With the cloudy afternoon in São Paulo this Saturday, the 21st, only a great rock festival could cheer people up. More than just a festival, however, Rockfest was a true party full of top-notch performances and hits.
With each band that took the stage at Allianz Parque, which featured the Brazilian band Armored Dawn , it seemed impossible that the next show could maintain the same level. And yet, they all did.
Even with the stadium half empty, Europe showed they are more than just "The Final Countdown." With a hard rock sound reminiscent of Deep Purple , the band warmed up the audience, who were still unsure what to expect from the show. Of course, the most sung-along song was indeed the aforementioned hit, but "Carrie" also had its share of loud choruses.
Next came Helloween , the festival's "newcomers." With over three decades of career, the band delivered a great condensed version of the more than two-hour set they've been performing on the Pumpkins United World Tour . Uniting all phases of the band, with the joining of vocalists Andi Deris, Michael Kiske , and guitarist Kai Hansen , the performance is a true spectacle.
The band members have incredible stage presence and performance skills. Deris acts as a master of ceremonies, introducing the members and talking about the eras and albums of each song. Michael is the main personality and maintains his high-pitched and well-executed vocals. When the two share the singing, as in the case of "Dr. Stein," the intimacy they have created is clear. They support each other, and everyone is clearly having fun. Not to mention that the members' well-rehearsed movements and technique are also impressive.
David Coverdale 's turn to surprise the audience. The vocalist, who entered wearing an outfit with the Brazilian flag, no longer has the same vocal power as before, but he doesn't disappoint at any point, showing a solid performance.
He exudes energy, strikes sexy poses, and smiles. While hit after hit is sung. The highlight, however, is delivered by the 69-year-old drummer Tommy Aldridge , who plays a massive solo, eliciting screams and awestruck expressions from the audience. Until, at a certain point, he drops the drumsticks and continues the solo with his hands, causing a mixture of distress and ecstasy.
From there, “Is This Love”, “Give Me All Your Love”, “Here I Go Again” and “Still of The Night” fueled the performance, sung at the top of their lungs. The show ended with a resounding “Burn”, originally by Deep Purple .
Closing the night is Scorpions , with a super production featuring LED screens everywhere. The technical quality of all the members is impressive, even though Klaus Meine aren't what they used to be.
Rudolf Schenker , yes, he still looks like a kid. He runs, jumps, jokes around, and plays with impressive energy. His bleached hair and sunglasses belie his true age of 71.
When the show slows down for two acoustic ballads, that's when the audience truly gets into the performance. Seeing "Send Me an Angel" and "Wind Of Change" live is thrilling. With the audience completely captivated, the band follows with "Tease Me Please Me" and an impressive drum solo by Mikkey Dee, whose drum platform is suspended by chains. Visually as impressive as Dee's skill.
Following with “Blackout” and “Big City Nights,” and, in the encore, “Still Loving You” and “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” the band gets everyone on their feet and concludes the music celebration. Rockfest was a true rock festival, showing that no age can hold back true idols.
Check out the image gallery with photos by Marta Ayora.
