A night of power metal; everyone’s idea of fun whether you’re laughing with or at the music. Suffice to say, laugh I did, this being one of the most surprisingly entertaining gigs I have ever been to.

Finns Turisas, a successful band in their own right, opened the night on a stage bathed blood red by the lights and in full pagan attire. The sound wasn’t as crushing as it should’ve been to merit Turisas’ epicness but they still managed a bruising set and had an excellent crowd reaction. Impressively proving that they are more than the average power metal band; Turisas used a live violin player and a live female accordion player rather than the usual overbearing synths to reproduce their instrumentation. Whats more, they also had a whole break with narration encouraging us to “fuck the guitar solo” which although met with bemusement by the obviously widdle-happy audience, was fucking hilarious with the violinist playing a bunch of solos including the one from Yngwie Malmsteem’s laughably portentous ‘Far Beyond The Sun’. This admittedly tongue in cheek stance on solos sets Turisas apart in the power/battle metal world and makes them a unique band with their driving rhythms and balls out punk attitude.

Ironically Dragonforce’s borderline ridiculous guitar histrionics were met with deafening roars of approval when they entered the stage half an hour after Turisas’ set. Complete with trampolines (presumably to aid acrobatic theatrics) and a multi level stage set up, Dragonforce lived up to even the highest expectations; being every inch as bombastic, playfully arrogant and silly as their music. Playing impressively tightly with songs that are basically 200 bpm blast beats the whole way through; Dragonforce impressed even me, the most cynical and reluctant power metal observer. They were incredibly energetic; constantly running around the stage – even keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov with his portable strap-over synth – and maintained this hilarious level of madness from start to finish. Some of the many highlights of the gig included one (possibly drunk) girl baring her tits and being projected onto the big screen for everyone’s enjoyment; the moment the stage was bombarded with all manner of detritus from socks to (hopefully used) train tickets to money, the latter of which was wholeheartedly encouraged by the band and when bassist Frédéric Leclercq came onstage for a solo….a GUITAR solo! Yes he can also shred like an absolute bitch, giving regular axemen Herman Li and Sam Totman (who was dressed like he should be in a north London indie band) a run for their money. A career spanning set was belted out and after two girls dressed as nurses came out to screams of ‘STRIP’ from the audience and chucked free beer into the mosh pit, everyone knew that this was a great gig, equal measures fun and heavy; ridiculous and technically stunning. Dragonforce must be one of the best power metal bands in the world today without a doubt.

Reviewed by Liam McLaughlin

Photography by Asif Salam