this one is the Wave Gotik Treffen review (part one)
Thursday I had a fun train ride from Prague to Leipzig with Nicki and Heath, who enjoyed the scenic route up the River Elbe (Labe in Czechland), and all was on time without worry. Arriving in the hostel about 4:30 nobody was in my room and I failed to get hold of Kristina and Christian (who booked me the bed) in the next room, so I had a nap. Then I went down to Werk II alone to get my wristband but discovered there was no booth there this year, so continued to the Agra, where I got the thing in half an hour. Back in town I wandered from Moritzbastei to Sixtina and back like a Billy No-mates until I stopped at the Moritz alone to eat a big cheesy canneloni and was shortly joined by Stuart and Charlotte from Nottingham, closely followed by Eric and friends from Dublin. Then had a few good hours drinking and chatting with various folks, including room mate Henrik, before heading off about 12:30 with Adam from Nottingham in a taxi to the E35, new venue for the Gothic Pogo Party. The organisers have bought their own venue, some kind of ex warehouse semi-squat affair with two buildings either side of a cobbled yard, bit rough for now but plenty of potential. Inside was very hot and smoky but outside was freezing! Saw Polina and Dan from Drop Dead as well as many other death rock and related types who I met at that festival. Chrippe from Stockholm had a big Swedish flag round his shoulders and no underpants on at one point! The music was pretty interested but with my knee I didn't dare to dance, although standing around wasn't as uncomfortable as it had been a few nights earlier. I left about 4:30 I think, about the time I was contemplating whether or not to have the drink which would make me ill, so wise decision there. In any case, the Prague warm-up set me up nicely for a night where I'd usually overdo it.
Friday made it to breakfast and had some funny chat with Oli and Sabine from Cologne and then spent some time shaving head, showering and sticking up hair, by which time Henrik was up and about. We then headed out on the tram to Agra, buying beer and roses on the way, the former of which returned me to the previous night's drunken state surprisingly quickly. We then had a fun afternoon drinking around the Agra with various friends and buying a few CD's in the market. Managed to politely say hello to Max from Steinklang at his stall and then quickly depart while he was tending to a customer; I'm still pissed off about Grimbergen getting dropped. Then we went to the neo-folk stage at the Volkspallast. Of The Wand And The Moon I find a bit too nice and dull in places, so mainly stayed in the bar, until the last few songs where I got near the front and rewarded them with a rose for playing their best songs. Rome then were who I was there for and I got close to the front and they were just great; really strong voice and good emotional tunes. The singer looked quite pleased with his rose. Then over to the Kohlrabizirkus for the last 20 minutes or so of My Dying Bride at the metal stage, who were brilliant, one of my favourite doom metal bands ever. (None of them acknowledged the final two roses I threw at them though). Then I found Henrik again and we went to the Sweat! club, which was really sweaty, where Schwefelgelb were playing the Queer Wave party. The place was rammed and we couldn't see much but the boys were on fine form, very energetic German synthpunk and I started to learn how to dance again. Then we went to Villa for the power electronics dancing competition, although it didn't really materialise. There was too much neo-folk and only a bit of slow industrial. The small room was doing bad fake EBM but the third room was death rock and minimal electro. After we left we put half a tree on a skateboarding half pipe ramp and then back at the hostel at about 5:45am or so Henrik decided the drinking had to continue into breakfast. At first it was iPod doom metal in the back yard with a Swedish guy Jonas, who'd got up early for drinking, and then power electronics in the breakfast room and chocolate spread on my face. Bed at nearly 10am in the end, which was quite silly.
Friday made it to breakfast and had some funny chat with Oli and Sabine from Cologne and then spent some time shaving head, showering and sticking up hair, by which time Henrik was up and about. We then headed out on the tram to Agra, buying beer and roses on the way, the former of which returned me to the previous night's drunken state surprisingly quickly. We then had a fun afternoon drinking around the Agra with various friends and buying a few CD's in the market. Managed to politely say hello to Max from Steinklang at his stall and then quickly depart while he was tending to a customer; I'm still pissed off about Grimbergen getting dropped. Then we went to the neo-folk stage at the Volkspallast. Of The Wand And The Moon I find a bit too nice and dull in places, so mainly stayed in the bar, until the last few songs where I got near the front and rewarded them with a rose for playing their best songs. Rome then were who I was there for and I got close to the front and they were just great; really strong voice and good emotional tunes. The singer looked quite pleased with his rose. Then over to the Kohlrabizirkus for the last 20 minutes or so of My Dying Bride at the metal stage, who were brilliant, one of my favourite doom metal bands ever. (None of them acknowledged the final two roses I threw at them though). Then I found Henrik again and we went to the Sweat! club, which was really sweaty, where Schwefelgelb were playing the Queer Wave party. The place was rammed and we couldn't see much but the boys were on fine form, very energetic German synthpunk and I started to learn how to dance again. Then we went to Villa for the power electronics dancing competition, although it didn't really materialise. There was too much neo-folk and only a bit of slow industrial. The small room was doing bad fake EBM but the third room was death rock and minimal electro. After we left we put half a tree on a skateboarding half pipe ramp and then back at the hostel at about 5:45am or so Henrik decided the drinking had to continue into breakfast. At first it was iPod doom metal in the back yard with a Swedish guy Jonas, who'd got up early for drinking, and then power electronics in the breakfast room and chocolate spread on my face. Bed at nearly 10am in the end, which was quite silly.