Festival 3 - Rock Hard festival Germany! Part 1

Rock Hard - Rocking Hard!!!
I love Germany!

DAY 1

So back to Germany on a sunny Friday morning for ROCK HARD festival. Rock Hard magazine is a very popular German metal magazine, run by a lovely man called Goetz together with Thomas and Frank and the rest of the Rock Hard team.

They're old hands at doing this festival, and you can tell that as you arrive on site, its well organised, planned and laid out, and the atmosphere is happy and relaxed. Dan and i arrive about 4pm having flown in to Dusseldorf airport and checked into our hotel at Gelsenkirchen.

I'm getting the hang of my "festival wear 2009" which consists of leggings and tshirts. No jeans on the bottom half. Comfort after schnitzel. Most importantly sunglasses. I carry round a spare pair just in case. And camera.

Its hot in Germany and although i'm feeling pretty tired, the setting of the festival is awe inspiring. There's just one stage and behind it flows a canal upon which boats can be seen chugging up and down throughout the day when bands are on stage, which is pretty cool i think.

Theres a nice breeze in the air, and although there's a lot of dust, so much so that my trainers are wrecked potentially forever, the location is magic.

Lovely Thomas Kupfner comes to meet us at the entrance and its straight back to the VIP bar for a beer.

I dont actually drink beer. I think its gross. Although later this Friday night, i downed a pint because i was already drunk and i didnt care anymore. I blame that one singular pint for my hangover the next day rather than the string of "Sex on the beach". That beer was evil.

We get there are Angel Witch are on stage so i get to see Will Palmer rocking out with Kevin Heybourne. Great!

I love meeting up with people i haven't seen for ages who are great fun - the first time i met the Rock Hard crew was at Wacken 2008 and this is the first time i've seen those guys since then. I'd like to think that our partying of Wacken 08 was the stuff of legend. Especially when i hid under that dude (Thomas?) from Gorgoroth's cloak as he was at the bar. And my dance moves '08 were pretty hilarious too i believe. So i've been told.

Anyway, i had a lot to live up to, and to be honest i was feeling nervous.

And the best cure for that? Aha! A cocktail bar!

Please don't get the wrong idea, dont think that all i do is drink. It really isnt. Its just when you're in situations like this, if you want to make it through, and party hard, and have fun, you gotta... otherwise you get tired and drop out too early.

Dan and i sat and watched Prong who were great. We met up with good ol' Bjoern - who i'd seen just the weekend before at Legacy festival.

Dans getting through the beers pretty well, and im still sipping on my first cocktail.

As the day progresses we bump into more and more people who we havent seen for ages, especially Dan who seems to get a lot of "Dan! You're alive! We thought you were dead"

We found a "Chicken diner" food stall and ordered a burger each. Back on the festival food, you just KNOW when you get home your stomach is gonna get its own back.

Highlights of the Friday? Opeth have to be one of them. Mikael Akerfeldt is a really nice guy, and i was witness to the first of many conversations about collecting vinyl between him and Dan.
I don't collect vinyl.

I appreciate how nice it is to see artwork on a big LP sleeve.

But i spend a lot on cds as it is. I get sent free stuff, but i buy a lot too. And i play them on the radio show, or in clubs, or on my i-pod. I dont even own and record player, why would i want to buy an LP i cant play on air or transfer to my i-pod apart from sentimental value or a collecting habit i dont have. Anyway, i appreciate it, but i dont collect it.

A lot of people do though, and i am fascinated by catalogue like vinyl knowledge...

However, i draw the line when my glass is empty and have to wander to the bar and find other amusement.

Leaving Dan and Mikael to discuss what ebay deals they'd done recently, i managed to run away from some Germans who were chasing me, hang out with a great girl called Sid (who i later found out is McCain's daughter!) drink alot with Thomas Kupfner, and generally make a nuisance of myself.

At about 2am they shut the VIP bar and Dan and i were 2 of the only ones left.

But we weren't done partying.

We heard music and followed its trail, like the Pied Piper, and by this time we probably did resemble some drunk stinking rats.

We come to the "Metal Market" which has transformed itself into a Slayer playing hive of patched jean jacket wearing German long-hairs moshing and drinking beer. I love it.

We get in on the act. And this is where i start with the beer.

There was a lot of interesting German boys there. Especially with my beer goggles on.

2 specimens approached me and after checking to see whether Dan was my boyfriend - no he's my boss (but he doesnt like being referred to as that) they start to chat me up.

One of them leans over to me and puts his arm round my waist and says

"Why?
Why.... Whay dooo you have... such ... small... eyes?"

I look at him (through my small eyes) pretty blankly and so he asks Dan

"Why does she have such small eyes?"

We both laugh alot. Although now in retrospect, i feel some eye-related paranoia coming on.

I can guarantee you that's they first time i've ever heard anyone say that about my eyes. Top marks for originality.

So the German boys give it a second shot (i think this time it was a chap called Marco)

"Why did you cut your hair? You would look much nicer if you had longer hair"

"Thank you" i say.
You just can't buy that kind of honesty.

I dont know whether its the translation, or the fact that these boys have no tact, and no clue how to chat someone up. And despite what it sounds like, this really was an attempt to chat me up.

Then one of them says
"You have a very sexy body"
"Thank you" i say.
I've never regarded my body as my best feature, i always thought my eyes were. Now i am rethinking.

"You are the sexiest woman, in this empty tent".

I am such a winner. I've pulled.
"Would you like to get naked, in the tent with us, and gang bang?"
I love Germans. But not that much.
Dan and i leave and get lost before finding a cab back to the hotel.

I fucking love true metal Germany. Its the best.
Dan is totally wrecked
I am totally knackered.

Awesome first day at Rock Hard festival.