It’s mid-afternoon at the far end of the Nürburgring racetrack in Nürburg, Germany and everyone is soaked.    

The freezing onslaught of rain is finally starting to let up, but anyone who’s been there long isn’t dry enough for it to matter. 

No one really cares. Everyone is there for the music. Everyone is there to have a good time.  No pain, no gain.
It’s day two of Rock am Ring 2009, the biggest music festival in Germany and nobody gives two Scheiße’s if the Nürburgring racetrack is being drenched from above. Chances are most of them are used to it. 

Germany’s biggest music festival

Rock am Ring started 24 years ago and is held annually in conjunction with Rock im Park, a sister festival that hosts most of the same acts during three days in Nuremberg, Germany.

The Killers, Placebo, Slipknot, The Prodigy, Limp Bizkit, Billy Talent, Korn and Marylin Manson led the somewhat eclectic ensemble of just over 90 bands that performed for the 2009 festival.

Some highlights

My favorite performance was probably by a hardcore punk band from England called Gallows at 10 p.m. on the last day in the tent (the smallest stage). They played their hearts out for 45 minutes with more energy and forcefulness than any other band I saw; their performance culminated with the heavily-tattooed singer, Frank Carter, climbing a tent support column he had crowd surfed to.

“After three days of live music, Rock am Ring left me tired, sore and inspired…”

Gallows aggressive performance was one of many highlights. Trivium’s bassist Paolo Gregoletto coming into the crowd while continuing to play was another great moment. 

Despite being ridiculous, DragonForce put on an impressive, over-the-top show as well, using the full range of the stage most effectively. And seeing Flogging Molly’s Dave King declare, “There’s only one beer,” while holding up a bottle of Guinness in a festival sponsored by Warsteiner got plenty of applause. 

Life in camp

With so many bands it was impossible to catch everything, but the party didn’t stop when the music did and was hardly contained within the walls of the track. 

The bordering campsites where many attendees stayed (myself included, with my sisters and friend) were almost an event within themselves, with countless tight-packed tents, roaring generators and the constant boom of music chosen by whomever cranked his speakers the loudest.

After three days of live music, Rock am Ring left me tired, sore and inspired, with plenty of memories and a few new bands to check out. The lineup of bands and the variety of fans coming together was something only a festival can offer and I would gladly partake in it again.

Far or near, a good show is a good show

In the end, however, what stuck with me most were the same things that make local shows great – the music, the artists and the energy they put into their performances.  

Those will always stay paramount, regardless of the size of the stage or the cost of the presentation. With a lot less money and just a bit more searching, equally incredible performances can be found right in Prescott at places like Casa de Calavera and Sundance’s Place – and it won’t cost ten bucks a beer.