Dong Open Air
Great things you’ll have to wait for take a while – but they will happen!
So did the 20th anniversary of the Dong Open Air: Originally planned for 2020 it had to wait for two years due to the pandemic. But in July 2022 it finally happened.
And it happened with a clear change: The DOA became more open air than ever before since it had moved to „Mount Moshmore“, the so-called Dong hill. The open stage without any tent roof got placed on the opposite side of the hill, and the whole environment including its circular little heights around got arranged with the stage area. This set-up worked more than well for fans celebrating the bands right in front of the stage as for spectators sitting a bit higher in the back enjoying the perspective during the live action.
After „Holidays In The Sun“ the 20th-edition of the Dong Open Air got logically named „Journey Through The Dong“ relating to Germany’s biggest Melodic Metal band as local heroes Blind Guardian being the biggest headliner of all 20 DOAs. Besides them the Welsh Crossover icon Skindred returned to the Dong-hill, the Bay-Area-Thrash-heroes of Testament headlined the opening day.
A further big organizational issue was the much improved as enlarged shower camp you just to wait minutes for. So much more time for music as beer while feeling fresh. And don’t forget about the very recommendable festival beer Nestor Dry Hopped Imperial Alt.
Of course the prices for beverages as food increased as everywhere due to the well-known recent circumstances. They still were a bit lower than on other professional festivals (e.g. 4,50 € per beer).
On the Dong hill 24 bands appeared in three days for about 2500 fans.
Thursday
Divide It had become a tradition, before the pandemic break happened, the final of the Metal Battle took place on the Dong hill, so in 2022 again. In the end the Death Metal formation Divide won the slot to appear at this year’s Wacken Open Air.
Eridu The Death-Black-Metal band from Munich didn’t show quite less live abilities as interesting song material, but somehow the Old School Death Metal sound right before convinced a bit more.
Volter The first act outside the WOA-competition came from North Germany and presented pure Motörhead-sound musically as by the Lemmy-like voice. After the first beers this concept of course worked at the DOA.
Scardust What followed became the first big highlight of the weekend. After appearing in 2018 the quintet from Israel returned to the Dong hill. Lead by the tremendous variable voice of Noa Gruman between highest tones and deepest grunts, their remarkble Prog Symphonic Metal enthused several spectators by „Screaming Cages“ as „Arrowhead“.
Wizard The fivepiece didn’t have a long way to present the best of their dozen of albums they had already published. To us this turned out to too much True Metal. But anyway, they got their supporters.
Brothers Of Metal Power Metal for Party! The Swedes entered the stage as eightpiece including three vocalists in war-paint as -clothes. From „The Death of the God of Light“ and „Prophecy of Ragnarök“ to „Yggdrasil“ the fans celebrated the party-compatible including several singalongs.
Knorkator The Fun Metal weirdoes seemed to had been waiting these two years just to kickstart back on the live stage. In funny costumes the five lunatics stormed the stage and performed obviously motivated „Buchstabe“, „Eigentum“ as „Ich Hasse Musik“. Combined with a lot slapstick like inviting all the photographers on stage just to order them back into their photo pit after a short time, introducing guitarrist Buzz Dee as oldest man of the world or Alf Ator altering his lyrics of „Böse“ to his meanwhile dysfunctional keyboard the show completely enthused the audience. Besides special effects as singer Stumpen’s spark-sprayer they got support by his daughter Agnetha who took care about the high tones during „Ding Inne Schnazue“ as „Weg Nach Unten“ which worked as well. What an outstanding performance!
Testament The Bay Area Thrash Metal legend caused the most headbangers of the day as maybe of the whole weekend. Lead by a very well-tempered fronter Chuck Billy they thrashed the hill. And honestly, with classics like „The New Order“, „D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate), „Souls Of Black“, „Practise What You Preach“ and „Into The Pit“ nothing could go wrong. Okay, as during many Testament shows the sound could have been better. But anyway, this performance enthused numerous headbangers, and all those together couldn’t be wrong. So did we.
Friday
Staredown After the first hard night it was the right time for the fivepiece coming from the close town of Recklinghausen to set the tone for the second day by their Hardcore sound basing on their „Choose Life“ – debut which worked pretty well for the present crowd.
Sisters Of Suffocation The sisters have received two brothers: Started as a all-female-band they’ve got a bit diverse somehow. But that wasn’t all: Fronter Els Prins got temporarily replaced by Linn Liv who brought much energy on stage as well and even performed one track with clean vocals. Energetic became the appearance of the whole band bringing their Death Metal from Eindhoven to the hill for the second time.
Doctor Victor The trio coming from Prague entertained by their Rock ‘n’ Roll. As former support band on the huge stage of AC/DC they showed their ability to rock the stage and inspire the crowd, especially by covering Prince’s classic „Purple Rain“.
Finsterforst The sevenpiece populated the stage. Their Pagan Folk didn’t enthuse us too much, but a couple of supporters by „Fluch Des Seins“ as „Ein Lichtschein“ after some technical problems in the beginning.
Surgical Strike Lead by ex-members of Drone and Bloodwork on guitar as drums and an agile fronter Bay Area Thrash from North Germany invaded the festival area. The opener „Not In This Life“, „Below Zero“ as „Shithouse Propaganda“ animated many headbangers to participate. So the final „We’ll Meet Again“ probably was the wish of band as several (new) fans.
Tyler Leads The second band of the day from the close Recklinghausen returned to the Dong hill to inspire a respectable number of supporters by their Heavy Rock. „Call Of The Wild“ as „Electric Wasteland“ left no other option than to rock with the band.
Nanowar Of Steel What followed became pure madness. The Fun Metal formation from Rome filled the festival area with numerous fans and enthused by several characters as costumes as by „Barbie, MILF of the Twilight“, „Norwegian Reggaeton“ and „Armpits of Immortals“. The titles may give an impression what party happened while this show.
Blaze Bayley Blaze returned to the Dong-hill to celebrate the 25th anniversary of being the voice of the mighty Iron Maiden on their two albums „The X Factor“ and „Virtual XI“. The whole setlist contained songs from those two albums. Opening with the strong „Lord of the Flies“ and „Sign of the Cross“ his strong voice and the tight band played a fabulous hour. „Virus“, „The Clansman“, „Man on the Edge“ as „Futureal“ left no wishes open relating to this era.
Fiddler’s Green Irish Folk Rock from Bavaria was up to follow. Under the slogan „3 Cheers for 30 Years“ they played a best of setlist over three decades which kept the audience dancing as singing. Highlights became their violinist surfing in a rubber boat over the crowd as musically the unavoidable „Folk’s Not Dead“.
Blind Guardian It was time for the hugest band that has ever appeared on the Dong hill, the definite DOA-headliner, the local heroes Blind Guardian from the very close Krefeld. And this wasn’t supposed to be a show like any other: After starting with „Into The Storm“, „Welcome To Dying“ and „Nightfall“ Hansi Kürsch & Co played the mighty „Somewhere Far Beyond“ album in its entirety from „Time What Is Time“ as „Journey From The Dark“ over the fans’ fave „“The Bard’s Song – In The Forest“ up to the title track. Lots of fans celebrated the Fantasy Power Metal icon during their home game by headbanging and singalongs. And this didn’t get worse when the great final consisting of „Time Stands Still (At The Iron Hill)“, „Mirror Mirror“ and „Valhalla“ let the time stand still at the Dong hill. The band fulfilled their own as the fans’ high expectations completely. What a night!
Saturday
Dirty Shirt First of all I saw a lot of musicians on stage. But this wasn’t the effect of my night before. The crossover ensemble from Romania and former second placer at the WOA Metal Battle world final 2018 in Wacken hit the stage to perform their variable mixture between Metal, Folk, Hardcore, Romanian traditionals and obviously several other styles. „Bad Apples“, „Maramu’“ as „Palinca“ animated an astonishing number of spectators to participate in the hot noon. After these 45 minutes the waiting line at the merch was long to get a (Dirty) Shirt.
Galactic Superlords After this opener the following act had a hard job. And so had the fivepiece from Cologne. Their female-fronted Classic Hardrock didn’t attract nearly as many supporters, and we didn’t feel to inspired as well.
Disillusion It had been 19 years ago when this unique Prog Metal band from Leipzig appeared after a memorable thunderstorm. I expected much more fans in the beginning of this show, but that number evolved song by song. What followed was pure art perfomed tight. „… And The Mirror Cracked“ as „The Great Unknown“ showed its world class level. So „The Black Sea“ motivated many headbangers, and „Alea“ marked an epic final while the band got support by their trumpeter.
1914 The festival ground got pretty filled, everybody wanted to see the band dealing with the 1st world war lyrically whose home country Ukraine got attacked by war criminals just a few months ago. The following 45 minutes became pure intensity, accompanied by Ukrainian flags. Songs as „Arrival. The Meuse-Argonne“ as „Passchenhell“ inspired musically, but the comments of the fronter even raised that level. Considering himself as an anarchist he told about losing friends in the war and thanked Germany for their support. For their last title he stepped down into the crowd performing it there. Tremendous!
Wind Rose The Power Metal combo from Pisa attracted numerous spectators. Clothed like some kind of brotherhood of Gimli they began by „Of War And Sorrow“ and „Army Of Stone“ from their brandnew release „Warfront“. To us this sounded pretty common, but more than enough supporters celebrated their version of „Diggy, Diggy Hole“.
Skyclad It was time for that formation you could call some kind of DOA house band who had been a constant companion over the Dong hill history. When the DOA moved to „Mount Moshmore“ for its 3rd edition in 2003 Skyclad was the first international band to participate live. This friendship had lasted over these 19 years, so they returned on stage again. The whole Dong community sang and danced to their Folk Metal. Suddenly the crew entered the stage to celebrate one member asking his partner for marriage. She said: „Yes.“ An answer that summed the whole show up pretty well.
Memoriam Time for more heaviness: The Old School Death Metal machine from Birmingham returned to the Dong hill without any compromises. They went „Undefeated“ „Onwards Into Battle“. Many headbangers mobilized their reserves after three days to interact. Inspired by the fronting Bolt Thrower original Karl Willets waving the Ukrainian flag there was no other option left while „War Rages On“ as the final „Flatline“.
Emil Bulls Contrast program: After traditional Death Metal the Crossover quintet from Munich stormed the stage to set the next 75 minutes for party starting with „The Age Of Revolution“ and „Euphoria“. Their vocalist initiated a game with one fan serving him one beer before each new song. Later the fan needed to capitulate. Besides that all not-beer-endorsed fans celebrated their best of set. The wall of death attempt didn’t work, but therefore the circle-pit. After „Nothing In This World“ the band left the stage to return with a strong encore closure consisting of „Winterblood (The Sequel)“, „The Jaws Of Oblivion“, „When God Was Sleeping“ and „Worlds Apart“.
Skindred Party by Crossover is a constant guarantee during shows of the Welsh groove commando, so it was during their DOA-return. Lead by ex-Dub-War-fronter Benji their sound between Metal and Reggae motivated the whole crowd to move. „Rat Race“ and „Pressure“ were the first highlights and kept them jumping. Benji animated the fans to different actions including the well-known T-shirt-game. So this became one of the abolute highlights of the whole weekend getting finished by „Nobody“ and „Warning“. What a blast, „whoopwhoop“!
Conclusion:
Everything nearly went perfect for the DOA-organization. All planned bands played, and no short-term circumstances disturbed the running organization. The sunny weather took care about the rest although the temperatures could have been a bit lower, but we don’t want to complain about such luxury problems. Changing the DOA to a complete open air without no tent definitely was the right decision, the new festival set up worked very well.
Thanks go out to Benjamin „Colamann“ Munsch and the DOA-team! At the Dong Open Air drank, rocked and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi, Mr. Welldone & Alex!