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Wacken Open Air - Post "Thank You" Statement


After the very successful 18th edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, the following message has been posted on the festival's official website:

"Dear Metalheadz!

The 18th W:O:A is now part of our history and this year again 3 positive factors about our cult festival will stay in our minds:

- the best audience worldwide
- brilliant bands with great performances
- the sun is from Northern Germany!

We'd like to thank you for your support because without YOU we would not be what we are:

One of the biggest Heavy Metal Festival worldwide!

Of course there have been problems this year because of the disastrous weather conditions whilst the assembling period, at the park- and campinggrounds as well as at the arrival which we will try to change next year. But altogether we all celebrated a brilliant Metal party.

Furthermore we'd like to take away your fear - W:O:A will not get any bigger... we're at the limit! We will advance the logistic (f.e. entrance and exit to the Party Stage, accessibility of the festival area, etc. Furthermore there'll still be the possibility to camp at your cars of course (that's part of the W:O:A feeling) though we have to reserve our rights - in case of catchy conditions like this year - to change it.

Of course if you have had any stress and problems because of the short termed changes concerning the weather conditions we'd like to apologize. We hope that you understand this situation because without these arrangements W:O:A 2007 could not have taken place.

Watch out for 2008: Wacken Open Air, Faster-Harder-Louder!
See you in Wacken - rain or shine!

Now enjoy reading and see you next time!

Yours,

W:O:A Team"

The message also extends to include all the details of the efforts to get the festival site into good condition after the bad weather:

"...5000 sqm fleece were laid out. 1500 tons of wooden chips have been spread on top of the fleece and the whole area was covered with 600 bales of straw. For the secure stand of our visitors on the festival area the basement has also been millinged and indued with heavy weight basement plates which are also used for tanks. To dry the camping grounds a helicopter flew over the camping grounds only in a height of 60 centimetres and blew the excess water away so that the areas were dry..."

To read the full statement, visit this location.

The official Metal Storm report for the festival is currently being worked on and should be on in the not-so-distant future, so keep your eyes out for it. Expect a good lengthy three page review with over one hundred pictures of the bands and the festival site itself.

Source: wacken.com
Posted: 08.08.2007 by Baz Anderson


Comments

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Comments: 13   Visited by: 1 user
08.08.2007 - 08:36
Dark Cornatus
Powerslave
When we were at Wacken 06 we slept in a car (3 people), saved space All they need to do is find more car sleepers haha. We even moved around different spots. Thats good it went to a limit though, it doesnt need to be any bigger.
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08.08.2007 - 09:24
Judas
The Amputator
Written by Dark Cornatus on 08.08.2007 at 08:36

When we were at Wacken 06 we slept in a car (3 people), saved space All they need to do is find more car sleepers haha. We even moved around different spots. Thats good it went to a limit though, it doesnt need to be any bigger.

Ahhh, memories...

This year's festival sounds like it was a real adventure though!
----
"Once the game is over, the king and the pawn both go back into the same box."
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08.08.2007 - 10:14
Asitis

Written by Judas on 08.08.2007 at 09:24

Written by Dark Cornatus on 08.08.2007 at 08:36

When we were at Wacken 06 we slept in a car (3 people), saved space All they need to do is find more car sleepers haha. We even moved around different spots. Thats good it went to a limit though, it doesnt need to be any bigger.

Ahhh, memories...

This year's festival sounds like it was a real adventure though!


Oh really. It quite was! The festivalarea (at night) turned into a deadly swamp of mud. During the headliners I had to pull out 5 people each 10 minutes.. Because they were stupid enough to walk through area's nobody was standing.. Result; Drowning in mud to atleast their knees XD
----
The silent moment, right before the dusk fades away
I open my eyes, but the darkness stays
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08.08.2007 - 11:39
MissRagnarok

Well, I know one thing for sure; if they won't "advance the logistic", I won't get my ass over there anymore.
They might call it "the best audience worldwide", I call it the most insanely big and irritating audience worldwide.
Enough said.
----
For I am so omniscient that if there were to be two omnisciences's; I would be both!
- Ziltoid
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08.08.2007 - 11:46
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by MissRagnarok on 08.08.2007 at 11:39

I call it the most insanely big...


60,000 insanely big? Okay I agree with you it is way too many people. But still nothing comparing to what I epxerienced at Dynamo Open Air years ago with avoer 120,000 metalheads attending. That festival in the early 90s cured me from visitng festivals ever again until I once again went this year, but now to Hellfest with aroudn 15,000. Which is a much much better number of people than the 60,000 at Wacken or the 12,000 at DOA.

I totally see your point that 60,000 is way too many.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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08.08.2007 - 14:57
matthioso

it certainly is to many for such a small terrain
----
www.seedofrock.be
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08.08.2007 - 15:19
Baz Anderson

hahaha yes - the worst part about Wacken was the amount of people there
it was just ridiculous.. even if you was a mile away from the stage you couldn't walk anywhere you wanted without having to barge past 200 people..
that was SO annoying.. also annoying that I hardly saw any of the people I thought I would.. haha

of course having so many people there makes it a fantastic experience as well when you are right at the front - and during Blind Guardian, etc. that was magical

but yeh.. there was too many people
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08.08.2007 - 18:10
Basso
Account deleted
Hoho, I was at wacken, and again I didnt go to the MS meeting... I had such a good time with other people I didnt want to leave

well anyway the festival was great, sure its to much people... But it brings that very epic feeling when you are close up front on the bands! A feeling very worth experiancing a cupple of times in your life.
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08.08.2007 - 20:21
Infurnace

I totally forgot about the MS meeting on Wacken as well. I met a lot of other people, such as Germans, English people and Norwegian guys.
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09.08.2007 - 12:48
MissRagnarok

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 08.08.2007 at 11:46
60,000 insanely big?

Well, according to quite a few sources (including my own memory) there were way more people than 60,000. Last year already had about 65,000 or 70,000 and this year there were at least 10,000 more.
Anyway, if the festival area becomes bigger, fine by me.. But I'm not going back if it stays as it is.
----
For I am so omniscient that if there were to be two omnisciences's; I would be both!
- Ziltoid
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09.08.2007 - 17:48
Darkside Momo
Retired
Written by Asitis on 08.08.2007 at 10:14

Oh really. It quite was! The festivalarea (at night) turned into a deadly swamp of mud. During the headliners I had to pull out 5 people each 10 minutes.. Because they were stupid enough to walk through area's nobody was standing.. Result; Drowning in mud to atleast their knees XD

It seems to be even more horrible than Hellfest ! Wow !
Baz, you've been to both, so how would you compare ?
----
My Author's Blog (in French)


"You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you"

"I've lost too many years now
I'm stealing back my soul
I am awake"
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09.08.2007 - 18:19
Baz Anderson

Written by Darkside Momo on 09.08.2007 at 17:48

Written by Asitis on 08.08.2007 at 10:14

Oh really. It quite was! The festivalarea (at night) turned into a deadly swamp of mud. During the headliners I had to pull out 5 people each 10 minutes.. Because they were stupid enough to walk through area's nobody was standing.. Result; Drowning in mud to atleast their knees XD

It seems to be even more horrible than Hellfest ! Wow !
Baz, you've been to both, so how would you compare ?

Haha, well I don't know what this guy is on about - they laid down a special carpet with wood chippings and hay over it all.. at no point during the festival did I find any mud apart from a little bit of wet to the right of the True stage on the second day (where a fiew had been put out)

so there is nothing much to compare.. Wacken's weather was hot hot hot!!! and dry...
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09.08.2007 - 18:25
Darkside Momo
Retired
Written by Baz Anderson on 09.08.2007 at 18:19

Written by Darkside Momo on 09.08.2007 at 17:48

Written by Asitis on 08.08.2007 at 10:14

Oh really. It quite was! The festivalarea (at night) turned into a deadly swamp of mud. During the headliners I had to pull out 5 people each 10 minutes.. Because they were stupid enough to walk through area's nobody was standing.. Result; Drowning in mud to atleast their knees XD

It seems to be even more horrible than Hellfest ! Wow !
Baz, you've been to both, so how would you compare ?

Haha, well I don't know what this guy is on about - they laid down a special carpet with wood chippings and hay over it all.. at no point during the festival did I find any mud apart from a little bit of wet to the right of the True stage on the second day (where a fiew had been put out)

so there is nothing much to compare.. Wacken's weather was hot hot hot!!! and dry...

So that explains the sunburns you spoke about. OK. So it seems the organisators knew hw to react, at least on the festival grounds
----
My Author's Blog (in French)


"You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you"

"I've lost too many years now
I'm stealing back my soul
I am awake"
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