Anyone in Europe this summer?

[Megawozniak]

I recall seeing a thread for this last month, but can't find it now - apologies.

I'm going solo to Wacken, Graspop, Metalcamp from Canada. The magnitude of one person in a sea of 80k is hitting me, and I'm wondering if there are others making the trek as well who want to meet up before a festival and paint the town red. I was searching for reviews of Wacken and happened to see an UM contingent went over last year, is the same thing happening again?

 

[General Zod]

A few of us did Wacken last year. 3 of the same 4 are doing Sweden Rock. We wanted to do Metal Camp, but the line up is atrocious. Hopefully next year.

That Graspop line up is beyond amazing. However, 100,000 people is a little too crowded for my liking.

Zod

 

[mtndewqueen88]

I'm actually studying in France until August 5th, but I missed Wacken tickets by two days. I haven't been fully convinced on any other festivals yet, but that doesn't mean that I've given up

Besides, I'm positive if you're friendly and have good beer to share, you'll make lots of friends! If you have facebook, there's a crowd going from the Wacken facebook group too.

 

[dcowboys311]

I'm actually studying in France until August 5th, but I missed Wacken tickets by two days. I haven't been fully convinced on any other festivals yet, but that doesn't mean that I've given up

Besides, I'm positive if you're friendly and have good beer to share, you'll make lots of friends! If you have facebook, there's a crowd going from the Wacken facebook group too.

The only reason someone wouldn't like the Hellfest lineup is that they don't like metal. And it's in France! Go to that!

PS say hi to the people over there who I know who are with you (Daniel, Kristen, etc)

 

[General Zod]

The only reason someone wouldn't like the Hellfest lineup is that they don't like metal. And it's in France! Go to that!

Agreed. That Hellfest line up is pretty solid.

Zod

 

[rms]

Agreed. That Hellfest line up is pretty solid.

Zod

I think KIT X was the only lineup in the foreign lands to make me want to travel...fucking a that lineup was A+

 

[Abba]

I'm flying over to meet up with some of my German friends at Graspop, and then going (most likely solo) to Serbia for the Castle Festival. Only about a month to go...

You're welcome to have some beers at our tent at Graspop; there will be 7 or 8 of us there. As if that line-up didn't already rule, seeing that KISS will be doing the Alive! album in its entirety just tops it off.

Pat

 

[Cheiron]

The only reason someone wouldn't like the Hellfest lineup is that they don't like metal. And it's in France! Go to that!

PS say hi to the people over there who I know who are with you (Daniel, Kristen, etc)

Well when you have 80 bands you are bound to have a good lineup!

How do festivals like these work? Can you see most of the bands if you try hard, or do you at times have to make hard decisions? I've never been to a festival like that...

Cool to see that Baroness is on the lineup. What a great band from Georgia. BTW. This always gets me thinking. Baroness. I wonder if they were ever a 'local' band in the Georgia scene. There are other bands like that too. I never hear about them until after they are big, and then I find out that that they are from the 'area.' I have to imagine that they never tried to do the local scene thing, and just focused on creating their music and then putting it out there.

I know that Mastodon used to play a lot of local shows. Not to stray >_>

 

[General Zod]

How do festivals like these work? Can you see most of the bands if you try hard, or do you at times have to make hard decisions? I've never been to a festival like that...

The typical set up is, two main stages and a few smaller stages. There are never bands on both of the main stages at the same time. And obviously these stages are reserved for the larger acts. The smaller stages usually compliment each other, but seem to have no correlation with what's transpiring on the main stages. As for seeing most of the bands you want to see... it really depends on how many of the bands you want to see. If it's a very strong line up, there are bound to be conflicts.

Here's an example of how Sweden Rock is doing it this year...

http://www.swedenrock.com/runningorder2008.htm

Zod

 

[Cheiron]

Wow. Every band gets at least an hour. That's awesome. I was wondering too if sometimes these smaller bands only get like 20-30 minute sets. But you could truly go for some of the smaller bands and get full (or longer than usual as it may be) sets from them.

 

[dcowboys311]

Haha, that Sweden Rock lineup would work out perfectly for me. Only 2 overlaps on the entire festival for bands I'd want to see - ELO and At the Gates, and Avantasia and Primordial.

 

[Abba]

It depends on the festival. Zod made some great points, and Sweden Rock is still my favorite of the European festivals as they really do it right.

Some festivals like Bang Your Head! or Gods of Metal (at least last year) have only one stage, so you can see everything. The flip side is that less bands play. Or (like Gods of Metal in 2001) there are two stages, but they don't overlap (i.e. one stage finishes, then the other starts up, and so on). When that happened at Gods of Metal, you could hear the guitar techs checking Savatage's guitars while Motorhead played. In between songs, Lemmy roared, "Fuck off Savatage, it ain't your turn yet!"

Still other festivals may have lesser bands play for only 30 minutes or so. Most of the time you can see what you want without much conflict, but like Zod said, it depends on how many bands you want to see (and how your legs are holding up)!

 

[Jibrille]

The only reason someone wouldn't like the Hellfest lineup is that they don't like metal. And it's in France! Go to that!

Wow, I'd actually want to see about half of that lineup. Which is a really great percentage compared to some other fests in Europe. One of these days I'll save up the money to attend a fest in Europe.

 

[General Zod]

Haha, that Sweden Rock lineup would work out perfectly for me. Only 2 overlaps on the entire festival for bands I'd want to see - ELO and At the Gates, and Avantasia and Primordial.

Primordial and Avantasia don't overlap. Primordial ends at 21:45, Avantasia starts at 21:45. Primordial overlaps with Triumph. Which for us is a good thing. Hopefully everyone will be watching Triumph on the main stage.

Zod

 

[IceQueen_]

No one going to Tuska? ;-) (besides you, AKi )

 

[_eva_]

I'm going to Graspop

 

[AMBR]

No one going to Tuska? ;-) (besides you, AKi )

Sure, wanted to go. Doesn't look financially feasible. After hitting Europe three summers in a row, I'm in serious withdrawel. That's what happens when you get spoiled. Saving already for next year. Let's hope the dollar improves and oil gets back to a nice, "healthy" $99/barrel. :Smug:

 

[Angrafan]

That Hellfest line-up is probably the best I've seen for a metal festival!! I usually don't get excited about those huge festivals (only a few bands I like) but that one is incridible!!
I really want to go, but it would be totally insane... Like AMBR I've done quite a bit of travelling the past few years and I think I will have to pass this up... And I am already going to Brazil for 12 days in early june...

well, maybe If i find cheap flights

 

[ConnieOH]

When my husband was asked to go to Germany for work, I was hoping it would coincide with one of the many festivals, but it doesn't. However, we are going to the Vanden Plas Christ 0 rock opera in Munich! AND Andy Kuntz said we can come to the backstage after the show. This is going to be so cool!

 

[AMBR]

When my husband was asked to go to Germany for work, I was hoping it would coincide with one of the many festivals, but it doesn't. However, we are going to the Vanden Plas Christ 0 rock opera in Munich! AND Andy Kuntz said we can come to the backstage after the show. This is going to be so cool!

My son and I did that last summer for the final night of Abydos. Andy is one of the sweetest guys in the world. Here it is, his BIG night, the final show of the play he wrote and starred in, and he takes time out for us. He is really a remarkable person as well as hugely talented. Enjoy the show. I know it will be incredible.