It was on September 2nd that Bajonca – Associação Cultural e Recreativa presented us with the first edition of the Bajonca Rock Fest.
The day began in Valadares, São Pedro do Sul, with threatening rain and a strong approaching thunderstorm could be heard in the distance.
Fortunately, shortly after 4 pm, the weather calmed down and the sound of the storm was replaced by the sound of OVERHATED!
Opening the festival and coming directly from São Pedro do Sul, with Diogo Oliveira on drums, Francisco Martins and Mateus Silva on guitar, Tiago Silva on bass and Marco Rodrigues on vocals, they presented us with songs such as “Paranoid”, “Aneurysm”, “Seek And Destroy” and “From Whom The Bell Tolls”.
And it was with his Rock/Heavy Metal that the public gathered for the great afternoon at Bajonca.
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This was followed by GIZZAH, a band coming from Ílhavo. Formed in 2020, with “Franky Smokes” on bass/vocals and “Benny Creature” on drums, they showed what they’re made of with their Stoner/Doom Metal. The group performed songs such as “Narco”, “Sedna”, “Garbage”, “Wake”, “Slaves” and “White”. This duo is a great example that sometimes less is more!
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In third place and playing at home, came RAVEN HORSE! Born in Valadares – São Pedro do Sul, this band was created in 2022 and features Rui on guitar, Marcelo on drums, Henrique on bass and Luís on vocals/flutes. Their concert featured great sound quality, adorned with the distinct presence of flutes, a special touch that fits perfectly into their Heavy/Folk Metal.
Songs like “Black Chapters”, “Iron Gates”, “Red Sorceress”, “Arrows Rain” and “Gasoline Sea” delighted the audience who enjoyed this talented quartet.
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Moving on to Prog/Black Metal and coming from Coimbra, AOIDOS! Formed in 2019, with João Freitas on guitar/vocals, Pedro Miguel on drums, eKid on bass and more recently Ivo Resende on guitar, they engaged with the audience quite well with songs such as “From The Surface Grate”, “Trauma”, “All Wherever Always”, “The Wheels” “Black Swam”, “Fire”. The reaction was good and the band convinced with their performance. This is a band to keep an eye on in the future.
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Directly from Lordelo, Paredes, it was time for WAROUT to show us their demolishing Trash Metal!
With António Silva on guitar/vocals, Luis Moreira on drums, Luís Mota on guitar and João Abreu on bass, Warout showcased their influences from the biggest old-school thrash bands, specially the pioneers of the genre. The band was formed in 2022 brought the public to a roar with songs such as “Slaves”, “Trash Attack”, “Blind Society”, “Where Is God”, “Whiplash” and “Thoughts”.
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After dinner, it was time for GODARK. Created in 2010 in Penafiel, this sextet is composed of Daniel Silva on bass, Fábio Silva on drums, Diogo Ferreira, Carlos Preto and Rui Fernandes on guitars and Vitor Costa on vocals. This group brought to Valadares their melodic death metal with songs extracted from the albums “Reborn from Chaos”(2015) and “Forward We March” (2020). Their captivating setlist featured songs such as “Freedom”, “Outbreak”, “Miserable Noise”, “Disorder’s Edge”, “Repealing Silence”, “Everything Is Gone”, “Resurface”, “No Future No Mercy” and “Mask Of Ignorance”.
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With a long journey in music, REVOLUTION WITHIN need no introductions in the underground scene! Formed in Santa Maria da Feira back in 2005, this band features “Matador” and Flávio on guitars, Raimundo on bass, “Tozé” on drums and “Raça” on vocals. With a large national and international presence on their resume, this band was the headliner of this festival, bringing us their modern take on groovy Thrash Metal. The band channelled their energy through songs taken from their entire discography: “Collision” (2009), “Straight from Within” (2012), “Annihilation” (2016), and “Chaos” (2020) as “Back From The Shadows”, “Chaos”, “Days of Anger”, “From Madness to Sanity”, “Revenge Now”, “You will Burn”, “Pull The Trigger”, “Take You Down”, “Pure Hate” and “Silence”. Without a doubt an excellent musical performance!
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Closing the great debut of this festival were ZURRAPA! A well-known humorous band formed in 2017, in Viseu. They play Punk Rock sung in Portuguese, with António Fonseca on guitar and vocals, Nuno Mendonça on bass and Pedro Sales on drums. Spectacular end of the night with songs like the hit “Cerveja”, “Hey! Quero Trotil!”, “Afogado em Cerveja”, “Nós não Cantamos Canções de Amor”, “Queimei o Casaco C’um Morango”, “Escravos do Poder” and “Cucaracha da Cerveja”.
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With the promise of a great festival fulfilled, we would like to thank all the staff involved, for their hard work and dedication.
Let’s keep an eye on the next editions!
Texto & photos by Rui Pereira
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