Westfest ’15 a night to remember
It came and went. Westfest ’15 was an epic night of fighting for your spot up front to see the band you love most while trying to keep your dignity by staying upright. Here is one reporter’s account of the best night of 2015 so far.
Three stages. 22 bands. One epic night. This is Westfest ’15.
Once described as a ‘bogan festival of epic proportions’, Westfest is indeed something to behold.
The festival was held at Mount Smart stadium on Tuesday and lived up to it expectations of blowing minds, creating memories and holding up traffic from all over Auckland.
You’re barely able to breathe as people push and pull at you to get to the front, you nearly die of thirst from all the singing, your feet go numb from standing for nine hours straight and you wouldn’t change a single moment.
With bands such as Lamb of God, Judas Priest, Escape the Fate, All Time Low and Fall Out Boy, there was something for everyone.
Festival-goer Dave Middleton went to the main stage that held Lamb of God, Judas Priest, Faith No More and Soundgarden and said he would definitely do it again if the bands were anything like this year’s.
“I enjoyed it. Good vibes,” he said with a slightly dazed look on his face.
Dave came with his older brother, Matt.
Matt said his favourite band of the night was Judas Priest.
This is the first Westfest festival for both the brothers. Would they come again? Matt: “If Dave buys me a ticket again, yeah.”
Another highlight of the night was the crowd at All Time Low at the Dong Dong Lounge stage.
For the fans this performance made their night, and I have the deaf ears to prove it.
All Time Low was supposed to play Westfest last year but missed their flight in America and had to cancel.
The band were worth the wait as their performance was one of the best of the night.
As the fans roared along to Time-Bomb and Damned If I Do Ya, Damned If I Don’t at ear splitting levels, the frontmen of the band Jack Barakat and Alex Gaskarth made dick jokes and brought 10 fan girls onto the stage to join in for one song during the one hour set.
By the end of the night people walked away with bruised ribs, some fainted and many had passed out completely before reviving to stagger off into the night to catch a taxi home.
Was it a good night? Was it worth the $182?
A sour note was struck after some fans complained Antemasque’s frontman, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, threw a jug of hot liquid into the crowd during the band’s afternoon set.
But the Middleton brothers were sure the show had been worth it. “Hell yes mate,” Dave said.
