Live shows were good in 2025. OK being away for over 4 months meant I missed a lot. Yet I got rewarded by some great gigs in Brazil. This year I put some restrictions in order to make chosing more difficult. So one evening or festival can not be mentioned more than once. Even if Musicon remains my favourite place to be, no mention here while I loved several nighst or days there (Pungeant Stench, Festerfest) . So here is my top 12 and a half over 2025. What I found is that while I don't like coverbands all that much, nostalgia did play a large role in my ranking. And oops I forgot to mention the best thrash metal show of the year by Dark Angel.
12.5 Temic - Boerderij Zoetermeer
Double headliner show with Temic being the nice surprise. Rendezvous Point were OK too, but not matching the openers.
12. Samhain Festival - Muziekgieterij Maastricht
Fen and Dodheimsgard gave me two highlights of the day making the drive down to Maastricht worthwhile. And than Moonspell closed the day in style.
11. Jeff Scott Soto & Eric martin - Country Club Novo Friburgo
What a surprisingly perfect show of Classic Rock, highlighting in JSS singing an Yngwie medley.
10. Kiko Loureiro & Marty Friedman - Sacadura 154 Rio
Tuned out that Marty was only a guest, but his few solo songs and the joined Kiko songs were awesome. This while Kiko honoured his past in Megadeth and Angra.
9. Renegade - Patronaat Haarlem
Always remaining sad I missed Thin Lizzy with Phil Lynott as that was before my gigging days. This is the best alternative, great band and setlist.
8. Beyond Creation, Daath, Cynic & Rivers of Nihil - Patronaat Haarlem
Four times great technical death metal on one evening. Beyond Creation among my favourites in the genre and Cynic taking revenge for 24's Effenaar set.
7. Eternal Storm - Innocence Hengelo
With Alex I was one of the two visitors who travelled from far to see a specific band. Totally worth the trip and what a nice day in Hengelo it was.
6. Prog Power Europe - Sjiwa Baarlo
Atmosphere is always top and this year Threshold, Voidchaser and Tiberius were my favourites. A bit worried about the 2026 program so far, but counting all shall work out fine again.
5. Saxon & Grand Slam - 013 Tilburg
Carnaval weekend and I trained south for some good old Heavy Metal. Girlschool could not match these two highlights of my heavy metal year.
4. Mearfest - Queenshall - Nuneaton
Talking about great atmospheres Mearfest is also always way up there. NWOBHM days coming alive with highlights around, but Stormchild and Sacred Alien deserve a special mention.
3. Queensryche - Effenaar Eindhoven
Playing the EP and Warning in full meant nothing could go wrong really. Band in peak form and reminding us why we loved them so much in the eighties.
2. Papangu - Garage Grindhouse, Little Devil, Patronaat & Circo Voador
When I get to see the same band 4 times in six months and all shows are very different it says a lot. Also hosting them one night, meant a band I shall always follow closely and hope to see soon again.
1. Keep It True - Tauber Frankenhalle Lauda - Königshofen
My first KIT and it made me wonder why. So many highlihts of metal from the time I fell in love with it (or just slightly later) Highlights: Riot V, Heir Apparent, S.A. Slayer, Slaughter Xstroyes and Sacred Blade. Great music, great festival and in 2026 I shall miss out again.
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