02.08.2012 Saxon

Wacken Open Air XXIII

Wacken (Germany)

(Pentax K-5 with Sigma AF 70-200mm 2.8 EX DC APO HSM II)

For many years Saxon are already regular guests on Wacken Open Air and also this year there should again be a gig of them to marvel at. Biff and his guys are not getting younger though you cannot see that when they are on stage. Although I am not able to fully compare this gig to the one at the Metropool at Hengelo I have to say that they were in a way better mood than to that time.
The first three songs I unfortunately missed (from the meal I still had my knife in my pocket an so I had to go back to the camping area once more to bring it back :-( Those who can't use their head...) but the show was made up of a nice cross section of their hits of all released albums. No matter if it were old pearls like "Power And The Glory" of the equally named album released in 1983 or current songs like "Hammer Of The Gods" of the "Call To Arms" album. What I always find fascinating is that just at such bands like Saxon that already exist since the 70s there are a lot of fans at the audience singing all songs along but are only half the age than the band in front of them. The one or other anecdote or story as well as dumb sayings of Biff between the songs may of course not be missing. The highlight was when he caught the camera driving up and down in front of the stage and asked the guy on the remote to drive him across the audience.
But not only Biff was delivering a great show also the other guys were not missed out. So the two guitarists Doug Scarrat and Paul Quinn always went to the front of the stage during their solis and interacted phantastically with the audience. Right before the encore bassist Tim Carter went into rapture in taking a bath in the crowd and drummer Nigel Glockler was brought to the roof of the stage via rockets. A pro pos rockets: the stage show was also nothing to sneeze at. Were there at the beginning only jetstreams used spreading nicely the lights of the stage it was getting hotter and hotter over time when fire balls were used. And that not as usually only at the front of the stage but as well at the back around drummer Glockler. Additionally several times the banner at the background changed and the climax was reached when the enlightened eagle was lowered from the roof of the stage at several songs.
Although if they had only played their greatest hits the time would not have been sufficient that was at their disposal and so unfortunately after roughly 90 minuest the all time classic "Princess Of The Night" already formed the last song before Saxon said goodby for the last time that evening. This gig was really cinema at its most epic and also the audience was completely enthused. Super show, great voice, terrific sound, really everything was simply perfect. For me one of the highlights of the Wacken Open Air 2012.

Setlist:

Heavy Metal Thunder
Hammer Of The Gods
Power And The Glory
20,000 Ft
Never Surrender
Dogs Of War
Motorcycle Man
I've Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)
Crusader
Rock The Nations
Drum Solo
Battalions Of Steel
The Eagle Has Landed
Wheels Of Steel
To Hell And Back Again
Denim And Leather
Strong Arm of the Law
747 (Strangers in the Night)
Princess Of The Night