Select background

My day! Paganfest in Berlin. And Jeanny also comes...

9:30 - Just in time I take over our car. He he, the nightmare for every husband. The wife kidnaps the best piece for two days. The traffic on the highway is normal. Only the rain falls in abnormal masses. At times nothing is to be seen on the street. But we manage this without problems. A little heavier is it to find the hotel in Berlin. I have fed the Navigations system on the wrong house number and I land before a little bit degenerated house in Berlin Kreuzberg.  Shit happens. There the best Navigations system is not able to do something for it. Then, finally, after a half hour I stand in front of our hotel and take a deep breath. Yes, this looks already better. The room is small but fine. First of all the laptop goes online. I am offline 4 hours already. There's no more as internet dependant as me.

In two hours arrives Jeanny by the train from Leipzig.  He he, this becomes a great hello on platform 7. The friendly lady in the reception means, I would need 15 minutes up to the central station. I am incredulous a little bit. We are here in Berlin Mitte. There is nothing reachable within 15 minutes.  So I drive off already at 1 o'clock.  And come into the thickest traffic, my notion, he he... But I arrive together with Jeanny's train on platform 7. Now we can start in a great time. Because the train ends in Berlin, German railways gives no information about the wagon numbers and positions. I have no notion where Jeanny will fall out of the train. But we manage this also and embrace each other a few minutes later. Now we know each other already so long. Endless Sessions in the MySpace and on MSN. And, finally, today we meet. I am so happy. Jeanny is as nice and joculary in real life as in the web. These will become two cheerful days, hi hi...

Back to the hotel. We prepare for the show. Of course... it's only a superfluous ritual to feel fine. The look will in the bucket be within one hour. We go to the Paganfest not to an opera ball.
In our excitement we walk of course at first in the wrong direction. However, jogging should be healthy. A bass player wrote this in his blog once. He he, thank you Rafi, the tip was good. We arrive just in time at the SO36. First of all we look for some "intelligent" people with stupid posters. But it seems the Antifa is afraid about their own courage. Good to us. Today we want to party and not discuss about such absolute nonsense. That doesn't suit to a Paganfest. The excitement about BIFF has cost us enough nerves in the last weeks. We place ourselves before the SO36 and wait for the things which want to happen.  From time to time some band members run along the way. Some of them with dogged faces.  We cannot fathom whether the mood is pressed because of the prefigured antifa-actions or whether should simply mean: We have stress - please do not talk to us. At last it does not matter... The mood among the fans is super. This becomes certainly a really good show.

Finally, the doors open. And we can go into the inner sanctum. However, a little late.  Nastrandir are already on the stage. Strong-willed we move to the stage. In the beginning we land in the second row. But we can move very fast into the popular first row.  However, a crux has the whole thing: We have got no drinks. It can become a little dry. The guys of Nastrandir rock the hall. Unfortunately, only the first rows are well filled.  However, this don't the atmosphere any harm. Everyone in the audience gives his best.
When Eluveitie enter the stage, the hall fills visibly and it becomes very closely before the stage. And it become suddenly quite hot in the hall. Unfortunately, the quality of sound is not good. We hardly hear the voice from Chrigel what is an absolute misery. We have been glad so much to see this band. And now this pity. That's life! Nevertheless, the audience is very enthusiastic. The audience is unleashed and we start collecting our first blue spots. Directly behind us are two boys rampaging. They try to reach Anna and Meri. But nobody is a long time on the stage. The crew is on standby...

After Eluveitie the guys from Tyr are playing. Tyr isn't my taste so completely. One cannot love everything ;)

Then Moonsorrow come. This Band was particularly attacked by the BIFF in Berlin. Absolutely unfounded accusations. Sometimes I think, Mr. Kratz knows, why he has not appeared in the SO36. Maybe he should make an application for a job in a rainbow press? He would be qualified always... 
The hall has heated up unbearably. We have no drinks. This becomes a hard trip. But who would surrender now? The band starts with Raunioilla and presents as the last song Jotunheim. I think if we could hear the singing, it would be great.  But we hear only a few scraps from the lyrics. This robs the energy of the songs :( It has really interested me how Moonsorrow present their epic works live. Now it fails because of the technics. I have dealed only very little with this band. So I can't really say, which songs was played also.

And, finally! Korpiklaani storm the stage. Now the audience is not to be held any more. The people celebrate a crazy party. Jonne fires the audience up as we know it. Meanwhile we are sweaty many times. But there is no escape.
Wooden Pints, Korpiklaani, Cottages & Saunas, Tuli Kokko, Pellonpekko, Journey Man, Paljon On Koskessa Kiviä, Happy Little Boozer ...
And, finally, the drum is used. What especially pleases us: Jonne joikt. We hope that the drum becomes a component of the shows. It's so great!!! Who knows the old Shaman songs and loves, will know what I mean. Nice that he is able to do it still and also does it. Finally he presents a few more quite special dance steps. Delightfully!!!
Kalle leaves once the stage. We're wondering about that. Later he told me that his guitar pick was broken. Jonne changes once the guitar what pleases us very much. I am not overly excited about the new guitar of him. The audience dances as if it would the last time. If one has not experienced this feeling, one does not know what is a real Humppa party. I hope the energy still reaches until Enska gig ;)
But what's that? No free beer? Helloooooo Jonne, it is hot in the hall! We are disappointed a little bit and stay behind thirsty.

The Headliner of the evening: Ensiferum! The hall rages. Indeed, the air seems to be out a little bit. It does not go off any more so wildly. Nevertheless, the show is indescribable. During the last two weeks I have dealed a lot with Ensiferum. Today I am really tempted to bite in my ass. I have missed the great tour of the last album. Ensiferum is just brilliant. Unfortunately, the sound is still bad. The great voice of Petri hardly breaks through. Because we stand on the left side of the stage, we also hardly hear from Markus. I could tear my hair! Because it we can enjoy the inserts of Sami to the fullest. He cheers up the audience, it is a true splendor.  It is hardly to describe. One Song after other song is smashed in the hall. No notion, whether in the order: Iron,  One More Magic Potion, Ahti, Lai Lai Hei , Token Of Time, Blood Is The Price Of Glory...
Because of Petri the audience demands without end. I mean, we already have partied 5 bands, but he knows no mercy. What is still left from our voices, Petri collects it away... Then Ensiferum leave the stage and let themselves from the meanwhile really dead tired audience call back to the stage. Treacherous Gods and Battle song. I do not know whether I am still heard ... The Land is silent...before the stooooorm... One of my hottest Enska songs. My neighbours will thank the guys forever for this song ;)
Sami also has today again something special for the audience. Poor Markus. Apparently, Sami's ingenuity is unfailing. Today he put his guitar between to Markus' legs and of course he has the laughers on his side. And today he still places on it. While leaving the stage he presents his belly (and he has a substantially cultivated belly) and tells us in German "I have a thick belly". The audience roars enthusiastic. Sami is a real hammer! If I see him today, I can't imagine that he had a bald head 5 years ago. Not conceivable!

After the last band the most people leave the hall immediately. Finally, we get cold water and of course beer. Then we search a quiet place at the side. Unfortunately, the crew of the SO36 immediately begins with the cleaning work. Bit by bit they push us in direction of exit. Well, all right. Klaani are in the hall and a crowd of fans are close around them. We observe the scrum from a distance. Today I have shot only one photo. The show was so captivating that we stowed away the cameras in the bag and partied all the bands the tape to the fullest. Then a little small talk with Kalle. Nice Guy ;)

We sit down outside the SO36. Jeanny still has her water, I have my beer yet. He he, the best at the last. We can watch how the equipment is stowed away in the buses. A hectic hustle and bustle, at night at half past twelve in Kreuzberg ;)
Little by little the bands come out of the SO36. Some still assemble outside the buses, others disappear quick like a shot in the vehicles. Party mood on the sidewalk. Jonne makes happy a passer-by with his beer - happiness all around. The man is completely surprised. He drinks a gulp and thanks Jonne. Then he returns the bottle to Jonne. But Jonne is generous today and so the beer reaches Jeanny sometime. Now, this is an unexpected pleasure. After all free beer! Hi hi, thank you Jonne.

After an hour the attraction is over. The equipment is stowed and the people are "ordered" in the buses. After the third announcement all people go into the buses. It's like a herd of cats ;)
Now our bottles are empty too and we walk to our hotel. It is half past one and around 10 we further drive to Leipzig. There will Anita already waits for us. The next highlight of this tour ;)

Back in the hotel room we can't fall asleep directly. Sami and Rafi were diligent. They have published her impressions of the evening already. It wasn't visible that Sami was ill this evening. Kudos! The guy is really great.
To sum up, I can say that the evening was huge. Despite of the problems with the tone and the bad ventilation, everything was great. The bands fired the audience up and the audience partied all time. We was a little afraid that we mustn't smoke in the venue. Six hours without a cigarette!!! But then this fear has not proved as true. Some fans tried to storm onto the stage. The crew reacted a little bit roughly to these people. They were simply pushed back in the audience.  A boot met Jeanny's ear once. We can understand that the audience has no place on the stage. But that should regulate in a different way. Unfortunately, there were throughout the evening more such incidents. So we had to duck our heads several times.

At last we pitch into our beer reserves. And one hour later we sink into our bunks.