Wacken 2024 - Day 4

Day 4 starts with AC/DC from somewhere on the campground at 7 AM. It is cold and damp and I feel knackered. My feet hurt and look like they won't fit into any kind of shoe any time soon. Slippers it is. I beat the morning rush for showers and toilets and it's not a very pleasant experience. It is getting increasingly harder to find anything remotely clean. By 8 AM I am again treated to Bavarian brass music. It starts to rain and we move our stuff into Jan-Hendrik's tent.

After some initial grumpiness, Marie breaks open the Tetra Pak of white wine and we are having lentil stew, mashed potatoes, hot peppers ("Du hast bis in Jan-Hendriks Zelt gespritzt!") and ravioli for breakfast, which oddly lifts our spirits considerably. We resume our EXIT game and wait out the rain, which doesn't take long. We walk to the plaza to collect my merch, Jan-Hendrik and Marie see Skiltron in passing and Blues Pills on the Louder Stage. I return to the Residenz Evil, because MOS have been annouced as a musical interlude. There are not many people in the tent and initially there are even problems with turning down the TV sound. Tobi is without Tommy I realise, instead he has two other guys with him, who I don't know. Despite the less than optimal circumstances and thin crowd, MOS deliver their songs very professionally and their attitude rekindles my spirit again. I am brave enough to say "Hi" to Tobi afterwards, which doesn't come very naturally to me.

Chris is having a lot of fun with his metal chip fork. At half past 5, we meet in the Jungle with Iris and Jens, my Wini Macken co-organisers. MOS has played the Wini Macken Festival in 2023 and of course, we are there to see them play at Wacken again this year.

And what can I say... MOS has me laughing and cheering in no time. Tobi introduces Markus and Dougie from 9mm Headshot, his other band, and Dougie is so likeabale and genuine, he's winning over the crowd in seconds. The songs are about beer, beer shits and boozing, interspersed with some classic metal and rock covers like Fear Of The Dark, Warriors Of The World or Beinhart. I am having a tremendous time and feel very connected to this band from Ketsch, which is just around the corner of my hometown Sinsheim. I mean, check them out. What's not to like here?

Afterwards, I am having Langos for dinner, which tastes great, but I am immediately regretting it. Tad too much garlic. I am apologising to anyone who had to stand next to me the rest of the day. We meet with JH and Marie at the Faster and Louder Stages ("Ach, da ist jetzt die Stage!") and witness the rest of the Gene Simmons gig, before Blind Guardian comes on. Both gigs are incredibly boring to me and I am partly blaming the sheer size of the Infield for this. The Faster and Harder Stages are by far my less liked stages at Wacken. They are just too big. I never tried to get closer to the stages, because this would have meant walking too far down. You can see and hear fine from further away, but there is not enough atmosphere. You are just standing amongst people who are watching the same screen. I've seen Blind Guardian in a smaller venue and it was good. At Wacken, it was generic and boring.

So we wander around again. It seems this is what I am doing 90 % of my time in Wacken. Wandering. Waiting. Queuing. Standing. We explore the Wackinger Village and the Dio memorial. Chris is having some tacos and I hear the fire show. Meaning the amazed gasps from people bigger than me, that can actually see something. After a while, we wander back to hear Valhalla and Majesty, which close the Blind Guardian Show and even those songs stir nothing in me. On my way to the Infield, I actually see the woman from our village shop here in Otter. To meet another resident from our village of 2000 souls amidst 85.000 thousand people, is quite the achievment I'd say. Back at the Infield, I am dutifully listening to the first two Korn songs. I never got into Korn, even in the 2000s when they were the new shit. I am still not getting them. So, I make my way over to the W.E.T. stage. Annoyingly, but not surprisingly, the first row is already occupied. I am waiting in the second row and catch nearly the complete Unleash The Archers-show, which I hate. Sorry. The 69 Eyes are about to start at 11:45 PM and now the last days are really catching up with me. As the crowd thickens around me, I feel my head spinning and my legs giving in. Perfect. Before I repeat my Alcest-collapse, I make my way to the side of the stage with some fresh air and sit my ass down. It is not bad though. I am standing in front of the big screen and can see just fine. Plus, I have room to do some dancing. And dancing is a must at any 69-Eyes gig. The set is familiar and delivered solidly, as always. Compared to last year, when I saw my favourite Helsinki vampires in Hamburg, I have to say their age starts to show a little. Maybe it is the lights and the big stage. Jyrki is missing some of his usual sex appeal. You can see his penciled over brows just a little too clearly on the big screen. Nevertheless, I am happy as always when they finish their set with Lost Boys and I can't wait to see them again in November this year. 

On our way back to the tent, we witness the Wasteland Stage going up in flames for the last time this Wacken and with the heat on our faces, we brave the way back to our tent. The last festival day is upon us.