by Mark Gromen

Returning to Balingen for the eighth successive year, the Bang Your Head festival threw everyone a few curves. In addition to the construction of a new indoor arena usurping about a sixth of the grounds, there was the first outright cancellation (Hardcore Superstars) forcing a juggled line-up and impromptu jam session. Celebrating a decade as an open air event, the two-day event was filled with favourites; new and old, German veterans and a handful of acts who had previously headlined, including ICED EARTH, SAXON, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, QUEENSRŸCHE, GRAVE DIGGER and JUDAS PRIEST.

Friday morning began at 9:30, even though there were only eleven bands on the bill, each afforded 35 minutes to an hour (with less than 15 minutes change-over between each, on a single stage. No easy feat!). Queensrÿche were scheduled to close with a three-hour set, playing both Operation: Mindcrime discs (sequentially) in their entirety, as well as act out the storyline with plenty of extra. CONTRACRASH, a group of youngsters lacking definitive direction, vacillating from generic metal to ballads and even a modern, staccato rap influenced finale, kicked things off. Guess organizers need to save money somewhere (especially with the numerous US flights for Ryche plus actors, to say nothing of their performance fee), but could have scrounged up equal/better talent down the street, or certainly in the crowd. While we’re on the subject, shouldn’t wearing METALLICA shirts be “banned” from festivals where they’re not appearing? Seriously, more than 20 bands on the roster, covering more than three decades of musical history and the best you can come up with is latter day (post-Black album, and that’s being nice) Metallica? Why even attend?

The backstage area was more sedate than years past, several acts bringing multiple family members, including small children. However, the drunken naked post-gig lunacy of KORPIKLAANI damaged the inflatable pool (there was no sauna!), sending water cascading through the artist village. A wood burning stove offered fresh baked soft pretzels, mini-pizzas and rolls for the wurst, but most people’s money was spent on liquids. As the sun baked the alabaster skin making its first appearance of the summer, the Europeans could quaff a bottle of soda pop for 3 Euros (roughly $4.50), or for the same price, 0.3 litre (draft or bottle) of the adult variety. Duh! Mixed drinks were higher, depending upon potency. There’s undoubtedly more beer inadvertently spilled on the Balingen soil in one day than anyone aside from rotund Tankard frontman Andreas Geremia (himself a keg on two legs) can drink in a year.

Oddly enough, TÝR walked onstage to the thrashing crash of dissident instruments, only to start a three-part a cappella harmony. The pagan metallers failed to make use of the large stage (as opposed to like-minded Korpiklaani, who were friskier than a gerbil on PCP in a bathhouse). ‘Hail To The Hammer’ marked the unofficial first audience sing-along, at 10:30AM. Having witnessed the reunited Agent Steel on numerous stages worldwide, including this one, but never have they sounded so good, helped along by a ripping song selection, including ‘Bleed For The Godz’, ‘Unstoppable Force’, ‘Masters Of Metal/Agent Steel’ and the concluding ‘Mad Locust Rising’.

Those well oiled (and liquored up) Finnish woodsmen kept the onstage revelry going. Skanking from one side of the stage to the other, guitarist Cane (still looks like Ray Bolger/Scarecrow from Wizard Of Oz, with that flopping hat) whipped the fans into a frenzy, their violin and accordion rhythms strike a chord with native melodies for countless other nationalities. Long dread-locked frontman/guitarist Jonne Jarvela managed to get away from the deer antler microphone, doing some hand drumming on an oversized bongo. ‘Happy Little Boozer’ might have been the weekend’s mantra, almost 20 thousand strong, apart from the also aired ‘Beer Beer’ finale. Talk about knowing your crowd!

FORBIDDEN had been out late the night before, starting Thursday’s club show at 1AM! No matter, the resurrected Bay area thrashers hit home with the likes of ‘Forbidden Evil’, ‘Off The Edge’, ‘Step By Step’, ‘Through Eyes Of Glass’ and ‘Chalice Of Blood’, performed minus the intro, due to time restrictions. ENSIFERUM followed, shirtless and in matching knee-length kilts made to resemble the Finnish flag.

RAGE are a staple of the German festival circuit, flip-flopping from year to year between BYH, Rock Hard, Wacken and the scores of smaller outdoor venues that afford them the opportunity to plug their seemingly annual release. As such, some Deutsch complain (doing the same for perennials likes TANKARD, GRAVE DIGGER, even DORO PESCH, who was only here as a show closing spokeswoman). Although still bright, video screens flanking the stage (a new addition this year) were switched on, as Peavey Wagner and the underrated guitar virtuoso Victor Smolski offered ‘Under Control’, ‘Lost In A Void’ and the title track from the Germans’ latest, as well as old standbys, like ‘Don’t Fear The Winter’, which ended the set.

Mike Tramp had appeared as a surprise/unannounced guest act in ’05. This time there was advance billing, opting to go under the WHITE LION moniker instead. Starting with ‘Hungry’, they were the first band to get an hour long set, just one of six “American” (OK, he’s Danish, but the band was based out of NYC and forever associated as part of US hair bands) bands on the day’s bill! GREAT WHITE followed, a mix of old (‘Face The Day’, ‘Once Bitten’, ‘On Your Knees’) and the Back To The Rhythm title cut. Would NEVER have been able to pick out Jack Russell (vocals) nor Mark Kendell (guitar) off stage, those hair metal images indelibly imprinted on my mind. Both now resemble freshly sheered sheep, with the guitarist a complete cue-ball!

Much has been written about Matt Barlow’s return to ICED EARTH and having the pleasure of hearing the forthcoming Crucible Of Man album in its entirety, I never had any reservations about his return (just the unceremonious manner in which it was announced, at the expense of Tim Owens). Minus the flowing mane of red hair, a casualty of his day job in law enforcement, the lanky frontman still has the pipes and held the audience in his hands from word one. ‘Vengeance Is Mine’, ‘Burning Times’ segued into ‘Declaration Day’, back-to-back pairing of ‘10000 Strong’ and ‘I Walk Alone’, ‘The Coming Curse’ and the signature track provided the backbone of a ten song set that left everyone wanting more.

More is what Queensrÿche provided. More of everything! From the opening notes of ‘Anarchy X’, with Geoff Tate brandishing anti-Bush placards (“Tell Us The Truth About Oil”, “USA Out Of Iraq”…), it was sensory overload. In the festival setting, with just casual Ryche fans (who doesn’t like something from their repertoire, even if it was all downhill after the EP), playing Mindcrime I front –to-back would have sufficed (even though they did that in Balingen in ’04). Adding actors interplaying with the band and all of part two was too much for most (myself included). Taking an intermission after ‘Eyes Of A Stranger’ was commercial suicide. As the crowd thinned perceptibly (the bus stop was hundreds deep). At that point, some had been standing/listening/partying for almost twelve hours. The prospect of the lesser received continuation to the rock opera was uninviting. From those that stuck around, even devout fans complained to me that the copious gun play and onstage suicide (Hey, it’s not an upper, fun, festival story) were too emotionally heavy for a festival, particularly late into the night, although the band did return for a final, five-song encore of their best non-Crime songs. Too little WAY too late.

Day two promised to be virtually a string of can’t be missed performances, culminating with a finishing triumvirate of MALMSTEEN, SAXON and the almighty PRIEST!

BW&BK; Photo Galleries can be found here:

Bang Your Head!!! 2008 Headliners

Bang Your Head!!! 2008 - Day 1

Bang Your Head!!! 2008 - Day 2