This was quiet an experience. I am going to attempt to put everything down that happened during the four days of this insanity. I’m sure this post will be choppily written since I keep going back to add stuff and because I’m writing this in multiple sittings. Unfortunately, I am a retard and lost the only set of contact lenses I brought to Amsterdam/Wacken – I was blind and squinting the whole time. The camera I brought with (my little one, not the big black mother) had an error so I wasn’t able to take any pictures – I will put some on here that I got from the interwebz.
We got a ride to one of the shuttles in Itzehoe, which was running every half hour due to the amount of people going to Wacken Open Air – every shuttle filled completely. It was estimated that there were over 85,000 people there at the festival – Let’s assume there were more because there are some sneak-ins here and there. Since we wanted a good camping spot, get situated and be part of the pre-Wacken experience, we got there a day early, on Wednesday. We were very lucky and squeezed into a spot really close to the entrance. There was still a few things going on – such as smaller bands playing, shops and activities set up. The people we met on the train were the first people we saw once we walked into one of the tents to start checking things out.
There are technically seven stages at Wacken. The two main stages – Black and True. The big-but-not-quite-main-stage – Party. Then there was the Red Bull Bus, Biergarten, Headbangers Ballroom and Wackinger stages.
Wacken even had a mini Renaissnce Festival with games, mock (I’d think) Viking tournament things, booths, and even public torturing – yes, it was real :O. So I got to watch some guy get scratched and burned, etc. I also saw a lady get bondaged. Crazy festival people, I tell ya.
The metal market tents were filled with awesome clothes, jewelry, gifts, merch in general. Some of it wasn’t even too expensive. I ended up buying an Apo Reiters shirt for 5 Euro. I also checked out this band, which I ended up liking a bit called Dymytry. They’re mask wearing Czec Republic crazies. For sure downloading some of that when I have more than 15 minutes of internet time.
I walked past this one stage where a band called Lord of the Lost started playing, but no one was really there watching them so I stood up front to see what they were like. Turns out they started playing an hour early and had technical difficulties so I only heard one song. Later that night at the same stage played a really fun band called Fiddler’s Green. They kind of reminded me of Flogging Molly, just more metal. I got to crowd surf for this one and then got dropped (gently, thankfully…) right into a moshy pit! It was a lotta fun, we started this train of people and when I looked up, I realized we weren’t even by the stage anymore. Oh, being short! There was also a naked guy in this crowd. I thought to myself… what if he crowd surfed… and he did! I think this band also did a wall of death – one of the only walls of death through the whole festival. They were banned because of injuries and because of the mass amounts of people getting killed at the other festival in Germany.
There were also movies playing pretty much every night. This night they played an Anvil documentary, which was pretty cool, but I only watched a little bit because I wanted to see Mambo Kurt.
The most memorable part of that night was for sure Mambo Kurt. He’s a one man band who plays the Heimorgel to metal, pop, rock, you name it songs. It was a huge love fest and dance pit where everyone jumped around together. Met a cool German guy who knew no English, but no worries! I know Deutsch!
Sleeping was tough, especially since people at Wacken literally party all day and all night. I got out of the tent to see people already with beers in their hands. Sadly enough, people were passing out on festival grounds by two in the afternoon. Also, I had no pillow. And at night the temperature dropped drastically.
Now, Thursday was when the real party started. This when even MORE people showed up! Since the main band of this day played later in the night (I’m talking about Iron Maiden, of course) I just moseyed about. Me and Kevin pretty much went our separate ways during most of Wacken since we had different interests. This of course meant, me being alone and little girl – drunk men following me around. I was too sober for that because I didn’t want to get too drunk and forget seeing all those awesome bands.
Since food at the festival is absurdly expensive (as with any kind of fair/fest) we went to the town’s grocery store. Since the town is so tiny and so many metal heads want to save money, there was a guy at the door of the store letting people as others left because it was so full. Got a great deal though – five beers, six apples and a milk for 5,80 Euro (which is a bit more than 7 dollars).
I went tent hopping to see some rando bandos. There was also a tent that had wrestling, which I stuck around for for a little bit since I was too short to see. I stepped outside to see a crowd gathered around the Red Bull Bus stage and enjoyed the sweet sounds of Apokalyptica for a wee bit. I saw Svartsot as well – I only ended up seeing them because I thought the name sounded cool and I could right away tell the type of music they’d play.
The time had finally come to walk towards the Iron Maiden stage so that I could at least get a decent spot. This was already hopeless because Alice Cooper (who hadn’t aged in about fifteen years) was playing that stage. I stuck around for him and then Mötley Crüe played on the second main stage. The two main stages had screens on the side so that the crowd could see from far away. They sort of got “IRON MAIDEN’d” off. They’re an okay band, but I just get sick of them kinda easily.
Iron Maiden was amazing, the crowd went crazy and I got completely brutalized. I lost my sunglasses and part of my lip ring – I decided I had to get out of the pit and a little Swedish (?) guardian angel found/saved me! But he got a little bit too over protective. At least I got to go on his shoulders and actually see Iron Maiden. Woooaahhhhh.. For their second to last song I decided to crowd surf my way out, only to get dropped flat on my back and get the wind knocked out of me. When they ended their awesome set, I went straight to the tent and passed out because I was legitimately dizzy and light headed. Early night for me *sigh*.
Friday I sat around the main stages for most of the day. I saw some Amorphosis, some Ill Nino and some Dew Scented – talked to a few random people during this time as well, most of whom were the “Oh, you’re from America! I’m from Israel and have never ever kissed an American girl before!” *hides*. At least it was funny.
Then came Orphaned Land! They put up a really good show, but how can someone not enjoy a band where the lead singer is dressed in a white Jesus robe, the guitarist looks like a tattooed Borat and they sing Hebrew-ish metal. The annoying part about this was that although I was in the second row, my vision was blocked by this die-hard fan who was holding up a flag with his friends for half the set.
Since Die Apokolyptischen Reiter were playing on the same stage next, I decided to stick around, even though the wait was about an hour. It’s all good, found Kevin and rambled with him for a tad bit. This band’s keyboardist is probably a highlight of the show. He’s dressed in leather bondage wear and sits on one of those sexy swings, has a slide and a whip. Overall, very good live and enjoyable to watch. Downside is that I was in crowd surfer’s traffic.
Kamelot was playing in that area, those beauties. I am quite upset about being blind – at first I figured I wouldn’t even be able to see the bands because of my height, but people have been super nice and letting me be in the first row for a lot of the bands. Afterwards, I headed to the tent to get a sweatshirt and rest for a tiny bit – then to Equilibrium! I did not even see them, I just enjoyed myself in the pit with a couple of the people I had met throughout the days. Dududu BLUT IM AUGE! I wonder how many random people have taken pictures with me… if only I had gotten their names/facebooks.
I dared to take a shower after Equilibrium. You have to pay to shower! But Kevin found a pass on the ground so I got to shower FO FREE. It was my first time showering publicly since I had decorated my bodies. Since there was only three people in there, the water was super warm. As I was showering, I looked down and the water that was running down my body was black. DIRTYY!
I headed to the Headbanger’s Ballroom tent because I figured they’d have karaoke after midnight. Instead there was a black metal band, I believe it was Imperium Dekadenz (I’m only guessing by looking at the running order’s time table). They were good and all, but I realized I could have fallen asleep standing there so I headed back to the tent and acquainted myself with the Swiss neighbors.
Saturday was a more mellow day. I sat around more than usual and checked out the shops one last time. The Wacken Firefighters (WACKEN WACKEN FEUERWEHR!) played us some nice polka-folk music to dance to. All the Germans knew the songs since it’s in their roots. They even did a flute solo and a drum solo (SCHLAGZEUG SOLO!)
Watched Delain for a little bit. Thought they were awesome – but got very boring since it all sounded the same eventually.
During my walk, I met two Austrians and a Danish guy. I wish I could have hung out with them longer – we even spoke some German! I have never spoken that much Denglish in my life. I forgot what language I was speaking in half the time. The Danish guy had pure Absinthe.. haha interesting taste. I guess it’s starting to become partially outlawed here as well. Unfortunately, he had to go to first aid so I went to Stratovarious with a different person who had never really listened to them before. While waiting, someone shared their noodles with us. Stratovarious was full of energy the whole time. Unfortunately they didn’t play “Destiny”, but they did “Eagle Heart” so it’s all good! Right next to them was Edguy when they ended so I hopped on over and watched that for a short while because Circus of Horrors would be starting and I wanted a good seat.
I stood in line for quite some time, during which I saw a Jӓgermeister guy who had a backpack filled with it – of course selling the shots for 2 Euro each. And I did get a front spot for the show! Some of the stuff was pretty crazy – they had a suspension guy (pierced back to hooks and was swinging all around), fire breathers, knife swallowers, knife walkers, jugglers while balancing on balls on top of chairs, a guy pierced his cheeks and spat water through the holes, a man with retardedly stretchy skin, a midget who hung weights from his penis… etc, etc.
By my tent I met these fun Austrians and Italian guy who now lives in London. They basically just said “Hey you! Come here, have a beer”. But that’s how almost everyone at Wacken is! Lovely. Hung out with them for a while and someone set a big fire by our area. Then the firefighters killed it. I headed over to the main stages and saw some of U.D.O, which just reminded me of 3 Inches of Blood. The karaoke was cancelled for the night, sadly so back to the tent I went and re-met up with the friendly neighbors! We actually had no confirmed ride back to Hamburg, so Kevin met these older guys who drove us there on Sunday afternoon! That morning was magical. Lots of tent destructions (Which I think is a waste of money, unless you’re traveling and can’t carry a tent), and “In Norway, there’s church burnings, at Wacken there are tent burnings” so lots of fire fighters were in and out of our area. We did some treasure hunting, I found a Jӓgermeister hat, a Cola cup, four German Pokemon cards. Traffic getting back was brutal as well. We saw our first McDonalds and realized we were back in real society.
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