1. Taking My Time
2. Please Don’t Go
3. The Truth
4. Without a Trace
5. Your Real Disguise
6. Bad Blood
7. Down Down Down [Charlie Simpson Cover]
8. Make You Feel My Love [Bob Dylan Cover]

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Song: Frozen Fire

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BAGNIOKEEPER
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Setlist:

i Frozen Fire

ii Lakes

iii Sunny Afternoon

iv Mingle in Tokyo

v Bagniokeeper (raw version)

fin

Intro - Always

It had been a long twelve year period since the last time Sanitary Towel stood upon a festival stage as a collective unit. A dozen elongated years ago, a triumphant, emotional set at Scotland's Chaos For Cancer festival, had cemented Sanitary Towel's widely regarded position as the best live band of their time, and bound them deeply in the eternally perennial debate of who was the best band live band of all time.
However, 12 years is no short period of time. A lot of water had passed under the bridge since then. Two of the original Sanitary Towel members had gone on to achieve very little from their lives, removing themselves completely from the spotlight which had once drowned them in a luscious plethora of adoration, glory, and a little sweat and tears. Another member had gone on to much bigger and better things. Scott H, the enigmatic guitarist of Sanitary Towel, had gone on to ensure that his name was one which would be etched in the history of metal for all time. Releasing 15 albums and embarking on some of the ferocious world tours in living memory, tours which spawned the careers of bands such as Mind and Reckoner, Blood Of Wecz, and their immortal frontman, had engraved their name into the very foundations of music itself.
That was all in the past though. History means nothing when 300,000 people stand before you. 300,000 people who are there to see not just one band. 300,000 people who demand to be impressed. Sanitary Towel had to deliver, and they had to deliver tonight.

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Without warning, the stage lights flash brightly and then simultaneously go out. At the precise second this happens, the PA dies, and a roar of mammoth proportion from the crowd rocks the Camp Nou to it's core.
After about ten seconds of silence, a crackling noise can be heard over the PA, like someone is putting an old vinyl record onto a turntable. Very quietly at first, but with a steadily increasing volume, the orchestral masterpiece, Rabbia E Tarrantella by Ennio Morricone (The DVD title track from "Inglorious Basterds") can be heard sliding it's way out of every speaker in the stadium. The track has an upbeat, yet atmospheric marching sensation laced throughout, and the audience clap along in time to it.
All of a sudden, the track is interrupted by a bellowing drum fill, and a cacophony of double kick bass beats, and a spotlight flickers on, revealing the unusually monickered Turtle perched confidently behind his drum kit. In true Spinal Tap fashion, he crosses the sticks and stands tall above his kit, lapping up wave after wave of cheering from the crowd, before sitting down and playing another breathtaking drum solo....the kind that makes you feel like you want to cough with every thundering battering note.
Moments later, another wave of cheering engulfs the stage as a second spotlight ignites the engaging figure of bassist Jaroslav Bures. Bures walks calmly, but purposely to the centre of the stage. He stands beside a microphone...but it's not the lead microphone. The microphone beside it looks as if it is destined for only the words of a true legend to grace.
The orchestral music stops abruptly, and the crowd cheer and chant the name of the band with a vigour that cannot have been expected after such a long break. Bures holds a hand up to ask for silence and the plethora of joyous noises slowly fades to nothing. Just then, the voice of another famous Scot, Gerard Butler, in the guise of King Leonidis, erupts, bellowing magnificently from the PA.

"Spartans! What Is Your Profession? HA-OOOH! HA-OOOH! HA-OOOH!"

On the third chant, a massive power chord drowns out the movie quote, and the stage, which has been in darkness for an extended period, is suddenly bathed in a bright, almost angelic light. The inimitable form of Sanitary Towel frontman Scott H, pink mohawk and all, stands centre stage, basking in the pure delight of those who are now able to see their hero at last. He is dressed rather weirdly, considering that they are in Spain in the middle of summer. Perhaps a trench coat and studded trousers are a tad much, but he looks delighted to be there. After soaking up the atmosphere for a moment or two, the frontman takes a guitar, a beautiful ebony Gibson SG from a roadie and straps it on, ready to go.



A firework emanates from each side of the stage at this point, the explosion acting as the musical cue to the band, who career straight into the instantly recognisable intro of punk-metal classic "Always", their biggest hit from their world-renowned second album of the same name. As the crowd bounces in time, encouraged by the actions of Bures, H flamboyantly strums each and every one of the power chords which lend the song it's iconic, edgy sound, his left hand caressing the fretboard with the deft touch of an expert craftsman, his right hand striking the strings like a crazed butcher. All the while, the frontman continues wailing the lyrics into his microphone with all the intensity and vigour of a true performer.
Any prior fear of Sanitary Towel having been forgotten is completely blown out of the water by the time they reach the first chorus of their set opener, as Scott's voice is almost totally drowned out by the assembled masses before him. A veritable wall of his own lyrics striking him straight in the face as he stands in front of his microphone, barely even able to sing himself through the massive smile which is spread from ear to ear.
By the time the track reaches it's conclusion, the band are clearly feeling the energy of the crowd, and a blistering finale, heralded by the rumbling of Turtle's drum kit, and the screeching harmonics of Scott H's guitar leads to a roar of approval from the ecstatic fans. Scott H raises a victorious hand in the air as Turtle smashes the few final beats on the kit.

Smooth Applicator/Wings/Around Again

Scott H nods in the direction of Turtle, who bursts immediately into the fast drum roll which brings about the start of "Smooth Applicator", the first of a trio of tracks from Sanitary Towel's eponymous debut album. These tracks are unashamedly punk, no frills, no bells and whistles. They don't pretend to be from the gloriously high brow land of Infinite or the exquisitely technical corner of metal inhabited by Mind, but they are delivered with an accuracy and energy...a true electricity, that means they are hard to forget. Scott H attacks each of them with the same bounding enthusiasm, jogging around the stage, or pointing his guitar into the crowd like a rifle when he's not supposed to be singing.
The three songs tell stories of teenage angst, akin to the time of life the various band members were at when the songs were written. Amongst the flailing power chords and battering drums, we are treated to lyrics about vaginas, tits, periods and various different sanitary products. The songs may have a childish overtone to them, but the rapport between the band and crowd is evident, as the energy of the two opposing masses collides to spawn a real buzz, and a real sense of fun in every corner of the stadium.
Scott H, still wearing a coat in the blistering evening heat, is whipping the crowd into a frenzy with his repeated requests for circle pits, and the cheer he receives every time he screams, "Hola Barca" is quite breathtaking.

Oblivion

Scott H steps off to the side of the stage as Around Again comes to a faded end. The song drifts away in the cool Spanish night air, and the frontman takes off his trench coat at long last, to reveal a stud covered leather jacket. He hands a roadie his Gibson SG, and is handed, in return, a white custom McSwain guitar, the very kind he has been using since his days in Blood Of Wecz. He strums it a few times to hear the sound in his in-ear monitor and gives the guitar tech a thumbs up.
Walking to an amp at the back of the stage, Scott picks up a small glass, tiny it is, and takes it with him to the lead mic, sipping it slightly as he walks, and raising it in toast to the fans. As he reaches the mic, he looks down very deliberately at the guitar, and addresses his audience,

"I thought we could use something tuned a little lower for this next track. Sounds better" (He laughs). A small minority of the crowd cheers in anticipation after this comment. He takes a sip from the small glass again.

"What, this? It's sherry...yeah, secretly, deep down, I'm actually a 65 year-old granny," he laughs as the crowd sarcastically boo and he throws the empty glass to a roadie at side stage. His voice changes, and he sounds genuinely excited and full of beans as he says, "No no, my friends, I jest! You see, I always need a nice glass of sherry to warm up the vocal chords when it's time to screeeaaammm!" The predominantly metal crowd who have hung around to see Sanitary Towel and Mind raise the roof at this comment. "Anyone who has been paying attention will know that we intend to put a new album out some time this year! It's gonna be more metal than Towel have ever been before. Right now, we're gonna play a song from that album which we've never played before," he looks shiftily side to side. "Yeah, I mean literally. That fat guy at the back is gonna tap in four beats, and we're gonna hope that whatever we each play respectively sounds as if we've practiced it as a unit!
"But in all seriousness though, this has never been played live until tonight. We hope you like it, this is called "Oblivion!"



The stage lights dim, and an array of colourful lasers move slowly across the stage as Scott finger picks the slow, ambient, haunting intro to Sanitary Towel's new track. He sways his hips slowly from side to side as he plays, and the lasers appear to dance with him in harmony. As the guitar intro reaches a high pitched crescendo, H lifts his guitar in the air, urging the crowd to scream as his last note rings out, reverberating around the tall stands. Turtle counts in four beats on the hi-hat. As the stick connects with the brass cymbal for the fourth time, at that exact moment, Scott H stamps furiously on a pedal board in front of him, flipping the sound of his guitar completely, transforming it from a crooning, pianic falsetto wonder, into a growling, rabid beast, distorted and heavy.
The rest of the song sounds almost Blood Of Wecz-esque in composition. The music is heavy, and the screams are frequent, as Sanitary Towel thrash their way through a song which had been previously unheard. During a drum led interlude, Scott H leaps on the front stage monitors, beckoning to the crowd, and screaming "Come on!" before returning to the song, his left hand a mere blur as it assaults each and every note with frightening technical accuracy. The circle pits have opened for Sanitary Towel at last, and the biggest one, in the centre of the crowd, appears to be violently growing in size with every demonic note played.

Are We Afraid To Die?
Don't We All See That Some Day We Will Fly?
Our Spirits Soar As Our Bodies Turn To Ashes.
Oblivion Wiping Out The Assembled Masses.

The track comes to a close with a crash, and two blasts of fireworks from the side of the stage, which cross overhead.

Love Tunnel/Sex Addict

Scott thanks the audience, and turns back to the guitar tech, replacing the McSwain with an acoustic guitar. He strums a happy chord and the crowd cheer half-heartedly, bringing a smile from the frontman, as the other two members of Sanitary Towel vacate the stage. "I want to try something. Do you guys think I might play something a little lower-key? Something a little (French accent) "ambiént"?" A chorus of sarcastic booing has him laughing hysterically.

"Oh come on! I just played you a metal tune. It was gnarly maaaan! Anyway, I got the guitar and the mic, so I'm in control." he laughs and gestures to the audience, jokingly, holding his thumb and forefinger to his head in an "L" sign. He smiles again, clearly having a great time.

"Is anyone here in love? Yeah? If you're in love, please put your ass in the air! I'm kidding. Don't actually do that..it's like catnip to this guy," he says, nodding to Jaroslav Bures standing just off stage, and then guffawing as he deftly dodges a swift kick from the bassist.
"Where was I? Oh yeah! I wanna tell you about someone special. She's up in here tonight Barcelona. This guy here," he says, pointing to himself with his thumbs, "is in love...big style. So I thought to myself; "what better way to show my love than with a song right?" I don't have many ballady type love songs in my repertoire....one to be precise actually. And this is it. This song is called "Love Tunnel", and it's for you Gia. I love you."
He strums the opening chord of the song, and then stops again abruptly. A confused, concerned look is spread across his face.
"I should say actually, contrary to popular belief. And contrary to what I've said a million times since I wrote this track 14 years ago...it is not, and I repeat NOT about a vagina. Yeah, maybe all our other songs at that time were, but this was about love and...ummm.... safety and care." He desperately claws to try and save the sentiment in the song, before opting to just play the track, his face a slight red with embarrassment.

The track is a slowly strummed acoustic ballad. Scott sits on a stool in the centre of the stage to play it, illuminated by a dimmed spotlight on an otherwise dark stage, softly strumming his guitar, and allowing a side of his voice which is rarely heard to be showcased. His voice is surprisingly good for a metal singer, and sounds gentle and soft. He sings much of the song with his eyes closed as he feels the sentiments that he just verbally sent towards Gia. The song is most notable for its (apparently not) innuendo laden chorus. A chorus which stands out from the verses for being a lot faster and happier, and very catchy, allowing the crowd to eventually sing along to the words as they pick them up.

"You Remind Me Of A Place Where I Can Hide,
You Provide Me Comfort, So Safe And Warm Inside"

As he strums the final chord, and plays a slow picking section, one string at a time, the crowd cheer for Scott H, and Turtle, who has returned to the stage, plays an applause-like beat on the drum.
"Thank you!"
He stands up and throws his stool to the side of the stage. Walking over after he's thrown it, he hands his guitar over to a roadie again, but this time doesn't bother to exchange it for another one.
"So we played you a new song just a while back right? Well you know what goes well with the new stuff? That's right...the oooolllllddd stuff. So how about we play you the oldest song we have? It's so infantile that I don't even need a guitar. We didn't know what a bass was when we wrote it...we were 13...so Jaro can play guitar, and I can be free," he laughs. he leaps off the stage and stands in front of the fans in the front row.
"So....the campsite outside," he says, "Is there a lot of fucking going on? I'll bet there is! We're on the party bus this weekend. We've been here since Friday, and there is a LOT of fucking going on on that bus too, let me tell ya!......uuuunnnnfortunately for most of us, the vast majority of it is being conducted by Katie Coyle and her new French girlfriend." He laughs at his own comment, ""Unfortunately", right? There's a quote for my headstone." He raises his hand as if reading across his headstone, although the over elaborate hand gestures signal that he expects his own headstone to be twenty-seven feet tall. He probably does.
""Scott H.....1983 - 2097....blah blah blah....'unfortunately two hot lesbians were having sex on our bus.'" I'll be honest, that would make a trip to any cemetery much more bearable, if headstones said interesting shit like that."
He bounces around on the floor, as the fans try to reach out and touch him. "Anyway...this next song is dedicated to those who are NOT getting laid this weekend...I feel for you guys. Although, I also feel fucking terrified about becoming a hate figure. It takes balls to play a song about masturbation in a Catholic country...and on a Sunday to boot. I'd have been as well wearing a burkha and pissing on the pope...whilst reading the Da Vinci code...in Punjabi. Haha, anyway, this one is called, "Sex Addict".

"Sex Addict" is the most basic of songs possible to actually play. It contains only three chords, which are repeated over and over throughout the entire track, and a simple hi-hat/snare drum pattern, which also goes unchanged. Despite this, the song is fun, and is greeted with open arms by the crowd who lap it up. Scott stands down the front, high fiving people, jumping into the crowd, and generally enjoying himself. The highlight of the song is how clear it was, that even at the age of just 13, Scott H was a clever lyricist with an eye for a witty pun. At the end of the song, he climbs back on to the stage, looking tired, and out of breath.

"I'm Just A Sex Addict (Without Sex),
I Wish I Knew What Was Coming Next,
If Only I Thought It Could Be Me,
But I'm The Only One Who Wants To Please Me!"

The End Of Everything

"Woooo! Are we all having a good night out there tonight? Yeah! Well we have another couple of songs for you guys before the metal behemoth that is Mind take to the stage!" Cheering erupts from the crowd, and chanting for the Jason Smith led band means Scott has to wait before speaking again.
"Yeah! I'm proud to be sub-headlining to Mind. I knew them when they were just starting out, gave them sort of their break in the live arena. So now, it's great for me to see how they've blossomed! So proud." He pretends to wipe a tear from his eye.
Scott now has a guitar strapped over his shoulder again. The same white McSwain from before. He plays a few pinched harmonics as two drum techs fiddle around at the back, and sticks his tongue out to the crowd, as he plays various riffs on his guitar in the hold up.

"Ok, so I was told not to tell you this," he starts, "but the drum has a broken bass skin or something. Turtle has beat its ass so fucking hard that he ruptured that shit!" The crowd bellow their approval, and a sheepish looking turtle waves to them apologetically.
Scott H stands over to the side of the stage, and high on top of an amp, fearless apparently. He plays the opening riff to "Beat It", by Michael Jackson, to massive ovation, and then waves his hand as if to tell them to stop. He then leaps down and wanders back slowly to his microphone, whilst playing some sweep picking. It looks difficult as hell, but he remains as nonchalant as ever.

Scott starts to play another Michael Jackson song for some unknown reason. The "ooh ooh" parts of "Billie Jean" are provided by the enthusiastic in the crowd, and Scott laughs as he hits a pinch on every one of the "ooh's".

"Billie Jean is not my lover.....She says I am the one, But the kid is not my son"

As he finishes signing and plays a quick guitar solo, a thunderous double kick beat from the back of the stage suggests that the drums are good to go, and the crowd cheer in anticipation.
"I hope that cheer wasn't because I was stopped from singing," Scott jokes, "I don't even know where the Michael Jackson songs came from there. I just went with it." Another huge cheer comes straight towards the man of the moment.

"Ok....let me see!" He stands atop the monitors with his mic in his hand, and his other hand above his eyes, surveying the sea of bodies in front of him like a fleet admiral. He exudes the confidence of a higher authority throughout the show, and this power stance only serves to strengthen this imagery.
"We put out a new song last week. It didn't chart well, but I couldn't give a monkey's about charts. This is metal motherfuckers! Yeah! Let me hear- ok ok, so I was a little disappointed, right? Don't judge me." He leaps down from the monitor and walks back to his mic stand, placing the microphone back in position, and strumming his guitar again.
"Let's start for real again. We put out a new song last week. If you know that shit then go crazy and sing along. This is called "The End Of Everything"!

The track starts with the slow strumming section, as Scott asks the crowd to clap along in time. Back on the drums, Turtle sings the clean opening section of the song, before one almighty scream from Scott H brings about the hammering, thunderous new metal riffage from Sanitary Towel. Scott H head bangs in time to the track throughout the instrumental sections, and adopts a magnificently enigmatic power stance as he screams his vocals triumphantly into the microphone, laying waste to the joy-laden masses before him.
After five minutes of glorious heavy riffs and furious blast beats, Scott H asks the crowd if they have time to go crazy one last time in this track. They do. He asks for three circle pits around the stadium, which then lay waste to everything in their path as the song roars on... before it grinds to a meticulously heavy halt, eventually.

"Medicated State Of Mind,
Turn An Eye To Sin So Blind,
We Are All Pawns In This Great Game,
Our Lying Lives Will End In Shame"