50 days ago: SUMMER BREEZE

16.-19.08.2023: Summer Breeze. Hard to believe that this festival is now already 50 days ago. We look back …

This year again, more than 45,000 Metal fans made a pilgrimage to the “Wacken of the South”. Unlike last year completely without mud, but with sun without end. On the four stages, more than 130 bands additionally heated up the audience – and not only with music.

After the arrival on Tuesday turned out to be a test of patience for many due to traffic jams lasting several hours, nothing stood in the way of the party afterwards. The site was opened classically on Wednesday on the T-Stage with Blasmusik Illenschwang, shortly after Corvus Corax, with a rather Metal-heavy set, were on the main stage. A little later Epica on the main stage with lots of pyro caused even more sweat on the fans’ faces. The band itself kept making shenanigans among themselves, especially keyboardist Coen Janssen, who in the meantime disappeared with keytar to the crowdsurfer. More Symphonic Metal was directly following on the Wera Tool Rebel Stage with Ad Infinitum. Meanwhile, there was shredding again on the main stage with Megadeth. Instead of sprawling announcements, there was a real fireworks of hits, where every fan got his money’s worth. And speaking of fireworks: This spread In Extremo, who also played the new song “Weckt die Toten”.

On Thursday the concert marathon continued with Storm Seeker. And with beer. Disguised in a rum barrel, “Ughar, der schrecklich Durstige” appropriately treated himself to the first chilled drink while the rest of the band, especially singer Timothy in his coat, sweated it out. Alcohol was also on the agenda for Versengold on the main stage – at least a pub graced the stage. The rain, which was announced as heavy, turned out to be a light shower, which extended over a longer period of time, but rather promised to cool down. At the end, there was as much pyro in one song as others fire over an entire set. Did they want to let us out dry again in the end? If so, the plan didn’t work out, because no sooner did End of Green set the first notes at the T-Stage, there were fittingly the next drops. The main thing that these did not hit the cigarette of singer Michelle Darkness. “As soon as the Darkness comes, it gets dark!” he commented on the weather. Besides well-known songs, there were also two new songs from the upcoming album, of which “Wasted Time” celebrated its premiere. There was bad news at Rave the Reqviem. Bassist Petter Perseivs had injured his knee after M’era Luna and should not perform under any circumstances according to the doctor. The wheelchair on stage told a different story. So he was joyfully pushed around and still celebrated. “This is heavy metal!” said his colleague Filip Lönnqvist proudly. The headliner of the day was Trivium. The formation did without special show elements this time as well, so the focus was on the songs, which spoke for themselves and heated up the audience properly. It was the 192nd. Concert in the current album cycle , singer Matthew Heafy proudly informed us.

Mono Inc. complained that the weather was way too warm, but the pyro stayed on and continued to cheer joyfully. Afterwards Beyond the Black shot flames 20 meters high. But there was also a lot to see on stage. Singer Jennifer Haben changed her outfit several times while singing one hit after another. Also in the further course of the evening pyro continued to be in focus – how could it be otherwise with Powerwolf. Every song, except for the first three, was accompanied by this one. Before it started, however, some torchbearers came on stage to introduce the mass. Surprising was the little dance interlude between Attila and Falk, that the big flag sparked to “Sanctified with Dynamite”, but rather not. At the end there were again big fireworks before Eluveitie continued. So much fire that frontman Christian Glanzmann had to take several steps back due to the heat. Classically, there was the song “Inis Mona” at the end, after the fans spent the whole set and sang along loudly.

The last day started for many with flamingos. Flamingos, where do they come from? Trollfest didn’t make it to Eurovision last year with the song “Dance Like a Pink Flamingo”, but they made it to Summer Breeze. The audience matched the pink. Whimsical, but just as funny. Differently bizarre were Knorkator afterwards. One moment Stumpen was throwing confetti at his colleagues, the next a real keyboard was smashed to pieces and the individual parts thrown into the audience. At least for Knorkator this seemed to be a normal Saturday. The headliner on the schedule was In Flames. The set propelled us back to the debut album, but was primarily anchored in the next works. Already at the beginning Anders Fridén told us “to throw our friends upstairs, they will thank us tomorrow”, giving the security some work. The set was closed with an AC/DC cover of “Let Me Put My Love into You!”, which also meant the end of the festival for many.

The 25th edition of Summer Breeze will take place next year from 14.08.-18.08. . There are already 27 bands confirmed, including Amon Amarth, Architects, Feuerschwanz, Behemoth and Lord of the Lost.

Text: Elias Nieke
Photos: Elias Nieke & Mirco Wenzel

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