Friday – Hotter
On the other hand, going to bed a bit earlier than expected allowed me to be right in time for Friday’s opener at 11:20, none less than Children Of Grotesque, even without proper breakfast. They are the band of Tim Tom, son of Knorkator’s keyboardist Alf Ator. Though their slot was just 30 minutes short, the four newcomers managed to somehow extend their play time because their sound check was a show of its own. I first thought I was late, I wasn’t and the show was great. We can certainly expect more of them in the future.
After a more or less long breakfast time we returned for Rauhbein, a little bit of All For Metal and the Burning Witches with at that time guest guitarist Courtney Cox of The Iron Maidens due to Larissa’s pregnancy. What should I say, she is a brilliant guitar player and fitted in perfectly. I just wished, the set of the four plus one witches would have been longer than 45 minutes. Too many songs had to be left out. And meanwhile Courtney joined as a regular full member while Larissa stays a member of the witches too.
Because we had a Beer Pong competition going on, we left afterwards and returned for Finnish Power Metal Classics Sonata Arctica. After their Acoustic Adventures Tour they were back on the heavier track. Nowadays they are ripe and matured as a good old red wine or Islay Whisky. It was pure enjoyment to watch and listen! Great show, thank you!
Their show didn’t make it easy for Versengold. But who wants to go the easy and streamlined way when you have the Teufelsmauer behind you? Certainly not Versengold. The band proved once again their qualities as perfect entertainers and audience’ darlings!
Korpiklaani from Finland entered the stage just a few minutes after Versengold’s last flames and convinced the audience once again with their unique Hummpa-Metal-sound. These guys understand more than most other bands, that metal and fun are no enemies.
After dinner time and missing most of Airbourne who delivered a very excessive set – you know, beer cans against the forehand until one of them breaks and these things – it was time for the second band with the lady with blue hair. Time for Alissa and Arch Enemy! I still look back to the times with blonde Angela and so do many of their fans. They already were good at that time, but their slot was more of the early afternoon time. Now the five arch enemies headline big festivals… What a success and what a development. Perfect show, perfect entertainment and a good mixture between the songs of “Deceiver” and their older hits. Sure, Ravenous and Nemesis will forever remain my favourite songs, but it doesn’t make the newer stuff worse. Firkin closed the night when I already was back to the camp, sat down and had a last drink before returning to the land of sweet dreams which are made of fears.
