At Rock am Ring, KIZ celebrated with a huge audience – but Tenacious D also delivered.
Nina, Lotta and Johann von Blond don’t have it easy on the Utopia Stage – although Saturday could have started with such beautiful indie pop in a colorful sea of flowers. Instead, tech has conspired against them, causing delays in the set. After “Through the Night”, the two Kummer sisters first give the solo entertainers, fortunately one of their easiest exercises. Shortly after two-thirty in the afternoon, they attest that their viewers still have sleep in their eyes, so you have to shake yourself off a bit first. Spontaneously, the set list is thrown overboard, “Sims 3” follows – and a new Rock-am-Ring move, the Raaaarrrr claw, is rehearsed.
Did the men cut a cable out of fear of the concentrated power of women? Sabotage theories or not – they would have played the song “Männer” in which they denounced the “pimmel party” at festivals anyway. Lotta’s summary of her performance: “The Son Blond concert is a real gift!” The same could be said of this year’s festival conditions – because even though the sun sizzles down on the audience all day, there is still a pleasantly fresh breeze , while later rocking along to Nothing But Thieves, Provincial, The Foxies, Pabst and Hot Water Music.
Rock am Ring: California Dreaming with Incubus
It gets really dreamy with Incubus, who start their set with “Privilege” in the glowing evening sun and perfect the carefree summer feeling with songs like “Nice to Know You” and “Drive”. Joining on bass is Nicole Row – the quiet session musician who has played with acts like Myley Cyrus, Dua Lipa and most recently Panic! at the Disco replaces Ben Kenney, who is currently recovering from brain surgery. Together they pick up the less confident viewers with Beatles and Pink Floyd covers (“Come Together”, “Wish You Were Here).
Tenacious D: You can’t kill the metal
At Tenacious D, however, every line is spot on: the audience in front of the Utopia Stage has suddenly doubled for Jack Black and Kyle Gass and even if the operetta-like slapstick is well known, the show is always an absolute festival highlight. A demon puffs up in the background that can only be vanquished with the power of rock, JB starts a dance party with the Saxaboom and is attacked by KG with the Maxaboom (an over-the-top silly styrofoam sax he used to play “Baker Street”) plays) eclipsed. Evanescence’s Amy Lee also joins as a special guest for two songs (“Kyle Quit the Band”, “Lee”). Finally, things get as romantic as a Tenacious D show can get: “Fuck Her Gently” sees thousands fervently singing about the right approach to coitus. So beautiful!
Australian punk party at The Chats, demolition at KIZ
A real punk rock feeling comes up at The Chats on the smaller Orbit Stage. Although only a few get lost there, because Papa Roach is tearing down the shop next door and KIZ are already announcing themselves on the Utopia Stage, the Australians’ snotty, good show still delivers one of the funniest mosh pits of the day, true to the motto “Get Fucked”.
However, the audience favorites are the patients of the Birkenhain mental hospital, who ring in the roughest party moment of the evening with “VIP in der Psychiatrie”. Tens of thousands are now heading to KIZ to celebrate, sing along and switch off cerebrally – “vacation for the brain” when you can go off together to the fat beats of “Unterfickt und mentally handicapped”.
Even if the actual headliners are still to come with Kings of Leon – after the party number live from the mental asylum, the southern alternative rock only seems like the evening before. Nevertheless, many appreciate the variety and are – of course – most happy about all-time favorites like “Sex on Fire”, “Use Somebody”.
Anyone who goes to the Orbit Stage after Kontra K and during Kings of Leon will be served another treat that is hidden behind the mysterious name VV: Ville Valo performs a set at midnight that also contains his biggest hits from HIM times . Next door on the Mandora Stage it’s similarly dark and melodic – Evanescence provide the crowning glory of day two with a late-night special with a powerful voice. For “Bring Me to Life” Amy Lee organized reinforcements for the rap part in the backstage area, for the grand finale Jacoby Shaddix from Papa Roach enters the stage again. That’s it, Rock am Ring.