Hardcore Superstar Stuck In Paris

Swedish heavy rock and glam metal merchants Hardcore Superstar were stuck in Paris and missed Bang Your Head’s 10th anniversary as an open-air festival.

The Gothenburg-based "sleaze rockers" may have the sort of name that suggests they were enjoying the seedier districts of the city, but they were kicking their heels at the airport.

"First they had a flight canceled, then they were put on the next one, then they had to be taken off because that was already sold out, and then they were put on standby," explained a festival representative.

The 20,000-capacity site 60 kilometres southwest of Stuttgart was close to being sold out as the event celebrated its birthday by pulling a record crowd. The festival is owned and run by Horst Franz of Heavy magazine.

Bang Your Head started 13 years ago but spent its first three years as an indoor festival, using various Balingen venues including the local authority’s exhibition centre.

The acts banging their heads in Balingen June 27-28 included Judas Priest, Queensryche, Iced Earth, Saxon, Lizzy Borden, White Lion, Grave Digger, Yngwie Malmsteen and Age Of Evil.