Hellfest “I love you”
Of all the festivals I have been to, this one truly steals my heart. On approach there is an overwhelming feeling that the crowd are truly cared for, this feels like home. The smiles, the friendliness, the sun on your back, plenty of metal, rock, and some punk. The best music will be played, the most amazing friends will be made and nobody ever wants to leave. A road trip to France in a 27-year-old camper-van was made to a lovely commune just outside Clisson, I was kindly offered a lift in by the beautiful host of the farm I was staying at. The approach to Hellfest is on a track and the lead up to the entrance, the biggest ever metal guitar towers above me. It is here that I catch a glimpse of people standing with signs hoping that someone has a spare ticket for sale. Within 10 minutes we are in VIP, attempting to order cold blonde beer in my best French, my husband smiles as I give it my best shot. Deux biere sil vous plait! The organisation and the ease of admission are just the best. The sun is shining brightly and so are the people around me. I make my way to the bar and purchase my reusable cup that I will attempt to keep hold of. Beers are reasonably priced, and you don’t have to sell a body part to enjoy a few drinks. The VIP area has a waterfall feature with floating lilies, a red pond surrounded by faceless ghouls and a range of giant skulls made from multiple materials. My favourite was the one made from black marble and decorated with butterflies. There is plenty of tree coverage to help you avoid the sun, disabled ramps and space for all. There is also a large screen if you want to watch the bands from the comfort of the bar.
I take in the surroundings and soak up the happiness before heading off to the main stage in search of some mayhem. And I find it when I hear the roar of the crowd for the Danish band Asinhell. “Fresh and hungry old-school death metal!” The guitar is raised into the air. As a sound of doom begins to emerge, it is followed by the song Trophies, and the guitarist gestures to the crowd making a circle movement with his hands. The Ultimate Sin plays and the lead thanks the audience in French while lightning flashes appear on the stage. The set ends with the belting Fall of the Loyal Warrior with machine-gun-like riffs echoing across the grounds. I alter my position in the crowd to view Main Stage 2. One of the best things about Hellfest is that the main stages are side by side; so no waiting around or walking miles for the next band. Stage 1 finishes and Stage 2 starts! We source a beer top-up from one of the mobile beer sellers. Amazingly, we don’t have to leave the stage to get a drink. Hellfest is cashless and you top your wristband up beforehand and off you go. The sun is blasting down at this point and crowds of people can be seen making their way to the main stages.
Scottish heavy metal band Bleed from Within is up next and spinning gold skulls with spikes appear on the stage. Singer Scott Kennedy is just so easy to watch. He makes the metal fingers motion, his hair is rocking out, crowds make their way to the front and it is roasting hot. They shout out asking the audience to make an enormous pit!
“Come on mother fuckers, let’s keep this moving”
Water cannons blast out over the pit, the big wheel is visible in the distance, French flags fly and guys carrying jugs of beer pass through the outer crowds with surprising ease.
“Fucking Jesus Christ how are we feeling, we are Bleed from Within from Glasgow! Did I hear someone booing when I said Scotland; you are better at football but today we are kicking your arse! And Hellfest we are going to have a good fucking time!”
As Levitate starts to play a cloud passes overhead, and a gentle breeze hits the spot and gives me goosebumps, burning church windows are visible on the screen, along with skulls and a red whirling cloud. A gentleman in a yellow tee shirt is held high by the crowd. They play Killing Time to encourage the crowd, “Jump off your feet Hellfest” echoes around me. The crowd can be seen bouncing all around me, I try my best to behave as I need to pee, the atmosphere is contagious. The set finishes off with the End of All We Know, a large blue and white panda can be seen floating overhead. He thanks the crowd in French, and this is well received.
Slaughter to Prevail; Russian, deathcore. Covered in tattoos and half naked on top, He leaps into the crowd to attempt to make the biggest wall of death (The world’s largest in fact!). The crowd starts to split down the middle and the tension begins to rise.Thousands of metal heads line each side like a slingshot ready to fire.
“Charge!”
Hell is unleashed as both sides clash together like a scene from Braveheart.
Kerri King is the previous songwriter of Slayer and co-lead guitarist. The space around us starts to fill up, a guy in a duck hat and tee-shirt sits down next to us and a lady comes over and asks me what I am writing, she writes her favourite band down in the front of my book and then raises her glass to me. While we wait for Kerri King to start, I can see flags flying, people wait in anticipation and a steady flow makes their way to the front. The new guitarist’s solos are slightly more melodic with a hint of Neo-classicalism, fast sweep picking and arpeggio scales. I stumble upon Megadeth the American metal band formed in 1983 with Dave Mustaine on lead vocals and guitar. Huge cheer from the crowd. Mustaine with his flying yellow V guitar, rhythmically still solid as ever 40 years later.
I head over to see, Landmvrks, a French metal band formed in 2014, They play like Beastie Boys on steroids with breaks that wouldn’t sound out of place in a post-apocalyptic movie. It is a super powerful performance and they are giving it their all. I decide to stay with some mates and headbang away, reminding myself to make a mental note of the atmosphere and the bands, it’s quite tricky to hold a pint and a notebook while jumping up and down like a maniac!
Avenged Sevenfold, a heavy metal band from California formed in 1999 enters the stage. Huge flames and red flashing lights all around.
“I want to hear you fucking scream Hellfest”
They are a super technical band with finger-gymnastic guitar solos. Some well-known favourites are blasted out and the crowd love it; Afterlife, Hail to the King and We Love You. The others head off to see Enter Shikari, so I make my way to the Temple for my last band of the day, If I was off to hell, I’m damn sure this would be playing on the way there! Temple is rammed full for Cradle of Filth and comprises death metal opera with wonderful melodies that turn into hell and torment. I recognise the songs She Is a Fire, The Principle of Evil Made Fresh, Her Ghost in the Fog, and From the Cradle to Enslave, and they all go down well. I take a nighttime walk-through Hellcity, where there are small bars and little shops, tattoo parlours and merch stores, gigantic skulls and vipers adorn the walls; it reminds me of the Mad Max movies. I find my way back to the giant guitar near the roundabout where I wait for my husband and a lift back to the van, I’m overwhelmed at the kindness shown to me while I sit and wait, people stumble out, singing, laughing and chatting with beer and food in hand all looking like they have had the best time ever.
Day 2 kicks off with a fresh pint of cider and a hotdog all to myself, much needed after getting back to the van just before daylight. This is a reminder not to rely on an Uber and a misplaced husband to get you home at a respectable hour. The food is incredible here, there is something for everyone; crepes, chicken, pies, noodles, curries and so many different articulate cakes. There must be thirty-plus food vendors. You really are spoilt for choice. While waiting for our hotdogs the staff burst into song in French; it’s the chefs’ birthday.
Fear Factory are sinister and claustrophobic; the double bass pedal is working overtime, and it is hard to resist jumping up and down; there is an infectious underlying rhythm section.
“Fists in the air motherfuckers”
“Make some fucking noise my friends”
The crowd obliges! Inflatable caveman batons wave in the pit. I spot a guy in a Centurion outfit complete with a red brush helmet. There is a steady crowd of people crowd surfing overhead during Destructor and they are gently received over the barrier by a large security presence.
“Let’s take you back to 1995 and Demanufacture” The pit goes wild. Then Replica plays. They encourage the crowd to join in.
“I heard the crowd at Taylor Swift fart louder than that!”
I spot a child in the pit wearing ear defenders and crowd surfing.
Next is Kanonenfieber, a death metal band from Germany, and they are playing at Temple. Their faces are covered with full black masks and they are wearing full WW1 uniforms, Sandbags and cannons and chicken wire adorn the stage. The lyrics are based on actual documents and letters from soldiers of World War 1. They play with a huge amount of aggression and never-ending adrenaline merged with a steady almost mechanical drum beat. Steel Panther on Mainstage 2 the American comedy metal band and one of my all-time favourites, always guarantees a laugh, with great riffs and great stage presence. A group of French guys behind me are crying and laughing and Asian Hooker doesn’t do much to decrease this; there are some shocked French faces in the crowd! I am desperate to crowd surf to the front and get on the stage for 17 Girls in a Row. My husband grips my hand tightly and says no; at least my friend makes it onto the stage and gets photographed by my husband on the big screen.
Amorphis are on at the Alter stage, the heavy metal band from Finland; powerful vocals, arabesque sounding, and solid technical guitar playing, they remind me of the
band Dream Theater but harder.
Biohazard at Warzone; punk metal thrash, think Dead Kennedys and Slayer mashed together in a wonderful combination. I squeeze in at the front and manage to catch the first few tracks from Body Count with influences from early rap bands like the 2 Live Crew accompanied by thunderous and brutal metal riffs and a tight cover of Raining Blood by Slayer. Hellcare is displayed on the screens between bands and reminds us that Hellfest cares and for those who need help it is readily available.
It is 2am, The Prodigy is on Mainstage 2 and it is a little different being an electronic dance-cum-punk band from England, my husband rocks his arse off to this, while I stand happily smiling so much that my face aches. Spitfire, Firestarter and Smack My Bitch Up send the crowd wild. A cool end to day two!
It is Day 3 and today I am armed with a hoodie plus a jacket, a PVC dress and a big pair of boots; heavy rain is forecast, and we order some pies and beer and head to Warzone.
The Casualties are an American punk rock band sporting red and yellow Mohawks plus there is a load of crowd surfing going on. Patriotic intros with some great punk influences and powerful choruses. 8.6 crew at Warzone include trumpets and saxophones and obviously take their influence from the Specials and Madness. This is a nice break from the thrash for five minutes, the sun is beating down and there is a jolly head-rocking atmosphere to it all.
Kvelertak, a Norwegian, heavy metal band have some great riffs, bursting into solid verses and melodic choruses, reminiscent of Blue Oyster Cult; I don’t understand a goddamn word, but I love it!
As I’m walking along the side of the crowd I spot the huge statue of Lemmy from Motorhead. Cups fly around the pit! Korpiklaani are at Temple, it is traditional folk music but with crushing metal guitars and commanding vocals. I’m strolling over to the main stage area where we meet some friendly guys perched on the back of a rusty truck by the Muscadet bar. It’s a birthday celebration and they ask for a picture, I oblige while my husband takes the photo. We make it to VIP before the skies open and everyone attempts to squash inside to dodge the rain. When it rains it damn well rains! The day ends with a piece of lemon cake and some very muddy soggy clothes; who cares when you have a huge smile on your face and you get to do it all again tomorrow, Hell Yeah!
Bring on day 4, by this point I think I need a new pair of knees, hips and possibly a liver. A pint of blonde beer and a ham cheese and egg crepe to start the day. If you want to grab some merchandise then the Sanctuary is the place, a huge black temple-like building in the middle of Hellfest. Baphomet sits at the top watching over us all.
I make my way over to Warzone to catch Scowl; an American punk band from California. The singer wears white knee-high socks with a short skirt and lace gloves. She jumps around the stage with massive energy, her blue and green hair falling over her face as she leans forward into the pit while balancing on the speaker. She is wild and beautiful! The set is versatile with singalong choruses and verses, mixed in with some pure aggression and proves very powerful. Nova Twins on Mainstage 1, a rock band from England are solid and work well together with powerful chorus and melodies. I personally love the pink guitar and the dreads.
Passing through the shady wooded area, I head off again to see Drug Church playing in Warzone, a hardcore punk band from America. There is a guy on the front barrier wearing a tee shirt with Still Freak on the back and the drummer is adorning pink sunglasses.
“Hello France, hello Hellfest, Have a good fucking time”
The third song in and they shout out,
“If I could impose, I’m gonna ask you to make a pit”
“A FUCKING CIRCLE PIT”
One hell of a fast circle pit springs from nowhere. There are significant influences here ranging from the Smiths to Smashing Pumpkins with euphonious verses and roaring choruses.
We stumble to the main stage and Blue Pills, a rock band from Sweden are playing to a hot, chilled-out crowd, a significant portion of which is now sitting down in the hot summer sun, The singer wears a flowing blue sheer dress and the guitars sound definite and crisp. They certainly are more than a good substitute for Heart.
“This song is about a little birdie” and lets the audience know that “We are releasing a new album in the fall”
There is a large crowd formed for this time of day and there are lots of families and children scattered around. The vocals are truly stunning and the lead Erin Larsson is outdoing herself along with her band, ‘The last song is about having a man in your pocket’; the audience applauds and cheers loudly for this one. ‘Oh devil man, devil man’ repeats until the crowd cannot help but sing along.
“Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart” She blows kisses out into the crowd.
Mainstage 2 and it is Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes time; the punk rock band from England that always seems to pull out all the stops. Well-known tracks such as Can I Take you Home, Self-Love, Wildflowers, Devil Inside of Me and I Hate You are all belted from the speakers.
“It’s a pleasure and a privilege to be back on this stage”
He jumps off the stage , and carrying his microphone and stand he dives into the crowd while a mosh pit engulfs him. The crowd lifted him into the air with great care, and he stood straight up looking ahead.
“Open up the pit. Let’s go, you look ready, yeah alright, alright, this mosh pit belongs to some very important people.”
“Open up the mosh pit as big as we can go”
He then creates a ladies-only mosh pit and instructs the crowd to
“Let the Ladies enjoy this space”
A guy in a wheelchair wearing devil horns is crowd-surfing overhead.
“It’s a better view if you come down here, you can see it a bit more if you come down here” Frank says to those at the back.
“This song is for all the Rockstars” as he belts out Man of the Hour.
Always an incredible set and this is no exception. The crowd participation is maximal.
Royal Blood, the English band composed of only Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher play tight! I had seen them previously at a gig close to home in Wales and I felt they had far more energy this time. They just sound spot on! Maybe it’s the help of the still riotous Hellfest crowd. During Little Monster I spot a pink flamingo in the crowd and a guy dressed in yellow complete with yellow sunglasses crowd surfing from quite a way back, a smile beaming across his face the whole way.
The Offspring are on the Main stage; A real solid performance, a tried and tested formula that still works perfectly to this day. Some of the songs are so emotional that I shed a few tears. I have always wanted to see them but I had never previously had the chance. Come Out and Play, Why Don’t You Get a Job, Pretty Fly and The Kids Aren’t Alright are all there and of course, the encore is the mighty Self Esteem. A great, feel-good set perfect for near-closing on the Sunday. Audience participation is encouraged and there is one hell of a huge crowd for these guys.
You couldn’t really pick a better band to close than Foo Fighters. After all the emotion, alcohol and lack of sleep over the four days, they impress by ensuring they draw every last bit of energy from your energy stores. It’s hard not to love and obviously, all the classics are there, and many classics there are! The atmosphere is electric and I finally jump up on my husband’s shoulders with the help of the crowd. This has to be one of the best Foo Fighters performances I have seen to be fair.
Everlong plays as we make our way to the back to chill out by the bars. We see the flames light up the skies around Hellfest and spend some time standing by the fire and smoke-breathing mechanical scorpion-woman called The Guardian of Darkness. Dave wraps up the set and says goodbye and although there are no fireworks this year, it still feels exhilarating to have completed another fun-packed festival weekend in Clisson.
I can’t wait to come back next year,
Thank you France,
Thank you Hellfest,
I love you even more.
By Sammy and Simon Morgan
