DIAMOND’S DOZEN – Diamond Dave chooses his 12 favourite performances from HELLFEST June 2025

Hellfest….I mean what can I say? It really is such a special event which I have been lucky enough to attend each year since my first trip back in 2013. Held each year in the beautiful town of Clisson, about half an hour train ride from Nantes.  Hellfest has become one of the highpoints in the European Festival calendar selling out with ease, even before a band has been announced. I think one of the things that has been a secret to the festival’s success has to be the diversity of the lineups the Hellfest organisers come up with each year. They cater for all tastes (for a rock music fan’s palate) from the nu metal riffage of Korn, the twisted pop rock of Electric Callboy, the Stoner rock groove of Orange Goblin to the doominess of Whitechapel…..it’s all at Hellfest. In fact and all of these bands mentioned all played on the first day!

The Hellfest site itself is also it’s crowning glory with the site littered with statues, pictures, fountains and all brands of beautiful things for a rock fan to feast his eyes upon. But it is when the sun sets that Hellfest truly comes alive as the whole site is transformed into some sort of mix between the set of Mad Max and a Rammstein concert. Flames reach the sky all throughout the site which has 6 different stages including two main stages that stand next to each other, the Warzone and The Valley (two further outside stages ) and two massive tents (The Temple and Altar stages).

Hellfest is not for the faint hearted with music often starting at 11am and going on until 2am the following morning. Of course the weather is normally being very pleasant, the punters are usually more concerned with finding some shade from the 35 C temperatures than worrying their tent might be reminiscent of a submarine when they return to it after a day’s rocking. One thing I love about Hellfest is that there is a food area offering a wide variety of different foods from all round the world with space to sit with your mates at picnic tables. The waste is then put it the bin or in to recycling and the rockers go back to their rocking without having to wade through rubbish which is just thrown on the floor. The Hellfest crowd really care about this festival (and each other) and that is the way it should be! Right, enough of my yakkin’ – Here it is…My 12 favourite performances of Hellfest 2025!!!

Thursday

Skindred (Main Stage 1)

If you are searching for a band who are fit to open any festival round the world, well surely you don’t need to look any further than Skindred! Benji and his fellow Welsh wonders really are one of THE great live experiences as they have a frontman who will enter the stage in this heat in his full multicoloured Honey Monster like suit which is later changed to a white leather jacket with Ozzy esque tassles flying…he will stop at nothing until every single member of the crowd is thoroughly entertained! We kick off with Set Your Fazers and continue through a nine song set which will include L.O.V.E. (Smile Please), Kill The Power and my favourite, set closer , Warning. Yes, the Newport Helicopters were in full flight and every single member of the crowd had a smile on their faces….job done!

Airbourne (Main Stage 1)

The main theme from Terminator 2 : Judgement Day is cranked through the PA and then it is the time for Airbourne to hit the stage. It is a stage that Airbourne know very well as this is the band’s sixth appearance since the Aussie rockers first came to Hellfest in 2008. Airbourne really are the perfect band for Hellfest, right from set opener Ready To Rock, through crackers like Too Much , Too Young, Too Fast or newer tracks like Gutsy in a similar way to their fellow Aussie rockers, AC/DC…You know what you are going to get, heads down raw rock n roll and this Hellfest crowd laps up every minute! With Runnin’ Wild the band leave the stage but the great news is…Airbourne will be back rocking the concert halls of the UK in early 2026!

Soft Play (Warzone)

In recent years we have seen the ‘normal’ band set of guitar/bass/drums/vocals challenged with artists creating something new in any number of different guises and Soft Play are no exception. A standing /singing drummer , Isaac Holman is a musician who seems to be on some sort of quest to bring the Warzone Stage audience to one great mosh pit. In between songs he stalks the stage, looking the audience in the eyes insisting that they mirror the excitement and exuberance that they see. His partner in crime is Laurie Vincent, providing the guitars (and mandolin), a gentleman that I have christened Snake Hips as he dances and shuffles round the stage throughout this electric performance.

We kick off with All Things and I am immediately entranced. This is my first experience of Soft Play live. Act Violently is an absolute banger and to be closely followed by Fuck The Hi-Hat, well I am now absolutely convinced that less is more and that if any band needs to have a hi-hat in their armoury of drums…well more fool them. Punk’s Dead is their masterpiece, written in the time following the band’s name change (they were originally called Slaves) saying something important but with humour and love. A massive cheer goes up when Holman kisses Vincent right on the lips and so it should! Punk is about attitude and art and fun and love and being your own person and long may Soft Play reign! The band can be seen supporting the likes of The Libertines, Idles and at the Reading/Leeds Festival before a tour of the US begins in September!

Turbonegro (The Warzone)

Turbonegro are one of the world’s biggest cult bands and draw a massive crowd to The Warzone. If you haven’t encountered the band before, I have to say that it is to my rather limited skills as a writer that I am flummoxed as to how to describe them. A mixture of Punk, Glam Rock wonderfulness served up with a smile and a certain amount of homo eroticism and a tongue firmly in cheek. Formed in Norway in 1989, Turbonegro really are one of rock music’s most original bands and have developed a dedicated following, the Turbojugend (Turbo Youth) who you can recognise in their specially named denim jackets with patches from all the different chapters that exist in cities round the world (the first one being St Pauli, Hamberg).

The set starts with Hurry Up And Die which is closely followed by Back To Dungaree High. Singer Tony Sylvester does a robot dance that is surely second to none as he sings Rock And Roll Machine. Two of the greatest song titles follow (Rendezvous With My Anus/Hot For Nietzsche) and I am in rock n roll heaven! Are You Ready (For Some Darkness) and song of the set, All My Friends Are Dead have my thinking about a previous Hellfest when I was lucky enough to spend a little time with original Turbonegro singer Hank….. this festival just brings memories of some of my most special times! The set ends with the utter joy that is I Got Erection and you know…there is nothing quite like having your arms around the shoulders on like-minded rockers singing the chorus to this particular opus!!!

 

The Hellacopters (The Warzone)

I have always had a love of Scandinavian rock music. I am not quite sure what it is about our Northern cousins that has me so entranced but I think it goes back to me catching an early show from The Hives and a walk around the offices of Burning Heart Records and hearing bands like The Soundtrack Of Our Lives/Gluecifer/Backyard Babies/Division Of Laura Lee and Refused (more about them later!!!) that had me gripped right from the start. One of the things that connects all the aforementioned bands is that they were all pretty incredible live. The Hellacopters are one hell of a garage band. Led by Nicke Andersson, they formed in the mid 1990’s and released the classic, Supershitty To The Max album in 1996 which was followed by crackers such as Grande Rock and High Visibility either side of the a new Millenium. The line up of the band can fluctuate (my last interview with the band was with Dregen who has had two bands on the go over the years with the other being Backyard Babies). The current line up features Dolf de Burst from The Datsuns and their set is wonderful. They play the hits and even mange to thrill this rotund Northern Irish rocker with a bit of Alternative Ulster by Stiff Little Fingers. The Hellacopters are incredibly cool, have learnt their lessons well from the Rolling Stones and I cannot wait till our paths cross again! In the near future The Hellacopters have shows in Germany, Belgium , Sweden and Finland.

Friday

The Cult (Main Stage 1)

I have loved The Cult for the best part of 40 years. They are one of the bands that have evolved with me as my tastes have changed through the years with their aspects of Goth/Punk/Heavy Metal and everything inbetween. In the last couple of times that I have seen them, they have been concentrating on their early career and time as Southern Death Cult to the Love album. It is The Cult who have my favourite set list of the whole Hellfest weekend. Earlier tracks like Spiriritwalker  Rain , She Sells Sanctuary all sound as fresh and vibrant as they first time I heard them in the mid 80’s, shuffling around the alternative discos and there is definite nods to the stadium rock that The Cult came up with after that with Fire Woman (Sonic Temple) or Wild Flower (Electric). We are treated to two more recent classics from The Cult in the guise of Rise and War (The Process) from their Beyond Good And Evil album which I feel I will have to revisit.

Singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy seem to be polar opposites that when brought together, create something special. Duffy is the backbone to the band, with his riffs striking a chord with this audience of varying age and waist size. Astbury is one of the last true rock stairs in a similar vein to Jim Morrison if he had been brought up on a diet of Iggy Pop. He is all over the stage and spends much of the set amongst the crowd on a long platform that would almost take him to the sound desk a couple of hundred feet from the stage. My favourite song from a set full of absolute gems is The Witch- an all to easily forgotten classic from a band who like to go deeper than the hits. The Set comes to an end with Love Removal Machine and this lad is left happy! Sweet Devil Child Lover Wolf Man……Yeah! (As Ian just might have said!

The Damned (Warzone)

Since my return from Hellfest , The Damned have announced that are to play Wembley Arena on Saturday 11^th April 2026 to celebrate 50 Years!!! I mean half a century is pretty amazing when you think about it and yes, I do know that there was a short time when they were not together and there has been line up changes etc but they really do put on one hell of a show!!! I think that if you are a fan of The Damned (which I most definitely am), I was so excited to see this show for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Rat Scabies is back behind the drum kit where he belongs and secondly, this is my first opportunity to see The Damned since the death of Brian James, original guitarist in the band and a special player! Captain Sensible looked to the heavens and was sending loving vibes out in to the Universe to Mr James in between songs which was great to see.

And as for the set…well it was cracking! Starting up with Love Song which went straight in to Machine Gun Etiquette and Wait For The Blackout double blow, well I was in punk heaven. One of the things that I am reminded about is what great musicians they are and goodness me, they can write great tunes! The other thing that must never be forgotten is how The Damned evolved through their 49 (so far!!) years as a band. The speed filled punk classics such as Neat Neat Neat and New Rose or the Gothic influenced Elouise (originally a Barry Ryan song) or another cover of Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit with this particular rabbit hole being of a very psychedelic nature all fit together wonderfully. I suppose the reason for this must be vocalist Dave Vanian who looks amazing for a guy who got his bus pass a fair few years ago!! They say their goodbyes and play Smash It Up but I feel a trip down to London for that 50^th Birthday Party is a must!!

Sex Pistols With Frank Carter (Warzone)

In many ways it was the performance of the Sex Pistols that was the standout performance of the festival. With vocals  provided by Hellfest veteran, Frank Carter, who this year hadn’t brought his Rattlesnakes but did share a stage with one of the most influential bands of all time. John Lydon is not happy about this version of the bandand has made his views very clear, and in many ways you can’t blame him. BUT the one group of people who I haven’t heard complaining too much is the punters, the people who have bought the records or paid for the concert tickets and who never thought they would hear these songs played live again….and that includes me.

Holidays In The Sun starts us off with drummer Paul Cook counting us in with his bass drum and the madness begins. Crowd surfing all the way through and fair play to the Hellfest Security staff because they certainly earnt their Euros tonight. All the songs that you would expect to hear are all there, Bodies, Anarchy In The UK, Pretty Vacant and sound immense but in some ways it was when we were taken off piste that would stick in the memory. Songs like New York or Silly Thing I don’t think were given an airing back when the Sex Pistols were playing with Lydon in the 90’s at Finsbury Park, Phoenix Festival or Crystal Palace all of which I attended. You can’t help but be impressed with the intensity of the playing and smiles on the faces of Glen Matlock, Paul Cook and Steve Jones. I especially liked the occasions when Matlock and Jones would stand with their backs to the audience following Cook’s lead on the drums and seemingly just know where to take a song. And as for Frank Carter….well you can see what this means to him and you can’t help thinking there were times as a teenager when he would be in his bedroom, hairbrush in hand imitating Lydon singing his way through ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ never suspecting that one day, he would be doing it for real.

Covers of The Stooges’ No Fun and a surprising rendition of My Way which starts with Matlock and Jones sitting on the drum riser brings a nod to Sid Vicious who did the same for the Who Killed Bambi film. I am not sure that I will get to see these songs performed live again and I think that I am very sure that in the raging debate that had been going through my mind of who to watch at Hellfest, Muse or the Sex Pistols with Frank Carter? I am very happy with my decision.

SATURDAY

This old rocker was feeling every day of his 53 Years by the penultimate day of Hellfest 2025. Now if there is one thing that maybe separates me from a large percentage of the Hellfest audience and people who might review the event is that there is a distinct lack of classic rock in this review. Now a lot of that is to do with my tastes and how they have developed over the years but for the Saturday of Hellfest , like some deranged Northern Irish Dr Who I decided to get in to my TARDIS and take a trip to DD’s past and see two bands that if you put the combined ages of them together it comes to a staggering 109 years!!!!!

Judas Priest (Main Stage 2)

Judas Priest are Hellfest veterans and in many ways are, along with Iron Maiden and Kiss, are the type of band who have a back catalogue which will appeal to the palate of so many who come to this festival each year. The last time they played the festival was 2022 when they put in a storming greatest hits set, greeted with such appreciation by the post covid Metal Maniacs, that if singer Rob Halford had decided to not play any songs but take us on a journey through his poetry instead, the crowd would have demanded an encore!

The set that the Priest play tonight was very much based around their more recent works and it kicks off with a whole crowd singing War Pigs by Black Sabbath as it is cranked up through the PA as they enter the stage. All Guns Blazing is followed by Hell Patrol but the Metal Maniacs don’t have to wait too long before we get hit with a double delight of You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ and Breaking The Law. Gates Of Hell, Between The Hammer And The Anvil and others sound great but it is the double bass drums and screeching vocals of Painkiller that bring the main part of the set to and end. We do not have to wait too long before we hear the throttle of a Harley Davidson motor bike and the Metal God comes on stage and the Priest launch in to their anthem, Hell Bent For Leather and I am immediately transported back to the Hammersmith Odeon and the Painkiller Tour when I first got to see Judas Priest and I can feel a smile on my lips growing with each riff! Living After Midnight brings the fourteen song set to an end and I hope that this will not be the last time that I get to share some time with these heavy metal heroes!

Scorpions (Main Stage 1)

I think that I have forgotten how much I loved the Scorpions in the 1980’s when they were releasing such incredible albums such as Blackout, Love At First Sting and my favourite, the live album World Wide Live. Funnily enough, I think I started losing interest with Winds Of Change which, although I think was an incredible song to hear when the world was changing around us for the better, was not one of my favourite Scorpions songs. But I must say, in 2025 I would love to hear a song that could sum up how the world is feeling, and to which we could hold up our lighters or phones and hope for a better future.

We start with Coming Home and the first thing that you notice is that although vocalist Klaus Meine (who the previous month had celebrated his 77^th birthday) does look frail but he still has that voice and introduces each song in that special way that only he can with each vowel stretched to breaking point! Guitarists Rudolf Schenker and Mattias Jabs (I mean he is a spring chicken who doesn’t turn 70 till August!) are a wonder to watch. I know the ’Tower Of Power’ may not be possible but the riffs certainly are with The Zoo, Coast To Coast and Bad Boys Running Wild sounding as good as they did back in my old school pal Iain McDiarminds bedroom in 1989.

The previously mentioned Wind Of Change and Loving You Sunday morning lets the Scorps take a breather (I think I need it more than them!!) and the riffage is brought back in full effect with an encore of Blackout and Rock You Like A Hurricane!!! One day left…see you in the morning!

SUNDAY

Gorilla Biscuits (Warzone)

The final day of Hellfest really is a scorcher and my time management was not great so I have to make a mad dash (well it is more like a hurried waddle) across the Hellfest site to catch Gorilla Biscuits and I am so, so glad that I did as they put in one of my favourite performances of the weekend. The band who were formed in 1986 feature hardcore legends Walter Schreifels (Quicksand/Rival Schools) and Anthony Civerelly (CIV) and I had never seen the band before, only really discovering them through my love of Quicksand and Rival Schools (both of whom I have been lucky enough to see in the last year!).

The Gorilla Biscuits set is seventeen songs long, starting with New Direction and is quickly followed with tracks like Forgotten, High Hopes, Good Intentions and Big Mouth. We also get some utterly wonderful covers, starting with the Buzzcocks’ Sitting Round At Home, Minor Throat by well…Minor Threat,  As One by Warzone (well they are playing the Warzone Stage so it was a must) and CIV’s Cant Wait One Minute More. I am in absolute heaven and feel that The Diamond Dave Show will be littered with them in the coming months! Hardcore is fucking magic and when it is of this vintage…well it is a must!

Refused (Main Stage 1)

All good things must come to an end and it feels right that not only were Refused the final band that I saw at Hellfest 2025 but it was also the final time that I was going to be lucky enough to see Refused as this is their final tour. I was lucky enough to be able to see the band at the start of this final trek around the globe in San Francisco at The Warfield (with Quicksand in support) and for various reasons I won’t be able to catch the band when they play the UK later in the year. But in many ways, Refused playing Hellfest for a final time (and for the first time on the main stage in front of what singer Dennis Lyxzen felt was the biggest crowd they had ever played to) was a fantastic final experience for me.

The Swedish band start with the seminal Shape Of Punk To Come from the album of the same name which is rightly regarded as being one of the most important hardcore albums of all time and I am standing in a field full of strangers who are now as one. They play everything you would wish, Refused Party Programme, Rather Be Dead (if you are new to the band, check out the wonderful film – Refused Are Fuckind Dead) and Liberty Frequency all sound incredible. Refused are a political beast who wear their allegiances on their sleeves and they have an intelligence that at no point is condescending and are able to talk about certain political theories in a way that it is not going to offend (especially after recent events at Glastonbury have shown, can be very tricky).

Lyxzen is dancing throughout the whole performance in a way which wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Wigan nightclub playing Northern Soul and I love that about him. Worms Of The Senses/Faculties Of The Skull is absolutely wonderful and it is a song that sets Refused apart from virtually every other band as it’s punk/hardcore and dance music all at the same time! Elektra and New Noise….and that is it. Thirteen songs that ooze class and wonder. Refused and Hellfest 2025, as Brian Johnson from AC/DC nearly said….For Those That Have Rocked….We Salute You!!! Hellfest 2026 will take place June 18th-21^st 2026…..I hope to see you there.