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It’s not exactly out of the ordinary to see fatigued and disinterested dads at One Direction shows. In fact, the internet is rife with photos of One D chaperones who look like they’re at the end of their rope. But it’s fair to say most of those dads don’t front one of the most respected bands in metal.
As Metal Hammer reports, Opeth‘s Mikael Akerfeldt recently attended a One Direction concert with his eldest daughter, and he’s channeled his bemusement into an entertaining gig review. A veteran performer, Akerfeldt doesn’t think much of the young British heartthrobs as live musicians.
“Well, I was in the minority there, being an old dude for one!” he writes. “But it was two sold-out nights at the Friends Arena which holds 60,000 people or something. My oldest daughter likes One Direction, and I anticipated some type of show as they had some elaborate stage thing going on.”
“But when the guys hit the stage it kinda felt like they’d just dragged five guys from the crowd up… if there were guys in the crowd, which there obviously wasn’t!” he continues, going on to criticise the lethargic performance. “It was just people on stage that were able to sing in key, but other than that they didn’t do much, they didn’t do any syncopated dance moves, there wasn’t much of a show.”
“And since there were five guys, they’d sing every fifth line of a song and in between be just walking around,” the frontman adds. “For me, it was mind-boggling, I just couldn’t see the fascination, but kids think they’re cute and that kind of stuff. For me, I did not understand the point of the songs.”
However, despite being somewhat perturbed by most of the show — “I felt a bit sad in a way” — Akerfeldt did reserve some praise for the group’s 2013 single Story of My Life, which the heavy metaller called “the good song,” adding, “I turned to my daughter and said, ‘This one’s okay.'”
Opeth are currently gearing up to release their new album, Pale Communion, and recently unveiled the record’s first single, Cusp Of Eternity. The band are among those rumoured for Soundwave, though promoter AJ Maddah said he’ll only book them if he’s able to give them an 80-minute set.
Watch: One Direction – Story of My Life
Watch: Opeth – Cusp Of Eternity
Gallery: Soundwave 2015 Lineup Rumours Latest Updates
Soundwave 2015 Gallery W/E 27/07/14
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Bloodhound Gang: “I have sent them an invite. Let’s see what they say.” -
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Reel Big Fish: AJ says “OK!” to bringing them out this summer. -
Bad Religion
Bad Religion: Chances are “slim to none!” -
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The Smith Street Band: They’re a possibility. -
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Patent Pending: After their guitarist remarked on our beautiful summers and said he was itching to return, Maddah replied, “You got it! -
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The Bennies: Any chance they’ll get to do the whole Soundwave tour? “Yeah!” -
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Danzig: Though he said he would love to tour him again, it’s “too difficult” for SW15. -
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Voyager: Maddah’s not sure if he can fit them on Soundwave 2015, but they are firmly on his radar. -
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Babymetal: “Am trying my best, but it may not work because of Japanese school exams.” -
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Opeth: Maddah previously said that they’re “due for a SW,” but adds he’ll only book them if he can give them an 80+ min set. -
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Tool: Upgraded to a definitive “nope.” Maddah previously said he’d go for them “if there’s a new album,” though with the band now revealed to be tied up in litigation, that now looks like it’s going to take a long while. -
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The Unguided: “I’ll email them tomorrow,” Maddah told a follower after an apparent inbox mixup almost put the kibosh on a potential SW appearance. -
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Evergreen Terrace: “Let’s do this,” Maddah told the band’s drummer over Twitter. “Come plaay Soundwave 2015!” -
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Falling In Reverse: Maddah says they’re being considered. -
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Goatwhore: Maddah said the lineup is almost done but he’s still fine-tuning and thanked the Twitter follower for reminding him of the band. -
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Kings Of Leon: When asked if KOL would ever play a SW, Maddah said, “That’s a question for them.” -
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Staind: Maddah says they’re unlikely to come back and he’d rather not work with them if they ever do. -
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The Donnas: Maddah doesn’t think there’d be enough interest.