Now get ready for a sum up of the most beautiful ten minutes of the Copenhell festival 2014:

The first five of those minutes being when an audience in a state of euphoria took over a certain singer’s job during an ageing protest song entitled ”We’re Not Gonna Take It”.

The other five minutes when said euphoria was added an element of disbelief, as the band’s first encore turned out to be no less than Motörhead’s homage to everything – as in EVERYTHING – great about rock and roll: ”Born To Raise Hell”.

I guess most of us did not see that one coming but the old boys in Twisted Sister hit the venue and tore the elements of Copenhell apart. Just to glue them back together in what counts as one the greatest fucking yahoos to love, togetherness, life and – well yeah – the power of rock and roll it’s been my privilege of being part of.

Passion, attitude and intent
Never mind that you can clearly detect that Twisted Sister don’t play that many shows these days and that guitarist Eddie Ojeda in particular certainly doesn’t waste his precious down time on practicing his instrumental skills.

Never mind all that because Twisted Sister brought the passion, they came with the attitude and mostly they came with an intention to deliver THE party that easily drowned out any musical shortcomings.

Twisted Sister got a hero’s welcome Thursday evening to an extent that even singer Dee Snider for a while was almost lost for words (as lost for words a motormouth New Yorker will ever be anyway). The words “what the hell is happening here?” were as readable in his facial expression as clearly as had they been painted on the band’s backdrop.

Having said that Snider and company delivered the finest rock’n’roll ass kicking anyone could wish for. Beginning with “Stay  Hungry” via  ”The Kids Are Back”, ”You Can’t Stop Rock’n’Roll”, ”The Price”, ”Shoot ’em Down”, ”The Fire Still Burns” and ”I Believe In Rock’n’Roll” to the battle cry of the evening  ”I Wanna Rock”!

With this every misanthropic moaning metal purist’s complaints about party rock having no place at Copenhell have to stop! For good!

Damn, what a party Twisted Sister! Now don’t leave it another 28 bloody years before you return!

Roll of honour
Finally a roll of honourfor some of the other highlights of  Copenhell 2014:

In just half an hour Danish quartet Mercenary once again proved themselves a melodic power metal band of the finest order Thursday. Look out for lead guitarist Martin Buus – one of the finest doing the rounds these days.

In the intelligent extreme metal corner both Polish masters Behemoth and Watain from Sweden underlined the fact that death/ black metal actually with both melodic traits and rock and roll swing are actually possible. The two bands are brilliant at exactly that even if Behemoth suffered sound wise due to a semi hurricane sweeping across the festival grounds during their set.

Finally: Given the chance lend an ear to Tryptikon – former Celtic Frost leader Thomas Fisher’s heavier than thou new band. Let’s have them back soon!

Thank you Copenhell 2014. It was a pleasure and now the last words courtesy of Dee Snider and Twisted Sister:

"Every day, I lose control/ every day, I rock and roll/ every day, It's gonna help see me through/ I believe in rock'n'roll ..."

Amen.