Last night, I got offered a ticket to see Dragonforce. I would not likely have gone on my own accord, power metal generally being a little too poppy and melodic for me to be too interested in (unless it's Maiden). But some people at work were going, and it makes a pleasant change to have company at a metal gig.

The thing Dragonforce do really well is play fast. Their guitarists, especially Herman Li, are incredibly talented, and some of the soloing was amazing to watch. The vocalist is a pretty decent singer too (an actual singer!), and the galloping drum sound is sure to get all heads nodding along. They look like there are having a lot of fun, charging round the stage, pulling faces at the front row as this pull off these complex solos, the singer apparently drunk enough that he lost his place in the set and announced that the next song was the one they'd just finished, much to everyones amusement. However, after a while - and two hours is definitely a while - this can get a little repetitive. They would have been better off cutting maybe 45 minutes from the set. They certainly would have been better NOT playing that awful Aerosmith-like ballad in the middle. That said, you haven't lived until you've seen a couple of hundred metalheads, horns in the air, waving from side to side.

Also, why is it OK for frontmen (even drunk frontmen) to berate the crowd for not jumping around and cheering for the entire length of their show? Am I crazy for thinking that the amount of appreciation given to a band shoild be proportional to how much I liked them, not how much I'm told I should like them. Crowds aren't responsible for how good a gig is. I'd like to try that in my job, telling clients they should like my report more (you cunts). I do get that it's a stage act. But seriously, you're not Dave Mustaine.

The real triumph of the gig was Turisas. Marching on stage in full red warpaint and Viking garb, their stomping folk-flavoured metal was far better than the act they were supporting. They had a violinist, and an accordian player - who, by the way, I think I fell in love with. That was back when I thought she was a guy. The prettiest guy in the world - and they covered Boney M's Ra Ra Rasputin, and played a host of their other songs (BATTLE METAL!). The very defintion of crowd-pleasing. And Craig-pleasing.

Obviously I can tell that she is a girl. But it was harder with her wearing facepaint, from 50 yards away.