VENOM’s Performance at KILKIM ŽAIBU Was an Extraordinary Musical Event

Why Venom’s 2016 Performance at Kilkim Žaibu Was a Historic Event?

On June 25, 2016, on the picturesque shores of Lake Lūkstas in Varniai, the pioneering British metal band Venom delivered a performance that went down in heavy metal history. For the festival audience that night, this was far more than just another festival appearance – it was a legendary, record-breaking event.

Here is what made this concert such a truly historic rarity in the metal scene:

1. An All-Time Record for a Festival Setlist

At metal festivals, headliners and co-headliners are usually given between 60 and 75 minutes on stage. A typical modern Venom festival set consists of approximately 13–15 songs.

However, at the 17th edition of Kilkim Žaibu in 2016, Venom pushed beyond their usual limits and performed an astonishing 22-song set (including the intro).

It was the longest festival set the band had performed at any festival anywhere in the world up to that point. Essentially, the audience was treated to an almost full-length, roughly two-hour, arena-level headline performance in Lithuania, under the open night sky.

2. A Historic Baltic Debut

Despite having already enjoyed a career spanning nearly four decades at the time, Venom had never previously performed in Lithuania, Latvia, or Estonia.

For years, we had been negotiating to bring the band, regarded as pioneers of the Black Metal genre, to this region.

Because this was Venom’s historic debut in the Baltic States, and generations of fans travelled to Lithuania to see them, the band rewarded the audience not with a rushed, shortened festival set, but with a genuine, uncompromising concert marathon.

3. The Return of Extremely Rare and Deep-Cut Tracks

Venom did not simply extend their set by adding more of their best-known songs. The band deliberately dug deep into its back catalogue and resurrected tracks that were extremely rare at other stops on their world tours:

“Flight of the Hydra” – a track from the 1997 album Cast in Stone, considered an exceptional rarity. It had been performed only around six times in the entire history of the band. The 2016 Kilkim Žaibu festival was the only occasion on which Venom performed it live that year.

“Fallen Angels” – a rarely performed live track and the title song of their 2011 album, which had been performed fewer than 25 times worldwide.

“The Evil One” – another highly sought-after track from the 1990s, which the band normally leaves out of its standard touring setlists.

“One Thousand Days in Sodom” – a raw, cult-favourite track from the legendary 1981 debut album Welcome to Hell, performed in all its original, uncompromising glory.

4. Cronos’ Backstage Aura and the Unique Atmosphere of the Festival

Before the concert, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Cronos. Being in the company of one of the leaders of old-school metal felt almost unreal. His mere presence in the room created a sense of seriousness and intensity; even when he was silent, the atmosphere felt intimidating. You could sense that the musician preferred to keep to himself.

After the concert, however, he became considerably warmer towards us, and there was no shortage of some rather colourful jokes either.

That night, together with the other Venom musicians, we headed to the Kilkim Žaibu camp, situated by the lake and steeped in ancient traditions. The tables were heavily laden with food, and there were traditional drinking horns and wooden ladles. We spent the night in the company of people dressed as ancient warriors, competing in rounds of traditional drinking songs and singing around the table until dawn.

Cronos spent much of the time on his own, but he showed enormous respect for the festival and its audience. He was so impressed by the performance and the energy of the crowd that he personally asked us to give him a complete video recording of the concert so that he could preserve it in his personal archive.

For those who were standing on the shores of Lake Lūkstas that night, it was much more than just a concert.

They witnessed one of the most generous, rare and impressive setlists Venom had ever performed.

5. The Unreleased Song That Was Left Behind

Unfortunately, we filmed only four songs. Three of them – “Black Metal”, “In Nomine Satanas” and “Warhead” – were published immediately after the performance.

The fourth song, “In League With Satan”, was put aside for a later date. We were waiting for a special occasion, but eventually it was simply forgotten. Until now.

Conrad Lant, known to the world by his stage name Cronos, passed away on October 1, 2026.

Naturally, this came as a tremendous shock to us. It is sad that these are the circumstances in which we are finally publishing the last song, but there will never be a more fitting opportunity to share it.

Rest in peace, dear Cronos. Your music will live on forever in the world of metal!