High Voltage Show Set To Showcase Classic And Contemporary Rock Acts

The only problem with the upcoming “High Voltage Festival” is that it’s set to take place in London, England. Great for U.K. fans, but not so much for those of us located an ocean away. Unless you are in the habit of dropping hefty sums of money on live shows, the “High Voltage Festival” is probably out of reach.

It’s obviously silly to complain about the location of any given event, and that’s not the my intention. It would be more accurate to say something like: This sounds like a pretty cool event, but I wish it was closer to home since I think a lot of fans here in the U.S. would love to be there.

Even so, I suppose we have our fair share of events here at home to choose from, and as big as this country is, it is possible to bypass the airport and save some cash by driving just about anywhere you want to, if you want to see a show badly enough.

For those fortunate enough to making their plans to attend, the festival sounds like it will be a unique experience, with special attention given to pleasing rock fans of various stripes. It will feature a classic rock stage, a prog rock stage, and a heavy metal stage.

It appears that new acts are still signing up for the event, with Dweezil Zappa signing on just yesterday for his slot on prog rock stage. Zappa has been showcasing the music of his legendary dad, Frank Zappa, in a show that the younger Zappa calls “Zappa Plays Zappa.”  Although this act undoubtedly belongs on the progressive rock stage, reflecting on the music of Frank Zappa makes me wonder if they should consider adding a “progressive prog rock” stage to the event.

Zappa will be sharing the prog rock stage with other well-known groups like Asia, Argent and Uriah Heep.

The classic rock stage will feature their own collection of big name rockers from decades past, and will include ZZ Top, Bachman and Turner, Foreigner, Emerson Lake and Palmer and more. It’s looking like the event may mean double duty for drummer Carl Palmer, who, as far as I can tell, will be on stage with ELP and Asia for this event.

With Aerosmith recently announcing new European dates for the 2010 summer concert season, one wonders whether they might end up on the roster for this show as well. They’re scheduled for the “Download 2010” event in the U.K. during June, so maybe sticking around for another month or so might be an option. I have no inside information about Aerosmith’s plans or summer schedule, so this is just random speculation on my part.

For more information and updates on the “High Voltage Festival,” you can visit the event’s official website.