Day 7: Rock and Soup

Day 7: Rock and Soup

Well after six days of partying hard today was a rest day, spent most of the time catching up with the zd’s I have missed over the last week. The only problem was that the hotel kept waking me up to ask when they could clean my room! I headed down to the site and watched the sun set on the way. Arrived mid buffet but missed out on the sushi again – note to self – come a bit earlier tomorrow.  As there were 4 bands on the main stage, the event started earlier and the Scottish rock band Gun launched the proceedings.  Providing a stadium rock sound they warmed the festival up well. The group have been touring with The Cult on this part of their European Tour and were polished and entertaining. I watched from a distance eating soup in the VIP area – yes soup – it was quite bizarre experience and definitely not very rock and roll! The set finished with three crowd pleasing numbers including “Steel your fire”, their version of Cameo’s “Word Up” and “Shame on you”.

After this I went in a successful search of concert swag – please see separate blog on this issue  – and got back in time to see The Cult start on the main stage. I have never been a Cult fan, however their version of pseudo goth rock was interesting. The trip hazard on the stage hit again, upsetting the classic ´raise the microphone stand above your head´ move. As the lead singer stepped back he tripped and had to drop the stand! Amusing but he didn’t end up falling over though! The only song I recognized was “She Sells Sanctuary” with it jangling melody got the crowd going. One question – how rock and roll is it to use a tambourine all the way through your set?

 

The stage crew were really on form tonight with the changeovers happening quick and fast, and before we knew it Garbage hit the stage. Awesome set, with Shirley Manson on top form. Classic Garbage all the way! The new “Automatic System Habit” was followed by “Shut your mouth” and “I think I’m Paranoid”, which got the crowd rocking and singing along. The melodic  “Queer” and the enigmatic “Stupid Girl” followed, backed up with a series of their newer music.

Shirley got really annoyed with the crowd when she saw someone throwing things, ending in a foul mouthed rant that promised if she, or security, caught anyone throwing things they would be “f***** up big time by security and removed! She made it clear she was serious and no one should mess with her, was “having “women´s issues” and could “eat meat”!  Real Scottish fighting talk!  This was a bit bizarre to say the least! During the set there were two short impromptu acapella versions of songs requested from the crowd which were good and the set finished with the crowd pleasing “Only happy when it rains” which fortunately it didn´t. Garbage lived up to their reputation, brilliant music and always likely to shock!

The Kaiser Chiefs then rocked the festival with their version of indie rock. A few manic warm up tunes started the set followed by “Every day I love you less and less” and “I predict a riot” began a sing along by the crowd for the rest of the concert. New songs were interspersed with old classics like “Ruby” which was amazing. Ricky Wilson was full of energy and hyperactive, at one stage climbing the structure at the side of the stage, and towards the end of the set, leaving the stage and singing from the top of the 30 foot bank at the back of the venue, blagging a beer on the way! The set finished with Ricky declaring “We are Kaiser Chiefs (not for the first time that evening), and we are Portuguese!” and then singing a “Oh my God”. A big band, brilliantly entertaining a big crowd on a big stage. Some of their new stuff is really good – time to check it out I think.

Best Song: A tie between “Ruby”, “I predict a Riot” and ”Stupid Girl”

Biggest Gripe: I can´t say the hats this time as I won one and was wearing it all night! Missed the sushi buffet again and got annoyed at the endless queus in the main park. It is so nice to have a place of sanctuary to go to. There was also some really dodgy history lessons from The Cult about Porto being a centre where people went out to colonise the new world and “kill lots of indians” and from Garbage about how Porto looks like San Francisco and Goa because of the Portuguese influence and colonies. These were really patronising!

Most amusing moment: Watching Shelley Manson sing whilst striding round and round in large circles on the stage.