Southsea UK based photographer, specialising in gig photography
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All Pictures Copyright Sam Taylor 2015
Full Albums available on our FaceBook link
Please contact us for more info, contact form at bottom of page
All Pictures Copyright Sam Taylor 2015
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British Summertime – Hyde Park 4th July 2014
The legendary Black Sabbath headlined a blistering show at
London’s Hyde Park this July 4th. In what
could be one of their last performances this was an epic show for the
band and fans alike.
On the bill ... Soulfly, Motorhead, Faith No More Soundgarden and Black Sabbath.
Full review below ...
On the bill ... Soulfly, Motorhead, Faith No More Soundgarden and Black Sabbath.
Full review below ...
SOULFLY
Prolific Brazilians
Soulfly opened the Main Stage with an energetic force
emanating from the very first anthemic song Prophecy.
Former Sepultura front-man Max Cavalera set the tone for the
baking hot afternoon encouraging the crowd to make a circle pit,
demonstrating that a physically charged atmosphere could prevail
through blazing sunshine.
Having established
themselves a vast body of work with constant releases, Soulfly have
always kept it fresh using different musicians within the group.
Interacting with their peers and drawing on tribal world music the
band have also included Max's sons in various line-ups.
Sepultura's Arise
and Dead Embryonic Cells went down a storm with the already
enthusiastic crowd and Max’s brother Igor (also previously of
Sepultura) joined as drummer for Roots Bloody Roots completing
the family tribe vibe.
MOTORHEAD
Iconic Lemmy’s
Motorhead were next up and despite poor health Lemmy and
the guys belted out their performance with feeling.
Motorhead showed
just how down to earth and worthy of the legend title they are to
their committed fans, having invited some of the band's die-hard
Swedish following over to catch the show. When we caught up with them
they were enjoying a surprisingly summery day, having watched Monty
Python in the tour bus and sang the praises of the friendly folks
around Hyde Park they had encountered.
Having toured
multiple times with Sabbath, Motorhead were a good fit for the bill
playing exactly what they enjoy and are best at. Whitefield Crane
of Ugly Kid Joe's guest vocals on Killed to Death added some
welcome variety and invariably Ace of Spades was the moment to
remember of the set.
FAITH NO MORE
Faith No More
took to the stage in a late afternoon slot with the sun still strong
in the sky. With the band dressed as priests on a stage adorned with
wreaths and lilies, Mike Patton added extra interest working
the crowd expertly while spraying “holy water” and quoting The
Exorcist.
Reforming in 2009
after an 11 year hiatus Faith No More really have stood the test of
time, performing with vigour this highly innovative and inspiring
band certainly do not disappoint.
Mike Patton’s use of ingenious instruments including the megaphone added another dimension to the performance and with the melodic From Out Of Nowhere Faith No More consistently delivered passion and raw aggression together in a truly awesome combination.
Mike Patton’s use of ingenious instruments including the megaphone added another dimension to the performance and with the melodic From Out Of Nowhere Faith No More consistently delivered passion and raw aggression together in a truly awesome combination.
Soon the sunglasses and braces were off, shirt untucked and the belting Angel Dust classics Caffeine with Patton's cheeky demonic grin in the breakdown and Everything’s Ruined truly testified to the band's longevity.
Easy as always went down a storm with Patton encouraging the crowd “it’s ok metal-heads … you can sing”, Faith No More are surely one of the few rock maestros who can pull off a Commodores cover.
Easy as always went down a storm with Patton encouraging the crowd “it’s ok metal-heads … you can sing”, Faith No More are surely one of the few rock maestros who can pull off a Commodores cover.
With a high quality, all round tight performance by the band, Mike Patton kept the crowd engaged and enthralled with immense charisma and his vast vocal range at full strength. From effortless crooning into the screaming growls of Mid Life Crisis, the dramatic balance of complimentary quiet and raucous elements still has Patton's vocal versatility firmly cemented as one of the finest in modern rock.
Faith No More's
twitter quoted “the reunion was fun but now it’s time to get
creative” which they really have thrown themselves into. We were
treated to two new songs Leader of Men and the fresh sounding
Mother F**ker “get the mother f**ker on the phone” hinting
at a more experimental direction for this still growing and
perfecting band.
The title track from 1985’s debut album We Care A Lot closed the set with a layering of sound, this Epic performance could only have been bettered would have been to have more atmospheric weather to match the musical tone.
The title track from 1985’s debut album We Care A Lot closed the set with a layering of sound, this Epic performance could only have been bettered would have been to have more atmospheric weather to match the musical tone.
SOUNDGARDEN
From Soundgarden’s
roots in the alternative Seattle scene of the early 1990’s Chris
Cornell‘s authenticity, meaning and passion still shine through.
Part of the
antithesis to the polished charting rock of the 1980’s,
Soundgarden’s 1994 breakthrough album Superunknown remains their
most successful and we were treated to a rendition in their Hyde Park
set.
Joined by Pearl
Jam’s Mike Mcready on stage, the alternative rock giants
demonstrated their grunge heritage to the adoring fans with a full
barrage of their Zeppelin inspired real and honest post punk stoner
rock.
BLACK SABBATH
With Hyde Park
slowly sinking into darkness, the atmosphere was dripping with
anticipation for the highly influential hard rockers Black
Sabbath.
What started out as
four hard-core working class guys from dreary 60’s industrial
Birmingham are now global legends and founders of British Metal.
The sirens signalled
Sabbath time was upon us and the band that the critics loved to hate
cranked up the volume with opener War Pigs. Still relevant
today with clever use of powerful music and imagery, this political
song conveys a powerful anti-establishment message.
The captivating
“Prince of Darkness” Ozzy Osbourne’s piercing vocals and
energetic showmanship was back in the spotlight reminding us how the
mighty Sabbath has captured the imaginations of generations of music
lovers.
With Jimmy Page
spotted side of stage, the powerfully definitive Fairies Wear
Boots and Iron Man had Tony Iommi’s unique full
and heavy guitar style cut through the evening air like an undulating
sonic wave.
N.I.B. was
preceded by “Basically” a Geezer Butler solo carried out
with immense feeling and passion. The audience and band interacted
feeding off each other and illustrated by the lighting's atmospheric
rain-like showers, the eponymous Black Sabbath was a memorable
moment.
Going out on a high the closing song Paranoid with a Sabbath Bloody Sabbath intro, maintained the full force of theatrics with a fiery backdrop and fireworks rounding off an awe-filled spectacle to experience.
Going out on a high the closing song Paranoid with a Sabbath Bloody Sabbath intro, maintained the full force of theatrics with a fiery backdrop and fireworks rounding off an awe-filled spectacle to experience.
With a bill full of
innovators from Soulfly's worldly resourcing of new sounds as
stated by the band's website, Soulfly deliver “the idea of combined
sounds and spiritual beliefs” through Motorhead's fast and
vicious classic brand of chaos to Faith No More's innovative
and evocative style this was an awesome compilation of
well-established and adored artists.
Soundgarden's honest heart and soul performance and Black Sabbath's legendary enduring passion made for a 4th July to remember.
Soundgarden's honest heart and soul performance and Black Sabbath's legendary enduring passion made for a 4th July to remember.