Star Scene

The Rock Gods were smiling upon us on the night of the 14th and perhaps a little surprised that metal took the Lebanese stage for a change.

The closing of the Beirut Rock Festival 2009 featured the metal bands Anathema and To Die For. That’s not all; Local bands such as Tristmoon and Weeping Willow also played proving that Lebanon can rock as hard as or maybe even better than some international artists.

The setting was premium; from the light show, the sound system to the crowd, all came together to make this rock festival one to remember.

I prepared myself for the occasion with a shaved face and a short haircut but as you can imagine I felt like an outsider with all these metal heads, head bangers and rockers. But things changed when the real rockin’ began.

After the Lebanese bands showed off their talents, it was time for To Die For. This gothic metal band gave us a lesson or two on how they rock in Finland and Finnish bands are, as we know, hard core. The performance was energetic with the talented Lead singer Jarno Perätalo shifting the music from the previous growling performances to a pure metal scene.

Last but certainly not least, the time came for Anathema which was the final and main performance of the night. Anathema in Greek means something lifted up as an offering to the gods and I’m assuming that’s their music. The Crowd went wild listening to their favorite songs being played live from “Lost Control”,  “angel walk among us” to many other hits from the Liverpoolian band. The atmosphere was electrifying with a riveting top-class end to an unforgettable festival.

In this Trance loving country, the rockers proved tonight and throughout this festival their solemn right of more concerts and our share of various international bands. I hope that the success of Beirut Rock Festival 2009 will be the start of a series of well-deserved rock events with names such as David Gilmore, The Scorpions, Creed, Metallica and others. It’s time to diversify.