While Stratovarius may not have been our headliner of the day, they were certainly the headliner of the day.
Opening their show with a bombastic intro, and shining our way to the stage with a large, lit star as their backdrop, things were set for a majestic performance…

“How are you doing? It’s great to be back in Roskilde! We’re gonna have an awesome night!”
- Timo Kotipelto (vocals)

I saw Finnish flags wave in the crowd, unsure whether it was in respect for the band or if the guests were from Finland as well - maybe both? Either way, respect for the band came through without doubt in the loud cheers the musicians got when they entered the stage, and they grew even louder when Timo Kotipelto entered a little while later, just in time for the vocals to begin.
The show opened with Forever Free from the Visions album, and this set the tone for a set that, although including newer tracks with two from the latest (well, three years old now) album, was firmly rooted in the old classics era of Stratovarius - quite the change from the decision Iotunn had done with their set just before, but for this setting I believe it was just the right choice to go with.

“What a fantastic audience we have tonight! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
- Kotipelto (vocals)

Musically, Stratovarius proved their right to the headlining spot, and the sound was spot on, but there was something else that sadly was not. I’m talking about performance, which is something I’m sad to say was altogether lacking here. At the absolute best of times, this could be considered a ‘another day at the office’ delivery, and sometimes it couldn’t even reach that level. The biggest thing that happened was in Black Diamond, where Lauri Porra went to stand next to Jens Johansson and played along on the keyboard for a bit. Yeah.
Kotipelto spoke a little, but only delivered standard clichées, nothing to prove that he took in where he was or what was going on in front of him and the band. Which is sad, because the crowd really tried their best here! There was a lot of singing along of course, Stratovarius have after all penned a whole host of sing along friendly material, and much of it was played here tonight, and the band was cheered along between songs, but apparently it wasn’t enough to truly stir them into a more awakened state.

Even though Stratovarius wasn’t the band we looked the most forward to this day, they were a band we did look forward to, and a band we felt would be a safe bet in delivering some entertainment.
Well, the songs were good, I can say that much, as was the crowd. The show however, ended up feeling dull and uninspired, and not worthy of a headlining spot at this great festival.

Setlist:

Forever Free
Eagleheart
World On Fire
Will The Sun Rise
Distant Skies
Eternity
Black Diamond
Survive
Visions (Southern Cross)
Unbreakable
Hunting High And Low