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This year, the weather forecast wasn't much better, but this time we wanted to take the plunge and drive to Barby.
On Friday at 1:30 PM, we left the big city of Berlin to head to the nest Barby near Magdeburg. Around 4:00 PM, we arrived at the festival grounds. When we got there, a punk girl was being loaded into an ambulance, and that was before the first band started. We didn't want to go that hard, parked, and brought our seven things to the campsite. At SPIRIT FESTIVAL, camping and parking are separate, or at least that was the plan, because on Saturday morning, you could see some tents in the parking lot.
After setting up, we cheerfully went on an exploratory round with the first beer in our blood. The campsite was gradually filling up with many skins, many punks, some psychobillies, and also some normally dressed people. The atmosphere was good, and the weather too. There was also a lake at the festival grounds. The very brave even jumped into the cool waters.
Time passed, and I only watched the fourth band. As the fourth band, C.O.R. from Rügen played, way too early, at 6:20 PM, and the crowd in front of the stage was in good spirits. The guys from Rügen looked a bit sleepy but were swept away by the good mood. They became more awake from song to song. Singer Friedemann complained about the high stage, which was not so easy to climb for old people, meaning over 30. However, he didn't let that stop him and was often seen in the pit in front of the stage, singing the songs with the front rows. As always, the band delivered a great show. Their songs are infernal, their music the soundtrack to the downfall of our world. C.O.R. are unique!
Barely had we warmed up with some pogo, and the band was gone again. 25 minutes are definitely too short for a band of this caliber. The next band, D.D.P., thought the same. The band played a best-of set, which I really enjoyed. The atmosphere was very good and rose with every minute. The performance of the Berlin Oi punks BERLINER WEISSE followed. It was packed in front of the stage. As soon as the band stepped on stage and the first notes sounded, the pogo and singing began. Melodic, powerful Oi, with a good, humorous dose of brashness is the band's style. As support for Pöbel & Gesocks and Die Kassierer, the band proved their skills just as they did that afternoon. Of course, the popular game “Prost Ihr Säcke…” couldn't be missed. 30 minutes of great party. And the night had just begun.
The next band was the DÖDELHAIE. As one of the German punk icons, they had it easy after BERLINER WEISSE. Here too, there was a colorful mix of newer songs and old classics. Even if the band may not look like much, the songs are still current and good. That’s what makes a good band, writing timeless songs.
At 9:20 PM, there was another highlight for the Oi faction with the KRAWALLBRÜDER from Saarland. The band has gained significant recognition, especially in the last 3 years, with their powerful, slightly brash Oi. Even today, it was clear that many festival-goers were looking forward to the band. The atmosphere was very good. The beer flowed in streams. People celebrated together with the band.
After the band from Saarland, one of the most well-known bands from the psychobilly scene took the stage, DEMENTED ARE GO. Especially for the psychobillies in the audience, the band was a highlight, but they also have many fans among punks and skins. The quirky singing of Sparky combined with the twisted, slightly insane sound of the band makes DEMENTED ARE GO an experience time and again. I listened to this experience from the tent. I treated myself to a break, which unfortunately became a bit long. In the dark tent, my eyes closed, so I only briefly noticed the great SPRINGTOIFEL. I fell into a restless sleep. VOLXSTURM, who followed the band from Mainz, woke me up with their music from time to time before I finally drifted off into dreamland with the SKATOONS. The last band to take the stage at 2:00 AM was DRITTE WAHL. I woke up just in time for the band, but I couldn't muster the energy to get up. So I listened to “Greif ein” and other great songs from the Rostock band in my sleeping bag.
Around 9:00 AM the next morning, I woke up again. Somewhat fit, I crawled out of my tent and took care of my morning routine. My glance over the campsite showed many faces waking up just like me. People looked up at the sky, more or less hungover, hoping it would stay dry.
The time until the next band was spent hanging out, having breakfast, and enjoying the first beer. The bravest even dared to take a little dip in the lake again.
With HÖRINFARKT, the first band started at 12:00 PM. The combo sounded quite rough. Somewhere between German punk and ska punk, the band found their home. It didn't really appeal to me, but maybe it was just too early in the morning.
As the second band, GLEICHLAUFSCHWANKUNG took the stage at 12:40 PM. Within 5 minutes, several hundred punks joined in. The band landed a small hit in the scene with their great dialect song “Kotz in den Schrank (Punks understand no Fun)”. With this song, the band opened the series of funny and crazy songs. For almost every song, the singer and the female singer changed outfits and absurdly led politically correct punk to the absurd. It reminded me a bit of HEITER BIS WOLKIG, but with more music. The 25 minutes the band had were well used and they knew how to please. The next band, DAILY TERRORISTEN, showed themselves to be much more politically motivated. Partly with songs from DAILY TERROR, partly with new songs in tow, the band delivered a solid 25 minutes. German punk with a dose of rock that is definitely enjoyable.
After that, OXO86 from Bernau near Berlin invited everyone to be cheerful and sing along. Party-Oi that can be described as drink-resistant, with lyrics ranging from politics to fun, but always with a wink, is probably the best way to describe the music. At the best coffee and cake time, there was finally some real atmosphere in front of the stage.
SIK from Stuttgart followed. Despite their recognition, the band couldn't convince. Some fans watched the set, but there was little dancing, and compared to the bands before, the space in front of the stage was empty.
After SIK, for unknown reasons, the playlist was changed. Unfortunately, the organizer did not see it as necessary to announce this or even provide new playlists. So it was up to each individual to either wait for the next band or constantly shuttle between the stage and the tent.
GUMBLES took the stage after SIK, as far as I know. The band from the far north has made a big leap in recent years. Why, the band demonstrated emphatically that afternoon. Melodic Oi-punk hits were delivered alongside political messages. “OI, Mach´s Maul auf” is a song that clearly takes a stand and shows that Oi is more than just drinking. The GUMBLES wouldn't be the GUMBLES if the Duff-Man on stage didn't hype the crowd in front of the stage and provide them with delicious beer. Of course, the song about Barney Gumble from The Simpsons couldn't be missed. The band used their time to convince and deliver a really great set. The band is getting better from gig to gig.
Slowly, the sky became darker and it started to rain, sometimes more, sometimes less. Since it was still somewhat warm, the rain didn't bother at first. The later it got, the more rain came, and the area in front of the stage as well as in front of the entrance turned into a smooth mud field.
A.C.K. must have come next. The band delivered a great, albeit rarely slow set. Even the lyrics were easy to understand. I was a bit baffled, but I must say that this gig from A.C.K. was my favorite so far. You don't always have to scream highly political lyrics so that no one understands them.
However, the atmosphere was quite restrained, which did not go unnoticed by the band. I will spare the comments, but they had the tenor that bands with politically and socially critical lyrics are probably not very welcome.
I can't let that stand, because when FAHNENFLUCHT took the stage, it was at least twice as full as it was for A.C.K. FAHNENFLUCHT already laid down a milestone in German punk with their first album “Beissreflex”. The two subsequent albums didn't quite reach “Beissreflex”, but they are better than most of what exists in German punk at the moment. The band played a great set, featuring songs from all albums. There was singing along and proper pogoing. The band was able to convince again that day. They are working on their fourth album. Great German punk that couldn't be better.
I hadn't seen ZAUNPFAHL for almost a year, so I was curious about what the band from Teterow in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern had to offer. Especially with the younger audience, the band was fantastic. ZAUNPFAHL played a colorful mix of their previous albums. It was a really well-assembled set. The atmosphere was great. The band visibly enjoyed themselves.
After that, I believe, came DIE TORNADOS. Nice, danceable ska. I listened to the band from my tent. The tent was the only place that was still dry, and where a few cans of beer were still crying out for emptiness. Bottles were taboo on the grounds, so one had to resort to plastic bottles or cans. Although I only listened, I really liked DIE TORNADOS. Some cover versions of well-known classics lightened up the playlist.
The rain didn't let up. Nevertheless, BETONTOD drove me out of the tent. I wanted to see the band despite the bad weather. Since my companion had an umbrella, of course only to keep the mohawk from getting wet and bending, I didn't get too wet throughout the evening.
However, I could have listened to the band from Rheinberg from the tent as well. Rather should have, because then I wouldn't have noticed the posing of the singer, which was almost completely stolen from Campino, the singer of Die Toten Hosen. There was everything you know from Campino, including climbing on trusses. Musically and lyrically, the band is not bad, but I sometimes felt like I was in kindergarten. Somehow I'm too old for that. And if I want to see Campino, I go to the original, to Die Toten Hosen.
After that, if I remember correctly, came THE METEORS. Due to the bad weather, I listened to the band from my tent. Even there, I got goosebumps from the sound. Singer P. Paul Fenech always manages to captivate you with his voice!! The dark psychobilly sound did the rest.
I definitely saw FUCKIN' FACES. The band had completely passed me by until now. For a few years, the band has been playing selected concerts, but I had never seen them even there. A shame, because the band is really good, both lyrically and musically. Despite their age, FUCKIN' FACES are still a damn good German punk band.
The last band I saw was PERKELE from Gothenburg in Sweden. The band enjoys absolute cult status in the Oi scene, but was not only enthusiastically received by the skinheads. The rock star antics during setup were unnecessary, but what we heard for an hour was finest working-class Oi that has its roots in the past. PERKELE played a set that blew me away, even if it became a bit boring towards the end due to a lack of musical variety. The message of the band reminded me strongly of THE MOVEMENT, who unfortunately no longer exist. PERKELE absolutely deserve their status, although I wished for a bit more tempo here and there.
The last band to play was THEE FLANDERS from Potsdam. With dark, very horror-laden psychobilly, I fell asleep in my tent while the rain relentlessly drummed on the tent roof.
The next morning: sunshine and wet grass. Large muddy areas at the entrance as well as on the main paths of the site. We packed our seven things and made our way back to Berlin.
Conclusion: Great festival, absolutely exemplary price-performance ratio. A super lineup, and good vibes throughout the entire festival. If the weather had been better, the festival would have been even more fun. Next year, I will definitely be there again! The SPIRIT FESTIVAL is a real alternative to the big FORCE ATTACK.