13 July 2001

Last weekend saw the 21ste edition of the Bospop festival, the only festival to my knowledge that caters for blues, progressive and melodic rock and metal. What started out as a showcase for local bands, has hosted top acts like Marillion, Bryan Adams and Alice Cooper in the past. This year Megadeth had the top spot at this annual two day festival in Weert, located in the southern most province of the Netherlands, Limburg. I've been a visitor for the past four years now and there's always a relaxed atmophere. In fact, judging by the overwhelming number of local accents, I get the impression that a lot of the locals just use it as an excuse for a day out. This year would have to be remembered for the shear number of successful cover versions performed throughout the weekend, amongst other things...

Day One

I arrived in Weert at about half past two. Having checked the website the night before for any last minute annoucements, I was aware of the fact that Nikka Costa who would have been appearing on the female stage on friday, had completely cancelled her tour. A more serious announcement was the fact that Bigelf would not be appearing due to one of the band members being in a coma. Vengeance would take their place in the rock tent on saturday. Walking down a quiet street from the station, I got a copy of the festival schedule complete with neck strap thrust into my hand, by a guy I'd never met before coming the other way. Must have been the leather...

As I made my way to the festival site at the Boshoven sports ground, I realised that it was a full year ago that I'd crossed that same bridge over the river Maas (liberated by the British in 1944) and down the road towards the sounds of Palace of the Brave who'd already hit the stage. It was rather miserable weather a year ago, but today it was pleasantly warm with a hint of sunshine, a lot better than the showers I'd left behind. I hoped the weather would bode well for the weekend as I joined the queue.

The first day of the festival is primarily Dutch bands, with an international topper to close, which this friday would be The Black Crowes. It was already fairly busy inside and the first act were close to finishing their set. Palace of the Brave are a local blues rock band, with singer Gerwine Haenen actually coming from Weert herself. From what I got a chance to see it was mainly covers and instrumental work that they used to warm the crowd up on this friday afternoon. For an opening act of a festival (with most of the punters lying around having a picnic), they were well received, but that might have been due to the strong local contingent. After they'd finished I made my way up to the rock tent, which had been renamed the female stage for this year. I was in time to catch a glimpse of Kaja, a couple of guitar pop playing Dutch girls and their backing band. The name is a combination of their first names Karlijn and Janine. The vocal style was a bit like K's Choice or Suzanne Vega. They did a cover of Everything But The Girl's "Missing" which suited them very well, rocking up the chorus a little more than the original. The quieter numbers were okay, but not particularly original and it was the singles "This Day" and "Bite" which to be honest gave a better reflection of what they were capable of.  Not sure if they'll become pop sensations though.

Down to the main stage for Beam. This Dutch guitar rock band had already started when I arrived and were banging out a very convincing cover of Tears For Fears' "Shout" as I took place at the front barrier. Now, I'd heard some of theirs before and to be honest I thought they were just another guitar rock band, like all the others the low countries keep insisting on producing these last couple of years. I was proved wrong. This is one of those four piece outfits where you can just see that the musicians gell together. The bass and lead guitarist share vocal duties, which sound best when they harmonise together. Their music is basically guitar rock, a bit psychedelic, a bit punky, even reminding me of U2 in places. I must say that these were the second biggest surprise for me (the first was yet to come) and as far as I was concerned the best act all day. Their debut album "Full Dimensional Stereo" is released later this year.

Wandering up to the female stage again, it was clearly getting busier, a lot more than the same time last year. I could only account for it being a lot dryer than it was last year, that people had bothered to turn out. In the tent was Birgit Schuurman, younger sister of the very well known Dutch actress and presenter Katja. I wasn't sure what to expect having seen some of her videos on Dutch music television, but a lot of people wanted to to find out because the tent was full and I could hardly get in. I often worry whether acts that are mainly popularised by their television appearances rather than their on-stage reputation, can actually cut it live. Birgit cleared that doubt. Her voice is great and a damn site better than her sister's (yes, she sings too).  Her material was at times steady rock and at others girly, mainstream pop. I don't know which of the material she prefers herself, but the rockier songs just sounded more honest and true to heart than the other stuff. In fact the contrast to me was quite stark. My view was obscured so I decided to leave early and visit the traditional market round the side of the tent. I heard her cover of "Material Girl" from outside which she pulled off very well, but I bet it would have sounded even better with some more guitars. She might still be in the shadow of her sister, but her singing abilities are enough to make a very successful musical career, if she can only decide on a more definite musical direction.

As usual I bought far too many CDs at the market before going back to the main stage to see Ilse DeLange. In just a few years, this young lass from Almelo has become the Dutch country queen. I've heard a good part of her debut "World of Hurt" album and the odd television appearance. Although I'd never seen her live until today, she does have a good live reputation and quite an intense touring schedule. This unfortunately led to her losing her voice and cancelling dates on her last tour, but she was in fine form today. Her style is more modern country, verging on blues and commercial rock in places. The thing I liked most was her enthiousiasm. She was completely unpretentious and seemed genuinely happy to be there and play in front of the couple of thousand visitors, who in turn showed their appreciation. It would be great for her if she could break through at an international level - good luck!

The next act on the female stage, Peppercorn has her own web site. They have samples of her singles on the site, which is a great way of having some idea of what you're going to get before you see anybody. Unfortunately my modem isn't the fastest in the world and the streaming media broke after the first minute of "Hyperactive", but at least I could hear what she sounded like. Peppercorn is of Nigerian roots and grew up in London. Her music is contemporary rock rather than African though, a rock version of Tasmine Archer for want of a better comparison. She came on stage sporting shades, leather trousers, guitar hanging from her neck, very confident stage presence without being too egoistic. I finally got to hear "Hyperactive" in its entirety but it was the cover of Hendrix's "Cross-town Traffic" that got the tent moving, after she'd asked if anybody actually danced in Holland. I felt like saying "Wrong festival mate!", but I suppose its a reaction to be expected as an unknown at that slot on the bill. I don't know if the Dutch market is ready to accomodate an act like this from outside its borders, especially considering the large dance presence in the Dutch charts these days. But if she does break through, at least I can say I saw her at her first appearance in Holland.

While I was snuffling for CDs at the market (again), I was met with a wall of harmonies as Venice took to the stage. Not sure what their name and their native homeland of the US of A have to do with it, but Venice brought Californian pop-rock with a twinge of folk to Weert. Not unlike the Eagles but with a lot less of the country influence, and their comparison to Crosby, Stills and Nash is undisputable. The vocals were incredible, with the best harmonising I've probably ever heard live. It must run in the family because the four frontmen are all related (Pat, Mark, Kipp and Michael Lennon, no relation to John). They must like it here because I must have seen their name half a dozen times for different festivals and tours in this country over the past year. Worth seeing if you can catch them.

Back up to the female stage again to catch a glimpse of Ellen ten Damme, who has fronted a number of bands over the years and now has a solo carrier. I saw some of her show during the television broadcast of Pinkpop and I wasn't too impressed. Nothing had changed in the few weeks leading up to Bospop then. Ellen sounds an octave higher than Chrissy Hynde, but certainly no wider a range. Ellen was trying some vocal gymnastics that were out of her league, to the point that she was just screaming. Now this can work under the right conditions, (look at Bjork for instance), but the music itself seemed a bit too experimental at times without having enough substance to carry it forward. And can anyone tell me the meaning of the table lamp on top of the organ? When she sat down to play it, half the audience couldn't see her. Mmmm. I don't think I'll be seeing her again.

And who was next? Anouk on the main stage. Can it get worse I thought? I saw this lass at the start of her massive pop career back at the end of  '97. Now I'll give her due, she can sing. And there are some good tracks on her first CD "Together Alone". But live I expect a little bit of audience communication and recognition. But that cold winter night in '97 was made non the warmer by her lack of banter. Even in successive years, seeing her on television broadcasts of Pinkpop, she hadn't improved. It can't all be nerves and there comes a point when you think it's just plain arrogance. Oh well, I thought, might as well take a look...er...I'm sorry? Did she actually say something? She introduced the band! In between songs she was talking and making jokes with the audience, seemed relaxed and happy. What a contrast! At one point she even said she'd better shut up in case someone threw an egg at her, referring to her famous "egg" incident at Pinkpop a couple of years ago. It makes such a difference, really. Her sabbatical year last year and a new backing band has definitely worked wonders. Musically it was very tight, and obviously settled in their new line-up who first played to an audience at Pinkpop this year. It was largely a greatest hits package, among the songs one of my favourites "The Dark", acoustic version of "So Hard" (I prefer the electric version myself), and she even got a guy out of the audience to come up and do "Sacrifice". As I tucked into my mushroom and shoarma roll, I realised I was actually enjoying the show. To top it off there was a lovely golden sunset behind the stage too! This was certainly the biggest surprise of the day, far surpassing my expectations and turning her ratings with me around 180 degrees. Well done!

I made sure I was back in time for the final act on the female stage, Judith. She had a number one hit this year with "You" which as far as I'm concerned has to be one of the best records of this year. It was lights down, smoke, and then the familar intro to Deep Purple's "Child in Time". Again a recognisable number to get everyone in the mood. When she arrived on stage I was surprised to see how young she was. Considering she's played with a number of bands and what I had seen and heard from the video to "You", I expected someone in their mid-twenties but she she didn't look any older than twenty, especially in her pink trainers. But what a voice! "Child in Time" was executed very dramatically (perhaps slightly over-dramatic), especially with her movements and gestures. A good opener led on to "You", an emotional ballad and the only song to succeed in giving me goose pimples all day. After that was a surprise: a cover of Melissa Etheridge's "Like the Way I Do". I hoped it wouldn't be an all-cover show all night, especially for an act that's at the top of the bill. It wasn't all covers, though we did get Alanis Morrissette's "You Oughtta Know" for example. Considering how good these songs were played, I suppose it illustrates just how dynamic this singing talent is, but I would have liked to heard some more original material. The hour went past very quickly and unfortunately no encore. It's good to hear there's talent like Judith around who deserve to make it big. I suppose that will be judged by the sales of her hot off the press album, "Blue Tears".

It was dark outside as everyone gathered for the final act of the day, The Black Crowes. The last time I saw this bunch was eight years ago at Pinkpop, when the power died halfway through their first number, cutting out the lights, sound, stage, everything. They've been out of the spotlight for a while, but now have a new album out called "Lions". I know some people who were blown away by their breakthrough album  (the southern harmony companion or something like that). They never really struck a chord with me, even though they play with a lot of feeling. They sound to me like a cross between Led Zeppelin and Rod Stewart, dripping with that sound of the southern states and a touch of soul. They played a mix of old and new material, introducing their most well known hit "Remedy" as "The Wise Old Owl", referring to the Bospop logo slung from the back of the stage. What really filled their sound out was the female backing duo who unfortunately were stuck behind one of the amps without a spotlight. I don't know if this was intentionally but it sounded okay.

There was a large audience tonight, more than for last year's day one topper Tower of Power and what would also turn out to be larger than the audience for day two's headlining act, Megadeth. I left before the Crowes ended, to save my aching back for the following day's activities.

Day Two

Saturday was wet. One of those days when you think to yourself, of all the days in the year that it can rain, why today and why here. Not torrential rain, but reasonably hard and persistent enough to put a damper on things. I caught sight of Johnny Lee Middleton and Jeff Plate of Savatage tucking into breakfast at the hotel, before I left a little after eleven in the morning. It was just starting to drizzle steadily. I made my way over the bridge crossing the Maas where British soldiers had once liberated it from the Germans so many years before, and thought of how the weather was last year around this time. Would we get a repeat performance?

I must remember to arrive at this time again next year. The day before I was queued up for a good 10-15 minutes. Today I almost walked right through. After receiving my second entry wristband (always reminds me of babies in hospital), I walked round to the main stage where German outfit Superfly 69 were performing. The rain was considerably heavier by this time, so I clad myself in rain gear like most others had done, as I stood at the front barrier. Considerably louder than day one. This the day of the hard rock, progressive rock and metal acts, a day for international heavyweights. Superfly 69 are one of those modern post-Metallica, post-grunge hard rock bands. In a similar style to Three Doors Down or Three Colors Red, only vocally superlative. The frontman realised he had work to do, considering the weather, the relatively few numbers of visitors at this time of the day and being first on the bill. Still, he did a magnificent job and got a warm reception from the crowd. The music grabbed your attention enough to take your mind off the rain and the frontman was constantly appreciative of our wet attendance. There were some jolly numbers thrown in too like their Greek dance theme which also put a smile on our faces. Definitely one of the best festival opening acts I've seen. Highly recommended. I've just got to find their "Sing it with smile" album now.

Next a wander up to the rock tent to see Toyz, a melodic power metal band with a female vocalist. I came in to see the start of an instrumental track. Time for the guitarist to pull all the tricks out of the bag. Now every guitarist has a bit of an ego in them (except maybe Alan Holdsworth), but one of the golden rules is that you should never try and outplay yourself live. This guy was good, but pushing too far trying to sound flash, only to sound sloppy in the process. Top that by rolling around on the floor, on a stage inside a tent, where it's difficult to see anyway (Threshold solved that problem but we'll come to that later), and you really start making a fool of yourself. I stayed for a couple more numbers and to witness the female vocal talents. Other than the ego tripper, they weren't bad for a Dutch band but the numbers were a bit cliche at times.

I made my way in the rain down to the main stage again for a front barrier view of Nashville Pussy. These guys (and gals) sound like AC/DC meets Motorhead's Lemmy. A no shit, no frills, hard driving rock'n'roll outfit and just what you need on a day like this to forget the rain. Plenty of innuendo and blatant lyrics, with tracks like "All Fucked Up", give you an idea of what they're about. The band is fronted by husband and wife team, Blaine Cartwright ( Lemmy) and Ruyter Suys (Angus Young). Actually her Angus impression was pretty good, complete with Gibson SG and plenty of "falling on the knees" solos. No fire breathing today. Don't know if they've given that up or the weather was too bad, but we did get to see Ruyter having her boobs covered in beer by hubby and felate the bottle afterwards. Made me forget the rain for a while anyway.

Time for my first and only visit to the blues tent this day. Bit of bad design this year. The tent was next to the main stage which I could imagine would form a botteneck if it got busy. Not only that, but it was one of those with a bottle nose entrance, to which everyone will flock to in case of a cloudburst. Once inside I found Lance Keltner from Austin, Texas. Lance's tunes can best be described as southern blues rock, a very distant relation to say The Black Crowes. His vocals reminded me of Don Henley of The Eagles at times. Also worthy of note, the fact that he had with him not one but two backing guitarists. Shame about the mix (why is the sound always so dodgy in the blues tent?) because at times I could hardly hear either of them. Still, some strong numbers and we even got an encore.

Back outside again for one of Britains most successful metal bands of the past decade, Paradise Lost. Now I don't know what happened to these guys. The first time I heard them was on someone's walkman a good ten years ago and it was way too hard for me then. What we got today was a pale shadow of the past. Paradise Lost sound more like a hybrid of Metallica and The Cure. They had a patch around the time of the "Icon" album where they started to go in a more gothic rock direction and it worked well. But a few years on and a few steps further, is this the end result? If they're trying to do the U2 chameleon trick and perform a genre switch, while still being accepted then they've failed. It's for no reason that they're only third on the bill behind an act as De Heideroosjes. I can appreciate a band that takes a risk and dares to do something different if that's what they want to do. But if this is their new style, it just doesn't have the drive and inspiration it once did and certainly nowhere near as original. As a result the older numbers stand out head and shoulders over their new material. "Icon" made a daring move and had some promising ideas on board, so what on earth happened? They're reception was lukewarm, and even a few joking comments to the audience wasn't enough to save them. Disappointing. I returned to the rock tent to witness Porcupine Tree, another British act, who were a different story. The front man looks like Geddy Lee of Rush. The music is more like psychedelic, progressive rock. Very well polished sound (good job by the sound man there) and some nice instrumental passages too. Apparently supported Dream Theater in the U.K. on their last tour. Very tight and professional, but a little out of my scope musically.

Back outside it was still raining, but it was time for another band with enough energy to make you forget it. De Heideroosjes are punk band that sing most of their songs in english, despite the Dutch name. Sporting matching red trousers and black shirts (as a tribute to The Backstreet Boys), it was fun and energy for most of their set, with the exception of their tribute to the people rebuilding the Balkans, "Just Another Day in Bosnia". Lots of jokes in between songs (though the bit about him not appreciating Savatage and Megadeth's music were probably true). De Heideroosjes were another act who exceeded my expectations and cheered a lot of people up on this dreary day.

Trudging back up to the rock tent again to see Vengeance, I wondered how many people were just using it as a shelter. I've heard Vengeance on the radio here and saw them a couple of years ago supporting Status Quo. They're one of the few Dutch acts that play straight, 1980s style classic metal, complete with soaring guitars and vocals. They played a greatest hits package with songs like "Arabia" going down well with the crowd. However they weren't quite on the ball today. This was the band who was put in at the last minute to replace Bigelf and it was a little sloppy at times, perhaps due to a lack of practice. This was especially noticeable with the audience participation sections, which seemed totally spontaneous, unrehearsed and seem to leave the band in an awkward spot. Other than that it was a good, enthiousiastic performance.

Back into the rain again which seemed to show no signs of letting up, as I stretched my back on the front barrier. The next act was Pendragon, an ancient of British progressive rock. I'd heard of them many times, but this was my first chance to hear some music and experience them live at the same time. The band features Clive Nolan, who has also worked with Arena, who played here a couple of years before. It was difficult not to compare the two. So many of the progressive outfits sound like Marillion/Genesis clones with an awfully english accent for vocals. Considering Pendragon are so big in this genre and been around for so long, I was expecting something special. Don't get me wrong, technically they were very good and their instrumental passages were well executed and not overly long. But they didn't stand out to me today as one of the masters of prog rock. Compared to what I'd seen of Arena or Spocks Beard, they didn't have the same kind of spark. It was a good show, but not the great show I was expecting. However there were enough progressive rock fans in the audience who were obviously well up on the material and showed their appreciation. I got the impression the band were pleased with their reception, considering the weather and that they, in their own words, were the "lightweight of the day".

Another of my countless trips up to the rock tent again, to see another British progressive act, Threshold. I'd never heard of this bunch before, but I was impressed by their show. The music is more progressive metal, a similar weight to Dream Theater but without too much musical vituosity. The songs were relatively short for a progressive rock act, but the musical interludes were brief and to the point. According to the festival blurb, the singer, Mac, was voted best frontman at the Wacken Open Air festival in 1999. When I came in I couldn't see him, until I realised he was up in the lighting rig! At least he could get a good look at all of us, and us at him. Didn't affect his singing abilities one bit, a kind of operatic vibrato but still being able to understand every word. I was very impressed with this lot, and definitely a band to look out for.

It was now time for the top three acts on the main stage. I really wanted to see Living Colour again and Savatage who I'd never witnessed live. This meant sacrificing Apocolyptica, the frenzied chello wielding foursome from Finland, who play metal tracks from Metallica and the like. No doubt there'll be another chance because I don't think an unusual act like these will go away soon. So it was down to main stage in the rain, (no surprises there), to see Living Colour. This was their first show in Holland since reforming after a five year abscence. I really needed something to cheer me up by this time, maybe because the damp was starting to get to me. They launched their set with "Times Up" to wake everybody, get them moving and let the audience know for sure that Living Colour were back. Singer Cory Glover illustrated his sympathy with the damp audience by cladding himself in a bright yellow mac and trousers, which he kept on throughout the show, except for the encore. Next up was "Ignorance is Bliss" followed by "Elvis is dead", an excellent audience participation number if ever there was one. As well as throwing in a couple of new songs, we got "Type", the storming opener to their debut album Vivid; "Cult of Personality" and one of my favourites from 1993s Stain album; "Postman". We got  a nothing less than amazing bass solo from Doug Wimbish which sounded more like a guitar with his double octave whammy unit cranked up to full. Signs had been erected since day one indicating "No crowd surfing" , this in response to the tragic crush at Roskilde during Pearl Jam's concert last year. It's quite amusing watching a country act like Ilse DeLange when there's one of those boards hung up. There hadn't been any activity on either day up till now, security having a rather boring weekend from the looks of things. A couple of people tried it during Living Colour's set, but were pounced on before it got out of hand. Cory compensated for this by actually came down into the crowd to finish off his last number, which went down a treat. By the end of the set I'd finally had a good excuse to move my butt and had a smile on my face. While the other band members moved off stage, Cory climbed back on stage and proceeded to wander in circles around the mike stand chanting "I'm not leaving!". The rest of the band came back on and we got an encore! I mentioned it was to be a weekend of cover versions. We got Hendrix's "Cross-town Traffic", which was the second time I heard it this weekend, after Peppercorn (coincidentally the only other black artist at the festival) had done it the day before. Still, there was more singing along with the chorus this time than we'd got yesterday. And then it was over. I, for one, was very pleased, though some may have been dissappointed that we didn't get some of their bigger hits like "Glamour Boys" or "Love Rears Its Ugly Head". They haven't lost any of the energy I remember them having since the last time I saw them eight years ago. Will we be graced with a full-blown tour in the near future I wonder? In any case Living Colour goes down as the best act of day two, not least because of the little miracle they performed - by this time it was actually starting to ddry up!

I hung around the barrier for Savatage, where I met a couple of german lads who asked me where they could buy some weed (why me?). Turns out one was more into punk and it was his first time he'd seen any of the bands here, but his mate was a big fan of metal, including Queensryche (my top band). We chatted a bit about metal in general before they wandered off for a more central position. A little later than advertised, though no fault of their own, Savatage hit the stage with "City beneath the Surface" followed immediately by "Sirens", two golden oldies from their early days of the mid '80s It was the latter track that really lit my fuse and had my head and fist in motion. New vocalist Damon Linciga and new rhythm guitarist Jack Frost seemed right at home, Damon swinging his long black locks in circles right from the start. If that wasn't enough, we got "Strange Wings", one of my favourites from their critically acclaimed album "Hall of the Mountain King". Jon Oliva, tucked behind his keyboards, welcomed us all and expressed his joy that the rain had stopped at last. Next we got a one-after-the-other presentation of title tracks including "Edge of Thorns", "Dead Winter Dead" and "Gutter Ballet". The set quietened down a little with "Believe" from their 1991 rock opera, "Streets". "This one's for Criss" said Jon, refering to his brother and original guitarist, so tragically killed by a head on collision with an overtaking drunk driver almost a decade ago. It's an easy chorus and everyone joined in. Things livened up again when Jon announced the next track was from "A Handful of Rain", quickly adding that wasn't a wish because in his words "it's stopped f*cking raining - yeah!". We got "Chance", my favourite from the album, a relatively long, symphonic and bombastic number. The sound got a bit distorted during the set, but I'd noticed that earlier on with other bands too, so it wasn't their fault. The set also included a couple of new ones from their latest album "Poets and Madmen" which I haven't heard, but "The Morphine Child" stood out, continuing the symphonic styles so prevalent in their last couple of releases. Did they save the best till last? A blistering version of "Hall of the Mountain King" was to finish, the first track I ever heard by them way back in '87 on the Friday Rock Show. Obviously time was tight, because the sounds of Arrow Classic Rock came over the speakers before they even had a chance to leave the stage. This was the last show of their European leg of their 2001 tour. I hope it was as memorable for them as it was for me (not too difficult really considering the bloody rain...)

My throat was hoarse after trying to compete with the last two acts, so I wandered off to get something to drink. As I leaned on a support pole in the middle of the field, the distant sounds of what sounded like Sarah Brightman emanating from the darkness behind (After Forever, see last year's review), it was then I noticed how relatively quiet it was this year. For Status Quo and Alice Cooper, the crowd stretched back behind the central tower. The tent behind me was full, but even adding them into the equation, it would probably just reach the disabled peoples platform in front of the tower. I could only imagine it was the rain that had killed everything. Last year was also wet, but at least there were sunny spells in between, to make it at least feel like it was July. The introduction music started and the lights went down before After Forever had a chance to finish. Out of the darkness appeared Dave Mustaine and his crew of Megadeth, who opened with a couple of new numbers. Dave looked particularly eyecatching this year, in his leather trench coat and trousers, probably the smartest I've ever seen him looking on stage. Dave sincerely thanked us (it's not often he sounds sincere), that we had stuck it out "through this fantastic f*ckin shit weather". Next up was "Wake up Dead", opening track to what many regard as their finest hour, 1986s "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying" album (time to bang my head again). Then it was "In My Darkest Hour", a song about a man driven to suicide by his girlfriend. Did anyone tell Dave about the late Herman Brood's swan dive before the show I wonder? We got quite a smattering of new material, probably an attempt on their part to prove to the world that their new album is back to where they belong. Even Dave himself said they'd named their previous album "Risk" to warn people off, after record company pressure to make something more socially acceptable. Their first single from that album turned me right off straight away. Maybe people should pay a bit more attention to what Dave has to say, because I've always liked Megadeth's cynical, wry lyrics. Other points of note were "Reckoning Day", "Hangar 18" (and it's sequel) and "Sweating Bullets". During "Holy Wars" I noted how well new guitarist, Al Pitrelli (nipped from Savatage), was keeping track with his predecessor, Marty Freidman's, guitar solos. It's a difficult act to follow, but he did an amazing job. Worst part of the set came when the speakers started to crackle and both Dave and Al looked cautiously round, as a roady ran up to wrestle with the drum mikes. Not long afterwards the drums cut out completely, leaving Dave's guitar solo, literally. This was quickly repaired and the band just kept going like nothing had happened. It was "Peace Sells" probably my all-time Megadeth favourite that closed their main set. We were left screaming for an encore, to which Dave came back on and did a little crowd teasing, audience participation bit with his guitar. Then the band went into "Symphony of Destruction" (if my memory serves me well) to close off the weekend. This was the first time I'd seen them with Al Pitrelli and new drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, (original bassist Dave Ellefson still part of the team), but as usual Megadeth were very tight. Interesting that "Mechanix" was missing from the set (musically identical to Metallica's "The Four Horsemen" which was written by Mustaine in the first place, only this one is ten times faster). A couple of tracks I'd liked to have heard, like perhaps "These Boots were made for Walkin'", more so considering there had been so many cover versions played all weekend. Still, you can't have everything and it was an enjoyable show anyway (hoarse voice time again). Shame about the sound problems, but it had been playing up all day and I think it was just a matter of time before something went.  I've seen Megadeth about five times now and though this wasn't the best show, it was still a damn good one. Made me think of how far they've come since I first saw them in '88 as third on the bill at the Donington festival in England. They won the crowd over that time when they finished with "Anarchy in the U.K." - yep, another cover version.