After I was unable to attend in 2009, I at least managed to participate for one day in 2010 at one of the largest and best Psychobilly festivals in Germany.
On Saturday, the line-up featured GUANA BATZ and COFFIN NAILS as well as THEE FLANDERS, which was already quite impressive, and the atmosphere that day was likely very good. Could it be even better on a Sunday?
On the second day, Sunday, the line-up promised no less than MAD SIN and KING KURT, along with some other bands, making it worth arriving early.
We arrived in Potsdam in the late afternoon. The tranquil Griebnitzsee with its large properties and respectable houses did not seem to fit the crowd of Psychobillies, Rockabillies, and Rock'n'Rollers present that day.
It was still very quiet in Lindenpark when we arrived around 5:30 PM. We checked out the small and larger changes made by the new operator and made ourselves comfortable in the beer garden behind the house. Gradually, more and more quirky figures arrived, some still marked by the previous night and others styled and made up as if they had just hatched from an egg.
The first band of the evening, BROWN VAMPIRE CATZ from Brazil, took the stage in the hall. At the beginning of the show, there were perhaps 50 people present, which was, of course, a sad sight. The first band of the evening always has a hard time. However, the three Brazilians did not let that disturb them and played a good set. Their style is more aligned with classic Billy, infused with the pressure of today. Singer and guitarist Preto gave the songs the accents they needed to give them a unique touch with his good and varied voice as well as his virtuosic guitar playing. The overall sound was already very good, and for an opener, the band was not bad at all.
I can't quite remember who played second and third, but the next bands were SURF RATS and RAMPIRES.
The SURF RATS also played more traditional Billy, but with a decent pinch of country and a small dash of Hillbilly. So, it was more for the country-loving faction, although the slap bass gave the songs a solid punch. Overall, the Rats delivered a good performance.
In contrast to the previous two bands, the RAMPIRES from Münster played modern Psychobilly with a lot of pressure. However, the sound coming from the stage often sounded as if the band simply wanted too much. It was often a sonic mush from which it was hard to tell whether they were playing punk, Psychobilly, punkabilly, or something related with influences from rock and hardcore. That was a bit unfortunate because the band was putting in the effort. Particularly, the singer jumped around on stage and did everything to animate the audience, which had now reached about 150 to 250 people. Overall, it wasn't bad, but unfortunately, the RAMPIRES couldn't really convince either.
As the fourth band and a small highlight of the evening, BLOODSUCKING ZOMBIES FROM OUTER SPACE took the stage. Most of the attendees in the hall were looking forward to the band from Vienna, especially the women present. In front of the stage, it became a bit tighter for the first time. The undead from Vienna were all beautifully gruesomely made up, with singer and stand-up drummer DEAD “RICHY“ GEIN particularly bloodied. Stand-up drumming is not so common in Billy anymore, so the band was not only visually appealing but also musically impressive. They delivered fine melodic Psychobilly / Horrorpunk with bloodthirsty lyrics. The band, known for speed and melody, really stepped on the gas, and the audience responded with applause and the first little dances. Unfortunately, the sound was not quite optimal. Nevertheless, it was a great performance by the band, which was not only my first highlight of the evening.
After that, the three Hungarians from GORILLA took the stage.
They played very clean Psychobilly of the latest school. The sound was dry and played precisely. Singer and guitarist Pete sang the songs with high precision and yet with a lot of charisma. Sometimes it seemed to me that bands like BLOODSUCKING ZOMBIES FROM OUTER SPACE were just playing with the horror cliché, while the GORILLAS took it seriously. It was sometimes a bit frightening. However, the audience seemed to enjoy it. By now, the hall and the beer garden were well filled. Now the headliners were coming on stage, and no one wanted to miss them.
SPELLBOUND from Ireland took the stage after the Hungarians. Now there was something really good to listen to. Founded in 1986, having experienced many ups and downs, SPELLBOUND from Dublin has been active again for a few years. From the first seconds, it was clear that the band had not lost any of its old class. Musically really good, the singer's compelling, charismatic voice gave the songs the goosebumps they needed to get under the skin. SPELLBOUND plays more Neo-Rockabilly, and they also like to call it Rockin'Psychobilly. In any case, it sounds like Billy from the older school. This came across perfectly throughout the entire set. Varied, goosebump-inducing, atmospheric, and really getting into your legs. There was a pretty good wrecking pit for SPELLBOUND for the first time that evening.
Now only two bands were left on the playlist. Next up was punkabilly, Psychobilly, and Neo-Rockabilly from the crazy guys around singer Köfte.
We're talking about MAD SIN!
After a short intro, MAD SIN took the stage. Without taking a breath, the band blasted three songs into the audience. By now, there were about 450-550 people in the hall. With the first notes, a large wrecking pit came to life. The first songs were mostly from the new album. Especially “Cursed“ and “Last Gang Standing“ are real hits live. Surely “Cursed“ will become an all-time favorite. The band barely gave the audience time to breathe. The first half hour was a hot mix of punkabilly and Psychobilly that left you standing in front of the stage with your mouth open. The atmosphere was grand, and MAD SIN was in great form. It was also nice when Köfte asked if there were any Berliners present. Half the hall responded. It's rare for so many Berliners to come to Potsdam. During the concert, the crazy Köfte smashed his vocal microphone against his forehead. A new microphone was quickly found, but it was not spared either. Shortly after, there were proper pyros from the double bass that warmed the front rows even more. Only towards the end of the set did the tempo slow down a bit. Hellvis then sang his famous Elvis cover and another song, half in duet with Köfte. And then the band was gone again. Did they play for an hour or just 20 minutes? Time flew by super fast. I had liked the band's set in Krakow this year even a bit better, but it was only nuances. The audience was soaked in sweat and very happy. Now we took a quick breath outside before KING KURT would end the evening.
KING KURT took a long time. When the drummer and double bassist came on stage, there was a musical intro where singer SMEG first presented the playlist to his bandmates. Then he realized he didn't have a microphone, which led him to make questionable comments about Köfte from MAD SIN. The two didn't seem to become the best of friends that evening. When a microphone was finally found, KING KURT surprisingly found their groove quickly, and they played a fast, powerful set that impressed everyone. The audience gave it their all and celebrated these old heroes of Psychobilly.
Later that night, the mob of the undead returned to their holes, hoping to be present again next year.
The PSYCHOMANIA FESTIVAL was once again very good. From the bands to the organization and even the prices in the club. It would be perfect if Lindenpark had a better floor. Standing for 8 hours really takes its toll.