Articles : Wacken Open Air 2013 @ Wacken, Germany 01 – 03/08/2013

Photo by Olaf Malzahn
www.wacken.com

Click here to view Wacken’s full 2013 gallery.

Wacken Open Air, the mecca of heavy metal celebrates its 24th anniversary this year on the holy grounds of Wacken, a small town nestled in the northern regions of Hamburg, Germany. This year saw the arrival of some 80,000 metalheads from across the globe, leaving their footprint on one of world’s longest running, most organised and amazing 3 days metal festival in Germany.

Day 1: Rammstein, Deep Purple

This year I was joined by Gary Carson, co-host of Screaming Symphony, Australia’s only dedicated prog/power metal radio station on 106.7PBS.FM every Thursday night from 10pm. Due to heavy roadworks on the autobahn we sadly missed a couple of bands on the first day. Regardless of us pushing 180kmph and blasting Stormwarrior on the car stereo we sadly couldn’t bypass the heavy roadworks. We missed Annihilator along with half of Thunder‘s set. If you decide to travel by car to Wacken make sure you leave early and arrive early. German roads are both a blessing and a curse.

We did however make it in time to see Deep Purple‘s entire set. They sure as hell know how to work a crowd and start a party. Either that or the amount of bare breasted women flashed on the jumbo screen from the audience perpetuated a constant dizzying high for just about everyone there. As Gary Carson put it, “We all had titlash”.

Deep Purple pulled out all the classics, including; ‘Highway Star’, ‘Black Night’, ‘Hush’, ‘Perfect Strangers’, ‘Space Truckin’ and of course ‘Smoke on the Water’ with special guest guitarist, Uli Jon Roth. There were moments when Ian Gillan had trouble reaching the higher notes or sustaining a solid key, but for a man nearing his 70’s he still did an amazing job entertaining the 80,000+ attendees. Fans were also treated to a special Hammond organ/keyboard solo by Don Airey.

Following Deep Purple were Germany’s much loved Rammstein. Opening with an elaborate stage opera of fireworks and amazing backdrops they meserised the crowd for what seemed like a 2 hour set performing tracks ‘Du Hast’, ‘Mein Teil’, ‘Bück Dich’, Ich Will’, ‘Du Riechst So Gut’ which included the infamous fire bow and their latest hit, ‘Pussy’. Throw in a massive prosthetic dildo on stage shooting wads of foam on the crowd and a ludicrous amount of pyro and you have yourself one of the most enjoyable, albeit disturbing performances at Wacken Open Air.

Photo by Dirk Illing
www.wacken.com

Day 2: Powerwolf, Pretty Maids, Soilwork, Doro, Grave Digger, Sabaton

After another round of grueling German morning roadworks, we arrive nice and early. Unlike the previous year where it was rain 24/7. The weather gods, were on our side this time round with amazing weather forecast. Blistering sun and humidity reigned supreme for 3 days.

Starting off the day was German power metallers Powerwolf. These guys remind me so much of Ghost (B.C.) but with a little more kick in the headbanging department. Great rhythm and solid fist pumping hits to get even the most placid individual excited. Great stage presences and capturing live sound. If you ever get the chance to see Powerwolf, I urge you see them. You will not be disappointed.

While procrastinating to see Dr. Living Dead on the other side of Wacken Open Air, I couldn’t turn away from Powerwolf‘s amazing set. With 15 minutes to spare after Powerwolf‘s set I quickly made my way to the Party Stage to see Ugly Kid Joe. In all honestly, I’ve never been a massive fan of UKJ. I’m well aware of “Everything About You” and “Cats in the Cradle” much like the rest of the planet, but their latter material never really did much for me. That didn’t stop me from enjoying a pretty rock laden set in a blistering German sun.  Whitfield Crane’s vocals were pretty solid, as were the crowds reaction to the aforementioned classic hits of UKJ, plus a new track from their forthcoming album.

Next up were Danish rock and roll outfit Pretty Maids. These guys put on one of the most entertaining and enjoyable performances of the day. Regardless of the bands age they were mind blowing to see on such a massive stage. The classics from “Future World” (no relation to Helloween) and “Red, Hot and Heavy” were on high rotation along with a new track from their brand new album “Motherland”.

Around the time Pretty Maids finished up the weather started to cool down (thankfully). The cool breeze on our sun burnt skin was welcoming change from the constant bombardment of heat throughout the day. After chowing down some vegan food (yes, they actually have vegan food at Wacken) it was time to see some Soilwork.

What can I say about Soilwork that hasn’t been said already. Amazing band to see live, solid crowd reaction and a pleasantly solid set-list consisting of “This Momentary Bliss”, “Nerve”, “Weapon of Vanity” and “Rise Above The Sentiment”. You do know they’re touring Australia this November, right? Go buy a ticket now! They’re amazing live. I’ll wait here til you get back….

Up next were the Swedish war machine Sabaton, one of the main reasons I came to Wacken this year. I found it a little odd they weren’t one of the major headlining acts due to the overwhelming success the band have seen since the release of “Carolus Rex”. Nevertheless I was super pumped to see Sabaton at an Open Air festival. Opening with Europe‘s, “The Final Countdown” the crowd were eager to get engaged and headbang. Kicking off with “Ghost Division”, Sabaton played a solid hour set consisting of “Midway”, “Cliffs of Gallipoli”, “Swedish Pagans”, Gott Mit Uns” and of course “Primo Victoria”.

Seeing 80,000 metalheads jump in unison to “Primo Victoria” with their metal horns raised high in the air is one of the most amazing things I have ever been apart of. Being there in the heart of it all really takes your breath away and makes you feel apart of something special. Honestly, you couldn’t have asked for a better show and crowd to be in.

Following up from Sabaton‘s mind blowing experience was heavy metal veterans Motörhead. Prior to Lemmy gracing the stage with Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell, many were unsure if Lemmy could do it. For those who follow Lemmy, he was recently admitted to hospital due to heart issues. Not one to give up easily, Lemmy made his way to the mic and gave what the crowd what they wanted to hear.”We’re Motörhead. And we play Rock N’ Roll”.

Things started off well for Lemmy with the opening track “Damage Case”, but things looks uncomfortable for the veteran as the hot weather in combination with the extreme heat from the lighting on stage made it unbearable for the godfather of rock n’ roll. Unlike Keith Richards who is impervious to most things, Lemmy played it safe and stayed idol for the major of the set. Singing and giving it his all while casually standing in one position as to not make things uncomfortable for himself.

About 20 minutes into the set, Lemmy decided he had enough and quickly got off stage. The crowd stood there a little confused and very worried, hoping Lemmy was ok. We were then told that Motörhead‘s set would be cut short. As much as we all wanted to see Motörhead destroy Wacken for the um-teenth time, you have to hand it Lemmy for playing, even in his unbalanced state. Regardless of the short set no one was angry or throwing a tantrum. People were grateful he played and understood the situation.

After their set rumors circulated around Wacken that Lemmy died or he was close to it. However, we were informed from a reliable source that all was well and it was merely heat exhaustion that tipped him over the edge.

While topping my beers before Doro Pesch graced the True Metal Stage, I came across a number of Australian’s who came to Wacken, many of which were at the festival for the first time and were kicking themselves they didn’t come sooner. It really puts things into perspective how heavy metal can affect the consciousness of so many people across the globe. The common love and embrace of good music and companionship is stronger than ever in heavy metal today.

Enter Doro. Considered by many as the queen of heavy metal with a career spanning 30 years. She is the true embodiment of self empowerment and heavy metal. Her setlist consisted of both Warlock and Doro classics, including “I Rule the Ruins”, “Hellbound”, “East Meets West” with Chris Boltendahl of Grave Digger, plus “We Are All” with Eric Fish, Joakim Brodén of Sabaton, and Corvus Corax, plus “Für Immer” with Uli Jon Roth.

Seeing Doro reach her 30 year milestone was simply amazing. Her passion and desire for her fans is stronger than ever. She’s one of the most excitable and grateful people I have ever meet. Constant warm wishes, thank you’s and telling everyone “They’re great” is why everyone loves Doro Pesch.

After Doro finished up her hour and a half set. I bumped into Gary. Since we’re both big fans of Grave Digger, we patiently waited til 1:45am to catch them play. By this time we were both running on fumes. 12 hours of metal can really take it out of you. Not even a 30 minute power nap in the VIP tent where I snored my ass off could help me. Not wanting to miss Grave Digger, I pushed through, drank a litre of coke and made my way to the True Metal Stage to catch Grave Digger.

Opening with “Clash of the Gods”, I prayed Grave Digger played all their fast tunes so I could keep in constant momentum so I wouldn’t fall asleep. This plan worked until “House” snuck its way into the setlist, but all was well with the medley of “I Wanna Rock You”, “The Reaper” and “Twilight of the Gods” making an appearance. Throughout the set guitarist, Axel Ritt experienced some minor technical issues. It seems a loose wire was to blame, but was fixed within a couple of minutes.

Majority of the set was both old (extremely old) and new material. “Highland Farewell”, “Knights of the Cross”, “Ballad of a Hangman” and “Rebellion” featuring Joakim Brodén from Sabaton and Cam McAzie, the Australian bagpiper who was featured on Australia’s Got Talent.

3:00am hit and Grave Digger closed the night with “Heavy Metal Breakdown”. We stumble our way to the car to take a 30 minute drive back to our hotel room and arrive as the sun rose.

Photo by Dirk Illing
www.wacken.com

Day 3: Alice Cooper, Nightwish, Lingua Mortis Orchestra feat Rage, Danzig, Lamb of God

With only 5 hours sleep we head back into Wacken. As we approach the autobahn to Wacken we notice a parade of cars reaching the horizon. We sit and wait…and wait…and wait until we arrive an hour late to the festival grounds. I was hoping to catch Alestorm‘s set, but due to the horrid traffic conditions  that dream didn’t become a reality. However, I did catch up with vocalist Christopher Bowes afterwards and he said it was an amazing show. Half way through their set the crowd proceeded to sit on the ground and pretend to row the world’s largest moshpit boat. Chris also informed me that he jumped into the crowd and crowd surfed all the way to the back bar of the Party Stage area and back to the stage again. Christopher is well and truly insane.

As I arrived late I decided to wet by whistle with Wacken’s fine ale, this being of course Becks, the festival’s main sponsor. While many in Australia consider Becks to be a prestigious drop. Many Germans despise it and consider it to be in the same category as Victoria Bitter or Fosters. I for one quite enjoy the taste of Becks, but if you go into a local supermarket anywhere in Germany you can pick yourself up a locally brewed Pilsner for as little as 39 cents for a 500ml can.

But enough about beer. Lets get back to the music. 2:30pm hits and Die Apokalyptischen Reiter hit the True Metal Stage. I’ve been a fan of these guys since seeing them at Wacken back in 2010. They’re like a folk metal version of Rammstein with less fireworks and more straight forward heavy riffs and no bullshit attitude. Great setlist featuring “Metal Will Never Die”, “Der Adler”, “Es wird schlimmer”, “Riders in the Sky” and many more. Following Die Apokalyptischen Reiter on the main stages was Lamb of God, Anthrax, Danzig and Trivium. All of whom played typical sets.

The evening soon rolled in and the main headline act was about to begin. Alice Cooper graced the True Metal Stage and performed a solid set of classic Cooper. The last time I saw Alice Cooper at Wacken I was a little disappointed, mainly due to the setlist. However, that little issue was rectified after seeing Alice Cooper punch out classics like “Billion Dollar Babies”,  “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, “Feed My Frankenstein, “I’m Eighteen”, “School’s Out”, “Poison” a bunch of covers including “My Generation” by The Who, “Revolution” by The Beatles and “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix which also featured a solo from Australian guitarist, Orianthi. She was actually Michael Jackson‘s guitarist on his last tour.

Up next was the main headline act Nightwish. They opened with “Dark Chest of Wonders” and played a steady list of hit singles, many of which from the latter part of the band’s library. One song I was pleasantly surprised with was “Bless The Child”. I guess Tuomas is now starting to feel more comfortable about Floor Jensen taking on material outside of the last 3 Nightwish albums. Joining Nightwish on stage always was Troy Donockley for “I Want My Tears Back”, “Nemo” and “Last of the Winds”. As a bonus, we were informed by Marco that their performance was being recorded for a Blu-Ray/DVD release later this year.

To finish off the night was Lingua Mortis Orchestra featuring Rage. Seeing Rage is an event in itself, but watching them perform alongside a 30+ piece orchestra with members from Spain and Russia and tenors with additional vocals from Jeannette Marchewk, Dana Harnge and Henning Basse, ex vocalist of Metalium and Brainstorm is simply mind blowing. Opening with the track, “Cleansed by Fire”, the first single off the new self titled album, the crowd were gradually introduced to this power house of musicians as they all rolled out onto the stage for one epic duel of classic orchestration and heavy metal laden riffs from Belarus/German virtuoso, Victor Smolski.  The intricate layering of fist pumping riffs, chest beating drums and Peavy’s iconic vocals, along with a full piece orchestra is immense in size and sound. “Cleansed by Fire” is a prime example of a cross over metal/classic number done right. If you’re familiar with Metallica‘s “S&M” project or KISS Symphony, I’m sure LMO would be right up your alley.

I doubt there would be enough words or time to describe how amazing it was to see Rage perform with LMO. Its highly doubtful that Rage will come to Australia in the near future, let alone LMO, but if you ever get the opportunity to see either live. I strongly urge you do! Continuing with tracks “Cradle to the Grave”, “Empty Hollow”, “Lament” and more. Rage played for a little over an hour and finished off with “Straight to Hell”.

Time always seems to pass ridiculously fast at Wacken. I’m unsure if its the amount of beer you consume which coincides with the near death experience of heatstroke, or perhaps the ridiculous amount of endorphins released throughout the day that makes it happen. Either way 3 days seems to come and go by very quickly when you have so many bands you want to see. This was my third visit to the holy Wacken land, and I have to say that each year just seems to get bigger and better.

One of the perks of being media attending Wacken Open Air is you’re given information regarding the next year’s line up before anyone else. Media were treated to a show reel of all the bands attending the 25th anniversary of Wacken which also included a special appearance from Tobias Sammet, who let everyone know Avantasia would be headlining Wacken in 2014 and would be their only live performance for the year.

Other bands for the 2014 line-up include Kreator, Amon Amarth, King Diamond, Iced Earth, plus a special reunion of Emperor. If this review is making you want to go next year it maybe to late. All 75,000 tickets for Wacken Open Air 2014 sold out in less than 2 days. It really puts things into perspective how big heavy metal is in Europe. If you somehow come across tickets for Wacken 2014, I urge you buy them and go to Wacken. Cheap flights to Europe are always plentiful months prior and you can honestly do the trip on a shoe string budget and still have an amazing time.

Traveling with friends is always the best way to do it. Its cheap, you work as a team and you remember more of your experience. They can always tell them what you did the night before if you happen to pass out. This year’s experience was amazing. I seriously can’t wait to get back to Wacken next year and catch up with old friends and make plenty of new ones.

I wish to send out a big thank you to Gary Carson, Holly McBride, Christoper Bowes (and his entourage), Thomas Jensen, Fine Wolf, plus Uwe Dannemann, Jochen Maass & Jaap Waagemaker of Nuclear Blast Records.

For more information on Wacken go to: www.wacken.com

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