ROCK AM RING 2024 with DIE ÄRZTE, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and many more. (Part 1/3)
Friday, June 07, 2024 – the wait was over!
Week after week, the anticipation grew for a special festival highlight: Rock am Ring. The organizers recorded a huge increase in visitors this year. 80,000 fans eagerly awaited the performances of 71 popular acts on three stages. For the second time in a row, the weather gods were kind to us. With spring-like temperatures and a bright blue sky, we headed for the Nürburgring, which had once again been transformed into a huge festival landscape.
Impressive start
The Texans from Fit for a King made their first guest appearance at Rock am Ring. Right during the first song “The Hell We Create”, an Englishman next to me learned an important lesson: When a crowdsurfer approaches, you shouldn’t duck away from the halfway tense body above you with a beer in your hand, but rather lend a hand. Naturally, his cup tipped over and the thirsty visitor gave his immediate surroundings and himself a hoppy beer shower. Freshly “baptized”, they were then busy supporting the lively crowd and passing all the ring rockers above them in between. With their melodic metalcore, the band immediately won over a few new fans. Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary provided an eye-catcher when he let his bass circle around his neck with a rising swing. With the track “When Everything Means Nothing”, the quartet left us with a catchy tune that firmly anchored the extremely positive impression. To say goodbye, singer Ryan Kirby formed a heart with his hands “We love you, Germany!”
Within reach
The †††† (Crosses) also appeared on the race track for the first time. We now got to know Chino Moreno, the singer of the Deftones, from a completely different musical side. The three crosses of the band logo shone in clear white as a light element in the middle of the stage. Shaun Lopez lit a stick of incense to set the right mood. Wearing red sunglasses and white socks, the gifted singer entered the Mandora Stage. The duo enriched their danceable, electronic music with hard guitar riffs. Despite the unfamiliar sound, the frontman’s voice got right under your skin. Chino was bursting with energy. He took up the entire length of the huge stage, leapt into the air and danced around exuberantly. Three supposedly tough-looking guys next to me shouted delightedly “Tino, we love you!” He tore the warm woolly hat off his head and poured a bottle of water over his head without hesitation. He rushed enthusiastically into the photo pit and was very close to his fans in the front row. The rock legend happily shook a few hands. The Californians concluded their successful set with the spherical track “Option”.
Practical
Incidentally, the infield has relied on an established cashless system for payment for several years. The chip in the festival wristband can be topped up stress-free at numerous stations or via QR code. The app allows you to keep a clear overview of your expenses and even the deposit is easily added and deducted. Remaining credit can be transferred back after the festival. Culinary delights included a wide selection of traditional and special dishes. More and more food trucks are now mingling with the usual food stalls, so you can treat yourself to sweet potato waffles with a variety of toppings, healthy bowls or a fragrant Indian meal. Those who wanted to keep the hefty festival prices for food in check could stock up at the Lidl Rockstore at the usual discount prices. The “branch” created especially for Rock am Ring has been providing visitors with everything their festival heart desires since 2015. Eight full truckloads of beer pallets alone were trucked in for the thirsty rockers.
Good old friends
Stoner rockers Queens of the Stone Age awaited us on the main stage. Right at the beginning, the pithy melody of their all-time hit “No One Knows” rang out. A triangular light installation framed the quintet. As the sun set, Josh Homme looked out over a never-ending crowd of fans as far as the eye could see. It was only in the evening hours that it became clear how many people were actually there. During the day, the crowd was still partly spread out over the surrounding camping areas. In the meantime, the traffic light access regulation for the front areas of the Utopia Stage proved to be extremely useful. Troy van Leeuwen drew full attention to himself when he played a double-neck guitar. “Sick, Sick, Sick” really fired up the pits. And Josh seemed blissfully happy: “We’re having a wonderful time.” Mid-tempo numbers such as “Smooth Sailing” and “Emotion Sickness” allowed the lively crowd to take a deep breath for a few moments. But then “Little Sister” ignited a pogo fire once again. “Make It Wit Chu” surprised with a crisp bass interlude of the Rolling Stones classic “Miss You”. Guitar fans got their money’s worth at this lively gig.
Even the paramedics moved together
The doctors didn’t hesitate for long. Although they had a playing time of 2:15 hours ahead of them, they had a packed set up their sleeves. “Deine Schuld” got the ring rockers enthusiastically singing along right at the beginning. As usual, Farin Urlaub and Bela B. entertained their fans between songs with their humorous dialogs. The latter also liked to step forward “Tell me, who is the most beautiful in this country?” – Farin Urlaub had the right answer: “Shut up and play!” Farin wanted to get a feel for the crowd and kindly asked for a La-Ola wave. In short, the audience granted him his wish and the arms of the visitors gradually went up almost as far as the Ferris wheel. “Thank you, you are many! Because there are so many of you, you can do a lot of things right in this country. Please don’t vote for assholes.”
Bela B. presented us with his self-composed song “Doof”. While the humorous drummer braved the evening chill in a chic one-piece suit, Farin opted for a warming scarf and hot tea during the set. “I’m not the best guitarist in the world and I can tell you one thing: It doesn’t get any better with cold fingers.” The electronically enriched title “Lasse redn” set us all into a warming frenzy. “The next song is from a time when we thought life totally sucked.” “Herrliche Jahre” thus brought the stressful phases of growing up before our inner eye. A remarkable sea of lights formed into a passionate “cry for love”. During the encore block, a row of paramedics lined up arm in arm enjoyed a special moment. The “only true god” in the form of Bela, Farin and Rod concluded the rousing performance of the Ärzte with the hilarious grindcore number “Dauerwelle vs. Minipli”. They treated their fans to 30 songs. You really couldn’t expect more.
Top-class late-night special
Long after midnight, the organizers offered the visitors another special act: Avenged Sevenfold . The Californians enriched their genre mix of heavy metal, hard rock and metalcore with their progressive style. With Synyster Gates, they have a man in their ranks who has already been voted the best metal guitarist in the world twice. The set began with the synthwave song “Nightcall” by Kavinsky. Shouts of “Sevenfold” immediately followed. Clear the stage for “Game Over” from the band’s latest album. Singer M. Shadows sat in an armchair in the middle of the stage, covered in a sinister balaclava. He looked as if he was simply letting the hard-hitting sound wash over him and sang “Well on my way, my way to lose me. It strikes me that I don’t belong here anymore.” After his lovely part in the track, his menacing mask gave way and we could also see the frontman’s face. A double bass drum introduced the track “Matter”. The sound reared up effectively while a house was on fire on the huge LED screen. “Tonight, we’re gonna have some fun. We’re gonna play also some new shit. For our friends in the ring: ‘Hail to the King’, baby!” Avenged Sevenfold’s complex arrangements aroused the audience’s fascination. However, their banger “Nightmare” still triggered a few raucous pits.
With tired legs and wrapped up in a winter coat, I beat a retreat. Now it was time to recharge their batteries. The second day of the festival finally had all kinds of highlights and even a famous Hollywood star to offer.
Text: Nadine Kloppert
Photos: Micha Gamon, Sandro Griesbach (Queens of the Stone Age)
Click here for the second part.
