Live Report | Power of the Night Festival 2014
Power Of The Night Festival IX
25 & 26 July 2014
Nicosia, Cyprus
To all of you metal warlords and iron maidens out there in Europe, there are lots of Metal Festivals to attend. Where do you live?
In Sweden? - Germany? - France? - Belgium? - UK?
Well, in that particular order we have Sweden Rock - KIT, HOA, Wacken, PartySan and a shitload others - Hellfest - Graspop - BroFest, Download, etc…
You live in a country nearby? Well, a cheap bus ticket, a train ride, a low-cost-flight and there you are; in front of dozens of Metal legends and promising newcomers.
But what happens when you live on a tiny island in the eastern-most part of the Mediterranean sea? What happens when your lust for steel and your metal hunger turns to metal fever and not a single metal concert takes place nearby? What would you do?
For several years, especially through the 90s and the early 00s, that was the situation in Cyprus. Not-A-Fucking-Single-Concert! But not anymore… Not, due to a handful metal brothers who each year since 2006 are trying their best to give Cyprus it’s own annual metal festival! And they did it! It’s called “POWER OF THE NIGHT”!
I would like you to allow me not to get in-depth-discussion about each band’s performance this year, since I’m in a kinda emotional charge after the Manilla Road blast, but instead let me shoot some points of favor.
When I first attended the “Power Of The Night Festival”, back in 2008, I found out some passionate guys driving their asses crazy to make an one-day festival. Walking around to raise funds, so that the ticket won’t be expensive, get sponsorships for cheap beers and sound equipment, get the attention of the media so that more people can get into Metal, and so on…
That was then... Since then I haven’t missed a single Power Of The Night! Wanna know why? Because through their sweat, their blood and their tears I was able to witness some of my favorite artists, live, on the glorious sands of my home country! Share drinks with Immortal legends such as Scott Columbus and Ross The Boss! Share tears with Lee Payne and the Troy Brothers. Shake hands and humbly bow down to the majesty of Nepi Gianni and Mark “The Shark” Shelton. Sing along with Morby and Bert Kivits.
This year’s “Power Of The Night”, the 9th since 2006, we had an amazing line-up! Epic Metal Legends MANILLA ROAD, Polish invaders CRYSTAL VIPER, Greek Speed Forces SACRAL RAGE and STRIKELIGHT, along with an amazing billing of Cypriot Metalheads delivered us a Weekend not to be forgotten.
The festival grows bigger every year. You can see a metal revolution taking place on the island right now in the 2010s!! New blood on the ground, teenagers with shirts of Omen and Warlord, with denim vests with Jag Panzer and Cloven Hoof patches sewn on, singing and choiring “Lost In Necroooopolliiiiis”.
Upcoming Cypriot metal bands consisted of Hardraw, Solitary Sabred, Vomitile, Dragonbreath, Gypsy Fears, Ladderman take their fate in their hands! Self-made demo releases with hand-painted covers, turn to Top-Quality debut albums. The rehearsals from the “catacombs” underground, turn to open air festivals with worldwide recognition.
Do you remember Armageddon Rev 16:16? Yes the band who in 1990 wrote Raiders of Steel. Even they were on this year’s bill!!!
On the worldwide recognition: this year people from Argentina, Mexico and India (!!) came to Cyprus for the festival. There’s even a camping site which grows bigger year by year!
So, the next summer you want to have a hot summer holiday, with sunny ‘n’ sandy beaches combined with cold beers and pure metal, check out Cyprus and “Power of the Night Festival”
In conclusion I want to congratulate all the bands for their awesome performances.
I’ll include setlists and other info in the photo section on our facebook page so stay tuned!
And last but not least I want to personally thank (again) the guys who literally give their lives for this festival to happen!
Those guys are R.U.S.T and HARDRAW. But as you know 10 guys can’t run an entire festival! As Panayiotis said, there are some “anonymous heroes” who give their time, life, money and brains to make this possible!! These are Nikoletta, Panayiotis, Marianna, Katerina, Psilos, Efthimia, Famous, Efi, Petris, Vaggelis, Kallis, Neos, and, and, and….
Thank you, all of you!!
See you again next year!
If interested subscribe on our youtube channel to enjoy some videos that we’ll upload during the next days.
"UP THE HAMMERS & DOWN THE NAILS"
Michalis "Starchild" Benakis
July 2014
July 2014