Sweden Rock Fest is Already Announcing Bands...

I guess it's that time of the year again: Sweden Rock Fest is already announcing bands. This means we'll start getting a lot of band announcements for other European fests soon, too. American events tend to lag, with most band announcements coming in late winter. So far, Sweden Rock's lineup isn't great - but it is a good start. Here's the official release:

Another four bands have now been confirmed to next year's Sweden Rock Festival. 10 out of a total of around 60 bands are now confirmed.

Its been way too long, but finally RICK SPRINGFIELD will come to Sweden and of course to Sweden Rock Festival. He has had a long career as an actor, but it is with his music he really hit the big time, especially in the 80's when he released classic albums like "Working Class Dog", "Living In Oz" and "Rock Of Life". With last years "comeback" album "Venus In Overdrive", which broke the Billboard top 30, he showed his class as a song writer once again and live it's heavier and better than you can ever imagine.

We are also happy to announce the return to the festival of one of Swedens biggest metal bands, SABATON.
With a brand new album coming out this spring they will come to Sweden Rock to deliver the biggest and baddest stage show they have ever made. Those who are into melodic metal simply cannot miss this!

From Denmark comes one of the bands we get the most wishes for: D-A-D. As usual, they will give the audience heavy rock with a very characteristic sound influenced by both country and punk, and classic songs like "Sleeping My Day Away", "Bad Craziness" and "Laugh 'n a ½".

Last but not least ANVIL, a classic canadian heavy metal band that will do their second gig at the festival and this time they are riding high on the waves of the highly acclaimed documentary "The Story Of Anvil". A movie that show how this band has been fighting tooth and nail from the 80´s untill now without ever really catching a break. After this film though, the world finally seems to be ready for them and Anvil is bigger than ever!

Sweden Rock Festival is held in Sölvesborg in southern Sweden on June 9-12 2010.
Tickets are on sale on our homepage: www.swedenrock.com.

Out of a total of around 60 bands on the main stages, the following have been announced so far:

Bachman & Turner (Can)
Rick Springfield (Aus/Us)
Sabaton (S)
D-A-D (DK)
Saga (Can)
Unisonic (D)
Bigelf (US)
Anvil (Can)
Mother's Finest (US)
Jorn (N)

Of this list, I am most excited about Bigelf and D-A-D. I’ve never seen either band live and Bigelf is just cool. The guys in that band are nice, too. I'm hoping this festival appearance means Bigelf will be playing a lot of big shows over the summer. I really would love to catch them.

What do you think of these bands so far?

Comments

[Lucifer]

I would go there just to see D-A-D. They're one of my favourite bands, and I would love to see them live. The Swedish are lucky people!

[Xandra73]

So far I would like to see those:

D-A-D (DK)
Unisonic (D) (Michael Kiske's new band)
Bigelf (US)
Jorn (N)

I'm sure Sweden Rock will be great as every year. We are thinking about going there next year. Hopefully it will work out.

BTW - other festivals are further ahead with their announcements already. We will go to the Bang Your Head!!! Festival next year (like every year). Bands announced so far:

Queensryche
Doro
Krokus
Jon Oliva's Pain
Sabaton
Anvil
Jag Panzer
Loudness
Ratt
Bullett
Enforcer
+ 11 more bands to come

http://www.bang-your-head.de

[Xandra73]

Err not next year. We plan to go in 2011. ;)

[Snoot]

I've seen D-A-D six times and they always deliver, but none of the other bands would make me want to cough up the dough.
I bought a one-day ticket in 2008 and saw Tesla, Fastway, Ace Frehley, Carcass, Hanoi Rocks, Whitesnake, Saxon and Def Leppard in the span of 14 hours - good times!

[Christian]

Bigelf, DAD, Jorn are all awesome. I want to see Bullet !!!!!

[Metalboy!]

Metalkidz!

Rick Springfield?

Really? Whoa! Can't wait...

...until he exits the stage. Puleez!

Bachman Turner Overdrive, Saga, Mother's Finest (what th...?Well, okay, I'll admit, MF's guitarist is pretty badd*ss! Scary that I know that, eh, guyz?), I'll break out my platform disco shoes for these bands...

Ah, but what's this?

Big Elf! Dyin' to see these guys! Al did us right posting vids of them awhile back. I'd never heard of 'em before that (I know, I know.) and now totally into 'em. Woulda been top 5 for my "Best of '09" list, but, alas, their latest was from '08.

D.A.D.! Whoa! (Think I told ya, saw 'em back in '89 off "No Fuel For The Pilgrims" at The Cat Club in NYC). Time for me to see 'em again.

And Metalboy! will don his sexy steel mesh unitard and woven copper cable cape and fly around in circles over the stage for the likes of Anvil, Unisonic, Jorn and Sabaton, especially during "Metal Machine" during that last one. I'll put on a dang airshow for that!

What? Don't think Metalboy! can fly? Why, I'll get a jet pack (chromed, of course). I just wonder if it can handle all the extra weight of this outfit, is all.)

Anyway, "brass" tacks (whoa, man, I'm killin' myself over here!):

As you may have noticed from my ongoing blathering commentaries (if you even read 'em, natch), I've already claimed this Swedish Metal Month and basically just want to move there! the whole Swedish Metal Scene seems like it just lays waist to the rest of the world (particularly Glam and AOR/Melodic Rock -- always hated that term... c'mon, it's Metal, Justin Gaines!).

I mean, where are all the Swedish homeboyz on this bill?! Unless the Swedish promoters figure the Swedes have just seen all of their bands to death, or sumthin'...

... Where's Europe on here? Or Treat (I'd kill to see 'em... RocktheBoat maybe, in March, if they're not in this Fest, eh, Snoot?)?...or Electric Boys?

And what about the Swedish Newboyz (and Gurlz)?!...

...Where's Vains of Jenna!? Crash Diet? Crucified Barbara (thanx, Jack!)?! Crazy Lixx? Zan Clan? H.e.a.t.? Zan Clan? Sister Sin?...

And how 'bout a mix of Imports? Gunfire 76 (thanks, MK)?! Steel Panther? Bullet (Awesome tip, Christian!)?! Kortini? Kamelot (right, Xandra?)?! 77 (Killerz!, Bob!)?! Million Dollar Reload? Or Dynazty (Awesome, Xandra!)?! Or Them Crooked Vultures?!

Look, I realize we can't get 'em all, but Rick Springfield?

Metalboy! might suffer a crash landing if he saw that!

[Metalboy!]

P.S. My fellow Metaloidz (and Metaloid Fellowesses), don't forget to check back on Al's "Best Albums of 2009" post, too! We are really going to town on there with new suggestions for who is best for '09! Remember, we have 'til 11:59 p.m. EST, December 14, 2009 before sending our final selections to Allyson's email. And Metalboy! is hovering in a holding pattern back there over the Cauldron with Springfield in it. My arms are firmly crossed over my chest under the "M" logo of my unitard and ready to take on all comerz, hahaha!!! But don't forget to comment on Sweden Rock Fest here first!!!

[Xandra73]

@Metalboy: Bands like Europe, Electric Boys and Kamelot played last year, they can't have the same bands every year. ;)

There are still 50 bands missing. In the end the mix of different genres is usually really great. :)

[Metalboy!]

Gotcha, Xandra. I'm so out of it, I didn't even realize Europe and Kamelot played last year. And you are right, there are still 50 bands missing, and you can make that 51 as far as I'm concerned, if you include Rick Springfield.

"Rock" or not, he bites. Uh, he was torturing us back in his "Jessie's Girl" daze. Do we really need to relive that?

I made some suggestions of who should play. Do you have some ideas? Or would you rather save 'em 'til you can see 'em in 2011?

How about all the other Metalkidz? Snoot? Christian? Where are the other Metalkidz today?

P.S. Xandra... So want to go to the Bang Your Head Festival! Queensryche (hahaha!!!), Loudness (killerz!), Doro (Yes!), Bullet (Awesome!), Anvil, Sambaton! Question: Do you like Kortini, Nighthorse or Killswitch Engage? Also, what are your pics for best of '09? Dyin' to know. You are so switched onto all the good Metal! Go back to Al's "Best of 2009" post, too! And how was House of Lords?)

[Xandra73]

You got me, I would rather make a whish list for 2011. ;) And that's too far away to calculate right now.

I just know that I would not want Rick Springfield. Especially if he turns out as one of the headliners. What a waste of headliner space. 0_o

I'm still thinking about my pics for '09. Maybe tomorrow. :D

And House of Lords was cancelled on very short notice. Bummer. I've seen them three times over the last couple of years, always as support. Would've loved to see them as a headliner for once.

From the bands you mentioned I know only Killswitch Engage. They are okay, but not really my thing.

[Metalboy!]

Xandra: Sux about House of Lords. I hear ya on Killswitch. Do like their cover of Bad Company's song, "Bad Company", tho. The singer sounds a lot better on that as opposed to their other stuff.

Don't forget to post your picks for '09 when you're ready as well as sendin' 'em into Al. Also, what about your faves of '89? Love to know those, also.

In any case, donchya wonder what happened to all the other Metalkidz? I sure wanna know what they think of Swedish Rock Fest. And their picks for '09 and '89, too!

Have you listened to Gunfire 76 yet? MK told us about it. Totally killer. Would be so cool if they could play one of the festivals over there and here, for that matter. My new faves!

Check ya back later!

[Metalboy!]

Yikes! Correction: (What else is new?) Killswitch do a great cover of "Holy Diver" (Rock'n'Roll Angels on you, Ronnie! Godspeed!) and Five Finger Death Punch do Bad Company's "Bad Company"! How about that band for the Fest?

[Snoot]

More bands have been announced - Wasp (playing songs from their first two albums only), Raven and Aldo Nova.

[nirVrana]

Raven and Aldo Nova! 2 of my faves from channel UHF 68 on Long Island. Used to show rock videos all night every night. Other faves on that were early Bon Jovi [pre-slippery] and Lee Aaron.

Did anyone catch Rick Springfield on Californication? This happens to be the funniest, raunchiest show on TV. Rick Springfield did a great arc of episodes playing Rick Springfield. He is hilarious in this role. See it if you have not. Best-written show on TV in a long, long time - rivals Battlestar Galactica in writing quality.