Live Report | Sonisphere Festival 2010, Sofia-Bulgaria, 22-23 June 2010

Big 4 Tour for 2010 and of course Cy-Metal.com couldn’t be away for this historical event.

On Tuesday 22/06/2010 morning, we started our trip from Thessaloniki (Greece) with busses towards Sofia, Bulgaria. Due to some bloody mechanical problems the one of the busses stacked in the way so we had a huge delay and we arrived in Sofia late enough to loose the Anthrax show.
While trying to get into the Levsky stadium, the heavens opened up and enormous quantities of rain and hail came down to ground, making us wet enough so nipples being visible through t-shirts (this is heavy :D ).

Megadeth

I entered stadium with Dave Mustaine’s Megadeth on stage performing “A tout le monde”. Great performance I admit, his strange vocals always strange-pleasure to hear and Elefson’s bass-fills hellish. Being familiar with Broderick’s guitar works through Jag Panzer (albums and live) I expected what to hear from Chris.
Here’s the complete Megadeth setlist of the show

1. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due
2. Hangar 18
3. Wake Up Dead
4. Headcrusher
5. In My Darkest Hour
6. Skin o’ My Teeth
7. A Tout Le Monde
8. Hook In Mouth
9. Trust
10. Sweating Bullets
11. Symphony Of Destruction
12. Peace Sells…

Slayer

After Megadeth’s appearance Slayer came on stage. Killer performance from Lombardo but Araya didn’t show me what I expected. Later I learned that he recently had a surgery so I kinda justify him.
Here’s the setlist of Slayer’s appearance:

1. World Painted Blood
2. Jihad
3. War Ensemble
4. Hate Worldwide
5. Seasons In The Abyss
6. Angel Of Death
7. Beauty Through Order
8. Disciple
9. Mandatory Suicide
10. Chemical Warfare
11. South Of Heaven
12. Raining Blood

 Metallica

And time came for the headliners of the festival. Metallica. I have to admit that Metallica after Black Album have never made it for me to get into my weekly playlists. But hell I fall down on my knees and worship the whole “Ride the Lightning” album! 
And what a great surprise for me to see them start the show with Creeping Death! Headbanging and METAL through the Bulgarian rainy atmosphere and here comes Ernest Hemingway: For Whom The Bell Tolls? Show goes on with Fuel and, BOOM, my favorite Metallica Song, Fade To Black! Ten more songs, new and old ones, including classics like One and Master Of Puppets, to came to the biggest surprise of the festival, and probably one of the moments that future generations will speak for.
James Hetfield calls on Stage MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and SLAYER. They come onstage holding their gear and BIG 4 unite for Metal and perform Diamond Head’s classic AM I EVIL. Now this is what I call history! It was really a pleasure for my eyes to see Mustaine, Hetfield and Belladona sing together “Am I Evil, Yes I Am!”
And for closure, after rest of the bands leaved the stage, Metallica gave hell with Hit The Lights and Seek And Destroy!
Here’s the complete Metallica setlist

1. Creeping Death
2. For Whom the Bell Tolls
3. Fuel
4. Harvester Of Sorrow
5. Fade To Black
6. That Was Just Your Life
7. Cyanide
8. Sad But True
9. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
10. All Nightmare Long
11. One
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Blackened
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sadman
    
16. Am I Evil? (Diamond Head’s cover with BIG 4 on stage)
17. Hit The Lights
18. Seek And Destroy

Happy everyone we leave the stadium and get to the hotel where hot shower and clean bed awaits.
We rest and wake up the next day to enjoy the Kings Of Metal.


This time we went early at the stadium and waited till the doors open.
There I met again with Cotsios616 from Cy-Metal.com and the other Cyprus companion and we got our position in the front lines of the B section in the Arena. A Bulgarian band, Stone Sour and Alice in Chains performed in front of my eyes, but not my cup of tea so I’ll pass the description and go straight to the Kings.

Manowar

“…from The United States of America, All Hail Manowar!”
And Manowar came on stage! We Met on English ground… The four Metal Kings were there, ready to give PURE STEEL. After the self named Manowar, the Call to Arms followed. Some problems with sound but we didn’t care much about it. The show continues with Kings of Metal and  the sound bad quality continues.
Then, the Warriors of the World United!!
Thunder in the Sky from their new EP took it place in the setlist to be followed by the ultimate Metal Hymn, the song that every living poser in the universe is afraid of. HAIL AND KILL!!! Adams vocals are indescribable.
And they close the show with a song in honor for metal god Ronnie James Dio.
Black Sabbath’s Heaven And Hell!
The Manowar setlist was as follows:

1. Manowar
2. Call To Arms
3. Kings Of Metal
4. Warriors Of The World United
5. Thunder In The Sky
6. Hail And Kill
7. Heaven And Hell (Black Sabbath cover)

After Manowar leaving the stage much time of preparation took place for Rammstein.
Even if their music is not even metal, I really, REALLY enjoyed their show! All that fireworks, the explosions, the theatrical performance of the band members and the lightning and scene equipment that was used made me stay staring them.

After the show we got on the busses and came back to Greece.
All Hails to Cotsios616 Avgousti from Hardraw.

Michalis “Starchild” Benakis
June 2010