jet ski tow at and an all against all session will enable some of Europe’s finest surfers to fully perform at the most creative professional surfing event yet seen in Ireland.

INDEPENDENCE

Run by an experienced team of surfers, musicians and festival lovers, Cold Pro is first and foremost, an independent festival.  Their objective is to create an authentic celebration that lets everyone involved come with expectations, have them exceeded, and leave feeling like they had the weekend of their lives and were part of something truly special.  Surf, Sounds and Soul are the words. Way out West in the epicentre of Irish surfing is the place. Early June, down in the stunning heart of coastal County Clare is the time. A weird and wonderful weekend of blissful mentalism is yours for the taking.

TICKETS

www.coldpro.org/tickets
Earlybird tickets – €70  – Camping costs €20 on top
General Advance – €80 – Camping costs €20 on top

Don’t you just love summer? Bars open up their patios, the weather is wonderful and, perhaps most excitingly, music festivals are in full force. We’ll of course be covering everything from NXNE to Vans Warped Tour, Osheaga and Heavy MTL, but I thought we’d kick off this pre-season with a spotlight on an international festival – HELLFEST.

With a record of 72,000 people attending the festival in 2010, Hellfest has multiplied it’s turnout by 4 in the last 5 years. The originality of the festival’s artistic project has allowed it to reach an international recognition. Born through the passion of its young founders, it’s by maintaining its distinctiveness and independence that Hellfest has become the finest French event dedicated to extreme musics.

Taking place in Clisson, France on June 17-19, it really is hard to imagine anything better – stellar location and killer bands. Performers include: Iggy and The Stooges, Ozzy, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy and Rob Zombie. I mean, really – where do I sign up for my plane ticket over?

For all the details on Hellfest: http://www.hellfest.fr/