The Small German Village of Wacken (population ~1800) is home to the worlds largest heavy metal music festival bringing in close to 90’000 people from around the world. Last year the local Wacken Firefighters brass band opened the festival.
The Small German Village of Wacken (population ~1800) is home to the worlds largest heavy metal music festival bringing in close to 90’000 people from around the world. Last year the local Wacken Firefighters brass band opened the festival.
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Graspop is a significantly bigger heavy metal music festival by the way :).
How many firefighters does a town of 1,800 need?
Nothing more metal than supporting a hometown’s brass band.
Somewhere last year, they even installed a beer pipeline on the festival grounds. And at least one guy in the village turns his front garden into a Bratwurst sales point, selling thousands of sausages each day during the festival.
The Firefighters open the festival every year.
this is one of the first times i’ve seen security dancing along to music at a concert, and i love it.
How is called someone born in Wacken ?
I love how you can tell when the two guys gave up drinking by the crowd’s reaction.
Wacken is great fun. The first night is usually joke bands for the early attendees
This is the most nice thing. Today was nice.
HELGAAAA
Good on them. [Wacken 2007 had a mainstage area fire](https://youtu.be/nTfpEL9VjqU). Their response time was impressive.
That place is Wack(en)
For a dreadful moment I thought some of the crowd were giving straight-arm salutes to the beer-quaffing firefighters. But then I saw they were just holding up their phones to record. Phew!
They do it every year and have done it for at least 15 years, it has become a tradition. Also there is a documentary available (with English subtitles) called “Full Metal Village”. This is the [trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZjNhF-HPsE)
I love the comradery between metal/rock fans. Doesn’t matter that they aren’t a metal band, they are a group of people who directly/indirectly support the genre by hosting the festival so the crowd will show them proper respect and gratitude.
english is not my native leanguage, but it is really a brass band with that much of wooden instruments?
Ahh yes.. Wacken. I went in 97.
Let me tell you about the experience. Show wise, awsome. Great sound, nice stage. Held in a field.
Now the services (toilets) was something different. As we where walking out, we all noticed that we where walking in mud. But it hadn’t rained. To our side was a small hill. Atop the hill was a line of portable toilets. About half way down the hill facing the top was a line of guys urinating up the hill. We later found out most of the toilets where overflowing.
It wasn’t “only” mud.
Woodwind instruments in a brass band?
Love the dude crowd surfing.
call the avengers
WOW!!!
You all should watch the documentation about it :
https://youtu.be/b3ZYEbdfhEs (1h28)
Trailer :
https://youtu.be/uZjNhF-HPsE
I love the counterfeit Wallace and Grommit theme
Paging Sean Doolite?
metal heads are the best.
I fucking love Germans. They know how to have a good time.
I go to this! It’s fun…from what I can remember.
Also the world’s largest sausage festival
The town was having such a hard time with all the trucks delivering beer to the show that they installed underground pipes to pump in beer. That’s fucking metal.
The opening song was actually written by the Slovene king of oberkrein music, Slavko Avsenik. The song is named Na Golici, in German it’s Trumpettenecho.
Some fun facts: Slavko wrote more than 1000 song, mostly waltzes and polkas.
A Slovene born musician rose to fame in mostly german speaking conutries.
His band set the standard for modern European folk party music, played live by music bands.
This song is one of the most played instrumental songs in history, on some accounts even THE most played one.
Slavko’s band sold out German stadiums for nights in a row, something that was not accomplished by bands such as the Direstraits.
His son, Slavko jr. is a composer, while his grandson, Saša is walking his granddads steps.
Edit: am slovene music teacher.
The town is literally right next to the festival site, you can’t walk around it without going through the town. Every yard is full of neighbors selling camping supplies, sunglasses, beer, medieval clothing, drinking horns, beer, canned ravioli, sweaters with the name ‘Helga!!!’ on it, beer and free metal bibles. Either they rent their yard out or sell themselves. It’s pretty chill.
Brass bands don’t have woodwinds, so it’s not a brass band.
Not a brass band. Literally the entire first row is woodwinds.
Good, I’d never want to listen to hip hop in German. Rammstein!
Lol the let down of the crowd when the dudes don’t chug their beer in one go.
Valhalaaaaa
I missed them when I played there last year. #humblebrag
Lass ma Wacken gehn
that conductor has a hand twitch tho…
Yo homie, what’s up wit yo hood? I heard it’s Wacken
Wacken has always been a dream destination of mine.
For those uninitiated, the crowds here always seem to be amazing.
[The Bard’s Song Live at Wacken by Blind Guardian has always been a favorite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkapxf2ZeEw)
I’m going this year. So hyped for Gojira.
Isn’t that a lot of firefighters for a town with only 1,800 people?
Et Samsdaachs jeht die Mamma
Immer janz fröh op dr Maat.
Denn do jitt et fresche Eier,
Kappes un Salat.
En Maatfrau schreit
Aus voller Brust,
Dr Koppschlot Dreimarkvier,
Met Lüs un Schnecke inclusiv,
Dat es doch nit ze düür.
peace man
OP, this be a Concert Band, not a Brass Band. Ain’t no woodwinds in a Brass Band.
That’s not a brass band
That’s a lot of woodwinds for a brass band…
Metal fans confuse me. Just don’t get it.
I wanna go this year sooo bad. Always been my dream. Would anyone know of work or volunteer opportunities one could get into?
The statement is false though. Montebello rockfest has more than double the attendance of this festival.
Why do they get a “Beer Garden” when all the crappy German Oktober Fest events in my town have a “Bier Garten” ?
Next year’s festival is cancelled… yep… Wacken off.
this is a test