Devour Me, Colossus - Part I (Blackholes) [Ne Obliviscaris]

Wow, what an intense past few days at Graspop Metal Meeting! Warning: this will be a wordy post.

FRIDAY

Caught the shuttle bus from Mol station to the festival ground in Dessel - then it's about a 15 minute walk from where the bus drops you off to the middle of the festival grounds. Along the way there are stallholders selling food and drink for cheaper than in the grounds, so I mostly walked out and bought food out there instead. The day started for me by scanning my wristband to see if I won - I did! I won a free GMM cup and beer (I managed to not lose the cup the whole day).



They were selling these for €3.50
Score!

I saw some of Sigh (just for you, Justin), and left about halfway through so I got to Ne Obliviscaris about half an hour early. I watched them set up and got a spot on the fence - wow. NeO never fail to disappoint. Had the time of my life at the front, and was given a pick at the end!

Squeeeeeee!!!!!! :D

Then I headed to Heidevolk, a Dutch folk metal band who are amazing. I wandered through the Festival Fair, with everything a metalhead could want. I stopped by a stall as Night Witches by Sabaton came on and I sang along. The stall owner got me to mind his stall for a couple of minutes (I just kept singing) and gave me a free beanie as a thank you (sadly, the beanie did not survive). I befriended some French speaking Belgians and hung out with them during KISS (where I lost the beanie to a crowdsurfer going over me) and we were near the front. KISS put on a good show.

SATURDAY

I woke up with a really sore neck from NeO and a cold - just my luck. So I went in the late afternoon and had a gander at Korpiklaani, a Finnish folk metal band who are also amazing. I had a wander around, found a couple of GMM stalls with chicken soup (for the metalheads who have too much fun) and had a listen to some bands. I saw Alice Cooper, and he put on a wonderfully theatrical show. I saw a little of Alcest who were really good, but left before Judas Priest came on as I was feeling rotten. Got back, rested up for day three.

Every day I walked past these tiny pinecones

SUNDAY

Still feeling rotten, I went to the festival in the mid arvo and met a Canadian on the bus. We caught there end of Ensiferum, another Finnish folk metal band who are wonderful. Then we headed to Equilibrium, a German folk metal band who are incredible. We got there early and were up the front. It was intense! Really want to see them again. Saw some Lamb of God and Motorhead, neither of them were my thing. We saw a bit of Dragonforce (yay) and checked out Within Temptation, a Dutch symphonic/melodic metal band, who are quite good. Then we were in the middle for Scorpions, and they put on a good show.

 

Half a GMM token left!

 

MONDAY

Today was a relaxing day. I've spent most of the day in bed in an attempt to recover from the weekend. I went for a walk in search of Belgian chocolate.

 

I'm hoping this is Belgian!

 

I bought some fruit, and they have a weird system here. You have to print off a ticket for your fruit. It looks like this:

A banana and an apricot

I did find a fun billboard on my walk back before the rain got me.

 

Belgians are too hardcore for milk moustaches!

 

MISC

• The Belgians' definition of summer is "It isn't raining", and while it didn't rain at GMM, the weather is probably similar to Ballarat and Creswick at the moment. They don't know what summer is.

• Graspop ran out of the shirt I wanted on Saturday, and ran out of my backup on Sunday! So I got a towel instead, to be more metal when I go swimming.

 

 

And it's off again in the morning, spending the day on trains. I will get my first glimpse of Germany! I will be on a train tomorrow night, so hopefully I can post on Wednesday night (Thursday morning).

First festival done!