Stepping inside from the sweltering heat the alternative side to the festival is always to be found in the Georgian. Of recent years the outdoor stage has come to feature larger and larger quantities of Indie fare. standing against this tide is Enter The Asylum with its Committed and Asylum nights; presenting today two fine examples of rock and metal. Tonight is the first official event of Stockton’s 2008 international riverside festival.
The first bars of opening act 21 Reasons put across their entire sound firmly; with surging bass-lines, lead singer Andy Davidson wails out his typical but expertly executed Emo drawl. With many of their songs containing solos guitarists Nick and Dave have plenty of time to show off. 21 Reasons hit it off squarely with the wall to wall crowds, looking as slick as if they were indie act The Killers gone Metal.
After a number of pleas to the crowd they never quite get the pit they ask for. To me, the high point of the set was the screamier new track “Breathe” which ventures into more adventurous teritory. Oh, and as they regularly reminded us throughout their performance, they have a Website.

Achilla take to the stage later in what has become a very hot and humid venue. As this Gothic Metal group launch into their opening number the problem that hounds them through the first part of their performance becomes apparent. While the guitars and drums of Achilla are epic and immense, the true selling point of this band drowns in technicality. The record holding vocalist Martamaria, looking a lithe Angela Gossow, has her ever fluctuating nigh operatic vocals hampered by some technical difficulties. this is sorted shortly in the set, when the unique voice of Marta is more audible. through out the set the leather panted lady writes her way across the stage, twisting and rocking along with their powerful gothic metal music. Although Achilla have a great amount of musical talent there was little connection with the crowd. While 21 reasons banter verged on persistent, achilla wait until their last three songs to introduce themselves. with an international line up perhaps there was some language barrier, yet the language of music made a solid case for them. closing on a powerful trio of songs featuring “Wild Flower” Achilla draw the curtain on this close summer evening on a very, very, very high note. high enough to shatter glass.

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