Rich from Glasgow

An unfortunate aspect of every festival is the possibility of bands pulling out or having problems reaching the event, and Sonisphere was no different. The festival had proven rather unlucky over the past few months, with various bands cancelling for a number of reasons (even including the dreaded 'suspected swine... [more]

Event Date: August 1, 2009
Event Venue: Sonisphere, Knebworth UK

An unfortunate aspect of every festival is the possibility of bands pulling out or having problems reaching the event, and Sonisphere was no different. The festival had proven rather unlucky over the past few months, with various bands cancelling for a number of reasons (even including the dreaded 'suspected swine flu'!), and many Coheed fans' hearts were firmly in mouths when the main stage compere announced that there was a line-up change just as the band were scheduled to perform.

Luckily, however, Coheed and Cambria were not forced to pull out of the festival; there was a problem with the ferry they were travelling on, and as a result Sonisphere had brought FACT up to the main stage, giving Coheed the Japanese rockers' slot in the Bohemia tent later that evening.

Although a set in the tent made for an amazing atmosphere and a better sound than the main stage would have offered, it also unfortunately meant that many Coheed fans were left out in the rain as the tent had reached capacity. And, despite the fact that many casual spectators left the tent once the weather had calmed down, the security team refused to let anyone else inside the tent, despite the increase in space available. For those lucky enough to be rammed inside the tent, however, Coheed's set was a sure-fire highlight of the inaugural Sonisphere festival.

Opening with a blistering rendition of crowd favourite Welcome Home, the New York four-piece rattled through an impressive set which included barnstorming  renditions of No World For Tomorrow and Gravemakers & Gunslingers. The band surprised many in the crowd with The End Complete III: The End Complete, a near-8 minute epic which was lengthened further with a cover of Iron Maiden's The Trooper in the middle of the track. Between songs, humble frontman Claudio Sanchez took a quick break from whipping the crowd into a frenzy by apologising for the band being late, and thanking everyone for checking the band out.  

This all reached to an epic climax as the band finished their set with In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3 - a song which is, in many fans' minds, Coheed's signature track. Being part of the audience when this song is performed is always a pleasure, and Sonisphere was no different. The heat inside the tent was sweltering as fans belted out every lyrics and pumped their fists in unison; a dizzying display of euphoria and community falling over the sweat-soaked devotees.

At festivals, Coheed and Cambria always manage to pull off an impressive mix of accessible hits for casual fans or newcomers to the band, while throwing in enough favourites to satisfy the hardcore of their fanbase. This was accomplished with ease at Sonisphere, and the atmosphere of the Bohemia tent purely added to the experience. The entire crowd left buzzing, knowing that they had witnessed one of the most cerebral and ambitious bands in rock music today. [less]