We survived Nova Rock!
Welcome back for the last day at Nova Rock! On Sunday the 14th, only two stages were still active: the main Blue Stage and the RedBull Stage. The festival ended with Bring Me The Horizon, one of the first bands announced during last year’s edition and a past headliner at Nova Rock in 2024. Before that we saw Three Days Grace, Architects and Papa Roach, all on the Blue Stage.
I knew only a few songs from the Canadian alternative metal band Three Days Grace (1997) so I didn’t have much expectations for their show, but they totally nailed it. They played some of their classics such as “I Hate Everything About You” but also more recent songs such as “I am Machine” or “Painkiller”. Their energy and their stage presence were great, especially with two singers. The crowd moved a lot and finishing with the song “Riot” was definitely a good way to keep everyone active!
Everyone was warm and ready to continue when the British metalcore band Architects (2004) started. And they started strong! During “Whiplash”, Sam Carter put the crowd on their knees and made everyone jump as high as possible. I was a bit surprised that they decided to put some of their saddest songs like “Doomsday” at the beginning, something they didn’t do during their show in Prague in January, but their intention became quickly clear: keep the public at one hundred percent. Circle pits, mosh pits, crowdsurfing… Architects know how to make people move. During “Black Mirror”, Sam even asked everyone to climb on the shoulders of someone. The singer kept interacting with the crowd until the very end. For me, Architects' shows are in my top of the best shows to experience close to the stage. I don’t know how it looks from afar, but it is definitely a great experience to be in the middle of the pit.
Next was the American alternative metal band Papa Roach (1993). I had to take a break from the pit to rest after the two previous bands, but it was still a nice experience. Some of the memorable moments were when Jacoby Shaddix’s son came on stage to sing with his father, showing that the future is assured! They also played some of their most popular songs such as “See U in Hell”, “Scars”, “Getting Away With Murder” and of course “Last Resort”. They also played covers in a little medley: “Blind” from Korn, “My Own Summer” from Deftones, “Break Stuff” from Limp Bizkit and “Chop Suey” from System of a Down. That was something I wouldn’t have expected but it was a nice surprise. I guess it would also be a better experience to see Papa Roach from close, but I still enjoyed their performance.
The British metal band Bring Me The Horizon (2004) weren’t new to Nova Rock but they still brought a huge crowd to the festival for its last day. It was so huge that the organisation decided to control the access to the first zone, the closest one to the stage. The access was strictly forbidden during the show and the closest I could get was the second zone. It was probably for the best, because BMTH used the screens a lot for their show and created quite impressive cgi backgrounds. Being far from the stage allowed me to have a more global picture and to see everything on the screens. It was obvious that BMTH was used to huge venues and festivals. Pyrotechnical effects, lights, smoke, 3D characters, videogames inspired aestetic… The band told a real story from the beginning to the end with the character of Eve talking to the crowd about an experiment. Still, people close to the stage had other advantages: the possibility of being chosen to sing with Oliver Sykes! The singer also went to sing next to the first row and allowed many people to touch him. It showed that BMTH tried to make everyone feel included in their performance. I admit I am still a bit less sensitive to those huge concerts with a lot of effects and screen uses than to more direct experience such as Sabaton the day before. Still I can’t deny it was impressive and I had a very good time! The end of the show was marked by the diffusion of “Dehumanized” teaser, a single that was released on the 25th of June, and the last screen where it was written: “I survived BMTH - Thanks for playing”.
I survived Nova Rock and I truly recommend this festival. The only downside: it is at the same time as Rock For People… So, what will you choose next year?
Photos and report by Céline Fetel