Gigantour 2006: Recap

On Sunday October 22nd, I finally saw a band I have been waiting for since 1988. Along with Iron Maiden, Megadeth stands among the highest quality metal ever.

As a metal fan, I wanted to achieve to two major things: to see Iron Maiden live (did this in 1992), and to see Megadeth live (Sunday 3 weeks ago).

Fox Studios was packed with so many metalheads that the place was almost devoid of any person wearing a colour other than black. All kinds of metalheads standing proud in band shirts, chatting about metal , drinking with friends or making new friends.

I found Tompeth in the line at the Hordern. We chatted Black Metal for a bit, and then I moved over the to the pub across the road to meet up with Stormster and his gang. I was a bit nervous, having lost the knack of meeting so many new people at once. Things settled quickly, and Stormster, his friends and I got chatting quickly. As we were leaving the pub we bumped into some members of Lord and more forum members, and my barrage of photographs began.

This first photo I took alone captured a great spirit of everyone's excitement for Gigantour: I gathered everyone together (almost 10 or so of us), and got someone else to take the pic. As we awkwardly shuffled about (the pub was full to the brim), someone at a table infront screamed at us "TRUE METAL!!!" and we all yelled and growled, goat signs held high! The photo came out perfectly!

The line-up outside the Hordern was huge. It stretched all the way around into the street behind the hall, and there we waited for some time as we finally got to the front gate of the Hordern where we placed out bags into a cloak room. After doing a merchandise raid for my Megadeth tour shirt and hat, we ran inside just in time to see the brutalising performance of Angela Gossow and Arch Enemy.

The crowd was a living mass of bodies and flying hair. While not really my style, Arch Enemy's show was great, I can see how a lot of the young kids love them, and why Arch Enemy deserve respect. Gossow is a fantastic (and gorgeous) frontwoman. Soulfly was on next, but I wasn't up for them. Megadeth was my main reason for attending, so I decided to head back out to the courtyard and see if I could find any more forum members.

Over the next hour, I met deathgate, Sash, pipsqeek, mightyravendark, ladymessiah, Emmz and a horde of other people (everyone pictured below). deathgate and I got on instantly, and her husband sash is one of the biggest personalities I've met in recent times (little was I to know that I would bond even stronger with pipsqeek, sash and deathgate two weeks later at another event, I love these guys!). So after a few more drinks(!) and many more photos with everyone, my finale of a journey started back in 1988 was about to come: Megadeth!!!

Running into the hall with ladymessiah (who I lost as she had to run to the ladies), I ran into Stormster and his friends who were around 10-20 metres dead centre from the front of the stage. After chatting to them for a while, I decided to take the plunge, and made my way to around 2 metres from the front of the stage, a little off to the left...

... and before I knew it, the show had begun! Mustaine and co erupted on the stage, and the mosh began. Hair flying everywhere, bodies twisting and writhing in a big collective mass, people rolling and being tossed above the crowd as they surfed. The heat was increasing rapidly, before I knew it was covered in sweat and gasping for the cool air above the crowd, while headbanging my ass off and rapidly losing my voice.

After a couple of songs, I pulled out my camera and shot some great footage of Mustaine in action. I stayed in the pit until around halfway through the set, and decided to back out due to a sore neck and being too hot. I moved until I was around 9-10 metres from the front of the stage. Putting my glasses on so I could see clearly, I silently watched the rest of this amazing show.

I couldn't stop grinning the whole time, and I found myself gawking at Mustaine, just as I did with Iron Maiden in 1992, realising that I was finally watching this amazing band, that they were here! Every song was fantasticly executed and Mustaine was having a great time. It was a fitting finale to a long two-part journey I've been waiting to complete for almost 20 years. I clutched my Megadeth merch with pride!

After the finale, to which we were treated to an encore with, a group of us emerged from the show tired, drenched but victorious!


We were all exhausted (and some of us drunk), but I overall deeply satisfied with the outcome of this fantastic and long overdue event. Mustaine has already started to make plans for Gigantour 2007, and I for one will NOT miss it because Gigantour 2006 was incredible. Electric, everyone holding their breath, it was almost a confirmation that Metal has finally returned to it's place in the spotlight here in Australia.

Counting down the months to Gigantour 2007!