How to return to life after visiting the Jubilee Wacken? How to bring back the joy of being when the cult open air has come to an end? How to pick up and sit down to shovel photos?
Believe me, this time the thirtieth Wacken Open Air left us with a tremendous amount of memories. It will be quite difficult to pack it all into one report. But at least I'll start ...
Wacken is a small German village lost in ideal green fields in the north of the country. Small streets are lined with picture houses with lawns and garden sculptures. Here and there horses, cows and sheep flit by. It's hard to imagine how you can fit 80 thousand metalheads from all over the world into this popular print!
But this has been happening every year on the first weekend of August since 1990! And since 2009 we have been embarking on a crazy 8-day journey to this festival.
If you are puzzled by the question, they say, the fest lasts 4 days, what are you doing 4 more - we will answer: we travel and have fun in the Scandinavian lands!
This time our way lay, as always, through Helsinki, where the ferry was waiting for us. We have no time left for the city, tk. at the border the dog put a pig on us and slowed down the check of the bus a little. Well, security, so security - we don't mind!
Having made a march to the train station square of the Finnish capital, we took several express photos and the whole crowd ran to the bus to go to the ferry terminal.
A few words about the crowd: over 70 people traveled with us in 2019! Two buses, two guides, one operator, 4 countries, dozens of funny stories!
After settling on the ferry, some of us met at a buffet in the grand buffet. We raised a glass to the successful start of the tour at Wacken Open Air 2019, explored all the gastronomic pleasures, and then went to rest after the bus crossing. However, a little later, the chat began to burst from the influx of messages that gathered to hang out until the morning. Therefore, individual cabin parties were a great success. And already in the morning Stockholm was waiting for us and a full day off in the city!
We were lucky with the weather - not heat, not showers, but a pleasant Scandinavian breeze. And 10 hours of free time! By the way, whoever thinks that in Sweden you can only spend time with pockets full of money - read on!
There are many free interesting places in Stockholm that we often visit with tourists. For example, the Museum of the Middle Ages or the Armory - everything is adjacent to the Royal Palace, the very center!
Vinyl lovers traditionally ran to the popular store in Drotttingathan. And tired Wi-Fi seekers sat down in a nearby atmospheric coffee shop (all drinks are really amazing there)
One way or another, the day in the capital of the Swedish kingdom was killed.
Having photographed together, we sat on the buses and set off towards the night routes.
Our way passed by bus to the South through the whole of Sweden, then we went down the famous Øresund bridge into an underwater tunnel to emerge in Denmark. It was late at night. Everyone has already seen the fifth dream about Wacken, and before arriving in Germany, a good 5-6 hours remained.
In the North of Germany, we split up: one bus full of campers went straight to the territory of the fest. The second first drove into another provincial town to register the guys who live in the hotel.
By the way, we have been cooperating with this hotel for a very long time, at the reception we were greeted as a grandmother meets grandchildren. Yes, metalists are a real "kindergarten" for them, but of course we "make their box office" at the beginning of August every year.
A few words about the hotel: neatness over 7623, antique collectible furniture, delicious breakfasts and a homely atmosphere of Provence. The perfect getaway for short breaks between the hectic days of Wacken Open Air.
Having distributed the keys, we hurried on to the festival. The campers were already there and pitched their tents in the clearing that had been booked in advance for our company. You will learn more about the life of campers in a separate report, so to speak, from eyewitnesses.
Every day our bus took us out of the hotel and sent us to the Wacken fields. Then, late at night, we, exhausted metalheads, gathered in the parking lot, and our bus again took us comfortably home to a quiet hotel.
What do you remember about the jubilee 30th Wacken Open Air?
Expanding the boundaries! This year, a new steampunk zone has appeared with funny animators in the style of Mad Max and the post-apocalyptic world with its own music scene. Plus - the play area, themed movie screenings, the Welcome To The Jungle area has expanded, passing by which we heard a completely unpredictable tracklist "from Vitas to Metallica" and a crowd of fun visitors, and of course this year's budget opening - Metal Markt! This is a huge supermarket with a great selection of goods - from charcoal and folding chairs - to the freshest vegetable salads, pastries and alcohol at ridiculous prices!
As for the line-up: he will not hide, it was controversial. At the jubilee Wacken in Germany, of course, everyone was waiting for Rammstein. But ... But on the first day we saw the largest Sabaton show, timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the group with participants from different years! Tanks, decorations, a roaring crowd, a chorus in the uniforms of WWI soldiers, a vocalist in good health - all in the best traditions of Swedish metalists.
On the second day, the Headliners were Slayer with their “farewell” show: meat in the front rows, endless stage diving - blood, sweat and tears, classic of heavy music festivals. Lots of fire and bruises on my legs.
On the final day, we plodded on Prophets of Rage to the soundtrack from The Matrix, became the authors of a global barbecue with the participation of Mexicans, Chileans, Swedes and Germans, and then went to Deathstars. The festival was closed on the main stage Rage with the orchestra - the bright show ended at 3 am, and we went completely exhausted for the last night at the hotel.
In the morning, the return trip to St. Petersburg, through Scandinavia, began. This time we had a free day in fabulous Copenhagen with fabulous high prices and an incredibly interesting walking tour with a Russian-speaking guide. They saw the little mermaid, went to Christiania (they survived, however, people in the know decided that everything presented there was nothing more than a tourist trick with the veil of a hippie city in the flesh).
After a night crossing in Sweden, we again stopped in Stockholm, where in the morning the group was also awaited by a guide for another walking tour of Gamlastan. Many were no longer able to move after Wacken and hung out in numerous coffee houses. Someone even managed to sleep on the embankment near the Town Hall (this someone is the author of the text). Then we moved towards the ferry terminal to go to Turku - the ancient Finnish capital.
On the evening of the next day, August 6, we were already at home. But the fun did not subside, and the chat of the trip was still filled with photos, but this time from St. Petersburg pubs and bars.
The next 8 days, for which we are preparing all year, flew by in one breath. And of course, in one report on a trip to Wacken it is impossible to contain all the impressions and reviews of all the concerts that took place on 8 stages - you can look at the Wacken 2019 line-up in the archives of the festival on our website.
But we can say one thing - from the experience of our presence at numerous metal festivals in Europe, Wacken Open Air is a fest with the best atmosphere, level of organization and assistance to visitors.
