HRH Road Trip Ibiza

Usually an eFestivals' reviewer's summer is spent in wellies, knee deep in mud, warm cider in hand, praying for the rain to stop & the sun to shine. So when the chance to go to the sunshine dance island that is Ibiza, to go to the Hard Rock Hell festival, the guarantee of sunshine became to difficult to resist.

The Hard Rock Hell brand has built itself a very loyal following in the UK, with heavy metal weekends usually spent at summer holiday camps beside a quaint UK holiday resort. So it is to the organizers credit & imagination to take the brand to Ibiza. There are various packages to suit all budgets, averaging around £180 for a week with accommodation. Flights through Ryanair to Ibiza for two people, with a suitcase, where just £190 from Birmingham. Upon landing at Ibiza airport it was obvious due to the number of Hard Rock Hell T Shirts being worn, who was going to the festival, the taxi fare to San Antonio was 30 euros so asking if anyone wanted to share a taxi we soon found a couple of likely taxi sharers to split the fare with. A bus ride was 2 euro but with no timetable available, was not really a readily available option.

We where allocated the Marco Polo hotel, which according to some holiday advice websites, sounded like pure hell & when upon arriving at reception we saw a number of people trying to check out after just one night, we really did fear the worst. Stories of broken beds & shared kitchens, in a self catering hotel, being the most regular complaint. However this is one of the budget hotels in San Antonio & as with most things in life you get what you paid for. Our room had two beds, unbroken thankfully, a balcony, a bathroom with quality fittings, a wardrobe, safe, desk, chair, air conditioning & a tv. All in all a typically Spanish hotel room. The hotel pool was very clean & there was no fee for the sun lounges. There was a bar which served coffee & tea along with pizzas, pastas & burgers.

As we arrived on the Tuesday there where no events for the day planned so we stayed by the pool, drinking & getting the tans topped. We ventured out for tea & realised the hotel was actually in the heart of San Antonio's club land mecca. Next door was Eden, next door to that Es Paradis & The Ibiza Rocks Bar also close by.

Wednesday we went to get our wristbands at the icebreaker party, which was at the V Bar in San Antonio's West End, this is where the organisers have clearly sewn up this market. Met by one of the festival organisers Fleur, you are given your wristbands, any questions you may have are clearly answered & everyone is very friendly. From the beginning you are given Fleur's email address to ask any questions you may have. If only all festival organisers where this approachable!! We had a few drinks & returned to the hotel where one of the bands due to perform are checking in. Yes your accommodation is used by the bands, along with the organisers, this helps create a unity amongst all attendees & gives a special vibe. Talking to other festival goers it becomes clear most attendees are regulars to the Hard Rock Hell brand & have treated this as their annual holiday.

Our first night's entertainment is at Hogans bar which is a rock venue again in the towns West End, surrounded by night clubs & various eateries it does seem out of place. On going inside the doorman asks us to close the inside door as there is a noise restriction on the venue, upon entering the noise truly is loud!!!!! Signs around the stage tell us Robert Plant sang on this stage in 1982 like some homage.

On stage Lethargy are playing their speedy guitar paced, loud screaming, hair shaking rock, with just a few fans in front of the stage & many more on the more cool balcony!! In the audience you can also spot the next band due on stage Pig Iron. Pig Iron clearly embrace the small venue & tell us "How fucked up this festival is having spent the last three days on the beach & now they have to work!!!" & work they do. With their very long haired guitarist playing the hell out of his seven string guitar, the lead singer playing a country & western harmonica between guitar solos makes for an interesting sound & they have clearly brought along their own audience too.

Attica Rage are a band I have been looking forward to this week & they did not disappoint, having also been booked to play an acoustic slot later in the week they decide to do a range of covers, opening with Queen cover they soon go through a repertoire of 70s & 80s rock including some AC DC, Black Sabbath, Whitesnake &finishing with a right heavy metal version of Billy Idol's Rebel Yell. A great start to the festival & still we have five more nights of music ahead!!!!

We spent the next day around the pool with our fellow festival goers, swimming, tanning, drinking & having a good old hit chat, returning to our rooms for a little snooze before the night time activities.

First venue tonight is Hogan's where we catch an enthusiastic & thoroughly entertaining Arthemis, who where loud & in your face. The lead singer getting the crowd to sing along & also doing the odd Megadeath cover on the way. We then had to move to the next venue Summum! This involved over 300 of the hardest heaviest metal fans you are ever likely to meet strolling through the narrow streets of San Antonio's West End. Where upon the way the usually annoying club reps who are so in your face, backed off, some with a genuine look of fear!!! But our ever family friendly lot made its way peacefully to the bus which took us to the sumptuous, gothic towered, cherub ceilinged, rocking cellar that is Summum. We where met by the Spanish Hells Angels, with so many motor cycles outside, the club resembled a scene out of Easy Rider. Some of the bikers decided to close off the street & burn their tyres performing donuts & numerous other stunts & generally make lots of noise.

In the club Pig Iron where finishing another of their many performances of the week, whilst the nights most eagerly awaited act Wolf finally stepped onto the stage. With their ferocious speed metal let loose the Summon crowd finally got to bang their heads. Next band Grand Magus where more gentler on the ear & after the awesome Wolf where a left a massive mountain to compete against & as most of the crowd had disappeared by now, we decided to do the same & get a taxi back to the hotel, a great night!!!!

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