On the 8th of July 2023, the village of Colombier-Saugnieu seemed to be under a spell of lethargy after the festivities of the night before. Campers of the Plane’R Fest could be found wandering about or napping in the grass after their short night. The campsite was just next to a chicken coop, whose inhabitants were delighted to start their day singing, just about when the campers were falling asleep. With the heatwave striking even more violently than the day before, the spectators needed to recharge their batteries before enjoying the eleven other shows planned for the day.
Kamizol-K
Kamizol-K, the winners of the festival springboard, had the honour of kicking of this second day. Despite the early hours, they gathered an enthusiastic crowd who visibly already knew the band. The band paced up and down the stage with conviction, and perhaps a little nervosity, that quickly vanished with the warm welcome from the crowd. It took a couple of songs to get the vocals properly balanced, but then everything went smoothly. Their hit “Get Away” was a success. For fans of Classic Hardcore, here’s a band to follow!
ODC
Playing next on the Terminal 2 stage, ODC and their modern brand of Metal were for many an excellent discovery over the weekend. They enjoyed a clear sound that did justice to their singer’s talent. She did not perhaps have the most obvious voice type for Metal but easily shifted between aggressive chorus and more soothing melodies. With an industrial vibe to their songs, ODC should please any fans of Lacuna Coil or Evanescence.
The band started their set with their most recent single “Wanted.” Over a couple of songs, the crowd easily tripled in size. Their cover of Billie Eilish’s “You Should See Me In A Crown” was a bold but successful move. Another memorable moment of the show was “The Lie” and its more Hard Rock rhythm. While the band is yet to release an LP, the songs they have released so far sound promising!
Last Addiction
With Last Addiction playing on the main stage, this second day at Plane’R Fest took a turn towards a more HardCore and Extreme Metal side. The local band played a very efficient mix of Hardcore and technical Death Metal. Still, they infuse just enough melodies to distinguish themselves (check out the title “Dead Soul Sisters”). At ease with growls, their vocalist also proved to be a talented singer on clean lines, with a versatile range that brings depth and originality to their compositions.
Bad Situation
Aside from talking about Metal on his Youtube Channel Dealer2Metal, Aziz is also singing and playing the guitar in his band (or duet) Bad Situation. This minimalistic configuration did not deter the two pals from delivering a solid Modern Metal show infused with Rock N’ Roll energy. The clap-o-meter perhaps did not reach the level intended when the frontman asked who knew the band beforehand, but no doubt, Bad Situation gained some new fans that day. “RU Satisfied” got everyone jumping around in no time, in a big cloud of dust!
Visions Of Atlantis
While the jolly pirates of Visions Of Atlantis did not seem to suffer from the heat as they enter the stage with the epic “Master The Hurricane”, a bit of rain or fresh sea air would have been a blessing for the crowd. For their only show in France this summer, the pirates did not spare any efforts to make the most of their time on stage.
The alchemy between the two singers Michele Guaiatoli and Clémentine Delauney was particularly efficient to bring the tales of Pirates to life. While the band members stole from each other the tricorn (“Clocks” is a great party song!), the crowd seemed to have a tremendous time. Even if “Pirates Will Return” has a serious and melancholic tone, the epic vibe got the audience to sit down and row. To finish this epic journey and call to adventure “Legions Of The Sea”, Michele brandished a black flag with the band’s sigil. Embracing an ideal of piracy, Visions Of Atlantis is exploring a new path, and it suits them perfectly!
Resolve
As if the trip to Tortuga with Visions Of Atlantis was not enough, the heat probably reached its highest point during the set of Resolve. There already was a big cloud of dust over the crowd during the opening song “Beautiful Hell.” This summer, the band was relentlessly touring the festival stages in France, from Hellfest to Montcul, thus building a solid reputation. Their setlist gathered their heaviest (“Seasick Sailor”) and catchiest titles (“Death Awaits”) allowing no rest, but no one would have wished otherwise.
Paradise Lost
The audience only had a few moment’s respites before Paradise Lost – who have not played in these parts for ages – got on stage with very British casual manners. For the occasion, they wrought a setlist encompassing a good part of their career. The contemplative Doom Metal of the band was exactly what people needed to endure the heat. From the good oldie “The Enemy” to the more recent “The Evil Embraced”, they delivered a flawless, if not a bit static, performance. They even dug out “True Belief” which has not been played a lot these last years. A simple floral artwork illuminated the settings. With simplicity and class, they owned the stage, as they should.
Alcest
Night had mercifully fallen on the fields of the Plane’R Fest when Alcest started their set. Neige’s band played under red and orange fiery lights oddly suited to their melancholic music. But soon enough the stage fell under a wintery spell of blue and whites. After the heat, the energy, anticipation and party of the last hours, Alcest’s music was an invitation to let go and drift away. What could be better than lying down in the grass, under an almost starry sky, with the clouds catching the lights from the stage, to forget the heat, the sweat the thirst and the aches… Neige’s voice was as always very shy compared to the usual exhortation of frontmen, and this drew a few surprised smiles. What better lullabies than “Percées de Lumière” and “Déliverance”?
It would have been a charming end for the festival but Crisix and Carpenter Brut had yet to play, and this was almost a shame, almost to break the spell Alcest had put on the audience.
Crisix
With barely an acoustic introduction, Crisix woke up everyone with their Thrash Metal from Spain. The heat from the day did not seem to make them suffer and gave everything to make Montcul rock again, from impressive shrieks to intensive headbanging and mingling with the crowd. With “The World Need To Mosh” Crisix pleased the last moshers still standing. French fans are also always happy to hear a bit of Trust’s “Antisocial” played by foreign bands, even in a mashup with Pantera and Metallica.
An earlier slot would have perhaps beneficiated Crisix, but they did not seem to mind being the last proper band to close the festival.
Carpenter Brut
The SynthWave Metal project Carpenter Brut was not unanimously applauded to be the last to appear on the main stage. While the stage was drowned in red laser-like lights the audience that until then gathered at the back of the fields and further away from the stage, started to flock towards the exits, leaving only the die-hard fan to fill the space between the stage and the sound controls tent. The fault probably lies in the lack of interaction between the members of Carpenter Brut and the audience: A guitarist, drums and a DJ turntables with no mike to even say “Hello!”. All the vocals were samples and this nightclub configuration was not to the taste of everyone.
This sense of repetitiveness was also emphasized by the light show that remained almost monochromatic throughout the entire set.
This little misstep at the end can easily be overlooked, the 10th edition of the Plane’R Fest was nothing but a resounding success! With great variety in the lineup, a friendly atmosphere, clean sound and efficient organisation, this local festival is a reference for those who enjoy proximity to the artists! There’s only one thing left to say: thank you and see you next year!
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