A SADGOTH WGT 2007
Summary of Bands seen this year
Day 1 – Wednesday 23rd May 2007
Much like last year our flight was from Stanstead direct to Leipzig/Halle, leaving the UK just after 20:00. And again much like last year my
trip to the Airport turned out to be a bit of an adventure. Having first picked my Girlfriend up, and delivered her children to her mother
before returning home to pick up our luggage we decided to head to the Airport early. The idea was to take a leisurely drive to the airport,
get some food and chill out whilst we waited for our friends to arrive. My new black Toyota Auris had arrived the day before and this was
really the first time I had to drive it, so I was really looking forward to the drive.
We set off at 14:30 from Crawley giving ourselves loads of time to get to the airport; the trip up the M23 and around the M25 was rather
uneventful. Looking at my Sat Nav it was showing that we would arrive at Stanstead at 16:00, more than enough time, so I took my foot
of the accelerator and coasted around the Motorway. There was heavy traffic at the Dartford tunnel and we lost about 15 minutes waiting
to get through the toll gates. Once through, the traffic began to flow freely again, and as we drove towards the M11 tuning it was all
looking rather good, plenty of time, great weather and no hassle. It was then that a Motorway Sign said that the M11 was closed
northbound due to an accident! I continued around the M25 until we reached the turning off, where there was a queue of traffic, so we
joined the end. We had plenty of time so I though that we would just stay with the traffic jam and move slowly up the M11. However as
we rounded the corner it became apparent that there was no movement onto the M11, we were only creeping forward because cars in
front were either crossing the hatched area and going back to the M25 or they were pulling off and going down the M11 into London. We
finally stopped and waited about 15 minutes without moving. Time was moving on and I must say that I was a bit panicky; I have been
stuck in traffic for hours before with work.
We ended up driving south into London down the M11 trying to find another way around the Jam up to Stanstead. Bringing my Sat Nav
was a stoke of luck, I didn’t really need it as it was quite a simple trip. We were now in the hands of the Sat Nav and after six and a half
miles we turned off the M11 and headed around the A410 North Circular London Ring Road. I didn’t really know where we were going
or what road to take; I was just following what the Sat Nav told me. If finally took us up the A10. The time of arrival was now 17:00 at
Stanstead, still before our friends, but the traffic was very slow going. After looking at a Map I realised I could stay on the A10 and cut
across the A120 that re-joins the M11 at Stanstead. In the end we arrived at the Pink Elephant Car Park at 18:00 where we left the car
and jumped on a bus the short distance to the Airport, finally arriving at 18:15. Three hours and forty five minutes after leaving Crawley.
Next year I think I will leave Brighton at Breakfast time, two years and two nightmare journeys.
Our friends were already at the Airport waiting for us; we checked in and got rid of our suitcases. My suitcase was already over the 20kg
limit, but as my girlfriend suitcase was only 10kgs it was ok. We quickly went through to passport control, this year my boots were off
and ready to go through the machine, I didn’t even bleep as I walked through the metal detector. They have also installed another X-ray
machine just past the normal ones just to scan people’s shoes. So now when people have passed the main X-ray machines they were
being forced to join another queue to have their shoes scanned. Fortunately we had already taken ours off much to the amusement of
staff who it seems don’t see many pairs of New Rocks. Once we had passed into the Airport we had the luxury of having passes to the
First Class Lounge and all the food and drink we could eat. I’m not sure that they are used to a bunch of Goths relaxing in the Lounge
but it was the first time we had to relax and the benefit of free bottles of Becks and wine was rather pleasant. After an hour it was time to
go to the Gate and depart.
At the gate we were met by a small gaggle of people dressed in Black, a few recognised me from the website/forum and it was good to
finally meet some of the people that have input in to the website/forum (or who had stumbled on the website and had found it useful). I
started handing out a few gig cards, this year I had made 50 sets, as last year they went very quickly and I ran out.
The flight was quite uneventful; by the time we had taken off, had a sandwich and a drink it was almost time to land. It was dark out so
there was little to see until we approached Leipzig, then it was a case of picking out the landmarks and buildings as the aircraft flew
over the centre of the city. We landed and passed quickly through passport control and grabbed our suitcases. We then headed outside
jumped in a taxi and arrived at the Renaissance Leipzig Hotel just before midnight. We checked in and I made sure that I had my free
night with the Marriott rewards points that I had accumulated from the past two years. We then quickly freshened up and headed
downstairs to the bar for several German Beers before we went to bed.
Day 2 – Thursday 24th May 2007
This was my Sixth WGT and my Girlfriends First, so I had decided we would have a good wander around Leipzig to see the sights
before heading down to ‘Sued Brause’ to pick up wristbands later that afternoon. We had a bit of lay in before going out to get some
stores for the room. The weather was very hot, so we grabbed a few bottles of drink and took them back to the hotel room (knowing that
many shops close over the bank holiday it’s always a good idea to grab supplies first thing on a Thursday). We headed out and
wandered down to the Goth Shop on Bruhl Strasse, it was rather empty and it was good to have a rummage before the hordes arrived.
My Girlfriend purchased a rather nice corset after having some fun with the shop assistance whilst trying it on. We headed back to the
Hotel dropped off our purchases and headed out for some lunch with friends. There is a rather nice Italian just up Nikolaistrabe where
they make their own delicious Italian style pizzas, the weather was getting hotter so we sat outside and watched the people wandering
past us.
After food it was off up the road to ‘Hautnah’ for more shopping, the shop was well stocked again and my Girlfriend purchased another
item. The map of the World was once again at the back of the shop, but minus pins, so for the first time in many years it was down to
somebody else to place a pin in Brighton. After Hautnah we headed up the street and for the first time we wandered around
Nikolaikirche (the big Church) that was built in 1165AD. I am as Atheist as they come, and churches don’t normally do anything for me,
however the architecture of the vaulted ceiling is something to see, as is the huge metal tubular organ that sits above the main
entrance. For many years I have always wondered why there is a palm tree shaped column just around the corner from Hautnah and
here inside the church was the answer, the roof of the church is held up by a mass of similar columns. So after a few photos it was
back outside to the heat.
We continued to wander around the centre of Leipzig, until we made our way to XtraX (personally I always think they pack too much on
the rails, and it’s a pain rummaging through the clothes trying to find something to buy) anyway there were several more purchase and
then it was time to find the XtraX extra store, this year located down a side alley upstairs near to the Sixtina Bar. It was a bit poor this year
and I don’t think that any of us brought anything from the store this year. Due to the heat it was time for refreshments again, so we
headed to the Sixtina Bar. The place was half empty, and for the first time since I have been coming to Leipzig we actually got seats in
the cool courtyard. A few Absinthes later and it was time to stagger and tram down to ‘Sued Brause’ to meet some other friends that had
decided to go to Colditz this year as they missed out last year.
We jumped on a tram and were quickly down to ‘Connewitz Kruez’ the stop for Werk II and Sued Brause. Our friends were already there.
I had said on the forum that if anybody wanted to meet at the restaurant on the Thursday afternoon that I would be there if people wanted
to pass by and grab a beer, food or have a chat, completely informal. It was so good to meet many of you; I hope you all had a great time
this year. I handed out a load of gig cards to various people that I met, and I hope you found them useful.
I had to get down to the Agra Messepark ticket office to pick up my Press Pass wristband. After handing over my accreditation and
identification I had my Press wristband and we were heading back to the Renaissance for a few hours rest before going out to
Darkflower. The heat was really sapping energy so it was great to get back to the room with the Air Con on full blast. When we woke up
it was time to get ready and meet friends in the Hotel reception before wandering down to Darkflower. The club was packed, although
not as packed as I have seen before. We had a wander around and managed to grab a section of seats above the dance floor. The club
really is great, probably one of the best in the World, great beer, excellent atmosphere and wonderful music. We spent the night here
getting slowly drunk, I danced a few times and said hello again to Vasi Vallis who spent sometime DJing. A great night, although not as
late as we normally stay, the weather being as hot as it was during the day had drained much of our energy.
It was a shame that not more was happening Thursday evening; in my opinion the Festival organisers are missing a trick here. There
could be an opportunity to put some bands on and charge a few Euros to see them. Yes, not everybody is in Leipzig yet, but a great
many Goths are (especially those that have travelled long distance), so it would be fair to charge a small fee, a venue like Werk II would
be filled no problem.
Day 3 – Friday 25th May 2007
After a night at Darkflower we managed to get ourselves up and out before Midday. We headed to the tram stop and headed down to the
Agra to start the shopping spree. After a bite to eat at the pizza stall (and a telling off from the bar tender because we had sat at his
tables without a drink) we headed to Halle 1 only to find that the doors were yet to be opened and the time was 12:45. It was a bit
strange to see the doors still locked and nobody around to ask when they would open, the weather was 30+ degrees and there was
little shade. With nothing else to do we stood in the shade next to the doors of the Halle. Thinking that the doors would open at 13:00 we
stood around chatting, however as 13:00 passed it became obvious that something was not quite right. In all the previous years I had
been outside Halle 1 when the doors open at Midday. It was with much relief that the doors opened at 14:00 and as people rushed in I
think at least half ran for the toilets, something to note for next year. Anyway when the doors had opened we poured and the shopping
started.
The Halle was set out much as it had been the year before, all the stores were in similar positions, XtraX, Out of Line, Zillo, Alderlass
etc. However maybe I am just getting fussy but I found it quite hard to find anything that I actually wanted to buy. Most of the Male clothing
seemed to be mostly quite heavy and canvas, with cheap buckles and straps. Not quite my style, and certainly far too heavy to wear in
the heat. In particular I was looking for a mesh/net top and didn’t find one; in fact it was quite hard to find any store selling anything that
light. Fortunately there are always CDs to buy, and it was good to see that the Out of Line store was well stocked. My Girlfriend had
purchase a few items and was more than happy with what she could find.
Half way through the afternoon I headed off to get my Photo Press Pass from one of the buildings located around the rear of Halle 2
past the Kindergarten. I bumped into a few fellow photographers that I had not seen since last year and it was good to catch up. Once I
had my pass it was back to the shopping, a few more CDs later and it was time to head up to Werk II.
Having spoken to quite a few people it was evident that many people would be heading up to see ‘In Strict Confidence’ at Werk II, there
was very little else to see unless you are in to Black Metal Goth that was playing all day at the Kohlrabizirkus. As Werk II can get very full
very quickly we headed up at 16:30, getting in was easy, no queue and that lovely smell of barbequed Wurst wafting around. We met up
with friends, got some beer and a bite to eat. It wasn’t long and we heard the distant sound of music being played. I was quite
interested in seeing the band ‘Kosmic Horror’, a German band that sound a bit like Gothminister but who sing in Klingon (a language
from Star Trek). From the back of the hall the band seemed to look quite good, in some great outfits with Klingon style make-up. The
band was also quite good, not brilliant but they were playing well together. I was still drinking beer so I didn’t go down the front in the
photographer’s pit, being happy to view the band from the back. After a song or two I headed down to the front area as it was quite
empty, only to be let down by the awful makeup that the lead singer was actually wearing. His Klingon makeup looked like an egg box
stuck to his forehead (worse than the guy from Mortis), terrible, ruined the experience and any credibility I thought the band might have.
So it was time for more beer and time for another Wurst.
The next band on were ‘Pzychobitch’, not really my cup of tea, I have a few songs from them on the odd various album. Still I was at WGT
and Werk II, and here to see bands. So as the band started I once again moved into the Halle to see them play. I must say I was quite
disappointed by the performance, I was expecting some real attitude from the singer and a strong personality. Instead it seemed like
something was missing, even when they sung the couple of songs that I knew I thought it sounded dull and certainly did not inspire me
to go down the front or dance. Personally I think they probably needed to put some more effort into what they were doing (but it was hot
so maybe they were suffering too. Still some of the crowd seemed to like them.
We ended up leaving the band to finish their set, and went and sat in the very nice but very little bar/restaurant area. They sell some
excellent food here if you have the time to wait for it.
Next up was ‘In Strict Confidence’ and my fears about everybody heading to Werk II were coming true; it was really getting very full. It was
time to make use of the Press Pass, about 15 minutes before the band was due on I headed into the Halle A, only to find it absolutely
full, and very hot. I finally made my way down towards the front only to find a rather large queue of fellow photographers all waiting to get
into the Photo pit. Whilst waiting I met an American guy from Florida who I was to see at various other gigs over the next few days, great
to meet you Mike, if you ever read this give me an email and we can arrange to meet up next year. When the band finally came on there
was a rush of Photographers with thousands of pounds worth of camera all trying to cram into a very small photo pit. I got stuck in front
of the speakers unable to see the band, with a crushing amount of photographers behind me all trying to see the band. Once again my
theory of there being no etiquette amongst photographers was being proven, shouts of ‘move forward’ and ‘you must get forward’ were
pouring out of some rather irate American women. But with nowhere to move forward it was impossible. However after half a song and
a bit of patience, more room became available and I think we were all able to squeeze into the pit.
I managed to get some good photos of the band, the lighting was quite poor so my new flash unit came out (not the best way to get
atmospheric photos, but with only a half decent camera Sony A100 DSR it proved to be a great asset). In Strict Confidence were
excellent, I had seen them a few months before at Slimelight in London, on a tiny stage with little room for the band to move around on.
However on this Stage at Werk II there was room to move and for Antje to dance around. The performance was excellent, the strength of
the songs was tremendous and the sound quality was great (the sound at Werk II can sometimes be quite poor). It was also good to
see Antje playing guitar for a few of the songs. Dennis was obviously putting a lot of effort into singing and it was really so much better
than when I had previously seen them. The three song threshold for Photographers was quickly over and it was back to the crowd. I’m
not sure how many people Werk II is supposed to hold, but it was very full, I struggled to get past people to find the rest of my friends.
The heat of the day was mixing with the body heat of thousands of people and with the back door mostly closed it was a real struggle to
stay for the rest of the performance. Anyway the band played all their hits, and my favourite ‘Wintermoon’. Quite a few people started
leaving from the front where it was obviously hotter. We stayed for the full performance but I think we were all happy to get out into the
fresh air afterwards.
We decided that we would not stay around for the other bands, but would head up to Moritzbastei to chill out. The heat was really
starting to drain my energy; I was already feeling tired and felt like I wanted to shower for a day to cool off. As we left Werk II we saw the
huge queue that stretched from the Gates of Werk II right over the road past Sued Brause. We saw a couple of people we knew who
said that they had been in the queue for ages. We headed off to the hotel to drop off our purchases (after we had got some more food
from at the Hauptbahnhof) from earlier shopping and then walked down to the Moritzbastei. It was quite full but we found seats and got
some drinks. After a couple of hours we headed back to the Hotel for an hours rest before going back out clubbing at eleven.
Our original intention was to go and see the expected wonderful lightshow at the Volkerschlachtdenkmal. However it was raining and
there was no shelter at the memorial. It was a real shame as I was quite looking forward to seeing the show, but with rain we were not
prepared to get a drenching. So we headed out clubbing early.
Tonight we headed back to Darkflower, with Johan Van Roy from Suicide Commando DJing we were really looking forward to another
great night of music and dancing. However as we entered it was obvious that we were not the only ones who thought it would be a great
night. The place was absolutely packed out. It was also terribly hot and sticky. We finally found a few seats with friends and sat down in
the back room. Dancing was out of the question, I need a bit of room to move around and the dance floor was packed shoulder to
shoulder. So it was time to drink some more beer. I was quite disappointed at my own stamina as by about 3am I was feeling so tired
that I had to go back to the hotel to sleep, the heat of the day, Werk II and then Darkflower had sapped all my energy. To add to this I was
supposed to meet a few friends to go for the Absinthe Breakfast on Saturday Morning at the Sixtina Bar; however I would never have
lasted that long, sorry for not meeting up with you guys I must be getting too old.
Day 4 – Saturday 26th May 2007
The first day over, it was time for day two of the festival. The heat was once again up to thirty degrees and above. So it was up and out for
Midday and down to the Agra for some lunch and bands. It may have been me but the trams seemed to be less full this year, last year
we took a load of taxis as the trams were always full. However I did notice that there was a WGT Tram Timetable so maybe there were
more trams on for the festival weekend, we even got seats every time we took a tram this year. Anyway we arrived at the Agra by tram
and headed for food, after that it was time for more shopping. The Festival t-shirts were now being sold so I purchased one (on
previous years I had waited until the last day before getting one and been disappointed as they had all sold out). After a few hours
shopping it was time to head out to Halle 4.1 for refreshments, always a great place to people watch and chill out (although it can be a
bit smoky).
At 16:00 it was time to head around to Halle 2 to see some more bands. Security was once again quite tight here and it was good to
see that bottles were being taken away from people trying to get them in. Because it was early the Halle was empty and quite cool, so it
was time to head over to the merchandise area and purchase a few t-shirts.
Angels and Agony from Holland were the opening act and it became apparent that many people wanted to see them, people were
pouring into Halle 2 I don’t think I have ever seen it so full for the first band; it was really very encouraging to see as I have always loved
A&A. As the band started I entered the Press pit and started taking photos, and although the dry ice was a bit of a pain I once again got
some really good photos. For an opening band on a very hot day it was great to see so many people dancing and enjoying the band. An
excellent performance by Reinier and the rest of the band. The speaker sound system was once again tremendous and the songs
came through very well. There was also a real treat for us as Angels and Agony introduced their guest Darrin Huss the singer from
Psyche. Together they sang the remix version of ‘Traveller’ from the recent digi pack limited edition album ‘Unison’, an excellent
performance and one of the real reasons that WGT is such a wonderful festival, seeing guest singers/performers really adds value to
the experience that everybody has. After that the band knocked out all of their best songs and a few oldies, maybe they will do my
favourite one day ‘Stormhead’.
There was a real tightness to the length of time that each band has this year, at all the venues, previous years there have been over
runs with bands doing encores, however this year the band are barely off the stage when a mass of roadies are taking it apart to set up
for the next band.
The next band up were ‘Les Anges De La Nuit’ from the USA, I didn’t really know any of their songs and don’t have any of their albums,
but I was keen to see them. The Halle was at least half empty now, with loads of people leaving when Angels and Agony had finished. It
was obvious from the start that Les Anges De La Nuit were not the band that A&A are. There was less energy on stage and less
presence from the singer. From the press pit they sounded rather dull (maybe in comparison to A&A) but I think the singer was really
struggling to hit the notes and maybe that the mix was more in favour of the synths. The three band members seemed to know their
stuff however, although it was obvious that at least one of the band members was not playing live. So you are in a band playing at the
Worlds Greatest Goth Festival, you are on the biggest stage at the festival and you are playing keyboards…how do you dress? Well the
singer and one keyboard player had it right, but the guy on the left hand keyboard thought he would play wearing a hillbilly green check
shirt with the arms cut off, not only that but he would spend most of his time with his arms in the air singing backing vocals with half the
Amazon Forest under each arm. Sorry mate but if you ever read this you need to think about what you look like, especially when you
have 20 photographers in front of you all snapping away. Hats off to the lead singer, he did his best to get through the tracks and at
least looked classy. All in all I was rather disappointed with them and their performance.
Next up were Absurd Minds, I have one of their albums, and was quite looking forward to hearing this Project Pitchfork type band. I
guess they get sick of that but they do indeed sound like PP on album. As Absurd Minds came on stage it was apparent that we were in
for a bit of treat, loads of energy and a great sound (almost as if the sound quality was turned up for Absurd Minds and Angels and
Agony, but turned down for Les Anges De La Nuit).
Absurd Minds looked good, great stage presence and sounded excellent, I don’t know all the songs but it certainly inspired me to want
to buy some more. From the Photographers pit I managed to get some great shots especially as the singer has a passion for standing
right at the front of the stage. They bounced around the stage and put on an excellent performance. One thing that was a little obvious
however (and something that two friends pointed out as well) was the apparent hatred between two of the band members. The Lead
singer and the Keyboard player on the left with the beardy thing seemed to have lots of hatred in their eyes whenever they sang
together. Killer looks and not wanting to stand together, I’m not sure what the issue is but it was obvious from where we were standing.
Still they pulled off a great performance and even if they do hate each other they are excellent live.
It was time for food and refreshments after Absurd Minds, so we left the Agra Halle and headed outside for more pizza and beer. Not for
long however as we wanted to see Rotersand. It was a day when we had to choose where to go, I would have been just as happy at
Parkbuhne all day seeing Reliquary, Secret Discovery, Emily Autumn and one of my all time favourite bands Zeraphine. However it was
stupidly hot out again, and to see Zeraphine would have required us to camp out at Parkbuhne in the sun all day, as they were bound to
be very popular.
So we went back into the Agra Halle to find it quite full. I had seen Rotersand a couple of months ago once again at Slimelight; they
were absolutely excellent full of energy and sounding stronger than ever. Expectation must have been running quite high as the Halle
was absolutely packed by the time the band came on. As Rasc came on there was a great roar from the crowd, and I was snapping
away at the front taking some excellent photos against the orange Rotersand dry ice. The sound was absolutely excellent, Rasc was
pulling off an excellent performance, jumping around and doing that thing he does with his arms, the band were tight and together and
just in a class above what I have seen already. I first heard of Rotersand about 5 years ago and I purchased their first album when it first
came out, and I have seen them a number of times and each time they are always stronger and full of character. They have obviously
put some thought into their stage act and it really showed, full of excitement and choreographed punching of the air (hehe), but the best
was still to come when little Tom from SITD came on stage (somebody buy him a proper pair of trousers!), so with the SITD EBM stomp
Tom and Rasc performed ‘Electronic World Transmission’ and what a performance, I was torn between taking photos and wanting to
stomp up and down the photographers pit. Then it was out of the Photographers pit, a song to get around the huge crowd and find my
friends. Once I had found them it was time to dance my way through the rest of the set. I was blown away with the quality and just how
far Rotersand have come in a few years, they are destined to headline this Halle in the not too distant future, and I can’t wait to get my
hands on the new album. Tremendous.
So we left the Agra and headed back to the hotel, after last night I wanted to make sure that we stayed out longer so an hour’s sleep
was needed. Once again it had been very hot and energy levels were falling. Back at the hotel I think I was asleep before my head hit
the pillow, we woke up a bit later to get ready and go out clubbing.
So my girlfriend is into the Trad side of Goth and nothing else really, so I promised her that we would go to the ‘When We Were Young’
party one night. Tonight was the night and so we arrived at 11:30, if only I had looked at my own website I might have read that it opened
at Midnight. Still it was a warm night; we found a curb stone and waited 30 minutes until it opened. I had never been to the WWWY party
before, as we are normally torn between clubbing at Darkflower and the Moritzbastei. However my own tastes in music are quite varied,
I grew up with Trad and did all the Trad Goth things long before the word Trad was associated with this genre of music.
The WWWY parties are set in the wonderful Volkspalast, I went there a few times last year, but had no reason to go there this year
unfortunately. The WWWY party is not (unfortunately) held in glorious Kupplehalle but in the Cantina next door. As we entered you walk
across an outdoor area with a few high tables and a small barbeque. As we walked inside it became apparent that the Cantina has
been re-built to an excellent standard very much like the Kupplehalle, the sound system is great and there is plenty of room to sit with
raised bars and wood everywhere. Being nearly the first in we took seats overlooking the dance floor and watched as the place filled up.
It obviously attracts the older Goth, as much of the music is from latter days; and there was a good proportion of Mohawks and big hair.
The surroundings, the people and the atmosphere of the place are all excellent, if you are older and remember what it was like to go
clubbing back in the younger days of Goth then I highly recommend this place and night. I will certainly be back next year for a full night
of Trad; it was a shame to have to leave so early. We had arranged to meet people in the Moritzbastei so had to leave at about 2:30am.
This was my girlfriends first WGT and she had still to see upstairs ‘Oberkeller’ of the Moritzbastei. We arrived and found our friends and
seats, however the place was rammed, she wasn’t up for the grand tour, long trailing skirts and the steps in the Moritzbastei do not mix.
Still we sat there for a few hours drinking and enjoying the sounds and sights. I love upstairs at the Moritzbastei and I would have sat
there all night; however people were getting tired and started to wander off, so we headed back just as it was getting light.
Day 5 – Sunday 27th May 2007
After a long day/night we gave ourselves an extra hour in bed and finally managed to stagger out of the hotel at 1pm. It was Sunday and
time for the yearly sojourn to Aubechs Keller, fine food in a great location. After pizza and other fast food a nice salad and a wonderful
pudding were really appreciated. If you ever go don’t expect to be served fast, you need a good few hours to sit here and eat at a
leisurely pace. Feeling rather rotund we left and headed off to the Kohlrabizirkus for more bands. This location is a real gem to see
bands, its big and has good services. I think my only gripe of the entire festival is that too many clashing events occurred on the Sunday,
when there was little to do on Friday and Monday it was hard to have to pick what to see today. The worst clash has to have been
between Werk II’s noise day and Parkbuhne’s distorted vocals day. From speaking to many people it was clear that many people were
disappointed that they could not attend both, especially as Suicide Commando were headlining Parkbuhne, if you wanted to see them
you needed to be at there all day, and the same was very much apparent if you wanted to see Grendel and Kiew. Personally I would
have been happy at either venue, but the Kohlrabizirkus had an excellent line up too, as did the Agra…too many great bands all playing
at the same time.
So we headed to the Kohlrabizirkus. When we arrived Obscenity Trail were just about to start, there was just time to grab a beer and
have a few sips and then head off down to the front photographer’s pit. I had no idea what to expect as I didn’t know the group. The
lights went down and the band came on to a bouncy sound. However with just the two of them up there it was always going to be a
struggle, especially on such a big stage. I’m sure on CD their music sounds good, however live it was a little dull, and the singer was
struggling to hit the notes. However he was full of energy and moved around trying to fill the stage. They were ok, as a benchmark they
could be used as an average band, not bad but not good enough to buy in my opinion.
Pride and Fall was the next band to play and they are one of my favourite bands, I have seen them a few times and have all their CDs,
they always put on an excellent show. As I headed to the photographers pit I was happy to see that the place was packing out. The band
came on and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they played a heavier set with a heavier guitar sound. It was quite refreshing to
hear, all the songs performed slightly different to how I knew them, wonderful and a great job by the mixing desk not to tone down the
guitar. The performance was excellent and they were entertaining to watch, the sound quality was better than last year when the sound
seemed to boom around the Cupplehalle. I managed to get some great photos of the band, although again I had to use flash due to
low light and the singer wearing black. After taking a load of photos it was back to my friends and time to dance to the rest of the set.
Bloody excellent.
Next on were Seabound, another favourite of mine, although I must say their older material is much better than the newer album. This is
the second time I have seen Seabound and I was happy to see them perform much better than when I had seen them in London a
couple of years ago. Personally I think Frank Spinath has a great voice, but it’s a shame that some of the new material lacks the
passion and bounce of the older stuff. Anyway we were treated to a great set, Frank jumping about and looking very much like Richard
Dreyfuss in Jaws (hehe)…The sound quality was once again excellent and Frank’s voice was full of passion as he belted out Avalost.
Great stuff I spent the rest of the set dancing after taking photos, and great use of the laser lights.
Once Seabound had finished it was Conetik who took too the stage. I think the crowd knew about them before they came on as the
place emptied after Seabound. I had heard a few songs by them, but had never seen them live before. As they came on it was apparent
that they lacked the stage presence of Pride and Fall and Seabound, with just the two of them on the big stage it was apparent that they
could do little to entertain. The singer’s voice is a little distinctive, but nothing in comparison to Seabound, the synth rifts are fine, but
nothing compared to Pride and Fall. The bright lighting did nothing to help them fill the stage, nor did the keyboard player who had opted
for a shoulder strap keyboard, I don’t think I have ever seen any band play these to good effect, they look a little silly and toyish. As the
crowd thinned I left the photographers pit with some good photos due to the bright lighting but it was time to leave Conetik to their fans.
We left and headed down to the Agra, I would like to have seen Terminal Choice but they were already playing. So we arrived grabbed
some food and headed to Halle 2. As we entered the Superheroines had started playing. Now the Superheroines are a band I know
little about, being formed in the early 80s and then becoming dormant for 11 years, I’m not sure how they got so high up the play list, if
its done on Album sales then I guess ‘Eva O’ the lead singer used all her other projects to support the bands placement on the days
line up. So it was too late to get to the Photographers pit so we headed for the bar, I must say that the band sounded more like a
American Rock band than Punk or Goth, but still there was quite a large crowd and some people seemed to like them (it was that or
maybe the Halle was full because it was raining). Either way they played a solid set and the quality seemed to be average sounding,
maybe requiring a better mix of her vocals that seemed lost against the guitar.
Treffen foot was by now setting in, its that feeling you have from standing still and being on your feet all day, especially on the concrete
floor of the Agra. So it was time to start sitting down and resting the soles of my feet. Many others seemed to be suffering too as loads of
people were now sitting on the rather dusty floor of the Agra (I just hoped it wasn’t the farming exhibition the week before, when they fill
the Halle with Cows and other livestock).
Asp were the next band on, and by the time I got up I realised that I had no hope of getting to the photographers pit, the place was
absolutely packed, I know it can take 10-15 minutes to get from one side to the other when its this packed, especially as I would be
moving in the wrong direction to most people. So I stood and watched the band. We had always thought the band name was A.S.P.
rather than the snake Asp, anyway I had seen them before a few years back at Parkbuhne when I have to admit that they did nothing for
me, and then I found their set rather boring. However in the Agra they sounded very much better, Alex the singer in his traditional attire
and make-up put on an excellent performance, and although I didn’t know most of the songs I was pleasantly entertained. However I
did start to feel that many of the songs sounded the same and slowly the entertainment value was sapping whilst Treffen foot was
shouting at me to sit down. So sit down I did after 4-5 songs. The quality of the sound and band were all very much better than when I
saw them play at Parkbuhne, however its just below the limit of what I would purchase.
For the next band I was determined to get to the front, I have always had a soft spot for the 69 Eyes and I have a few of their albums. The
queue of photographers was quite large, so I guessed we all wanted some great photos of the band. As the 69 Eyes came on there
was once again that rush for the photographers pit and much pushing to get there first. I once again wondered why so many of the
photographers are there as they obviously have little appetite for the music, preferring to sit by the photo pit entrance and flick through
photos that they have taken rather than watch the band play, I guess they are getting paid to take photos, or will try to sell the photos
later.
Summary of Bands seen this year
Day 1 – Wednesday 23rd May 2007
Much like last year our flight was from Stanstead direct to Leipzig/Halle, leaving the UK just after 20:00. And again much like last year my
trip to the Airport turned out to be a bit of an adventure. Having first picked my Girlfriend up, and delivered her children to her mother
before returning home to pick up our luggage we decided to head to the Airport early. The idea was to take a leisurely drive to the airport,
get some food and chill out whilst we waited for our friends to arrive. My new black Toyota Auris had arrived the day before and this was
really the first time I had to drive it, so I was really looking forward to the drive.
We set off at 14:30 from Crawley giving ourselves loads of time to get to the airport; the trip up the M23 and around the M25 was rather
uneventful. Looking at my Sat Nav it was showing that we would arrive at Stanstead at 16:00, more than enough time, so I took my foot
of the accelerator and coasted around the Motorway. There was heavy traffic at the Dartford tunnel and we lost about 15 minutes waiting
to get through the toll gates. Once through, the traffic began to flow freely again, and as we drove towards the M11 tuning it was all
looking rather good, plenty of time, great weather and no hassle. It was then that a Motorway Sign said that the M11 was closed
northbound due to an accident! I continued around the M25 until we reached the turning off, where there was a queue of traffic, so we
joined the end. We had plenty of time so I though that we would just stay with the traffic jam and move slowly up the M11. However as
we rounded the corner it became apparent that there was no movement onto the M11, we were only creeping forward because cars in
front were either crossing the hatched area and going back to the M25 or they were pulling off and going down the M11 into London. We
finally stopped and waited about 15 minutes without moving. Time was moving on and I must say that I was a bit panicky; I have been
stuck in traffic for hours before with work.
We ended up driving south into London down the M11 trying to find another way around the Jam up to Stanstead. Bringing my Sat Nav
was a stoke of luck, I didn’t really need it as it was quite a simple trip. We were now in the hands of the Sat Nav and after six and a half
miles we turned off the M11 and headed around the A410 North Circular London Ring Road. I didn’t really know where we were going
or what road to take; I was just following what the Sat Nav told me. If finally took us up the A10. The time of arrival was now 17:00 at
Stanstead, still before our friends, but the traffic was very slow going. After looking at a Map I realised I could stay on the A10 and cut
across the A120 that re-joins the M11 at Stanstead. In the end we arrived at the Pink Elephant Car Park at 18:00 where we left the car
and jumped on a bus the short distance to the Airport, finally arriving at 18:15. Three hours and forty five minutes after leaving Crawley.
Next year I think I will leave Brighton at Breakfast time, two years and two nightmare journeys.
Our friends were already at the Airport waiting for us; we checked in and got rid of our suitcases. My suitcase was already over the 20kg
limit, but as my girlfriend suitcase was only 10kgs it was ok. We quickly went through to passport control, this year my boots were off
and ready to go through the machine, I didn’t even bleep as I walked through the metal detector. They have also installed another X-ray
machine just past the normal ones just to scan people’s shoes. So now when people have passed the main X-ray machines they were
being forced to join another queue to have their shoes scanned. Fortunately we had already taken ours off much to the amusement of
staff who it seems don’t see many pairs of New Rocks. Once we had passed into the Airport we had the luxury of having passes to the
First Class Lounge and all the food and drink we could eat. I’m not sure that they are used to a bunch of Goths relaxing in the Lounge
but it was the first time we had to relax and the benefit of free bottles of Becks and wine was rather pleasant. After an hour it was time to
go to the Gate and depart.
At the gate we were met by a small gaggle of people dressed in Black, a few recognised me from the website/forum and it was good to
finally meet some of the people that have input in to the website/forum (or who had stumbled on the website and had found it useful). I
started handing out a few gig cards, this year I had made 50 sets, as last year they went very quickly and I ran out.
The flight was quite uneventful; by the time we had taken off, had a sandwich and a drink it was almost time to land. It was dark out so
there was little to see until we approached Leipzig, then it was a case of picking out the landmarks and buildings as the aircraft flew
over the centre of the city. We landed and passed quickly through passport control and grabbed our suitcases. We then headed outside
jumped in a taxi and arrived at the Renaissance Leipzig Hotel just before midnight. We checked in and I made sure that I had my free
night with the Marriott rewards points that I had accumulated from the past two years. We then quickly freshened up and headed
downstairs to the bar for several German Beers before we went to bed.
Day 2 – Thursday 24th May 2007
This was my Sixth WGT and my Girlfriends First, so I had decided we would have a good wander around Leipzig to see the sights
before heading down to ‘Sued Brause’ to pick up wristbands later that afternoon. We had a bit of lay in before going out to get some
stores for the room. The weather was very hot, so we grabbed a few bottles of drink and took them back to the hotel room (knowing that
many shops close over the bank holiday it’s always a good idea to grab supplies first thing on a Thursday). We headed out and
wandered down to the Goth Shop on Bruhl Strasse, it was rather empty and it was good to have a rummage before the hordes arrived.
My Girlfriend purchased a rather nice corset after having some fun with the shop assistance whilst trying it on. We headed back to the
Hotel dropped off our purchases and headed out for some lunch with friends. There is a rather nice Italian just up Nikolaistrabe where
they make their own delicious Italian style pizzas, the weather was getting hotter so we sat outside and watched the people wandering
past us.
After food it was off up the road to ‘Hautnah’ for more shopping, the shop was well stocked again and my Girlfriend purchased another
item. The map of the World was once again at the back of the shop, but minus pins, so for the first time in many years it was down to
somebody else to place a pin in Brighton. After Hautnah we headed up the street and for the first time we wandered around
Nikolaikirche (the big Church) that was built in 1165AD. I am as Atheist as they come, and churches don’t normally do anything for me,
however the architecture of the vaulted ceiling is something to see, as is the huge metal tubular organ that sits above the main
entrance. For many years I have always wondered why there is a palm tree shaped column just around the corner from Hautnah and
here inside the church was the answer, the roof of the church is held up by a mass of similar columns. So after a few photos it was
back outside to the heat.
We continued to wander around the centre of Leipzig, until we made our way to XtraX (personally I always think they pack too much on
the rails, and it’s a pain rummaging through the clothes trying to find something to buy) anyway there were several more purchase and
then it was time to find the XtraX extra store, this year located down a side alley upstairs near to the Sixtina Bar. It was a bit poor this year
and I don’t think that any of us brought anything from the store this year. Due to the heat it was time for refreshments again, so we
headed to the Sixtina Bar. The place was half empty, and for the first time since I have been coming to Leipzig we actually got seats in
the cool courtyard. A few Absinthes later and it was time to stagger and tram down to ‘Sued Brause’ to meet some other friends that had
decided to go to Colditz this year as they missed out last year.
We jumped on a tram and were quickly down to ‘Connewitz Kruez’ the stop for Werk II and Sued Brause. Our friends were already there.
I had said on the forum that if anybody wanted to meet at the restaurant on the Thursday afternoon that I would be there if people wanted
to pass by and grab a beer, food or have a chat, completely informal. It was so good to meet many of you; I hope you all had a great time
this year. I handed out a load of gig cards to various people that I met, and I hope you found them useful.
I had to get down to the Agra Messepark ticket office to pick up my Press Pass wristband. After handing over my accreditation and
identification I had my Press wristband and we were heading back to the Renaissance for a few hours rest before going out to
Darkflower. The heat was really sapping energy so it was great to get back to the room with the Air Con on full blast. When we woke up
it was time to get ready and meet friends in the Hotel reception before wandering down to Darkflower. The club was packed, although
not as packed as I have seen before. We had a wander around and managed to grab a section of seats above the dance floor. The club
really is great, probably one of the best in the World, great beer, excellent atmosphere and wonderful music. We spent the night here
getting slowly drunk, I danced a few times and said hello again to Vasi Vallis who spent sometime DJing. A great night, although not as
late as we normally stay, the weather being as hot as it was during the day had drained much of our energy.
It was a shame that not more was happening Thursday evening; in my opinion the Festival organisers are missing a trick here. There
could be an opportunity to put some bands on and charge a few Euros to see them. Yes, not everybody is in Leipzig yet, but a great
many Goths are (especially those that have travelled long distance), so it would be fair to charge a small fee, a venue like Werk II would
be filled no problem.
Day 3 – Friday 25th May 2007
After a night at Darkflower we managed to get ourselves up and out before Midday. We headed to the tram stop and headed down to the
Agra to start the shopping spree. After a bite to eat at the pizza stall (and a telling off from the bar tender because we had sat at his
tables without a drink) we headed to Halle 1 only to find that the doors were yet to be opened and the time was 12:45. It was a bit
strange to see the doors still locked and nobody around to ask when they would open, the weather was 30+ degrees and there was
little shade. With nothing else to do we stood in the shade next to the doors of the Halle. Thinking that the doors would open at 13:00 we
stood around chatting, however as 13:00 passed it became obvious that something was not quite right. In all the previous years I had
been outside Halle 1 when the doors open at Midday. It was with much relief that the doors opened at 14:00 and as people rushed in I
think at least half ran for the toilets, something to note for next year. Anyway when the doors had opened we poured and the shopping
started.
The Halle was set out much as it had been the year before, all the stores were in similar positions, XtraX, Out of Line, Zillo, Alderlass
etc. However maybe I am just getting fussy but I found it quite hard to find anything that I actually wanted to buy. Most of the Male clothing
seemed to be mostly quite heavy and canvas, with cheap buckles and straps. Not quite my style, and certainly far too heavy to wear in
the heat. In particular I was looking for a mesh/net top and didn’t find one; in fact it was quite hard to find any store selling anything that
light. Fortunately there are always CDs to buy, and it was good to see that the Out of Line store was well stocked. My Girlfriend had
purchase a few items and was more than happy with what she could find.
Half way through the afternoon I headed off to get my Photo Press Pass from one of the buildings located around the rear of Halle 2
past the Kindergarten. I bumped into a few fellow photographers that I had not seen since last year and it was good to catch up. Once I
had my pass it was back to the shopping, a few more CDs later and it was time to head up to Werk II.
Having spoken to quite a few people it was evident that many people would be heading up to see ‘In Strict Confidence’ at Werk II, there
was very little else to see unless you are in to Black Metal Goth that was playing all day at the Kohlrabizirkus. As Werk II can get very full
very quickly we headed up at 16:30, getting in was easy, no queue and that lovely smell of barbequed Wurst wafting around. We met up
with friends, got some beer and a bite to eat. It wasn’t long and we heard the distant sound of music being played. I was quite
interested in seeing the band ‘Kosmic Horror’, a German band that sound a bit like Gothminister but who sing in Klingon (a language
from Star Trek). From the back of the hall the band seemed to look quite good, in some great outfits with Klingon style make-up. The
band was also quite good, not brilliant but they were playing well together. I was still drinking beer so I didn’t go down the front in the
photographer’s pit, being happy to view the band from the back. After a song or two I headed down to the front area as it was quite
empty, only to be let down by the awful makeup that the lead singer was actually wearing. His Klingon makeup looked like an egg box
stuck to his forehead (worse than the guy from Mortis), terrible, ruined the experience and any credibility I thought the band might have.
So it was time for more beer and time for another Wurst.
The next band on were ‘Pzychobitch’, not really my cup of tea, I have a few songs from them on the odd various album. Still I was at WGT
and Werk II, and here to see bands. So as the band started I once again moved into the Halle to see them play. I must say I was quite
disappointed by the performance, I was expecting some real attitude from the singer and a strong personality. Instead it seemed like
something was missing, even when they sung the couple of songs that I knew I thought it sounded dull and certainly did not inspire me
to go down the front or dance. Personally I think they probably needed to put some more effort into what they were doing (but it was hot
so maybe they were suffering too. Still some of the crowd seemed to like them.
We ended up leaving the band to finish their set, and went and sat in the very nice but very little bar/restaurant area. They sell some
excellent food here if you have the time to wait for it.
Next up was ‘In Strict Confidence’ and my fears about everybody heading to Werk II were coming true; it was really getting very full. It was
time to make use of the Press Pass, about 15 minutes before the band was due on I headed into the Halle A, only to find it absolutely
full, and very hot. I finally made my way down towards the front only to find a rather large queue of fellow photographers all waiting to get
into the Photo pit. Whilst waiting I met an American guy from Florida who I was to see at various other gigs over the next few days, great
to meet you Mike, if you ever read this give me an email and we can arrange to meet up next year. When the band finally came on there
was a rush of Photographers with thousands of pounds worth of camera all trying to cram into a very small photo pit. I got stuck in front
of the speakers unable to see the band, with a crushing amount of photographers behind me all trying to see the band. Once again my
theory of there being no etiquette amongst photographers was being proven, shouts of ‘move forward’ and ‘you must get forward’ were
pouring out of some rather irate American women. But with nowhere to move forward it was impossible. However after half a song and
a bit of patience, more room became available and I think we were all able to squeeze into the pit.
I managed to get some good photos of the band, the lighting was quite poor so my new flash unit came out (not the best way to get
atmospheric photos, but with only a half decent camera Sony A100 DSR it proved to be a great asset). In Strict Confidence were
excellent, I had seen them a few months before at Slimelight in London, on a tiny stage with little room for the band to move around on.
However on this Stage at Werk II there was room to move and for Antje to dance around. The performance was excellent, the strength of
the songs was tremendous and the sound quality was great (the sound at Werk II can sometimes be quite poor). It was also good to
see Antje playing guitar for a few of the songs. Dennis was obviously putting a lot of effort into singing and it was really so much better
than when I had previously seen them. The three song threshold for Photographers was quickly over and it was back to the crowd. I’m
not sure how many people Werk II is supposed to hold, but it was very full, I struggled to get past people to find the rest of my friends.
The heat of the day was mixing with the body heat of thousands of people and with the back door mostly closed it was a real struggle to
stay for the rest of the performance. Anyway the band played all their hits, and my favourite ‘Wintermoon’. Quite a few people started
leaving from the front where it was obviously hotter. We stayed for the full performance but I think we were all happy to get out into the
fresh air afterwards.
We decided that we would not stay around for the other bands, but would head up to Moritzbastei to chill out. The heat was really
starting to drain my energy; I was already feeling tired and felt like I wanted to shower for a day to cool off. As we left Werk II we saw the
huge queue that stretched from the Gates of Werk II right over the road past Sued Brause. We saw a couple of people we knew who
said that they had been in the queue for ages. We headed off to the hotel to drop off our purchases (after we had got some more food
from at the Hauptbahnhof) from earlier shopping and then walked down to the Moritzbastei. It was quite full but we found seats and got
some drinks. After a couple of hours we headed back to the Hotel for an hours rest before going back out clubbing at eleven.
Our original intention was to go and see the expected wonderful lightshow at the Volkerschlachtdenkmal. However it was raining and
there was no shelter at the memorial. It was a real shame as I was quite looking forward to seeing the show, but with rain we were not
prepared to get a drenching. So we headed out clubbing early.
Tonight we headed back to Darkflower, with Johan Van Roy from Suicide Commando DJing we were really looking forward to another
great night of music and dancing. However as we entered it was obvious that we were not the only ones who thought it would be a great
night. The place was absolutely packed out. It was also terribly hot and sticky. We finally found a few seats with friends and sat down in
the back room. Dancing was out of the question, I need a bit of room to move around and the dance floor was packed shoulder to
shoulder. So it was time to drink some more beer. I was quite disappointed at my own stamina as by about 3am I was feeling so tired
that I had to go back to the hotel to sleep, the heat of the day, Werk II and then Darkflower had sapped all my energy. To add to this I was
supposed to meet a few friends to go for the Absinthe Breakfast on Saturday Morning at the Sixtina Bar; however I would never have
lasted that long, sorry for not meeting up with you guys I must be getting too old.
Day 4 – Saturday 26th May 2007
The first day over, it was time for day two of the festival. The heat was once again up to thirty degrees and above. So it was up and out for
Midday and down to the Agra for some lunch and bands. It may have been me but the trams seemed to be less full this year, last year
we took a load of taxis as the trams were always full. However I did notice that there was a WGT Tram Timetable so maybe there were
more trams on for the festival weekend, we even got seats every time we took a tram this year. Anyway we arrived at the Agra by tram
and headed for food, after that it was time for more shopping. The Festival t-shirts were now being sold so I purchased one (on
previous years I had waited until the last day before getting one and been disappointed as they had all sold out). After a few hours
shopping it was time to head out to Halle 4.1 for refreshments, always a great place to people watch and chill out (although it can be a
bit smoky).
At 16:00 it was time to head around to Halle 2 to see some more bands. Security was once again quite tight here and it was good to
see that bottles were being taken away from people trying to get them in. Because it was early the Halle was empty and quite cool, so it
was time to head over to the merchandise area and purchase a few t-shirts.
Angels and Agony from Holland were the opening act and it became apparent that many people wanted to see them, people were
pouring into Halle 2 I don’t think I have ever seen it so full for the first band; it was really very encouraging to see as I have always loved
A&A. As the band started I entered the Press pit and started taking photos, and although the dry ice was a bit of a pain I once again got
some really good photos. For an opening band on a very hot day it was great to see so many people dancing and enjoying the band. An
excellent performance by Reinier and the rest of the band. The speaker sound system was once again tremendous and the songs
came through very well. There was also a real treat for us as Angels and Agony introduced their guest Darrin Huss the singer from
Psyche. Together they sang the remix version of ‘Traveller’ from the recent digi pack limited edition album ‘Unison’, an excellent
performance and one of the real reasons that WGT is such a wonderful festival, seeing guest singers/performers really adds value to
the experience that everybody has. After that the band knocked out all of their best songs and a few oldies, maybe they will do my
favourite one day ‘Stormhead’.
There was a real tightness to the length of time that each band has this year, at all the venues, previous years there have been over
runs with bands doing encores, however this year the band are barely off the stage when a mass of roadies are taking it apart to set up
for the next band.
The next band up were ‘Les Anges De La Nuit’ from the USA, I didn’t really know any of their songs and don’t have any of their albums,
but I was keen to see them. The Halle was at least half empty now, with loads of people leaving when Angels and Agony had finished. It
was obvious from the start that Les Anges De La Nuit were not the band that A&A are. There was less energy on stage and less
presence from the singer. From the press pit they sounded rather dull (maybe in comparison to A&A) but I think the singer was really
struggling to hit the notes and maybe that the mix was more in favour of the synths. The three band members seemed to know their
stuff however, although it was obvious that at least one of the band members was not playing live. So you are in a band playing at the
Worlds Greatest Goth Festival, you are on the biggest stage at the festival and you are playing keyboards…how do you dress? Well the
singer and one keyboard player had it right, but the guy on the left hand keyboard thought he would play wearing a hillbilly green check
shirt with the arms cut off, not only that but he would spend most of his time with his arms in the air singing backing vocals with half the
Amazon Forest under each arm. Sorry mate but if you ever read this you need to think about what you look like, especially when you
have 20 photographers in front of you all snapping away. Hats off to the lead singer, he did his best to get through the tracks and at
least looked classy. All in all I was rather disappointed with them and their performance.
Next up were Absurd Minds, I have one of their albums, and was quite looking forward to hearing this Project Pitchfork type band. I
guess they get sick of that but they do indeed sound like PP on album. As Absurd Minds came on stage it was apparent that we were in
for a bit of treat, loads of energy and a great sound (almost as if the sound quality was turned up for Absurd Minds and Angels and
Agony, but turned down for Les Anges De La Nuit).
Absurd Minds looked good, great stage presence and sounded excellent, I don’t know all the songs but it certainly inspired me to want
to buy some more. From the Photographers pit I managed to get some great shots especially as the singer has a passion for standing
right at the front of the stage. They bounced around the stage and put on an excellent performance. One thing that was a little obvious
however (and something that two friends pointed out as well) was the apparent hatred between two of the band members. The Lead
singer and the Keyboard player on the left with the beardy thing seemed to have lots of hatred in their eyes whenever they sang
together. Killer looks and not wanting to stand together, I’m not sure what the issue is but it was obvious from where we were standing.
Still they pulled off a great performance and even if they do hate each other they are excellent live.
It was time for food and refreshments after Absurd Minds, so we left the Agra Halle and headed outside for more pizza and beer. Not for
long however as we wanted to see Rotersand. It was a day when we had to choose where to go, I would have been just as happy at
Parkbuhne all day seeing Reliquary, Secret Discovery, Emily Autumn and one of my all time favourite bands Zeraphine. However it was
stupidly hot out again, and to see Zeraphine would have required us to camp out at Parkbuhne in the sun all day, as they were bound to
be very popular.
So we went back into the Agra Halle to find it quite full. I had seen Rotersand a couple of months ago once again at Slimelight; they
were absolutely excellent full of energy and sounding stronger than ever. Expectation must have been running quite high as the Halle
was absolutely packed by the time the band came on. As Rasc came on there was a great roar from the crowd, and I was snapping
away at the front taking some excellent photos against the orange Rotersand dry ice. The sound was absolutely excellent, Rasc was
pulling off an excellent performance, jumping around and doing that thing he does with his arms, the band were tight and together and
just in a class above what I have seen already. I first heard of Rotersand about 5 years ago and I purchased their first album when it first
came out, and I have seen them a number of times and each time they are always stronger and full of character. They have obviously
put some thought into their stage act and it really showed, full of excitement and choreographed punching of the air (hehe), but the best
was still to come when little Tom from SITD came on stage (somebody buy him a proper pair of trousers!), so with the SITD EBM stomp
Tom and Rasc performed ‘Electronic World Transmission’ and what a performance, I was torn between taking photos and wanting to
stomp up and down the photographers pit. Then it was out of the Photographers pit, a song to get around the huge crowd and find my
friends. Once I had found them it was time to dance my way through the rest of the set. I was blown away with the quality and just how
far Rotersand have come in a few years, they are destined to headline this Halle in the not too distant future, and I can’t wait to get my
hands on the new album. Tremendous.
So we left the Agra and headed back to the hotel, after last night I wanted to make sure that we stayed out longer so an hour’s sleep
was needed. Once again it had been very hot and energy levels were falling. Back at the hotel I think I was asleep before my head hit
the pillow, we woke up a bit later to get ready and go out clubbing.
So my girlfriend is into the Trad side of Goth and nothing else really, so I promised her that we would go to the ‘When We Were Young’
party one night. Tonight was the night and so we arrived at 11:30, if only I had looked at my own website I might have read that it opened
at Midnight. Still it was a warm night; we found a curb stone and waited 30 minutes until it opened. I had never been to the WWWY party
before, as we are normally torn between clubbing at Darkflower and the Moritzbastei. However my own tastes in music are quite varied,
I grew up with Trad and did all the Trad Goth things long before the word Trad was associated with this genre of music.
The WWWY parties are set in the wonderful Volkspalast, I went there a few times last year, but had no reason to go there this year
unfortunately. The WWWY party is not (unfortunately) held in glorious Kupplehalle but in the Cantina next door. As we entered you walk
across an outdoor area with a few high tables and a small barbeque. As we walked inside it became apparent that the Cantina has
been re-built to an excellent standard very much like the Kupplehalle, the sound system is great and there is plenty of room to sit with
raised bars and wood everywhere. Being nearly the first in we took seats overlooking the dance floor and watched as the place filled up.
It obviously attracts the older Goth, as much of the music is from latter days; and there was a good proportion of Mohawks and big hair.
The surroundings, the people and the atmosphere of the place are all excellent, if you are older and remember what it was like to go
clubbing back in the younger days of Goth then I highly recommend this place and night. I will certainly be back next year for a full night
of Trad; it was a shame to have to leave so early. We had arranged to meet people in the Moritzbastei so had to leave at about 2:30am.
This was my girlfriends first WGT and she had still to see upstairs ‘Oberkeller’ of the Moritzbastei. We arrived and found our friends and
seats, however the place was rammed, she wasn’t up for the grand tour, long trailing skirts and the steps in the Moritzbastei do not mix.
Still we sat there for a few hours drinking and enjoying the sounds and sights. I love upstairs at the Moritzbastei and I would have sat
there all night; however people were getting tired and started to wander off, so we headed back just as it was getting light.
Day 5 – Sunday 27th May 2007
After a long day/night we gave ourselves an extra hour in bed and finally managed to stagger out of the hotel at 1pm. It was Sunday and
time for the yearly sojourn to Aubechs Keller, fine food in a great location. After pizza and other fast food a nice salad and a wonderful
pudding were really appreciated. If you ever go don’t expect to be served fast, you need a good few hours to sit here and eat at a
leisurely pace. Feeling rather rotund we left and headed off to the Kohlrabizirkus for more bands. This location is a real gem to see
bands, its big and has good services. I think my only gripe of the entire festival is that too many clashing events occurred on the Sunday,
when there was little to do on Friday and Monday it was hard to have to pick what to see today. The worst clash has to have been
between Werk II’s noise day and Parkbuhne’s distorted vocals day. From speaking to many people it was clear that many people were
disappointed that they could not attend both, especially as Suicide Commando were headlining Parkbuhne, if you wanted to see them
you needed to be at there all day, and the same was very much apparent if you wanted to see Grendel and Kiew. Personally I would
have been happy at either venue, but the Kohlrabizirkus had an excellent line up too, as did the Agra…too many great bands all playing
at the same time.
So we headed to the Kohlrabizirkus. When we arrived Obscenity Trail were just about to start, there was just time to grab a beer and
have a few sips and then head off down to the front photographer’s pit. I had no idea what to expect as I didn’t know the group. The
lights went down and the band came on to a bouncy sound. However with just the two of them up there it was always going to be a
struggle, especially on such a big stage. I’m sure on CD their music sounds good, however live it was a little dull, and the singer was
struggling to hit the notes. However he was full of energy and moved around trying to fill the stage. They were ok, as a benchmark they
could be used as an average band, not bad but not good enough to buy in my opinion.
Pride and Fall was the next band to play and they are one of my favourite bands, I have seen them a few times and have all their CDs,
they always put on an excellent show. As I headed to the photographers pit I was happy to see that the place was packing out. The band
came on and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they played a heavier set with a heavier guitar sound. It was quite refreshing to
hear, all the songs performed slightly different to how I knew them, wonderful and a great job by the mixing desk not to tone down the
guitar. The performance was excellent and they were entertaining to watch, the sound quality was better than last year when the sound
seemed to boom around the Cupplehalle. I managed to get some great photos of the band, although again I had to use flash due to
low light and the singer wearing black. After taking a load of photos it was back to my friends and time to dance to the rest of the set.
Bloody excellent.
Next on were Seabound, another favourite of mine, although I must say their older material is much better than the newer album. This is
the second time I have seen Seabound and I was happy to see them perform much better than when I had seen them in London a
couple of years ago. Personally I think Frank Spinath has a great voice, but it’s a shame that some of the new material lacks the
passion and bounce of the older stuff. Anyway we were treated to a great set, Frank jumping about and looking very much like Richard
Dreyfuss in Jaws (hehe)…The sound quality was once again excellent and Frank’s voice was full of passion as he belted out Avalost.
Great stuff I spent the rest of the set dancing after taking photos, and great use of the laser lights.
Once Seabound had finished it was Conetik who took too the stage. I think the crowd knew about them before they came on as the
place emptied after Seabound. I had heard a few songs by them, but had never seen them live before. As they came on it was apparent
that they lacked the stage presence of Pride and Fall and Seabound, with just the two of them on the big stage it was apparent that they
could do little to entertain. The singer’s voice is a little distinctive, but nothing in comparison to Seabound, the synth rifts are fine, but
nothing compared to Pride and Fall. The bright lighting did nothing to help them fill the stage, nor did the keyboard player who had opted
for a shoulder strap keyboard, I don’t think I have ever seen any band play these to good effect, they look a little silly and toyish. As the
crowd thinned I left the photographers pit with some good photos due to the bright lighting but it was time to leave Conetik to their fans.
We left and headed down to the Agra, I would like to have seen Terminal Choice but they were already playing. So we arrived grabbed
some food and headed to Halle 2. As we entered the Superheroines had started playing. Now the Superheroines are a band I know
little about, being formed in the early 80s and then becoming dormant for 11 years, I’m not sure how they got so high up the play list, if
its done on Album sales then I guess ‘Eva O’ the lead singer used all her other projects to support the bands placement on the days
line up. So it was too late to get to the Photographers pit so we headed for the bar, I must say that the band sounded more like a
American Rock band than Punk or Goth, but still there was quite a large crowd and some people seemed to like them (it was that or
maybe the Halle was full because it was raining). Either way they played a solid set and the quality seemed to be average sounding,
maybe requiring a better mix of her vocals that seemed lost against the guitar.
Treffen foot was by now setting in, its that feeling you have from standing still and being on your feet all day, especially on the concrete
floor of the Agra. So it was time to start sitting down and resting the soles of my feet. Many others seemed to be suffering too as loads of
people were now sitting on the rather dusty floor of the Agra (I just hoped it wasn’t the farming exhibition the week before, when they fill
the Halle with Cows and other livestock).
Asp were the next band on, and by the time I got up I realised that I had no hope of getting to the photographers pit, the place was
absolutely packed, I know it can take 10-15 minutes to get from one side to the other when its this packed, especially as I would be
moving in the wrong direction to most people. So I stood and watched the band. We had always thought the band name was A.S.P.
rather than the snake Asp, anyway I had seen them before a few years back at Parkbuhne when I have to admit that they did nothing for
me, and then I found their set rather boring. However in the Agra they sounded very much better, Alex the singer in his traditional attire
and make-up put on an excellent performance, and although I didn’t know most of the songs I was pleasantly entertained. However I
did start to feel that many of the songs sounded the same and slowly the entertainment value was sapping whilst Treffen foot was
shouting at me to sit down. So sit down I did after 4-5 songs. The quality of the sound and band were all very much better than when I
saw them play at Parkbuhne, however its just below the limit of what I would purchase.
For the next band I was determined to get to the front, I have always had a soft spot for the 69 Eyes and I have a few of their albums. The
queue of photographers was quite large, so I guessed we all wanted some great photos of the band. As the 69 Eyes came on there
was once again that rush for the photographers pit and much pushing to get there first. I once again wondered why so many of the
photographers are there as they obviously have little appetite for the music, preferring to sit by the photo pit entrance and flick through
photos that they have taken rather than watch the band play, I guess they are getting paid to take photos, or will try to sell the photos
later.
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