James William Reay, 39, has travelled more than 5,500 miles from his London home to spend three days in the California desert. It’s hot, dusty and the cheapest beer for miles around is $15 a pop. He’s paid over $1,500 for the privilege of being here, but he couldn’t be happier.
“There’s nowhere I’d rather be,” he says, beaming. “Where else will you see so many of the top bands of this genre on the same stage? It’s the biggest heavy metal party in the world.”
We’re at Power Trip, a three-day festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio California, a sedate desert city 130 miles east of Los Angeles. Unlike most British and European festivals – or even Coachella, which has been held on this site since 1999 – the bill isn’t made up of a firehose of bands all fighting for ears and eyes. There are just six bands playing this weekend, but what bands they are: AC/DC, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Tool.
It’s an elite-level bill, and there are elite-level ticket prices to match. General admission begins at $599 (roughly £490) plus fees, rising to $1,599 (£1,300) for The Pit, a standing area directly in front of the stage. VIP and hotel packages are north of $2,000. But that hasn’t stopped tens of thousands of metal fans weathering
