DONG OPEN AIR 2009
After presenting you the Dong Open Air for the first time in 2008 the decision was clear to come back!
Why? The Dong Open Air is a cool contrast to the big Metal Festivals we usually report about and from. It offers a very unique atmosphere happening on a hill with a great view on the landscapes in all directions in the exclusive atmosphere of just 1500 tickets. As the years before the strictly limited tickets got sold out after a few hours!
No wonder: The fans know what they got! Besides the discribed comfortable environmental conditions the fans know what to expect: A little Metal paradise! Very fair prices for merch, food as beverages (e.g. 1,50 € for a 0,5 l – bottle of beer), a good uncomplicating organization guaranteeing a great sound for popular as underground bands and being close to the fans in a familiar and peaceful atmosphere.
This year the team just had one cancelation by Dew-Scented due to health problems of the singer. They got short-term replaced by Ravage. The weather must have been a Dong fan, in the past sometimes the visitors used the tent stage to hide themselves from too hot sun, too strong rain or even a dangerous storm. This time it was dry while the temperature were comfortable. So optimal conditions for the festival!
Friday
Interrobäng It was up to Interrobäng to open the 2009 edition of DOA. One of the Leißa-brothers both known from the festival organization played the lead guitar. Their music sounded pretty epic with a keyboard as a mentionable element including interesting song structures which reminded me pretty much to the well-known Orphaned Land from Israel who had co-headlined the Dong Open Air two years ago. So after “Ruins” (?) their gig ended with applause by the audience.
In December The following formation presented Melodic Deathcore which rocked. Lead by their variable vocalist who easily switched between shouts and melodic passages the young fivepiece impressed with “From Darkness Into Light”, “Revolution” and the final “This Oath”. A cool talented band with live qualities which convinced those spectators who had found their way that early in front of the stage.
The Splatter And Gore Department The comedy highlight of the whole weekend was set by the Gore – sixpack. Besides the regular instrumentation their sixth member had an electric grill barbecueing masses of meat for the fans while the show. So those cared much more about that than the music. Anyway it entertained.
Clanrock The group from Luxemburg offered Folk Rock including exotic instruments pretty similar to In Extremo performed in different languages. After some time it bored because I noticed nothing original. Most of the spectators must have shared my opinion walking outside the tent.
Elexorien While this Dutch sixpiece the tent was half filled, but the first rows celebrated “The Serpent Strikes Pt. II”, “The Disciple Of The Night Under A Starless Sky” as the final “Running With The Wolves Of War” with crowdsurfing and the first moshpit of the day. The grunts of guitarist Lainedil and the female voice of Iné caught the crowd’s main focus.
Ravage Dew-Scented got forced by a virus attack on their fronter to cancel their appearance. So The Very End switched in their later billing position and the Thrashers from Ravage who had opened the DOA in 2005 replaced them. But many spectators left the tent, so just a few persons watched their second Dong hill appearance.
Cast In Silence This formation is much more known as their former name Dark At Dawn. So they performed under their new mark, but with the known quality. The Melodic Metal with the pleasant voice convinced more and more spectators as their live action did. So tracks like “The Last Straw” and “If Mourning Never Comes” rocked and earned their support. In the end the band showed how to convert a terrible pop song into a rocking cover by Desireless’ “Voyage Voyage”.
The Very End The fivepiece from the Ruhr valley took their chance of their upgraded billing position and rocked the pretty filled tent enormously. With all their live-experience the ex-musicians of well-known names like Night In Gales (DOA 2004 – headliner), Ninnghizhidda, etc. also showed their songwriters’ talent. From the beginning “Flatline”, “The Black To Come”, “Sewn Eye Sleep”, “Stabwounds” and “The Loss Theory” caught the fan crowd celebrating an agile performance lead by the varieble voice of fronter Björn Gooßes who seemed to know all Klaus-Meine-gestures. Anyway, the gig rocked, the band won a lot of new fans who demanded an encore after “Death Ticket”, “Bleed Tomorrow”, “Minus Everything” and “Bone Patrol”.
Dornenreich After this strong performance the co – headliner from Austria had its problems to get the audience involved. The instrumentation consisting of a guitar, a violin and the drums was pretty unique on the festival as for Metal in general, but their performance didn’t convince at all. A little less pathos, a little more Metal would have helped a lot. So the spectators watched the intro “Trauerbrandung”, but till “Schwarz Schaut Tiefsten Lichterglanz” many had left the tent to prefer a beer. So it was a bit ironic Eviga & Co played by “Wer Hat Angst Vor Einsamkeit” as the encore.
Rage After a much too long soundcheck which caused a few catcalls the German Melodic Metal – legend entered the stage opening with the title track of the their new “Carved In Stone” – album followed by the hit “Higher Than The Sky” and “Set The World On Fire”. After “All I Want” band – icon “Peavy” Wagner introduced his two bandmates guitar-genius Victor Smolski and their new drummer André Hilgers to the audience before continuing the show with “Enough Is Enough”. From “Don’t Fear The Winter” on the trio got assisted by the partner of Victor Smolski for several tracks. And the first scepticism left because the female voice worked very well with the Rage-songs. After “War Of Worlds” the band left the stage to return with the encores “Soundchaser” and “Straight To Hell”. Rage convinced with a confident headliner show ending in much jubilation which closed a great first day.
Saturday
Orphan Hate The quartet from Berlin showed an energetic Thrash Metal – performance. Lead by the great vocalist Sina the band convinced the hungry fans who reached the stage in the early noon and caused the first crowdsurfer of the day even while the opener’s slot. From the opener “Kings Misery” over the following “Science For A Better Life” and “Circus” the four musicians showed their huge live-abilities. So the Sepultura – cover “Roots, Bloody Roots” got fans’ support as their own composition “Tattoo”. With the surprising ballad “Fragrance” which marked the highlight of their appearance the band left the stage to return with the encore “Evil A”. Respect!
7 Seals The following act showed a total contrast in comparison to the one before. Classic Power Metal was supposed to rule the stage. And performed compositions like “A Gift To The Nymph”, “The Fierce King Of The Huns“ and “Moribund” showed the songwriting talent, but the performance turned out pretty boring. Besides that their new female vocalist was missing! Meanwhile their male fronter didn’t do a good job at all, especially with the higher pitched passages. Good musicians with a bad vocalist don’t reach a satisfying live-result.
Kingdom Of Salvation The quartet from the close town of Leverkusen played a solid Thrash / Death Metal – gig considering own tracks like “Neverending” or “Crusader” as the popular Amon Amarth – cover “Fate Of Norns”. They added an encore, but after a minute they were forced to stop with it because of a defect monitor box.
Sycronomica The Black Metal – band from Bavaria evacuated the tent pretty fast by their appearance. Pretty sad because their sound is much more diversified than most of the amateur blackies. Old songs like the debut’s title track “Paths (… Of A Forgotten Time)” as new ones like “The Call” from their forthcoming album deserve better feedback.
Sheephead Another band from Bavaria, but this one sounded much more modern. “The Coming” and “Odyssey” showed pretty fast this talented as young band prefers the Melodic Death metal – style. Just the sound could have been better. Anyway fronter Benni praised the DOA – beer – crew which caused a loud agreement by the audience. The quartet left with the encore “Addicted To Self-Destruction”. Hopefully not!
Cheeno It speeks for another time for the Dong-organizers to present its visitors high standards in all hard subgenres. So after brutal sounds it was time for female-fronted Rock – band. Two years after their Dong-debut the musically high-skilled quintet from Saarbrücken convinced completely by “64ad” and “Invisible”, especially by their voice Jennie. Besides that this time she didn’t really seem to be happy on stage, maybe a few stupid spectators stuck on her nerves. Anyway she rocked like her mates did and animated the crowd by pointing out on the fun-shirt of our colleague Dumbo to celebrate “The Ruler” headbanging to add “Pacman”. Great band!
Hatred The Thrash Metal – fivepiece presented their current longplayer “Madhouse Symphonies” which worked pretty well by smashers like “Caught In The Act” or “Resurrection”. The very agile band which won a voting to open this year’s Dubai Desert Rock Fest around fronter Bacchus mainly impressed by their massive stage action, even drummer Daniel kept headbanging all the time. So did the fans in the first rows till the encore “Metal Massacre”.
Failed Perfection To show who the vocalist is got demonstrated by the Melodic Death Metal – fivepiece. He entered the stage completely suited in white, his bandmates in black. And the band from the close city of Bochum caused the most support in the pretty filled-up tent so long. The crowd just seemed to have been waiting for songs like the band’s self-titled track or “In Oblivion”. Just their fronter should try to act much less theatric.
Common GraveThe fourth band from Bavaria this day weren’t able to continue animating support like the formation before had done. Their old style – Death Metal / – Grindcore turned out too monotonous after a while. So “Bleeding Shades Of Grey” from the brandnew release “Embedded Coding” as older tracks didn’t let most of the people stay in the tent. Most of them preferred to take a beer.
Skyclad Every second year the Folk Metal – band from Newcastle comes back to the Dong hill as regular guests. So they did this year. And like always their appearance turned out in a big party celebrated by the most Dong hill – weekend – inhabitants. The four men and one woman performed very tight as professional and played a cool best-of-setlist containing tracks from the brandnew album “In The All Together” (“A Well Travelled Man”, “Superculture”, the encore “Still Small Beer”) as classics (“Penny Dreadful”). Like always it was a pleasure to watch this band with their positive attitude at their home, the Dong Open Air.
Amorphis After the Swedes Dark Tranquillity last year the DOA-organization realised to present by the Finnish Melodic Death Metal – institution with their unique sound the second international big name in the metal universe. So the tent was very filled to welcome their heroes which gave back an unforgettable show. From their classic beginning with “Leaves Scar” and “Towards And Against” over material from their new masterpiece “Skyforger” like “Silver Bride”, “Sampo” or “From The Heaven Of My Heart” and the younger (“Silent Waters”) as older (“The Castaway”) classics to the phenomenal end consisting of the encores “The Smoke”, “House Of Sleep” and “Black Winter Day”. The band around the active as sympathic vocalist Tomi Joutsen ruled the tent with all their fans with an outstanding performance!
Conclusion:
After our debut report in 2008 we returned with best expectations getting definitely fulfilled!
The Dong Open Air stands for a familiar atmosphere with an organization being close to the fans. The catering as the drinks got offered in a big variety and very fair prices. So don’t bring your beer on top of the hill, support this festival and its prices! Instead of that bring warm clothes for the nights (a hint for the freeze-ladies) and don’t forget a camera: A more beautiful perspective for different shots you won’t find on any other festival.
You can walk up the hill or take the shuttle service getting driving service including the transport of your luggage for 3,- €! The toilet situation stayed the same by mobile Dixi-toilets getting cleaned continuously. The security was nice and helped whenever they could as the DOA-team did.
Generally we can conclude: At DOA you have the option to be one of 1.500 metalheads celebrating a great, familiar and peaceful party in a unique atmosphere! So try to be one of them in 2010 when it’s up to celebrate the 10th Dong Open Air anniversary!
Thanks go out to Benjamin “Colamann” Munsch and the DOA-team!!!!!
At the Dong Open Air rocked, drank and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi, Lotte and Dumbo!!!!!