Photo Credit: Maryleen Guevara
We arrive with only minutes to spare just in time to catch Against The Current opening the Utopia stage. Lead by the lovely and charismatic Chrissy Costanza, they treat those lucky enough to get in early, to forty-five minutes of pop-rock bangers. Against The Current have reached new levels recently due to their collaborations with the online multiplayer game League of Legends and their soundtrack song Legends Never Die is the highlight of the set. Elsewhere, a cover of No Doubt’s classic Just A Girl gives the older audience something familiar to sing along. 8/10
Up next on the Utopia stage is Californian ska punk heroes The Interrupters. The Interrupters have been supporting Green Day in stadiums across the world and it shows. They feel at home on these huge stages. The band is a wave of pure joy, with front-woman Aimee Interrupter’s infectious smile winning over even the most hardcore of punk fans. They even manage to turn a Billie Eilish cover into a punk banger. The Interrupters are an early highlight of the day and get the crowd ready for another long day in the baking sun. 8/10
Just before five we shot down to second stage to check out American alt-rock band Dogstar. A large crowd of curious spectators have gathered due, in no small part, to the fact that the band’s bassist is Hollywood icon Keanu Reeves. The crowd may not know many of the songs but they are quickly won over by Dogstar’s alt-rock ballads. 7/10
It’s a dramatic change of vibe an hour later when Royal Republic take to the same stage. Royal Republic are festival favourites through Europe and they are always certain to put on a fun and captivating show. Cut from the same cloth as their fellow Swedes The Hives; Royal Republic offer big riffs, huge choruses and the coolest outfits of the day. 8/10
The party vibes keep going back at main stage for Electric Callboy! The band’s popularity has skyrocketed in the past two years and their set feels like a celebration of everything they have achieved. The German band is received like heroes by the home country fans. The crowd looks like they’re losing its mind from beginning to end. It’s actually slightly scary to witness from the front. The audience is treated to the biggest production of the day – confetti, pyro, big heavy tunes and a huge amount of fun. 8/10
Looks like we’re back on our little marathon today as well as yesterday! We’re now walking at the speed of light to catch L.S. Dunes. Always make sure to catch this band at festivals as it’s always a great time to see how Anthony Green, the bands frontman, connects with the crowd. And we weren’t disappointed! Their set was one of my highlights of the day. The band looked happy and grateful to be there. They made the most of the modest but faithful crowd there, like only the best performers do. This is a power band of excellent musicians coming from bigger projects, but their love for this current project is very obvious and heart-warming. When Anthony Green jumps down into the crowd and started moshing with fans it’s a real delight to watch. 9/10
It’s time to go back to main stage. Our personal headliners of the night are playing – Billy Talent. We try not to be overcome by emotions and focus on taking our shots but the setlist is incredibly tight – it’s impossible to not sing along, to not bang your head. This band has been going for over twenty years now and they have such an incredible collection of bangers that makes you wonder why they’re not asked to headline more often. The crowd is singing every word of every song. It’s so loud. The sun is setting and we’re all singing Red Flag. An incredible moment. An incredible set by A-listers of rock. 10/10
Up next on the Mandora stage are the iconic BABYMETAL. A BABYMETAL live show is a completely unique experience and is something that every rock fans needs to see at least once. Between the dance routines, costumes and pyros it’s an overwhelming show to witness but being right up front it’s the power of the band that hits the hardest. A huge crowd have gathered to watch this set and when Electric Callboy join BABYMETAL on stage to perform their collaboration RATATATA it’s one of the moments of the whole weekend. 8/10
The day concluded with Green Day playing to the biggest crowd you can imagine – undoubtedly the festival’s biggest set of the weekend.
Check out our review of day one at Rock Am Ring HERE.
Written By: Maryleen Guevara
