Misery and worry. Two attributes that one certainly does not want to associate with any festival. And if that doesn’t invite wordplay… But no, fortunately, "Misery" and "Worry" have nothing to do with the content of the festival ROCKEN AM BROCKEN, as Elend is located near Sorge, where the festival grounds are situated. Those who do not know where Elend is and also do not know where the village of Sorge is will surely not know where the festival grounds Gieseckenbleek are located either. However, this can be remedied: The places are located very close to the town of Schierke, the birthplace of the herbal schnapps Feuerstein of the same name. Right next to the wonderful backdrop of the Brocken mountain (the less attentive reader can now also conclude where the festival name comes from) amidst picturesque forests. ROCKEN AM BROCKEN was awarded by the Tagesspiegel as one of the ten best festivals in Germany in 2009, and in 2010 it was even gloriously honored with its own question on WER WIRD MILLIONÄR, which also targeted the wordplay "Elend bei Sorge." Well, if that isn’t something. So far, so good.
The idea for the festival saw the light of day back in 2004 in a student pub in Wernigerode, initiated by two students. For two years, the diligent students used every lecture break to turn their ideas and visions from a figment of the imagination into reality. Thus, the first ROCKEN AM BROCKEN took place in 2007 with an astonishing 900 visitors. A great example that something can work out if you engage with it intensively, take on organizational and financial risks, and completely create such a festival that has now become an institution. Without large financial capital or unscrupulous, faceless companies obsessed with image polishing like Coca Cola as backers. The festival was excellently organized from the first year and was characterized by a friendly festival team, as confirmed to me by Daniel from the 5Bugs, the headliner of 2007. In my opinion, the festival in 2008 had the best line-up with bands like TURBOSTAAT and my favorite band MUFF POTTER, which unfortunately disbanded. Overall, however, ROCKEN AM BROCKEN is a festival that caters to the genres of indie, rock, and electronic music, with a focus on indie in 2011, the fifth year of the festival, with only a few exceptions. 2,700 visitors were expected, and it was likely that there were about that many, if not a few less. Both headliners were completely unknown: Art Brut and Good Shoes, but I was drawn in by HERRENMAGAZIN and ADOLAR.
The festival grounds of ROCKEN AM BROCKEN are manageable: Even from the most remote campsite, you can comfortably reach the stages in 5 minutes. Interestingly, the campsite was not fenced, but only the stages were, meaning that one could have camped on the festival grounds without a ticket, something I had never seen before. This has its advantages, but certainly also its disadvantages, as the entire campsite was completely unguarded. Unfortunately, the controls at the stage area were so strict that one was not even allowed to take the beer brought along in front of the stage, not even if it was poured into a cup. So if you don’t want to buy a small beer for 2 euros, you often have to return to the campsite.
On the first of the two festival days, three bands I knew played: HERRENMAGAZIN and ADOLAR back-to-back, and later in the evening FOTOS. There’s probably not much more to say about the indie band HERRENMAGAZIN. Half-distorted guitars, somber songs with the sentimentality of the Hamburg school (ta-da: the band even comes from Hamburg), but still sounds somehow raw and unpolished, which makes the gentlemen sympathetic, as does the slightly off-kilter voice of the singer. Just like the band photos of the four Hamburgers, where they shine in outsider mother-in-law favorite bourgeois outfits, making one think: Yes, they were the ones who got beaten up in school during breaks. Sweater vests, horn-rimmed glasses, pressed trousers, white socks, and side parts are all the rage here, which suggests a bit of self-irony. On stage, however, the guys saved that, as one doesn’t have to overdo it. After HERRENMAGAZIN, ADOLAR played, a band that was even listed under the punk category by Uncle Sally’s at one point. Punk? Well, ADOLAR really has nothing to do with punk. Some fast passages and a bit of shouting, many topic changes and many interjections that may seem chaotic at first listen, but are indeed very well thought out: This might be what the music editorial team of Klassikradio would call punk, but in my opinion, punk involves a bit more than what ADOLAR delivers, not only musically but also in terms of content. Nevertheless, I like ADOLAR, as they play with silence and outbursts, creating decent contrasts in their songs. Sometimes they remind me of early Biffy Clyro. In October, they will release their new album "Tanzenkotzen," their second, which I am very much looking forward to. I particularly like the lyrics, as they are so uncryptic and abstract; ADOLAR simply sing whatever sentences come to their minds. At this point, a big thank you to Tom from ADOLAR, who allowed me to catch a whiff of backstage air and down a few backstage beers.
I also knew a third band at least by name: FOTOS. However, my threshold for indie music had been reached, and I found that everything sounded the same. So back to the tent. At night, the campsite was even pleasantly quiet. It felt more like a camping atmosphere than a festival atmosphere, which could certainly be partly due to the mountainous hiking landscape. On the other hand, it was also certainly due to the festival visitors: normal to well-behaved law-abiding citizens who do not feel the need to insist on their can deposit (nobly goes the world to ruin) and those who even use the night at a festival for sleeping. There’s something to be said for that; thus, ROCKEN AM BROCKEN was the first festival after which I didn’t need three days of vacation.
While Berlin was experiencing four days of continuous rain at that time, it was only a bit rainy on Saturday morning in the Harz. The sun even shone again for the first band I wanted to see: MINNI THE MOOCHER from Berlin. For anyone who enjoys Farin Urlaub's solo CDs and their ska influence, this is certainly a nice change, even though the MOOCHERS work with rather forced-sounding rhyme-or-I'll-eat-you lyrics that can become a bit tiring over time, and the singer's voice doesn’t quite appeal to me live. The highlight for Saturday was not the unknown headliner Art Brut, but JUPITER JONES. Apparently, this was the case for all visitors, as the largest crowd gathered in front of the stage for JUPITER JONES. Fortunately, the band is not as mainstream-heavy live as one might initially suspect, as their single "Still" is played on all commercial radio stations in Germany. There were even slight tendencies towards pogo in front of the stage. However, this would also be the only pogo attempt of the entire festival.
Overall, a great festival. Berlin sank into continuous rain for four days, but nothing of that was felt in the Harz. For anyone wanting to attend a festival and can do without pogo, ROCKEN AM BROCKEN is certainly a good tip. A civilized festival for all those who want a vacation and a festival in one with a well-behaved bourgeois audience. But well, I was no better myself, as I indulged in the luxury of building almost half my bed in the tent to be able to slumber on cloud nine.
It is probably the location that distinguishes the attractiveness of the festival. Being able to enjoy the Harz forest landscape right next to the campsite makes it feel like a little vacation at a lofty mountain height. Even though the bands, except for ADOLAR, will not find a place on my hard drive, the festival can certainly be recommended. However, with a line-up that does not completely appeal to you, the ticket price of 32 euros plus pre-sale fee and the comparatively high travel costs due to the remoteness of the festival should not be neglected.