Nova Rock Festival 2024: Day Three Recap

Powerful Performances and Dramatic Weather Combine for Memorable Day

It was an emotional day at Nova Rock Festival 2024, with captivating performances, technical breakdowns, and an unexpectedly heavy downpour that soaked the grounds in so much water that it turned into a muddy playground. Nothing seemed cut out to quash the spirits of an endless number of revelers enjoying this chaos and excitement.

We Blame The Empire and Kontrust open with power and fresh faces.

Well, the Austrian metalcore act We Blame The Empire kicked it off, getting everybody’s blood up with a robust set. Then came the Kontrust, refreshed by a new singer and renewed energy, again engaging the audience because of their high spirits.

Technical Glitches Couldn’t Stop Against the Current

Against the Current were somewhat afflicted by a little mishap when their sound went out on the third song, but the band didn’t waste a second getting things rolling again and hauled in the crowd with their resilience and charm. The cheering from the crowd didn’t falter one bit, proving them to be fans standing by them through thick and thin.

Granada and Saltatio Mortis Keep the Energy High

Granada brought some summer vibe with them: carefree and feel-good. Their set imitated an early Sunday afternoon to a T and made everyone forget, if only for a second, about the scorching heat. And right after was a hefty, medieval metal here by Saltatio Mortis, with all of their ancient charm but somehow imbued with the vigor of modern-day rock. The whole thing combined to be something both completely theatrical and completely able to keep up with the momentum of this festival.

Nostalgia Hits Hard for a Farewell Show, Courtesy of P.O.D. and Sum 41

P.O.D. tapped right into that vein of nostalgia and performed big hits, including “Youth of a Nation” and “Alive,” reminding us all why we ever fell in love with music. Their set was slightly more emotional and, as compared to the first, marred with tons of technical issues, but it was most definitely a trip down memory lane. Sum 41’s farewell show was the authentic tug at the heartstrings today. They end a final, colossal performance celebrating their legacy, to which the fans have responded with so much love and nostalgia.

Steel Panther Bringing the Fun, but Provocatively

Well, Steel Panther did as was expected of them: completely wild and ridiculous with lots of half-naked women hanging off men’s shoulders. The over-the-top antics and infectious energy really added a feel of wild fun to the festival, where not smiling and joining in wasn’t an option.

Avril Lavigne Sent Fans Right Back to Their Teens

As the sun began to fade, Avril Lavigne took to the stage, performing such hits as “Complicated” and “Girlfriend,” throwing us back into puberty. Despite misleaders in the sound levels, she delivered a highly nostalgic show with the crowd singing word by word and living vicariously through memories from their youth.

Body Count, featuring Ice T, comes correct with its brand of raw power and personal touches.

Body Count, with Ice-T, turned into a raw and decisive set. It was impossible not to get swept up by Ice-T’s charisma or hear the political venom in his lyrics. Including his son and daughter on stage made for a nightly+-very personal touch, making this a performance that cemented itself in the memory banks.

Theatrical performance by Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper’s Theatrical Show Ends the Day Ending Performance Amid Heavy Rain The evening was dramatic and topped by the last act of the day, Alice Cooper—the closing artist—who put in an pretty effectual theatrics act that included a real snake on stage. With pouring rain and prevailing mud, Cooper’s horror-themed rock show seemed to miss very few beats.

Thoroughly drenched fans proved that nothing—not even the elements—will ever snatch the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll from anyone. Rain, Mud Fail to Dampen Festival Spirit The rain may have turned the festival site into a big mess of mud, but it deterred none of the fans from having a fantastic day of music. With one more day yet to go, Nova Rock 2024 has already been etched in memory—full of nostalgia among festivalgoers, high-energy performances, and the unpredictable whim that always goes with attending a live music festival. Here’s to more music, memories, and muddy adventures!

 

Written words and pictures: Mariam Osman

Check out the reviews of the other days:

Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 4