Short Report: Wacken Open Air 2016 (English Version)

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O, ill-humored, Fortuna!

Übersetzung: Hanna Häßlein

Day 1: still motivated.

…unfortunately this was our personal Wacken-motto 2016. It already sweeten the preparation time when it turned out that a close friend’s wedding along with a wedding video would take place in the post-processing time. Additionally, a big interview got cancelled and a torn ligament made sure that I waded through the muddy Wacken realm by myself 90% of the time. 

With a slightly bad feeling in the stomach we still started motivated towards the north, where the   goddess of destiny stroke relentlessly time and again. It started with the awful weather everyone had to deal with which led to our car getting stuck which, in turn, led to a mom – and the corresponding car seat -  covered in mud. 

Day 3: with Ivan Chertov.

On Friday, after only five hours of sleep, further complications occurred due to the combo rain and camera which led distorted settings. This was followed by difficulties before an interview and a blurry picture after the interview – which, unfortunately, was not noticed in time. The guilty party, which shall remain anonymous (Mechthild Wirries), paid with her tears of shame.

After another five hours of sleep, we picked ourselves up one last time – mainly motivated by Borknagar – and were greeted by a downpour which led to the termination of the concert and then more bad tidings: our picture-wristband would have let us into most of the photographer’s pits, even into the ones by the main stages – we had missed out on this for the past three years of Wacken and especially in 2016 it led to us only photographing Iron Maiden, Equilibrium, Eluveitie, Tarja, Blind Guardian, Symphony X as well as Therion as tiny dots on the horizon. We also stood an hour before the start of the shows at all the side stages in order to be in the first row and take good pictures. For bands such as Ancient Bards or Orphaned Land that’s something one can absolutely do but it does get very time consuming and annoying when repeated too often. Thus, the saying “don’t trust anybody” became bitter reality for us as my knowledge was based on a statement from a security guard in 2014 and now corrected by another security guard and really nice photographer. I should have made sure and asked at the press tent….but I was trusting…

Day 4: Don't forget, you are in Wacken!

Our last lucky moment passed when the interview with Oystein G. Brun was cancelled last minute due to higher forces so we decided to get into the car and leave. This, unfortunately, led to us missing a few other good bands and, for the first time, missing the parting words of the event’s organizer.

Now that some time has passed, I can say “Shit happens” and we are optimistic for next year! This, however, doesn’t mean that Wacken Open Air 2016 didn’t offer some amazing moments, which will be shown here during the next days.

Fuck of Fortuna, long live Wacken!