Before flying to Sweden for the very first time to experience a festival abroad I was already prepared to write a huge account of the band's performances in every little detail, as that what I am used to doing for live shows. This is the first festival I have covered that has lasted more than a day, when I experienced it I realised there was so much more than the sweet music that people had come to witness and listen to.

For a while, music on the heavier end of the spectrum has been an outlet for my anxiety so I was more than excited to be covering a festival in a country that has a sterling reputation for it.

Throughout the weekend both the Väsby Rock Stage and the Zamora Stage thrived with some of the greatest Hard Rock and Melodic Metal across Europe and from a few corners of the USA. Upon arriving you can already feel togetherness and a sense of belonging, this is what the Hard Rock and Metal community brings. Whether you are in a band, a loyal spectator or a journalist like me there are no walls or barriers between these deep natural friendships that form at these immense proceedings.

The first thing to capture my attention was the layout of the festival; it was fantastic that you could see where everything was without have to consult the map. The market stalls in one corner, the stages in one place and the VIP area at the back of the venue made up the simple arrangement for navigating around simply and easy. In other words this was the perfect festival outline.

This also provided the perfect opportunity to see how the festival run the band's schedule; particularly where it appeared that the moment one band finished another began. In the UK there is a little time between the stages allowing enough space to walk to the other stages. It was a little different in Sweden; the stages where opposite each other and the moment one band finished another started, luckily you didn't have to walk far.

Swedish Hard Rock outfit KARDINAL SIN were just about to start as I first stepped onto the site. Their grand melodies, outstanding stage teamwork and talented musicianship won their crowds over from the word go; despite the fact it was first thing in the morning for most of the goers and little alcohol had been consumed. Their cover of "The Bells Of Notre Dame" won me over instantly and it was one of many reasons they were one of my highlights of the weekend overall.
 

Speaking of highlights this festival contained many; as the afternoon progressed so did the line up and the colourful music they provided. The bands that highlighted my Friday were 220 VOLT, EDEN'S CURSE, VÄSBY ROCK ALLSTARS and H.E.A.T; I shall explain why this was the case.

I hadn't heard of 220 VOLT until this year but watching their set gave that energy boost a lot of us need first thing or mid afternoon as many glugged down the booze to keep them refreshed. Their hard hitting melodies containing energetic beats, dominating riffs and strong vocals were the elements that won over Väsby. These components were so powerful that even if you were sitting in the glazing sun it had you dancing in your seat.
 

EDEN'S CURSE performed a powerful set in London over a year ago and they have been on my radar ever since. They are the band that literally attract fans from far and wide; this was their first time on Swedish soil as a band so this was quite a special occasion for them and the Cursed Army of their loyal fanbase. They provided a prevailing performance of their eclectic selection of material from across their discography; from the empowering latest single "Unbreakable" to classic sing-along "No Holy Man" EDEN'S CURSE know all too well how to deliver a top class show. The difference between seeing them then and my first time over a year ago was being able to sing along to their material that gave me a huge sense of happiness.
 

VÄSBY ROCK ALLSTARS were a heavily anticipated act for the festival; with a flawless line-up of legendary, talented musicians it's no wonder there were high expectations. I think they exceeded those expectations with legendary covers such as "Cherry Bomb" with Cherie Curie herself on vocals, Johnny Lima singing "It's My Life" and "Call Of The Wind" with Tony Martin providing those key vocal chords. This super group also contained some of Sweden's current talent in the music industry such as CRASHDÏET's Martin Sweet and Ludvig Turner, one of the most promising Rock icons, who's currently in bands ADRENALINE RUSH and REACH. Their performance was beyond magical and something we won't be forgetting any time soon.
 

Upplands Väsby is home for new legends H.E.A.T; their powerful anthems and strong live shows make H.E.A.T ideal candidates for the next big thing to storm the nation. They opened grandly with "Point Of No Return" and "A Shot At Redemption" with such passion received a huge welcoming reception. They kept up their sterling reputation for their strong live shows with clear, crisp performances of an excellent selection of material from the empowering ballad "Tearing Down The Walls" to the fist pumping "Enemy In Me". Like I had expected, H.E.A.T had Väsby eating out of their hands.

These highlights alongside some more than stunning performances from REBEL ROAD whose hard hitting music was literally like a punch in the face, I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. I also enjoyed charismatic performances from M.O.B, ASTRAL DOORS and of course DANGER DANGER.

DANGER DANGER were the ideal headliners for the Friday; their performance consisted of belting tunes such as "Under The Gun", "Bang Bang" and "Feels Like Love" where front man Ted Poley got a tattoo done as he was performing in a true Rock fashion. Speaking of Rock fashion they also know how to bring a party atmosphere; this was demonstrated by bringing the VÄSBY ROCK ALLSTARS on stage during their party anthem "Naughty Naughty". This is a huge demonstration of the togetherness the Rock and Metal community brings. It's a community where nationality, sexuality, race, gender or beliefs don't have a say; it's the common interest and passion for something that brings us all together for one big happy reunion. That's the main attracting factor for any fan of this genre.

Saturday

With Friday night's proceeding still giving me a buzz and a high I was more than ready to experience. The morning started of wet and miserable but this didn't stop festival goers from catching up-coming act ADRENALINE RUSH who are making a huge impact on their local scene and worldwide. It seems that Tåve Wanning's unique vocal technique, huge guitar riffs and excellent stage dynamics were the key ingredients to entice festival goers out of their beds. With astonishing performances of their own material such as "Change", "Generation Left Behind" and "Black 'N Blue", alongside some brilliant covers of "Long Live Rock N Roll" and "Immigrant Song" it's clear to see why ADRENALINE RUSH are a growing force from Sweden. They provided a highlight for the Saturday.
 

Speaking of emphases from Saturday the bands in question for me were DALTON, JADED HEART, NUBIAN ROSE, WORK OF ART, TYGERS OF PAN TANG, ECLIPSE, MAGNUM and MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK.

DALTON's happy go lucky sound may had even bought the sunshine out, which possibly set up the tone for the rest of the afternoon where the music became a lot more vibrant and colourful. Their music is suitable for a free spirit's soundtrack as I did find myself dancing to until my heart's content. Their music contained big riffs and united front.
 

Speaking to peers JADED HEART were an anticipated performance and after watching their set that Saturday it was easy to see why. Going back through some live footage I got of JADED HEART I remember that their energy fueled melodies were incredibly infectious; their sound was strong and bold which consisted of dominating vocals, huge melodic riffs and thunderous beats.
 

Dynamic force NUBIAN ROSE were a mighty assemblage not to be messed with; the first thing that catches the eye is the bold band logo and their vibrant presence.  The following effects that blow the audience out of the water were their big melodies consisting of Sofia Lilja Åkerlund's powerfully, unique voice, huge guitar riffs and costume changes. These give us the contents of the perfect live show and pull a crowd of eager attendees.
 

Hailing from my home soil, hard hitting Heavy Metal outfit TYGERS OF PAN TANG provided fist pumping energy before they made the stage. Loyal fans secured their place at the front to ensure they didn't miss their idols. Watching their set it is easy to see why that is; their performance consisting of commanding old school riffs, dominating vocals and flawless teamwork made their show a grand one for Väsby.
 

Swedish born ECLIPSE are another recent addition to my favourite bands list ever since listening to their latest album "Armagedonize" and witnessing their mesmerising live show on my home soil. Their loud opening of "I Don't Wanna Say I'm Sorry" was welcomed with open arms; their high energy filled performance crammed with colossal stadium like melodies such as "The Storm", "Breakdown" and "Wide Open" ECLIPSE were on fire throughout the entirety of their set on home soil.
 

MAGNUM are a force that show us you are never too old to rock and show us a great time. Bob Catley's dominating vocals are the first thing to hit you alongside the vast melodies on the synthesisers and guitars. MAGNUM walked away with a new fan within me; if they can deliver a vibe to excite a whole festival imagine what they could do in all venues. I can imagine the atmosphere to full of liveliness and wonder. Another band from my homeland to represent us with high flying colours.

MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK is another unblemished line up of musicians that were highly anticipated by festival goers that very day. This particular band featured legendary vocalist Doogie White and of course the man himself Michael Schenker on lead and rhythm guitars. To say their set was welcomed with open arms would be a huge understatement; after watching their set consisting of colossal melodies and Doogie White's faultless vocal technique working together to create out of these world melodies, it was easy to see why they were one of the most anticipated acts to see.

Other acts that provided notable performances were WORK OF ART and DAYS OF JUPITER who managed to provide Väsby with clear Rock melodies with dominating vocals, fantastic riffs and thunderous beats. WORK OF ART provided us with similar sounds of TOTO and JOURNEY which sat very well with yours truly whereas DAYS OF JUPITER provided me with sounds of my teenage years where I was discovering the heavier spectrum of music.

Headliners W.A.S.P were a little disappointing for me and didn't seem quite on top of their game. My peers who had seen W.A.S.P previously told me that they had enjoyed their set at past concerts so didn't quite understand what was happening. So for those who hadn't seen them before like me it was a disappointing set of padded out material where the band seemingly stared at the crowd between songs.

I think it is incredibly safe to say that I highly enjoyed Väsby Rock Festival and hope to be back next year. From the moment I applied for press access for this newish Rock festival I was highly impressed with the efficiency and organisation of the festival management; particularly on how they were always available to answer any questions you had and bending over backwards to ensure your festival experience was a pleasurable one. So I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of Väsby Rock Festival's management team for doing such a great job, particularly Sebastian who did a particularly grand job taking care of the press.