It is a Tuesday morning and I wake up in my tent at Motorsportarena Oschersleben’s campground. I have spent the last ten days here as a member of the crew of Rock & Metal Day’z. Today is the day to move to Ballenstedt and Rockharz Festival. Our camping group of more than 15 people will meet at 10:00 on the parking lot of a supermarket in Falkenstein nearby. Our aim is to be on site at 13:00 but not later than 14:00. It still is time for a quick breakfast and a last goodbye to the remaining members of the crew who still need to take down the backstage tent and some other small things which need to be done.
To make it short, our plan worked well and we are on site at 13:15. Our camp space is big enough to have a reserve for our latecomers and just a few steps away from water supply, water toilets, showers, and the entrance to the infield. Using sideways was a good idea so we could avoid the notorious round-about of Ballenstedt and Ballenstedt at all. Later on, we hear that others were less lucky and spent six or more hours in traffic jams just to be placed at the outermost edge of the campsite. Well, it seems, apart from the right timing, we were lucky and well organized in this case. Apart from building up and organizing our little site, nothing really happens on this Tuesday apart from some partying and celebrating our reunion.
Wednesday
After a relaxed breakfast it is time for the traditional death march to the Teufelsmauer. It is not too hot, so it is easier to climb the hill than in the previous year. The view over the already packed campsite is adorable as usual and we can identify our site, lovely. And we identify the car of our first late comer arriving! And here we also pick up Tom who camps alone and settles over to our site afterwards.
The Afternoon
At 15:00 it is time to pay a visit to the infield for the next couple of hours. The first band starts at 15:30 on the Dark Stage and this time it is no Würdiger Auftakt but Power Paladin from Iceland. Short trousers rule the stage of this Power Metal band.
Five minutes after their slot, Gore-metalists Gutalax are the first band on the Rock Stage to the right. Toilet rolls and brushes are a big part of the equipment of the audience. Just have a look at the pics what happened. Having this double stage indeed is a big advantage. No big gaps between the slots, just a few meters to go to the other stage, stalls with beverages nearby seems to be a perfect setting.
This setting is right for Brothers In Metal; and one sister of course. Three vocalists complete the band and as you could imagine from the name, it is a Power Metal band. Most of the songs deal with Nordic mythology which is an endless topic.
Next band is Wolfgang Van Halen’s Mammoth WVH. You know the name from sometime in the past? No wonder, he is the son of guitar legend Eddie Van Halen who passed away too early. Mammoth’s sound is different though, more like Grunge and Alternative Rock than what we know from his father’s band.
Then it is time for some German bands in a row, no Blasmusik though, but Kärbholz with their full speed Rock and Roll are the first. In fact, it is a wild combination between Punk, Indie and traditional Rock for an even wilder party.
Callejon and their Metalcore follow next. They have existed for 22 years now and can be called real pioneers of the genre in Germany who influenced the next generation of bands like no others. It is great to have them here at Rockharz.
Before the headliner, it is time for a band which changed the lead vocalist last year. They present “Der Schulz”, formerly Unzucht. It takes a few songs for me to get it right, but I must confess, it all fits together as a completely rounded piece of art. Of course I mean Oomph!.
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The Headliner
Do you know the singer who started his career in a band called Samson before he replaced Paul Di’Anno in a band which would become one of the greatest metal acts ever. Welcome to Iron Maiden’s vocalist Bruce Dickinson and his Mandrake Project. If people expected some Iron Maiden cover songs, they are proved wrong. It is all his own original material. Bruce has put a very versed band together and he is happy to be allowed a set which is 15 minutes longer than at Hellfest.
The Night
After his set it is time for a veteran of German metal. Udo Dirkschneider, well known as vocalist of Accept in the golden 80ies and his band perform a nearly life spanning set of songs of his whole career. He is 72 years old now but there is no sign of weakness. His brutal vocals still sound very fresh.
Time flies by and it flies to Amorphis. What is true for Dirkschneider is also true for them. Sure, the sub-genre is different, Melodic Doom and Prog Metal rule for the next hour. They have forgotten nothing since I last saw them, and it also is time for some great poses of their vocalist.
The closer of the first day starts playing 35 minutes after midnight, so technically they are the first band of Thursday. Kanonenfieber wake up everybody who might have become tired over the last nearly ten hours. The Great War themed show is aggressive, loud, and full of flames, fog, and fireworks.
Returning to the campsite after 11 hours I realise, most of our camping group are still awake and spent most of the day on the infield instead of having a break in between. No rest for the wicked, the program of Thursday will start much earlier though. But first it is time for a last pint of beer and a good-night-whisky.