Copenhell 2024, Day 1 (June 19) Review

Words and Pictures: Adrian Hextall / MindHex Media

Now in its 14^th year and 10 years since it moved into the big leagues, expanding from a 2-day festival to a 3-day feature that would include major headliners such as Iron Maiden, Copenhell, 4-days of metal at its finest since 2019 is once again over for another year.

Packed to the brim with top tier talent from multiple genres, the festival in Refshaleøen offers something a little different from the likes of Graspop, Download, Hellfest and other A-grade events on the summer circuit. Copenhell likes to trade on the ‘hell’ element of it’s name and we get a setting and artwork to match everywhere. Whether it’s plague doctors, abandoned graveyards, mysterious creatures lurking in the woods of Gehenna, witches surrounding a boiling cauldron, it’s fair to say the presentation to the assembled masses is like nothing of this realm. Steeped in fantasy, even hosting its own Copenhell Con where talks on all things from Middle Earth, Winterfell, Hyrule and even some things in relation to a galaxy far, far away are covered, Copenhell attracts a colourful palette of fans who are there to soak up a four-day visual extravaganza.

Wednesday June 19

Running Wednesday to Saturday, freeing up that all important ‘get me home I’m broken’ Sunday, the festival kicked off in style for us with the growling death metal of Jungle Rot. An impressive start from the US crew who got the grove going comfortably on the woodland Gehenna stage. They were followed by thrash \ speed merchants, Excel. Originally called Chaotic Noise, quite why they re-branded after the most common spreadsheet platform in the world is a mystery to me but hey, you can’t say you’ve never heard of them.

If there’s one thing that Copenhell does ‘excel’ at (see what I did there for continuity – no? I’ll get my coat then) it’s to ensure that the main stage pack a punch from early in the day. One does not have to wait for the lights to go down, although being in Denmark, that doesn’t really happen until the headliners are on anyway, so the point is moot, but Copenhell puts the big hitters on stage from the off and early on Day 1, Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, performing his solo material took to the main stage at 4:00pm. Now, if ever someone looked happy to be there it was Corey. The man who, behind the mask, performs some of the most aggressive of tunes that rile up the masses, had a grin a mile wide for the majority of his set. Who knows, perhaps the masks in Slipknot are necessary because Corey just enjoys what he’s doing too much, and the grin would diminish the experience somewhat. His set though went down a storm with the now familiar dust bowl in front of the Helviti stage churning up beautifully on a mild but dry day.

I’d heard good things about Empire State Bastard. The band had been recommended as ‘must-see’ by several friends so with an open mind, a willing heart and a fully charged camera, the Hades stage played host to what can only be described as a punk fuelled, bat-shit-crazy set of noise and chaos. I couldn’t pigeon hole the band into a genre if I wanted to as I genuinely don’t know what I heard on that Wednesday afternoon. I came away bruised, aurally assaulted and more than a little traumatised. I sense that was the band’s intent when they had come on stage an hour earlier.

Offering as much energy as a newly commissioned nuclear power-plant, Palaye Royale, a band I’ve loved for some time but had never seen live, offered up as much of a ‘show’ as ESB but without the nosebleeds that accompanied the former outfit. As a frontman, Remington Leith (what a name!) knows just how to work a crowd. Admitting that the band, founded in Las Vegas and playing music ‘not quite as metal as Copenhell expects’, were perhaps a blip in the agenda for the day, did nothing to deter the people at the Pandaemonium stage who lapped up every minute if their tight set.

Palaye Royale – Pandaemonium Stage

Dripping in coolness, tight musicianship and a frontman who got a wall of death to close behind him as he ran across the floor in front of the stage, Palaye Royale are one of those live acts that you fall in love with from the first moment you watch them perform. A phenomenal performance.

Staying on the west coast of the United States, punk’s elder statesmen, The Offspring came on to the main stage as Palaye Royale closed their set and (perhaps intentionally) gave us an idea of what an ideal bill could look like for future tours. Palaye opening, The Offspring headlining… a tour made in (Copen)hell !

The Offspring, playing Copenhell for the very first time in its 14 year history are celebrating their 40^th anniversary in 2024. Looking at their back catalogue, I have followed this band for 35 of those years and now feel very old because it has to be said front man Dexter Holland looks and sounds amazing. And then there was the set list. Check this out because for a fan like me, this wins the day hands down. Come Out and Play, All I Want, Want You Bad, Staring at the Sun, Hit That, Million Miles Away, Bad Habit, Gotta Get Away, Why Don’t You Get a Job?, (Can’t Get My) Head Around You, Pretty Fly (for a White Guy), The Kids Aren’t Alright and an encore of You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid and Self Esteem. Scattered in there as well, a couple of covers with Edvard Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King and The Ramones, Blitzkrieg Bop and the new single Make It All Right. The sun had come out, the kids were indeed alright, and this was, along with Palaye Royale a guaranteed highlight of the weekend and we were still on Day 1.

The Offspring – Helviti Stage

Bruce Dickinson brought his ‘Mandrake Project’ to Copenhell, and it was definitely refreshing to hear the Iron Maiden front man play his solo material live once more. It’s been too many years since Bruce toured solo and with tracks like ‘Darkside Of Aquarius’ (even if he did get the lyrics wrong), and ‘Chemical Wedding’ playing alongside the new material, we need these shows to happen more often.

With Bruce acting as the main support to Wednesday’s main artist, Average.. sorry Avenged Sevenfold, had a lot to live up to. Having seen them only once before supporting Iron Maiden at Twickenham Stadium, the band lacked something, energy, stage presence, memorable tunes… take your pick, they should have blown the place away but sadly the only thing on fire was the burning house on the video screen behind them.

It fell then to Wednesday’s true headliners, who thanked Avenged Sevenfold for opening for them, Steel Panther. Often slated by those who think the Americans are a one trick pussy.. sorry.. pony, Steel Panther know how to put on a SHOW. Coming onstage at around 11pm, the night had turned to darkness, the Hades stage was lit to perfection and Michael Starr and Co. gave us an hour of fret shredding rock and roll and more than a handful of dick jokes for good measure. A little fire and flame finished off the night for those who wanted something something with a little more bite as Black Metal outfit 1349 played Pandaemonium.

Steel Panther opened with ‘Eyes Of A Panther’ one of the less risqué songs from their back catalogue and proof positive that, should they wish to, they could release an innuendo free album and it would still wail.

Beautifully choreographed stage moves, more laughs than a night at the Comedy Store and sing along anthems a plenty, Steel Panther won the night with ease, with The Offspring and Palaye Royale taking the matinee awards.