"Built By Rock Fans For Rock Fans" - UK's High Voltage Festival Draws Ever Nearer!
Tuesday, 06 July 2010
Written by Jon Stickler
Move over hippies, you’ve had your Glastonbury flower power! Now its time for a real festival, a festival promising the absolute best in classic rock, prog rock and metal, all churned together to form the epic High Voltage Festival!
Set to hit London’s Victoria Park in just under three weeks High Voltage festival has been carefully constructed by a dedicated team who have been to every rock festival imaginable. “Custom built by rock fans for rock fans” they say, and its exactly that which makes High Voltage what it is.
Bringing together all different sides of the rock audience, the two-day festival takes place over the weekend of July 24th-25th at London’s peaceful - not for much longer - Victoria Park. Three unique stages, the Main Stage, Prog Stage and Metal Stage will provide the setting for some of the best classic, prog and metal bands around, all raring to shake London to the core.
Topping the bill this year are two outstanding headline acts. Legendary ZZ Top celebrate their 40th year as rock’s ultimate facial-hair heroes on Saturday night and closing the festival on Sunday will be the epic Emerson Lake and Palmer.
ZZ Top, known across the planet for their Texan boogie blues-rock, will be marking their appearance at this year's High Voltage as their first UK festival headline show in 25 years. I think that’s a sure guarantee we can all expect something special from the trio who have sold over 40 million albums worldwide.
Emerson Lake and Palmer are also sure to play a stunning show, selling over 30 million albums to date, the trio reunite especially for the festival to play what is said to be their only show of 2010 and quite possibly their last performance ever.
The support cast for the festival is also something very special with a variety of great rock, prog and metal acts muscling in on the weekend action. The main stage will see hugely popular, multi-million selling band Foreigner, led by Brit guitarist Mick Jones, play a special set which is sure to feature classics such as “Cold As Ice”, “Double Vision”, “Hot Blooded” and of course worldwide hit “I Want To Know What Love Is”.
Meanwhile, headlining Saturday night’s Prog Stage, legendary supergroup Asia will be performing their eponymous self-titled debut offering in its entirety at High Voltage. It will be the first time ever the album, which has gone on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide, has been performed in its entirety in the UK.
Another big name hitting this year’s festival will be legendary guitarist Zakk Wylde’s band Black Label Society. Headlining the Metal Stage on Saturday night, Wylde’s band are reknown for their explosive live shows giving audiences a full-on assault of hard-rock, the way its meant to be.
High Voltage has a whole host of top acts – we’ve listed them all below - ready to thunder through some truly mind-blowing sets. However none are expected to receive such a cheer as this next band will. Heaven & Hell were set to hit the road in Europe this summer when the sad news came through that, despite the amazing fight he had put up, Ronnie Dio sadly passed away losing his battle with cancer.
But now, remaining members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice will be playing a special one off show on Saturday evening’s Main Stage to celebrate Ronnie’s life and work. The band will be joined by Glenn Hughes and Jorn Lande who will both contribute vocals and with the former Deep Purple and Black Sabbath star Glenn Hughes being a close friend of Ronnie’s for many years, the special High Voltage tribute show promises to be a spectacular celebration to a man that the metal world owes so much.
Well that’s just some of the music we’ve got to look forward to at High Voltage. Here’s what Classic Rock Editor-in-Chief Scott Rowley had to say about the forthcoming party.
“High Voltage is the festival all true rock fans have been waiting for – custom built by rock fans. The High Voltage team has been to every rock festival imaginable – we’re taking what we’ve learnt to build a festival unlike any other.
“The facilities will be second to none: great food, proper beer, clean toilets, deluxe hospitality packages, designated hotels, free shuttle transport. This is somewhere you take the whole family.”
Tickets for High Voltage Festival are priced at £75.00 for a Day Ticket, £135.00 for a Weekend Ticket and - this is brilliant - theres NO booking fee! TWhat are you waiting for?? The festival takes place over the weekend of July 24th-25th in London’s Victoria Park.
High Voltage Festival full line-up:
SATURDAY:
CLASSIC ROCK STAGE:
ZZ Top
Heaven & Hell - A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio
Foreigner
Gary Moore
The Answer
The Union
Classic Rock presents PROG STAGE:
Transatlantic
Asia
Dweezil Zappa plays Frank Zappa
Bigelf
Focus
Pendragon
Touchstone
METAL HAMMER STAGE:
Black Label Society
Saxon
Cathedral
Hammerfall
Orange Goblin
Black Spiders
New Device
SUNDAY:
CLASSIC ROCK STAGE:
Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Joe Elliott & very special guest Ian Hunter
Down 'N Outz
Joe Bonamassa
Bachman & Turner
UFO
The Quireboys
Classic Rock presents PROG STAGE:
Marillion
Argent
Uriah Heep
Magnum
Steve Hackett
Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash
The Reasoning
METAL HAMMER STAGE:
Down
Opeth
Clutch
High On Fire
Audrey Horne
Lethargy
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