Pain was the first band for us at this year’s Metaltown, and they opened the festival up for us on the Red Stage, one of the two main stages.

Sadly, as we were running a little late, and the line to get in was nothing short of insane, we managed to miss 1½ song in the beginning of the set. Seeing all the paper-strips covering the ground I quickly figured that they had started the show of in the same manner as they had done at Sweden Rock; blasting away with big confetti-cannons!
Later on, they would also add some pyrotechnics to enhance the visuals of the show…

As I mentioned, the line going in had been huge, and it was soon apparent that so was the crowd watching the Swedish pioneer of dance-metal.
The response they gave the band was close to breath-taking as they manically jumped up and down for End Of The Line (for one), or just the general clapping and shouting which was enough to invoke an encore with (fittingly) Shut Your Mouth.
It was also in Shut Your Mouth that we saw the first real proof of humour from the band today, as Michael Bohlin and Johan Husgafvel snuck up on Peter Tägtgren from behind and pushed him at the same time as the lyrics went “...push and shove...”
There was of course also the dedication (the first of many at the festival) to the recently deceased king of pop Michael Jackson; which Tägtgren gave the song Bitch.

Pain has always been a stable live-act, although apart from these two things I’ve just mentioned the show was rather ordinary, bordering on dull, without the energy which had lifted the gig at Sweden Rock Festival at the start of the same month.
The show was still a success in its own right, but this was mainly because of the great response from the lively audience...

Setlist:

I’m Going In
Monkey Business
Zombie Slam
End Of The Line
Walking On Glass
It’s Only Them
Dancing With The Dead
Suicide Machine
Bitch
Shut Your Mouth