Could you ever expect a dull moment with Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes? The answer is no, and this is especially true at Hellfest 2022. The tattooed minstrel is one hell of a performer and shall take no prisoners should you decide to attend his ‘party’.
Hellfest 2022 – Day One – Friday 17 June 2022
Words: Dany Jones
Photography: Ya Cheng
Carter boasts that the last time they were here, they played the Warzone stage, and it was “fucking hot”. This time they are playing the main stage, and it is still “fucking hot”. Next time they will play higher up the bill, later in the evening, and that is it.
Thirty minutes of absolute mayhem unleashes, where he praises somebody in a wheelchair moshing and calls him the most rock ‘n’ roll mofo in the audience.
He then launches into the crowd and sings the whole of the next song transported by the audience.
Carter then follows with being the centre of a circle pit, goes back on stage and asks, “are you warm yet?”
Juggernaut sees the turn of his guitarist launching while it is Frank’s turn to stay back. “Don’t drop him,” Carter says, “Here is my pension plan right there.”
The pit has exploded into one huge party. People mosh and jump around.
Now comes silence, as Frank lets us regroup and then commands, “now, I want you to open the pit. I want you to make the biggest space. This is the space for someone very special. I want all the ladies to come here and mosh and for the guys to stay the fuck back and protect them.”
Then he introduces Wild Flowers.
What an utterly exhilarating experience. It is now the time to ask the fans if they ever wrote a love song to someone they hate.
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes have been absolute mayhem from the start, entertaining to the max, where the enjoyment was certainly turned up to 11.
Hellfest 2022 will be held over two weekends in June, featuring 350 artists on six stages. For more information visit www.hellfest.fr/en/
You can read all the MetalTalk Hellfest coverage at metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2022
This year there is also a virtual edition, Hellfest From Home. For more details visit fromhome.hellfest.fr
