Rock Hard Festival 2003 (20th ANNIVERSARY)
Rock Hard which is the leading hard rock and metal-magazine in Germany celebrated their 20th anniversary of holding the metal-flag high through the highs and lows of the music scene. As their festival location they chose the beautiful „Amphitheater“ in Gelsenkirchen. At the Open-Air played 18 bands (each band 45 minutes minimum) one surprise act on the stage which was set right in front of the „Rhein-Herne-Kanal“-canal. About 4000 spectators created a relaxed atmoshere (We didn’t meet one guy stucking on my nerves which is usually pretty imposssible on an open air festival with thousands of drunk metal fans including us.).
Saturday
God Dethroned Our Death Metal-neighbours from the netherlands started the programme. They didn’t seem to care too much about the big heat which throned over festival area and played an intense set („Boiling Blood“, „The Warcult“, etc.). Their new drummer didn’t have any problems with older material and kept the machine rolling. Cool opener!
Tribe After Tribe The most political band of the festiaval as probably of the hole scene is used to those hot conditions. Bandleader Robbie Robb had moved from South Africa to L.A. a few years ago. To his band (including bassist Joey Vera known from Amored Saint, Fates Warning and Engine) it felt difficult to impress the spectators by their spiritual rock music combined with tribal-rhythms and percussion. They have good material („Out Of Control“, „Build A Subway“), but by this gig they didn’t win much new fans.
Circle II Circle Zak Stevens is back! The ex-Savatage singer, in my small opinion the greatest voice with the most charisma in Heavy Metal could have said: „Veni,vidi, vici!“ His new band began with the material from their debut album and the crowd seemed they had just waited for this gig. Especially „Watching In Silence“ built up the first big choir of the festival. After the „Circle II Circle“-part special guest „Mountain King“ Jon Oliva entered the stage, replaced the CIIC-keyboarder and performed with Zak and his bandmates the Savatage-hits „Taunting Cobras“, „Edge Of Thorns“ and „Gutter Ballet“. Finally they excited the fans by the Metallica-cover „Welcome Home (Sanitarium)“. Great gig!
Trouble It’s a long time ago the doom legend around fronter Eric Wagner performed in europe. To me it wasn’ the big show – I just enjoyed songs from their latest/last (?) album „Plastic Green Head“ (especially the title track) – , but those who have waited for a long time got satisfied. So finally there was (and still is) just the question: Was this gig unique or the beginning of a big comeback? We’ll see!
Nevermore What shall I say about a Nevermore-show at a festival? It’s always a highlight! This time the guys from Seattle had a bad sound. But they didn’t seem to care too much about that fact and spread action on as in front of the stage by „Inside Four Walls“, „Seven Tongues Of God“, „This Sacrament“, the Simon & Garfunkel-cover „The Sound Of Silence“ and presented new stuff form their forthcoming album „Enemies Of Reality“. Besides the agile fronter Warrel Dane the new gitarist Chris Broderick who had excited me by his fantastic playing at the Jag Panzer-gig in Wacken ’99 as he did today striked a lot in one of the tightest metal-bands. Again I have to say: Excellent!
Kreator The thrash-legend from the neighbour city Essen has been a permanent companion of the Rock Hard through all these years. So it’s more than just logic that bandhead Mille and his comrades played after starting with new smashers („Violent Revolution“, „Reconquering The Trone“) played many thrash-classics up to 15 years old („Tormentor“, „Betrayer“, „Extreme Aggression“, „Flag Of Hate“, „People Of The Lie“, „Terror Zone“). Great best of-show which began by blowing up a few red and blue smoke bombs at the edge of the stage which caused some fog around the musicians and the first rows.
Anthrax The co-headliner acted like a headliner of a hole festival. „Longbeard“ Scott Ian, Charlie „Mr Supertight“ Benante and their band pushed the excitement to a new level. They started with their new hit „What Doesn’t Die“, played classics like „Caught In A Mosh“ „Madhouse“ and the Trust-cover „Antisocial“ and added newer songs as the new single „Safe Home“, the fantastic ballad „Black Lodge“, „King Nothing“, „Inside Out“ and the evergreen „Only“. I just missed „Bring The Noise“, but who cares (This wasn’t a three hours show!). Led by John „Metal-Sinatra“ Bush and bassist Frank „the biggest fan“ Bello this band showed they are getting more and more fantastic by any year of their existence. Great!
Blind Guardian The fantasy metaler from the neighbour town Krefeld did a good job and played a best-of programme consisting of the opener „Welcome To Dying“, both parts of the „Bard’s Song“ („The Hobbit“ and „In The Forest“) or the epic “Imaginations From The Other Side“, but I noticed they don’t have the same charisma and effect on the spectatorship like Nevermore or Anthrax. Nevertheless they earned choirs by the crowd each song and finished a good show with „Mirror, Mirror“ leaving the fans in the warm summer night.
Sunday
Darkane The death-thrashers from Helsingborg started the second day and it felt hot like hell again. Under this sun-conditions it is astonishing which high energy this fivepiece is able to create considering all the fine and complicate details sticking in the strong material of their three albums.
Threshold The bad luck band of the festival. The weather had turned from biggest heat to a strong thundery shower. The Proggies from the bad weather island UK started with „Phenomenon“ while the fans tried to get under the stage roof. But at the fourth track they had to surrender to the weather because the storm drove the rain from the sides on the stage which was open on all sides. This fact endangered the musicians too much, so a long break followed…
Arch Enemy … which was stopped after an hour by hot sunny weather again (Unbelievable!) and by the swedish shooting stars, who replaced Death Angel in the runing order, continuing the programme. I like the riffing of the Amott-bothers, I enjoy the drumming of Daniel Erlandsson and bass-monster Sharlee d’Angelo has become to a real scene icon in the meantime, but the new (fe?)male singer/grunter Angela Gossow from Cologne didn’t show a real progression for the band. In my opinion the old fronter was better. But what she really has to improve are her ridiculous commentaries between the songs („Do you want blood?… Do you want more blood?…“ (in German). Whatever! Most fans enjoyed the definitely great songs („Ravenous“, „Bury Me An Angel“).
Soilwork The band from Helsingborg was one of my favorites of the festival. The fivepiece around singer Björn „Speed“ Strid who wore a red ferrari shirt introduced their new dummer Richard Evensand. They presented a good mixture between songs from the new album like „Distortion Sleep“ or the title track „Figure Number Five“ and hits from the further outputs („Needlefeast“, „Follow The Hollow“, „As We Speak“). I had seen better shows, but this one was cool and rocked a lot anyway.
Candlemass The doomsters from Sweden around Messiah Marcolin entered the stage and what followed was definitely not my barrel of beer. But it was nice to see my older friends, who hadn’t seen them on their reunion show in Wacken last year because of short-term changes in the running order, celebrating „Solitude“, „Bewitched“, „Well Of Souls“, etc.
Sodom Bolt Thrower had to cancel their gig because of the birth of singer Dave Ingram’s son. They were replaced by the German thrash legend who had the chance to rock the mass in their own hometown. And they did: Bandleader and thrash icon Onkel Tom Angelripper, guitarist Bernemann and drummer Bobby played songs from the current album „M-16“ as the evergreens „Wachturm“ and „Bombenhagel“. Onkel Tom is cult!
In Flames The co-headliners brought spectacular show elements as great music to Rock Hard’s anniversary. The Mr’s Fridén, Strömblad, Gelotte and co. played tracks from the new album „Reroute To Remain“ („Trigger“ „Cloud Connected“) as old tracks („Behind Space“, „Moonchild“) and all-time-faves („Episode 666“, „Colony“, „Only For The Weak“) and filled the crowd with much enthusiasm.
Doro The surprise guest was no other than the german metal queen Doro Pesch, another constant companion of the Rock Hard like Kreator or Sodom. Her short set was consisting of „Burning The Witches“ (with guest singer and german metal co-queen Sabina Classen from Holy Moses), „Für Immer“ and „All We Are“. The surprise succeeded!
Saxon The legend from the UK around cult singer Biff Byford with his eternal voice always guarantee exciting shows. So they did at the amphitheatre with the eagle-show and undying classics like „The Eagle Has Landed“, „Dogs Of War“, „Solid Ball Of Rock“, „Crusader“ and „Denim And Leather“ (including the Rock Hard editors Holger Stratmann, Frank Albrecht and Götz Kühnemund as the background choir!). Meanwhile my friends, me and many others posed around and celebrated the band which we’ll hopefully meet again on Rock Hard’s 30th anniversary!
Conclusion:
We have visited a lot of festivals, but this one counts to the very unique ones. The organizers chose the perfect idyllic area for a pleasant festival party atmosphere. The organisation was top, the drink, food and merch prices were low and the always clean toilets were for free. Generally it was easy to notice the festival team tried hard to let the fans feel comfortable what they realised without any problems besides the weather which showed all its variations. So we hope the Rock Hard didn’t make too much loss, so they hopefully return to this area (probably with camping opportunities) to turn this birthday to a constant festival institution. And – after I forgot to bring my reserve-shoes to Gelsenkirchen – in case of a revival I promise I’ll take two pairs of shoes with me to the Open Air after this thundery shower on sunday noon (Huhu!).
Anyway: What a festival! Really phenomenal!!!!!
At the Rock Hard festival rocked, drank and partied Tobi Wan Kenobi and Melli!!!!!
At least we want to send a very special thanks to the Rock Hard-chief editor Götz Kühnemund for the great uncomplicated collaboration making this report possible!!!!!
Thanx a lot and let’s rock for another 20 years!!!!!