Wacken 2024 - Day 5

Day 5 starts early again after a very bad night. Our newest tent neighbours have treated my ears to some of the worst music shit possible until half past 2 AM and I fell asleep with my noise cancelling headphones on, only to wake around 4 AM with the chills and nausea. It is day 5, the last official festival day and I have to admit - despite drinking responsibly and not overdoing it; despite glamping; despite best possible weather circumstances - I have reached my limits physically. I am fed up with having no privacy, Bavarian brass music and camping neighbours. I am ready to go home. The weather forecast predicts rain in the afternoon and all through Sunday morning, so we decide to pack up our stuff today, load everthing into the car and leave on Saturday after the official Wacken 2025 announcement. There's only Cradle of Filth left on my bucket list for today, so there is no rush.

Breakfast drags well into noon, there is still so much food left we have to eat. I applaud Jan-Hendrik for having eaten nothing but Bionella for a full week. Marie is still battling with her Grauburgunder Tetra Pak and there is a lot of garlic cream cheese, olives and hot peppers left. Finally, there is still some lentil stew and Gnoccis that have to be eaten and Marie foolishly states she isnt't hungry. "Um Hunger geht es hier nicht. Niemand hat hier mehr Hunger", is of course the only sensible reply. Around half past one, JH finally changes out of his sleep shirt ("Mir ist warm, meine Schnürsenkel sind auf und ich kann meine Mütze nicht finden") and we start packing, which is once again arduous. While Chris is demounting the tents (cursing and sweating like a sailor), I am queuing for a rental handcart at the Residenz Evil desk. I notice people actually buying one for 99 Euros without batting an eyelash. There is still so much potential to wheedle more money out of desperate people. No seriously, the Residenz Evil area is great. I enjoyed my stay here immensenly. But getting your stuff from the carpark onto the campground and then back again, is a nightmare. There is definitely room for improvement. Maybe dropoff-areas for luggage. Or more rental handcarts. Or maybe even the option to rent a shuttle with one of those little golf carts. I know, I would have booked it. Two hours later, we have managed to cart off our stuff and leave our campground clean as a whistle. We gather in the Residenz Evil tent for one last Falafel salad (you know those days when breakfast and lunch blend into each other?). Just in time. Now it starts pouring down and in no time, the tent is packed. The EXIT game is being finished and we watch Sebastian Bach getting soaking wet on the Faster Stage on TV.

When Sebastian Bach is finished, so is the rain and Marie and JH decide to walk into the Wacken village, because they haven't seen it yet. Contrary to my experience on Wednesday, they are not loving it. Apparently, early Saturday afternoon brings out mostly boozy tourists, staggering from beer stall to beer stall.

On my last day, I get to wear my wellingtons and we meet at the Louder Stage for Cradle of Filth. Behemoth is playing on the Faster Stage and they are to be followed by Amon Amarth on the Harder Stage. As a result, not many people are in front of the Louder Stage, before Cradle of Filth start playing. I easily could have gotten into the first row, but I make the choice not to. We pick a spot futher behind, which is a bit raised and although I am not close to the band, I have a good view of the stage. Of course, by the time Cradle of Filth start playing, considerably more people have arrived at the stage. It is not like they are playing in front of a thin crowd. But, they have to try to "Drown out this Viking Metal Bullshit" (as Dani Filth puts it) from the Harder Stage.

The first time I see Dani Filth on the side of the stage before the set, I am having a real fangirl moment. Cradle of Filth may not be considered black metal to so many. But they were my gateway band. And Dani Filth in particular was my gateway to extreme vocals. Seeing and hearing him live at Wacken this year, is special to me. I am aware that Midian is not Cradle of Filth's most popular album. But it is my favourite. So, I am a bit sad not to hear Cthulu Dawn or Lord Abortion. They play the classics like The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids, Dusk and Her Embrace and of course Nymphetamine. And in the end, I am rewarded with Her Ghost in the Fog. I was sceptical, if Dani would be able to do all the screams and howls on stage as he does on record (I had been given a horrible concert account from Chris several times), but am pleasantly surprised. He certainly can. Of course, the music doesn't quite work live as it does on record with headphones on. At least for me it doesn't. There is a certain overproduced quality to Cradle of Filth, that is hard to put on stage. But it is a good gig nevertheless. Jan-Hendrik pushes his feet to their limits and joins the circle pit for two rounds ("Mein rechter Fuß ist komplett dysfunktional!"). 

Reunited, we are watching the band annoucenemts for 2025, which are once again accompanied by a drone light show. A perfect finish. I am excited about Dimmu Borgir. They hold a similar place in my heart as Cradle of Filth does, but Dimmu Borgir alone is no reason to buy tickets for Wacken again. I hope I'll be able to see them on their own tour someday. We leave the Innfield, Hämatom and Mayhem behind for more enduring warriors and trot back to the campground for one last time to say goodbye to the toilet trailer. And then we are off to the cars and into the night. My first Wacken is officially over.