Heading to my second Wacken soon (first was the mudbath of 2023...).
Staying in Residenz Evil with a mate, it's expensive but is so good to have a proper bed.
While I feel the headliners are a little weak (Papa Roach FFS), the middle order of bands is quite strong and I have about 25 bands shortlisted to see, and about 10 or 15 others in the maybe pile, so overall I am happy enough with the line up.
I'd say I'm most looking forward to Gojira, Fear Factory, Wind Rose, Iotunn and Static X. On the less known front, Amenra and Celeste should be cool
Can anyone explain why Wacken, once seen as the main extreme metal festival, decided to book bands like Papa Roach, Dope and the Boomtown Rats? Isn't it sold out every year so the reason for diversifying can't be a financial one?
Quote from: Bogmetaller on June 23, 2025, 03:39:50 PMCan anyone explain why Wacken, once seen as the main extreme metal festival, decided to book bands like Papa Roach, Dope and the Boomtown Rats? Isn't it sold out every year so the reason for diversifying can't be a financial one?
I didn't keep an eye on previous versions until the past 3 or 4 years, but they certainly seem to have a predilection for geriatric rock/metal like Scorpions and Doro and similar shite which should have been consigned to the dustbin of history.
There's a few things going on imo:
- Hellfest & Graspop have much stronger headliners in recent years, Hellfest in particular certainly seems like the premium place for bands to play now, despite Wacken's history
- the original organisers sold their control in 2024, so far prices have climbed a little, but it is unclear if there will be much effect yet. I believe a lot of other festivals have sold too
- Wacken sometimes gets affected by the timing, almost all metal festivals are on before Wacken, so a touring band can knock out Hellfest, Graspop, Copenhell, Rock im Park, and a few others and be on the beach by July
- Rock in Park / Rock am Ring like to sign Germany exclusive deals with bands
- Wacken does pick a couple of weird bands, but there are about 200 bands and the choices of e.g. Papa Roach do seem less egregious than the likes of Download and Hellfest. Hellfest this year had Muse and Cypress Hill, for example. Download definitely cater for the more popular / lighter acts and younger crowd
- Yeah it sells out every year for the past 15 or so years, but it moved a little slower this year, taking approx 1 month to sell out, and there are loads of resale tickets available since winter
- The Wacken setup and organisation are top class, the stages are well laid out, sound is great, food options really good, prices are reasonable, there are a number of glamping options which is especially handy for foreign visitors like me. Hellfest basically has a field to pitch a tent or else fuck off to a hotel in Clisson
- Papa Roach are not big enough nor good enough to be a headliner for 85000 people, Machine Head are good but it's a long time since they were massive, GnR are not very interesting these days but they still sell out stadium tours so I'll let that pass, Gojira are riding a wave now and I love them but at the end of the day, they have a ceiling as they play progressive death metal, not everyone likes stuff that heavy
- There's a good bit of consideration for the German market, there are often random thrash and euro metal bands no one has heard of
Well to sum up, there are pros and cons, I think next year we'll try a different festival, but it should be a great time
When is it? The live stream is usually a decent, if far from perfect, watch with a beverage or two.
Quote from: Bürggermeister on June 23, 2025, 05:17:53 PMWhen is it? The live stream is usually a decent, if far from perfect, watch with a beverage or two.
30th July to 2nd Aug.
Never heard size of band come into it as regards Wacken it isn't really a factor. They typically bring in one Mega act and the rest are bands of reasonable stature in the metal scene getting to put on a bells and whistles show they might not be afforded elsewhere.
Papa Roach just played a run of sold out big halls in Germany they are bigger than the academy band you may equate to here. Got to realise the 80s nostalgia days are drying up. Nostalgia is now hitting the mid 00s now. Linkin Park are selling out stadiums minus the most regarded member of them it's absolutely bananas!
Wacken hardly affected by timing there is clearly more metal festivals during that period!! Brutal Assault,Bloodstock,Summer Breeze,Reload,Rockstadt,Beyond the Gates,Alcatraz,Dynamo etc etc.
For as long as I've been paying attention, you generally have to go a long way down the Wacken poster before it is consistently interesting and even then it was sparse.
Didn't download have McFly and I shit you not the Vengaboys? And apparently the tent was rammed for them.
Face it lads, nobody likes the metal anymore.
Doro and Scorpions are not to be relagated to the Dustbin of history, clueless noobie non metal head commment
As for Papa Roach , yes, not sure why they were included.
Quote from: leatherface on June 24, 2025, 10:20:42 PMDoro and Scorpions are not to be relagated to the Dustbin of history, clueless noobie non metal head commment
As for Papa Roach , yes, not sure why they were included.
They were included because Korn, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit played for their first times in recent years and were presumably lapped up.