Kave Fest is the biggest Metal festival within an hour’s drive from Paris. Historically, it was a two-day festival focused on Metalcore and the most extreme genres of Metal. But in the last few years, it expanded into a three-day party. The aim for this year was to become more eclectic, with a lineup designed for families and newcomers. Few events can boast such a site. The stage was set in the shade of the keep of Gisors’ medieval castle, adorned with the banners of the festival for the occasion: truly one of the best venues you could dream of.
For the first day of the festival, things started off in a rather relaxed atmosphere with not as many events surrounding the castle. On the menu: Grunge, Rock N’ Roll, a bit of Prog, and Alternative Metal. While there is plenty of room to roam about the castle, the festival chose to only have one stage, to offer breaks in between bands.
In the late afternoon, Ringscabs were the first to take the stage. The band seems quite recent and has not released any material yet. They played their own brand of Brutal Rock with dedication and were definitely a good opening. Throughout their short set, they moved from heavy riffs to a more catchy and Rock N’ Roll vibe. You should keep an eye out for their first releases.
Around 7 p.m., the festival grounds were not overcrowded, but the attendance was more than decent for the next band: Bad Situation, a duo act with Aziz Bentot (Dealer2Metal on YouTube and social media). The past few years have certainly been beneficial for the act, which underwent a musical glow-up. They refined their music and stage presence to another level. The songs from their eponymous album of 2024 sound very catchy (“Fairweather Friend,” for example), and while they have no pretension of reinventing the Rock N’ Roll wheel, it was certainly an entertaining set. They successfully launched the first mosh pits and wall of death of the weekend during their last title, “Better Off Dead.”
On the other hand, Saint Agnes seemed to have quite a bit of trouble settling on stage and doing the soundcheck to their satisfaction, so much so that their set started almost fifteen minutes later than scheduled. Indeed, the electronic beat in many of their songs was too loud, making the overall mix rather crude. That didn’t stop the band from unleashing their fury on stage, while paradoxically retaining their oh-so-British composure. Playing their hits like “Bloodsuckers” and “Animal,” the audience enjoyed their performance. Despite, or perhaps thanks to, her high-pitched and angry-cat-rough voice, Kitty A. Austen is certainly a charismatic frontwoman.
Although Planet of Zeus was not the headlining band, the Greeks were certainly a highlight of the program for many festival-goers this Friday. They ran onto the stage with the biggest smiles possible, ready to offer, in their own words, “The best Rock ‘N Roll show of 2025.” Ambitious? Indeed, but with good reason. The band interacted with their fans as much as possible, and while some people had been content with greeting friends and chatting in the background, their gaze now turned toward the stage. Even those who had been fiercely headbanging were at least nodding approvingly while tapping their feet. Songs such as “Leftovers” and “Loyal to the Pack” were highlights of the show, as well as excellent introductions for newcomers. Proof of their success: the audience kept singing “Your Song” even after it ended. With such an appearance on a French stage, Planet of Zeus has certainly earned new fans.
Coheed and Cambria is a band far too rarely seen headlining in Europe, and even less so in France. While they have the craziest and most loyal fanbase in the US, here in France, if a fan utters their name, the usual reply is a dismayed “Coheed and quoi?” However, for quite a few newcomers to the fest that day, the band’s appearance was reason enough to travel across land and sea. Here and there, you could spot fans thanks to their dragonfly or keywork tattoos, biding their time before flocking to the front rows and losing all pretense of restraint as soon as the first notes of “Goodbye Sunshine” hit.
With a new album released earlier this year (Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Makebelieve), the band chose their catchiest new songs as well as a few very welcome surprises. This reviewer did not expect the masterpiece “Domino the Destitute” to be played and was more than glad this deep cut from their discography was chosen for the day. A cover of “Mother” by Danzig was a nice touch in the setlist.
From the new album, “Someone Who Can” and “Searching for Tomorrow” proved very effective live. “Play the Poet” was a strange choice instead of the title track. Claudio Sanchez’s vocals were in top form, but some of the new titles, with more aggressive vocals than he’s used to, remained challenging. On the other hand, old classics like “A Favor House Atlantic” and “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3” are still deadly efficient.
Though a big part of the audience didn’t know Coheed and Cambria very well, there was a pleasant atmosphere. The crowd might not have reached the level of craziness seen from the Children of the Fence in New York, but by French standards for an unfamiliar band, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. It might just have been the best show Coheed and Cambria has given in France in the last ten years. It was rather fun to see the band members of Bad Situation, on the side of the stage, rocking out to “Welcome Home,” during which Claudio brought out his double-neck guitar. If you discovered the band at Kave Fest, be sure to show up in Paris this October for their show at l’Alhambra!
To end the evening, the stage was set for the Metal DJ set of Carbon Killer, with a series of screens displaying made-up adverts for a variety of absurd products — a mirror image of the internet’s constant feed. DJ sets at metal fests are often strange and slightly disappointing experiences, lacking interaction with the audience. In the case of Carbon Killer, the music was not unpleasant, as there were plenty of epic guitar solos from the DJ/guitar hero. But since he seemed to suffer from numerous technical issues with his setup, it was difficult to form a proper opinion. For many people in the audience, it was the sign to grab one last drink and head to the campsite.
This first day of the festival may have been unsettling for longtime regulars, but its eclecticism was a strong point for all the newcomers.
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