The Tribute Friday
The clock strikes 18:15, Andreas Horn, head of M.A.DE for kids, enters the stage and declares the Rock & Metal Day’z 2022 opened. He had to wait for two years and hopes all odds will be with us. The first day is dominated by three German tribute bands and a headliner originally foreseen for Saturday evening but circumstances moved it to Friday.
Damned Close to the Original
Andreas welcomes Chaos & Confusion, a Hypocrisy tribute. Damn, they are good. Sure, they face some technical issues, but isn’t that normal for the first bands? What catches my eyes is the outstanding bass. Clemens, the bass player will later the day explain that it is indeed a unique masterpiece made for him personally. What catches my ears is the quality of their playing. There are moments where I think “Gosh, they are better and more authentic than the original”. Isn’t that a compliment?
Seek and Destroy
The second band is MystericA – And Covers For All, as you might already have been guessed, a Metallica tribute. It is the band of Flo Schmöller from Regensburg who is an important part of the organizers and crew of Rock & Metal Day’z. Indeed, they don’t quite look like Metallica but they sound like, especially like in the early years before Thrash became too popular. Mysterica play an interesting cross section of Metallica’s range of music, not only the super well-known songs. My personal highlight is “One“ though, played in full length to perfection. What else that really matters do you want more?
Bon Scott would be Proud
Exactly, the third band tonight! It is She´s Got Balls, AC/DC tribute. It is first time since 1979 that I heard a vocalist singing exactly like Bon Scott. No wonder she was elected “Germany’s best female metal vocalist” in 2013. The other three musicians are not lesser skilled though! Other three? Aren’t they a five-piece band? Yes, they are. Their drummer had to skip her participation thanks to Covid19 (It’s not over until it is over, you know?) which caught her overnight. She’s Got Balls had to find a stand-in in within a few hours or cancel. They were successful, and we can enjoy a too short but nevertheless eye- and ear-catching AC/DC tribute show par excellence.
Swedish Metal
Now it is time for the headliner tonight. From Sweden, currently on European tour and stopping at Rock & Metal Dayz: Thundermother! They are currently touring again since mid of May, perhaps check out our review, and modified the setlist for tonight. Their set of course is slightly reduced to a full show. It is kept interesting though and doesn’t leave out any of their hits and fan’s favourites. And if I remember correctly, is wasn’t a simply shortened set list but a different one with exchanged songs.
Time Proposal
Due to the already mentioned technical issues, we finish the first of the Rock & Metal Day’z later than scheduled. It doesn’t matter. No annoyed neighbours around anyway. It seems the time schedule is more of a proposal than a strict plan for the better of it. Let’s see what the second day will bring, I am already eager to watch one of my favourite bands live for the first time this Saturday of the Rock & Metal Day’z. Guess which one!