News

The countdown has begun for Euskadi''s next major music festival, Kobetasonik; a two-day affair dedicated to lovers of rock and heavy metal music.

This 19th-20th June, Bilbao''s Kobeta mountain will play host to as many as twenty-four rock acts that include such legendary bands from the world of rock as Anthrax, Papa Roach and Suicidal Tendancies.

After much speculation, the final line-up for this year''s festival goes as follows:

On Friday 19th June, local group Idi Bihotz will open Stage 1. Formed in 1996 by brothers Mikel and Gorka Barba with their cousin Iban Huarte and later Pekkory, the band has never stopped touring and have performed with Metallica, Mastodon and Hamlet. Also playing Stage 1 on Friday will be Devildriver, Cathedral, Trivium, Machine Head and last but not least, the controversial sounds of Marilyn Manson. The return of bassist Twiggy Ramírez to the band means a fresh repertoire of MM''s favourite topics: sex, violence, drugs and religion.

Opening at 14:55 on Stage 2 will be Swedish all-girl band Crucified Barbara, followed by local group Gojira, Hot Leg, Cradle of Filth, Journey and Suicidal Tendencies.

Saturday 20th June will begin on Stage 1 with New Jersey rockers God Forbid, followed by Dragonforce. At approximately 19.10, metal legends Anthrax will take to the stage; formed in New York back in 1981 Anthrax is one of thrash metal''s highest-selling bands in history. Sweden''s also legendary In Flames will precede Mötley Crüe, who will be dropping by Kobeta as part of their European Tour.

Stage 2 will open at 14.20 with the Basque Country''s Ekon, followed by young British singer and daughter of Iron Maiden''s Steve Harris, Lauren Harris. The next two acts will be Buckcherry and Papa Roach (both from California) followed by possibly the festival''s most celebrated rock act, Thin Lizzy.

Formed in Dublín in 1969 by singer, bassist and composer Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy became most famous for songs like "The boys are back in town" and "Whiskey in the jar". Pioneers in the use of melodic guitars simultaneously, they influenced bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Lynott died in 1986 but the remaining band members reformed in 1996 with John Sykes as frontman.

The new metal generation''s Dream Theater will follow, with Hatebreed closing the Festival at 2am.

Aside from the two main concert stages, visitors can also enter the DJs Tent.

Getting there

The festival venue will open its doors at 14.00 on both days. For those planning to camp out, the camping area will open at 18.00 on Thursday 18th June and stay open until 14.00 the following Sunday. Kobetasonik tickets include the right to camp at any point during the festival. Food and drink can be brought into the area, but not into the concert venue situated 400m away.

The festival venue cannot be accessed by non-authorised vehicles but the venue can be reached by buses provided by Bilbao Council. Buses leave from the Bus Terminal at San Mames and from BEC-Bilbao Exhibition Centre. Those using the service should present their festival tickets to the driver. Taxis will be authorised to enter for those choosing to travel that way.

A two-day wristband is priced at 95 Euros, while a one-day entrance ticket costs 50 Euros. Tickets can be bought in advance through BBK, the Tick Tack Ticket website, at allocated sales points or from the Festival ticket office at a slightly elevated price. The box office timetable is:

-Friday: from 12pm to 1am the following morning
-Saturday: from 1pm to 1am the following morning

For further information, visit the website: www.kobetasonik.com