Tag Archives: paganfest

There Will Be NO Paganfest USA Tour In 2015 :(

The news broke just as Wednesday night was ending and after some fact checking I can now confirm that there will be NO Paganfest America Tour for the Year in Metal 2015. It’s time for you to fold up your sheepskins and safely secure your swords and hammers.

Banner - Paganfest USA

The touring page itself posted the succinct but sad news on their Facebook Page and it simply stated “hello everyone , there will not be a PAGANFEST in 2015 , lets see what happens in 2016 , thanks for your support”.

PiercingMetal Thoughts: Since 2008, the Paganfest has been bringing bands like Eluveitie, Korpiklaani, Turisas, Tyr and Ensiferum to the stages of the USA and I am happy to say that I have been in attendance to every single one of our regional metropolitan appearances. Now with that being said, its also safe to say that this tour was starting to become too repetitive. It seemed as though we were always finding either Korpiklaani or Turisas on the roster or both of them. Not that I minded those bands but since the premise was to bring over some new musical ideas to our side of the globe it was always great when a new act was featured and exciting to see them going over well in front of a packed venue. The NYC shows were often packed and that is because its NYC and there is more of a chance of this happening but what of the outer regions? Did this tour fare well night after night in places like Spokane, deep down in Boise? Who knows but I sort of doubt it. What I liked about these tours myself was the ability to also turn on my circle of friends who would not see this stuff all that quickly if I was not making the suggestion. I cannot tell you how many of them would likely only ever see Slayer, Sabbath and Maiden if they had their way. Granted those are solid choices but they are also bands that do not need the support that stuff like this does.
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Win A Ticket To Paganfest @ Irving Plaza On 4/28/2014

Poster - Paganfest America at Irving Plaza - 2014

The Details: Sound the trumpets of righteous battle and prepare yourself for was because the 2014 edition of Paganfest America is here and that news finds my Metal blood reaching the boiling point. For those new to the touring package, this particular event has been hitting our shores for a few years now and brings us an exciting roster of bands for sure. This year’s event finds Korpiklaani, Turisas, Chthonic and Varg as the international touring acts that will be joined by the USA forged Winterhymn as the lead off band. I have seen all of these bands in the past and know that songs will be sung long afterward and many ales will be hoisted during the event that will hit Irving Plaza when it makes a stop here. To say that my journalistic sword is sharpened in anticipation for glorious combat is an understatement and that makes me happy to announce that thanks to the fine folks at Livenation, several of the PiercingMetal Legions will be joining me in the fray on this epic night. Read on.
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Paganfest America for 2014: Lineup/Dates/Venues Arrive

You might be wondering why I am posting this a few weeks after the tour was first announced and the answer is quite simple. I decided to wait until the full itinerary of dates was unveiled so the fans can begin plotting and planning their attendance for this years “Paganfest America Tour”. The exciting event will find both Korpiklaani and Turisas on the co-headlining status while Chthonic and Varg get things started properly. More after the poster.

PiercingMetal has attended every single “Paganfest America Tour” when it happened to land in our fair Metal Metropolis and I am happy to add that we have supported all of the bands on this package during their other visits as well. That being said I can attest with some level of certainty that the fans who attend any of these events across the tour run will greatly enjoy themselves. For those new to the bands performing for some reason let me quickly line out that Korpiklaani are the lords of the Finnish Folk Metal scene and their blend of traditional instruments and melodies amped up to twelve makes for a whirlwind of a good time. The mighty Turisas will find you seeking armaments to ride into vengeful battle with their songs of might and adventure. These Finnish Metal warriors sport battle paint and mean business with every note. The Darker Metal sounds of Taiwan’s Chthonic will bring a Far East vibe to the night that will enthrall and of course Varg while similar in appearance to Turisas with the warrior paint have a different musical presentation and leave us with an event that will please all Metal senses. The U.S. run will also feature a band from our own soil called Winterhymn who are new to my ears but you can be sure I will be looking into them as well.
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PiercingMetal’s “Best Of” 2009: The Concerts and Events

Now that I’ve lined out all the music that blew me away during the 2009 year, its time to lend my focus on the Concerts and Events that we attended. In looking back on it, I would have to say that 2009 was probably the biggest year that I ever had as a music writer and photographer based on not only how many cool concerts there were, but how many I was able to find myself taking part in for your eventual entertainment as readers of the site. I think that I caught something like 95 shows which is a new record for me and probably one that will be very difficult to beat but of course I have been saying this for three years. Below are some of the events that I felt were the most exciting of them all.

The Best Concerts of 2009:

“Paganfest USA – 2”: This time around the tour would feature Korpiklaani, Moonsorrow, Primordial, Blackguard and Swashbuckle and really be an impressive one. What made it exciting for me was the chance to see Korpiklaani, Moonsorrow and Primordial for the most part because none of these bands had ever done a proper tour in the USA. I found Blackguard to be a nice surprise as well.

Judas Priest & Whitesnake (Epic Records/SPV Records): Judas Priest would celebrate their 30th Anniversary of the “British Steel” albums while the Snake would be celebrating two incredible releases of their own. The show featured a solid set from both bands and was a gig that many would talk about for months. According to reports, Priest recorded one of the shows and plans for the video/audio to be released with a special edition of “British Steel”. Whitesnake in turn also released deluxe editions of both “Slide It In” and “Slip Of The Tongue” this year.

Marduk @ The Gramercy Theatre (Candlelight Records): After having missed the Blackenedfest a few months earlier, Marduk was on US Soil to crush the Metal legions. This was an intense show that delivered on all counts and impressed all those fans who had wanted to see them a few months earlier.

Saxon @ B.B. King Blues Club (SPV Records): Saxon had not done a proper US tour in some years and this NYC show would be one of two appearances and be done for a sold out room. The mood and the Metal were intense this evening and proved to many that the Old School glory of traditional Metal had not and will never subside.

Paul McCartney @ Citi Field: I was lucky to catch one of the three performances by Sir Paul McCartney who did a night of wonderful tunes. Lots of Beatles and lots of Wings, which is all classic stuff and still relevant to all fans of good ole Rock & Roll. A DVD/CD would be released of this historic visit.

The 69 Eyes @ Gramercy Theatre (The End Records): The Helsinki Vampires were “Back In Blood” supporting a new album that really delivered the goods and reminded their fans why they remain so special to them. It also featured the talents of Dommin and The Becoming. A very dark night in NYC to say the least.

Mayhem @ The Fillmore NY (Season Of Mist Records): This was called the Blackened Metal Fest and while it depressed some that Marduk was off the tour, the True Mayhem delivered a frightening and powerful set of Black Metal that focused on the bands influential years.

KISS @ Madison Square Garden (KISS Records): Love them or hate them, NYC and Madison Square Garden are nothing less than home for KISS and their show always pulls out all the stops. The rousing good time celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the “Alive” CD and found much of the set focused on that live classic. A lot of other different and more unexpected numbers were in place this time around which made it a great experience. I could have done without Buckcherry as they bored me with their set.
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Korpiklaani @ Blender Theater at Gramercy (5/4/2009)

Logo - Korpiklaani

Artist: Korpiklaani
Venue: Blender Theater at Gramercy (New York, NY)
Opener: Primordial, Moonsorrow, Blackguard, Swashbuckle
Date: 5/4/2009
Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Last September the Big Apple played host to the first-ever “Pagan Fest” and this exciting show featured the might of Ensiferum, Turisas, Tyr and Eluveitie all on one stage. To my knowledge none of those bands had ever appeared in New York before much less did a proper US tour so it was good fun for all around who made their way into the packed B.B. King Blues Club. Many were impressed at how good the draw was that night especially since both Dream Theatre and Opeth were playing a little further uptown. The success of the first Pagan Fest was bound to merit a second go at it and lucky for us this turn of the Metal page would continue the practice of bringing over bands that were not regular faces to the concert goers of the region. Headlining the show would be Polka-Metal fanatics from Finland Korpiklaani who had direct support from Ireland’s Primordial. The appeal of these two acts alone could have made for a solid tour but we would also get the likes of Moonsorrow, Blackguard and Swashbuckle. Moonsorrow are also Finnish while Blackguard from Canada. Swashbuckle hail from that distant land known only as New Jersey and they would be the first band up for the show. Here is how the night went down for those who missed out on the show.
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