[REPORT] Heavy Week End – Nancy Jour 3. – Vinylestimes Classic Rock Radio 2024.

The Heavy Week-End de Nancy is an annual music festival (hopefully returning in 2025) held at the Zénith de Nancy, in Maxéville. This event has attracted thousands of metal fans from all over France and beyond.

The festival took place from June 21-23offering a rich and varied program with internationally renowned artists.

The Zénith de Nancy, also known as the Zénith du Grand Nancy, is a performance hall located in Maxéville, a town near Nancy, in Lorraine. Inaugurated in 1993, the Zénith de Nancy is part of the Zéniths de France network, which are large-capacity performance halls designed to host a variety of events.

The Zénith is easily accessible by car, with plenty of parking available. It is also well served by public transport in the Greater Nancy metropolitan area. We will just have a thought for all the people who have to take this long, endless climb to catch their bus!

The event takes place in a friendly and festive atmosphere, attracting families, groups of friends, and music lovers of all ages. The Zénith de Nancy, with its large capacity and modern facilities, is the ideal place for such a gathering. Spectators can enjoy music in a stress-free setting.

Regarding the site, we will note that there was a bit of a wait for the catering and a problem with the toilets. (We’ll talk about it a bit later) But for the rest the organization was great.

We were worried about the weather and the rain but overall we were lucky with the weather which was still nice.

We also congratulate the people who worked on stage for making the set changes quickly and brilliantly.

The 2024 festival featured an impressive lineup of legendary bands and emerging artists.

Headliners included:

Judas Priest who closed the festival with a show celebrating their 50-year career. Scorpions : The band celebrated the 40th anniversary of their iconic album “Love at First Sting” by playing it in its entirety. Deep Purple : who is launching the tour for his new album “=1”. Alice Cooper : With its theatrical show and full of visual effects. Megadeth : One of the members of the “Big Four” of thrash metal with a Dave Mustaine in shape!

The festival also featured artists such as The Last Internationale, Ayron Jones, Pretty Maids (the return), Spell (Only French representative), Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, as well as the band Extreme with his fantastic guitarist Nuno Bettencourt.

So here we are at day 3.

After a festive meal not far from the cinema, we go to see the Ghost film “Rite Here, “Rite Now” before reaching the festival site.

You can read the report HERE.

Today Ayron Jones, Tom Morello, Alice Cooper et Judas Priest are on display.

Happy to see Ayron Jones again with his guitarist, the last concert at the Elysée Montmartre left me with a feeling of unfinished business.

Ayron Jones, known for his unique blend of rock, grunge, blues and soul, captivated the audience with his raw energy and guitar virtuosity.

Ayron Jones’ set featured tracks from his acclaimed albums, including tracks from “Audio Paint Job,” “Child of the State,” and his latest album “Chronicles of the Kid.” Songs like “Take Me Away” and “Mercy” particularly resonated with the audience, thanks to their combination of powerful riffs and poignant lyrics.

I love the song “Blood in the Water” my favorite without a doubt! A word also on the performance of Bob Lovelace who moves like crazy and puts on a show while Ayron adjusts his guitar. He is an incredible bass player and his good humor is really nice to see!

40 minutes is short, however the choice of titles is in line with the day but we will be able to see the group headlining again soon.

Set List:

Boys From the Puget Sound
Emily
Supercharged
On Two Feet I Stand
Otherside
Blood in the Water
Mercy
Take Me Away

Next up is Tom Morello, who I last saw with Prophets Of Rage. I’m not a big fan of his music but you can’t go past Rage Against The Machine’s tracks.

The weird thing is to make the audience sing along to “Killing In The Name” but hey, you can see that people know the song.

“Kick Out The Jams” is also on his setlist like The Last Internationale. I think it would have been nice to see Tom and TLI on the same day and on this song in particular.

Special mention to Tom’s stage sets which are magnificent, but whose message sometimes seems difficult to understand.

After a refreshing break, we await the return of Alice Cooper.

As a reminder, Alice Cooper released his latest album entitled “Road” in 2023. This album marks Alice Cooper’s 22nd solo album and 29th of his career, and it was created in close collaboration with his touring band and longtime producer Bob Ezrin. I expected more songs from this new record.

In fact, only “Welcome to the Show” will be performed. Too bad because there are some good songs on this new album.

Alice Cooper once again proved why he is a living rock legend during his concert. From the first notes of “Welcome to the Show,” the audience was immersed in an electric atmosphere. The stage, adorned with striking sets and visuals, immediately captivated the audience.

Alice Cooper’s band lived up to the master’s reputation. Guitarist Nita Strauss delivered some stunning guitar solos, including her own solo that received a standing ovation.

Bassist Chuck Garric and drummer Glen Sobel provided a solid, punchy rhythm section, while Tommy Henriksen and Ryan Roxie brought their own personal touches to each track.

Alice Cooper’s concert was a masterful demonstration of what theatrical rock can offer. Between a well-chosen setlist, top-notch musical performances, and stunning visuals, Alice Cooper proved once again that he is a must-see in rock.

As usual, we will note that our friend Alice interacted with the audience only on the song “School’s Out”.

So each time we know what we are coming to see and we leave happy because the good man, even after all these years, is still in good shape (as is the group that accompanies him).

Set List:

Lock Me Up
(abridged)
Welcome to the Show
No More Mr. Nice Guy
I’m Eighteen
Under My Wheels
Bed of Nails
Billion Dollar Babies
Snakebite
Be My Lover
Lost in America
Hey Stoopid
Welcome to My Nightmare
Cold Ethyl
Go to Hell
Poison
Feed My Frankenstein
The Nightmare
Black Widow Jam
Ballad of Dwight Fry
I Love the Dead
Elected
School’s Out

Back to the press tent for a refreshing break and like yesterday, Monsieur la Zigounette’s row looks like they’re relieving their bladders!

Judas Priest took the stage at the Zénith. With over fifty years of career, the metal legends have proven that they have lost none of their power or charisma.

This is the 3rd time I’ve seen the band this year and I can’t get enough of it. When you love something, you don’t count!!!

The concert kicked off with the epic introduction of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” playing in the background, getting the crowd going before the opening chords of “Panic Attack” even rang out. Rob Halford, dressed in his iconic black leathers, immediately captivated the audience with his powerful vocals and piercing screams.

The band was in perfect symbiosis, showing impressive cohesion and technical mastery. Ian Hill, on bass, provided a solid rhythmic base, while guitarists Faulkner and Sneap electrified the crowd with their sharp riffs and virtuoso solos.

Scott Travis on drums kept up a relentless pace throughout the night. Although I found Ian’s bass to be a bit loud.

One of the most memorable moments of the night was the performance of “Painkiller.” Halford’s vocal performance on this song was particularly striking, proving that he is still one of the best vocalists in the genre.

I also really enjoyed listening to “Sinner” by Sin after Sin. “Sin After Sin” is often considered a pivotal album for Judas Priest, cementing their distinctive musical style that blended heavy metal with elements of hard rock and prog rock. The album was produced by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, which added a new dimension to their sound.

I still find it weird to have “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” at the beginning of the show. I like it when the band ends with that song.

The concert ended on a high note with “Living After Midnight,” an anthem that had the audience singing along.

Judas Priest delivered a masterful performance, proving that they are still at the top of their game. For long-time fans and newcomers alike, this night will be remembered as a shining example of what heavy metal can do at its best.

The Priest is Back !

Set List:

War Pigs
(Black Sabbath song)
Invincible Shield Tour Anthem
Panic Attack
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
Rapid Fire
Breaking the Law
Riding on the Wind
Devil’s Child
Sinner
Turbo Lover
Invincible Shield
Victim of Changes
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)
(Fleetwood Mac cover)
Painkiller
Encore:
The Hellion
Electric Eye
Hell Bent for Leather
(With an additional guitar solo by Richie)
Living After Midnight

In the end, we spent 3 wonderful days in Nancy.

Thanks to Gérard Drouot Production, the teams and Olivier GARNIER (Replica Promotion)

@Doc Olivier

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