Well, Soundwave 2011 was a few days ago, and I've got to say... it's the most impressive festival I've been to. Friday's day of festivities was well run and near perfect (assuming you can't really do much about the lines for food / toilets, etc.). And it's consistent in terms of quality - the last 2 years have been great, this year was no exception. Every band I saw I was impressed with (with the single exception of Rob Zombie). It's hard to pick a highlight; it would be a 4-way tie between;
1. Primus' live version of Tommy the cat
2. Seeing Gary Holt perform War Ensemble with an ultra-tight sounding Slayer
3. Screaming along to Coheed and Cambria
4. Hearing Millencolin perform one of the best punk albums of all time live in it's entirety.

It was a fantastic day.

Here's what I managed to see throughout the day;

Taking Dawn: ??
Taking Dawn: ??
Monster Magnet: Nod Scene
Monster Magnet: Tractor
Monster Magnet: Dopes to Infinity
Monster Magnet: Dig That Hole
Monster Magnet: Medicine
Monster Magnet: Look to Your Orb for the Warning
Monster Magnet: Powertrip
Monster Magnet: Space Lord
Bullet For My Valentine: Your Betrayal
Bullet For My Valentine: Pleasure and Pain
Bullet For My Valentine: Raising The Demon
Devildriver: Clouds over California
Devildriver: Pray For Villains
Devildriver: Hold Back The Day
Devildriver: Meet The Wretched
Stone Sour: Through Glass
Stone Sour: Hell & Consequences
Stone Sour: 30/30-150
Primus: Seas of Cheese
Primus: Here Come the Bastards
Primus: Those Damn Blue Collar Tweekers
Primus: Pudding Time
Primus: The Last Salmon Man (New Song)
Primus: Over the Falls
Primus: John the Fisherman
Primus: My Name Is Mud
Primus: Tommy The Cat
ill Nino: The Alibi of Tyrants
ill Nino: Liar
Slayer: World Painted Blood
Slayer: Hate Worldwide
Slayer: War Ensemble
Slayer: Postmortem
Slayer: Hallowed Point
Slayer: Americon
Slayer: Payback
Slayer: Mandatory Suicide
Slayer: Temptation
Slayer: South of Heaven
Coheed and Cambria: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Coheed and Cambria: A Favor House Atlantic
Coheed and Cambria: Here We Are Juggernaut
Coheed and Cambria: The Camper Velourium III: Al The Killer
Coheed and Cambria: World Of Lines
Coheed and Cambria: Devil In Jersey City
Coheed and Cambria: Welcome Home
Rob Zombie: Thunder Kiss '65
Rob Zombie: Dragula
Melvins: The Water Glass
Melvins: Evil New War God
Millencolin: No Cigar
Millencolin: Fox
Millencolin: Material Boy
Millencolin: Duckpond
Millencolin: Right About Now
Millencolin: Penguins & Polarbears
Millencolin: Hellman
Millencolin: Devil Me
Millencolin: Stop To Think
Millencolin: The Mayfly
Millencolin: Highway Donkey
Millencolin: A-Ten
Millencolin: Pepper
Millencolin: The Ballad

And I heard some Iron Maiden on the walk to the carpark. I'm glad I saw Maiden, Stone Sour, Sevendust and 36 Crazyfists in sideshows before Soundwave - it made it much easier to get to see everything I wanted to.

Now, just 362 days until the next one :)

Labels: Concerts