Let me start by admitting that I’m not actually going to any of the UK music festivals this year. In the past I’ve been to them all, but a combination of a lack of cash and being in a state of indifference to the bills this year, needless to say I’m just passing my judgement on what I’ve seen so far.
When Glastonbury announced that it was to skip a year next year there was a moment when I thought I might apply, even though it was so far in advance (as usual) of the event. But the line-up featuring the likes of U2, Coldplay and Beyonce made me glad I didn’t.
The V Festival is as bland and pop-orientated as usual, so no surprise there, but with Muse, Beady Eye, My Chemical Romance and Pulp being the main acts at Leeds/Reading, I was a bit disappointed - especially after recent years when they have carried the flag for rock with the likes of Metallica, Queens of the Stone Age and Guns ‘n’ Roses (well, maybe the last one wasn’t the best example…)
Download couldn’t possibly top last year’s bill of AC/DC, Motorhead, Megadeth and Aerosmith - and so Def Leopard and Thin Lizzy, legends though they may be, are placed alongside the likes of Linkin Park and System of a Down, which aren’t really in the same league.
So this leads me on to T in the Park. I’ve had many a great year at that festival and it looks like 2011 makes it the place to be once again. The Strokes are playing, Slash is there and Pete Doherty is making an appearance too.
It was really good to hear that the Foo Fighters frontman went back into the studio with his former Nirvana bandmate Krist Noveselic to rock out again like they did in the good old days.
And when you listen to the new album ‘Wasting Light’ you can immediately tell that it is their most fierce rock sound since the band began.
This shouldn’t be a surprise when you find out that the music was recorded in Grohl’s garage and produced by Nevermind collaborator Butch Vig.
Maybe going back into his past has made Grohl think about where he had come from and these experiences have certainly shone through on this impressive collection of tracks.
While on the subject of new albums, the fourth album from New York City’s finest The Strokes was released at the end of last month.
Angles has certainly garnered mixed reviews from critics who have generally agreed that it is a decent enough effort by the band, but falls well short when compared with the decade defining Is This It and the exceptional Room on Fire.
The Strokes were never going to win on that score as those two albums are almost impossible to match. Their own unique brand of garage rock still shines through though and singer Julian Casablancas’ trademark vocals are still as refreshing as ever.
The band’s seventh album is now almost upon us, with Wasting Light set for release next Monday. As well as this new material, the Foo Fighters have made a documentary film which contains plenty of behind-the-scenes footage about the group’s explosive ups and downs through their 16 year history.
The ‘Back and Forth’ movie is due to be screened at selected cinemas from tomorrow, although judging from reports, Taylor Hawkins for one is not altogether keen on their exploits being shown to the world.
UK fans of the American rockers will be looking forward to hearing tracks from the new album played live when they visit the Milton Keynes Bowl for two shows this July. Both the Saturday (2nd) and Sunday (3rd) gigs are sold out.