"So, who's playing now?"
"I dunno. I'm only here 'cos there's no one decent on before Metallica".
Then I heard another conversation.
"So what are they called?"
"Winnebago Deal. There's only two in the band. And they fucking rock".
And that was the case with the crowd waiting to watch Winnebago deal. Some people had come along 'cos they had nothing better to do until Metallica's set started, some people had heard of them and were curious to find out what they sounded like and others, including myself, had heard them before and couldn't miss them. Also, I think a percentage had arrived because of the fact that Good Charlotte were on the Main Stage at the same time, and needed salvation from that.
So, while I was admiring Perrier's Gibson Les Paul Standard that he was setting up, lots more people filed into the tent, which produced an amazing atmosphere. So, by the time Winnebago Deal took to the stage, everyone was already in the mood for some Rock n' fuckin' Roll. And Rock n' fuckin' Roll was what they got.
The Bens were welcomed to the stage by applause and 'woooo's, whatever they're called these days, and the magazine photographers took their cameras in hand. They're deceiving to look at, Ben and Ben, 'cos by looking at them, you don't know what to expect. I had felt like this the first time I had seen them, but I knew what to expect this time, and waited for some serious moshing to commence.
As soon as Perrier hit the first chord on his seriously knackered Les Paul, we were off. The photographers were rapidly snapping away, trying to get pictures of the band, which they were finding hard, as Perrier cannot stay in the same place on the stage for more than about five seconds. And because they had a large stage compared to the ones they normally headline, he was in constant motion, throwing himself about the stage in a Cobain-esque fashion.
And as for Ben Thomas, his heavy-as-fuck drumming makes him resemble Animal from The Muppets, with his flailing arms and long hair, but of course, less pink and fluffy.
They played through most of Plata O Plomo, playing my favourite song Maximum Overdrive, and ended their phenomenal set with Manhunt.
The people that didn't know who were playing went away very impressed, the curious people who wanted to know what they were like went away very impressed, and the people who were already aware how much they kick ass, went away as impressed as ever. And the people who came in to get away from Good Charlotte? Well, I'm sure they were also very impressed, and indeed, very thankful.