Wave Gotik Treffen 2011
Thursday morning we set out in a cab towards Luton.
We got there and immediately started bumping into others heading towards Leipzig.
Eventually we made it to Berlin and met up with some others in the main train station.
My primary reason for getting an 06:05 flight was so I could go to Berlin Zoo and have a look for a very specific soft toy polar bear. Although they had it, they only had it in a size that was far too big, so sadly I didn't get it.
We went for a bite to eat with others and made our way to the train station. Bengt had naturally forgotten to print our train tickets, so we took a 'nice' long walk around Berlin trying to find a place we could print them.
Eventually we found a place, and Ben was helped by the kindly owner of an internet cafe who printed them for him.
Eventually we made it to Leipzig where we got to our various abodes, checked in, had a nap and went partying.
The rest of the trip was pretty much the usual German festival whirl of beer, meat and music :-)
Uncensured Highlights/lowlights include:
Getting trashed on Jaeger and seeing Jimmi trying to give Joyce a piggy back on the way to Dark Flower. I don't actually remember this, but I have pictures :-)
Myself being the cause of various Swedes trying to make moose/elk antlers behind people. Mostly behind me though :-o
Beer. I don't think I had a single bad beer while I was there :-)
Food, I absolutely love German festival food. The chinese duck by the Agra Halle was amazing.
Agra Halle was a great venue for big-ish bands and I saw, amongst other, Gothminister, Umbra et Imago, Moonsorrow, Medieval Baebes, Destroid, Eluveitie and Faderhead there.
Parkbuhne was another great venue (When it doesn't rais :-D) for mid-sized bands, and I saw Tactical Sekt, The Pain Machinery, Culture Kultur and Cryo there.
Alte Messe 15 was an atrocious venue though. Because of the way the sound reverberated around and echoed every band I saw there sounded shit. There I saw Inertia (I like them, but the sound was too awful to enjoiy them), Mind In a Box and Absurd Minds. For the last two bands I stayed outside and chatted. Incidentally the sound was far better outside than inside...
Kuppel Halle/Pantheon was a cool venue though. there I only saw Clock DVA whom I'm sure were great, but a bit too arty farty for me...
Werk II is also a nice venue (Their potato wedges were amazing) but I only went there one for Alter Der Ruine who were a bit too much Noizey for me.
The Pagan Village (Heidnisches Dorf) was great as always. I didn't spend as much time there as I would like, but it was very good. With gorgeous beer and lots of meet. Damnation, I have just realised that I forgot to try the archery at the Heidnisches Dorf.
On their main stage I caught a few bands just by virtue of being there, but the only one I went there for specifically was Faun who were great as always.
Had a rather lovely first day there with Joyce and her German friends, while vlad and Simona showed up a bit later.
Saturday/Sunday was, as already mentioned, a whirlwind of drinking, meat, bands and shopping :-)
By Monday I was absolutely shattered. At this point I was feeling bloated and fat from all the beer and meat I'd consumed and it was clear that I could really do with some fibre ;-)
By the time Eluveitie were over, the beer was starting to go down like a mouthful of razorblades and my eyes were closing by themselves.
I went back to Moritzbastei to say by to people and had a couple of beers with people. Around 3am I felt it was time to hit the sack finally and I fell asleep in my hotel to BBC World news...
Although my hotel was alright, I don't think I'll be staying there again.
I stayed in the Mercure and although it was conveniently located (10 minutes form Moritzbastei and on the tram route to Alte Messe) and not badly priced (£520 for 6 nights)I really can't recommend it.
My double room was ok for one person, but I'd dread to think twhat it would be like for two. It was too dark even during the day and there was no aircon/ventilation so it was uncomfortably hot and humid throughout the festival.
Having said that, I haven't stayed in anyof the other hotels in Leipzig as I stayed in the Sleepy Lion hostel last time.
Next year, it looks like a few of us will be trying to do a group booking with the Penta Hotel so we can take advantage of their free booze in the club lounge.
But ideally, I would like a hotel with free breakfast and wi-fi. Otherwise one might as well stay in the Ibis or Novotel range of hotels.
So, Wave-Gotik Treffen was another successful festival.
Now, onwards to the next one...
We got there and immediately started bumping into others heading towards Leipzig.
Eventually we made it to Berlin and met up with some others in the main train station.
My primary reason for getting an 06:05 flight was so I could go to Berlin Zoo and have a look for a very specific soft toy polar bear. Although they had it, they only had it in a size that was far too big, so sadly I didn't get it.
We went for a bite to eat with others and made our way to the train station. Bengt had naturally forgotten to print our train tickets, so we took a 'nice' long walk around Berlin trying to find a place we could print them.
Eventually we found a place, and Ben was helped by the kindly owner of an internet cafe who printed them for him.
Eventually we made it to Leipzig where we got to our various abodes, checked in, had a nap and went partying.
The rest of the trip was pretty much the usual German festival whirl of beer, meat and music :-)
Uncensured Highlights/lowlights include:
Getting trashed on Jaeger and seeing Jimmi trying to give Joyce a piggy back on the way to Dark Flower. I don't actually remember this, but I have pictures :-)
Myself being the cause of various Swedes trying to make moose/elk antlers behind people. Mostly behind me though :-o
Beer. I don't think I had a single bad beer while I was there :-)
Food, I absolutely love German festival food. The chinese duck by the Agra Halle was amazing.
Agra Halle was a great venue for big-ish bands and I saw, amongst other, Gothminister, Umbra et Imago, Moonsorrow, Medieval Baebes, Destroid, Eluveitie and Faderhead there.
Parkbuhne was another great venue (When it doesn't rais :-D) for mid-sized bands, and I saw Tactical Sekt, The Pain Machinery, Culture Kultur and Cryo there.
Alte Messe 15 was an atrocious venue though. Because of the way the sound reverberated around and echoed every band I saw there sounded shit. There I saw Inertia (I like them, but the sound was too awful to enjoiy them), Mind In a Box and Absurd Minds. For the last two bands I stayed outside and chatted. Incidentally the sound was far better outside than inside...
Kuppel Halle/Pantheon was a cool venue though. there I only saw Clock DVA whom I'm sure were great, but a bit too arty farty for me...
Werk II is also a nice venue (Their potato wedges were amazing) but I only went there one for Alter Der Ruine who were a bit too much Noizey for me.
The Pagan Village (Heidnisches Dorf) was great as always. I didn't spend as much time there as I would like, but it was very good. With gorgeous beer and lots of meet. Damnation, I have just realised that I forgot to try the archery at the Heidnisches Dorf.
On their main stage I caught a few bands just by virtue of being there, but the only one I went there for specifically was Faun who were great as always.
Had a rather lovely first day there with Joyce and her German friends, while vlad and Simona showed up a bit later.
Saturday/Sunday was, as already mentioned, a whirlwind of drinking, meat, bands and shopping :-)
By Monday I was absolutely shattered. At this point I was feeling bloated and fat from all the beer and meat I'd consumed and it was clear that I could really do with some fibre ;-)
By the time Eluveitie were over, the beer was starting to go down like a mouthful of razorblades and my eyes were closing by themselves.
I went back to Moritzbastei to say by to people and had a couple of beers with people. Around 3am I felt it was time to hit the sack finally and I fell asleep in my hotel to BBC World news...
Although my hotel was alright, I don't think I'll be staying there again.
I stayed in the Mercure and although it was conveniently located (10 minutes form Moritzbastei and on the tram route to Alte Messe) and not badly priced (£520 for 6 nights)I really can't recommend it.
My double room was ok for one person, but I'd dread to think twhat it would be like for two. It was too dark even during the day and there was no aircon/ventilation so it was uncomfortably hot and humid throughout the festival.
Having said that, I haven't stayed in anyof the other hotels in Leipzig as I stayed in the Sleepy Lion hostel last time.
Next year, it looks like a few of us will be trying to do a group booking with the Penta Hotel so we can take advantage of their free booze in the club lounge.
But ideally, I would like a hotel with free breakfast and wi-fi. Otherwise one might as well stay in the Ibis or Novotel range of hotels.
So, Wave-Gotik Treffen was another successful festival.
Now, onwards to the next one...