Better Than Perfect

Last year Nuno Vieira described Optimus Alive!08 in Portugal as “the perfect festival,” which now leaves him searching for more superlatives as he says the 2009 gathering was even better.

The third staging of the event attracted a sold-out, 40,000-capacity crowd to the July 9 opening headlined by Metallica and 35,000 on each of the other two days.

The 110,000 crowd total was 10,000 up on last year and Vieira is confident that next year Lisbon’s Alges Park site, a vast expanse of grassland next to the now-scenic old docklands, will sell out. The dates are already scheduled for July 8-10.

The acts helping Optimus Alive!09 reach for its optimum July 9-11 also included Slipknot, Dave Matthews Band, Placebo, Lamb Of God, Mastodon, Los Campesinos!, Erol Alkan and Late Of The Pier.