Grabbenacht Festival 2019 review
Published on June 22th, 2019
The people started to arrive and from the start I meet some new neighbours, one from Germany had seen me at Deathfeast the year before. Nice, but I don’t even know who you are! (only funny if you have seen Avengers: Endgame) and two friends from Belgium whom I really liked talking too. We shared some of the German persons home brew and some whiskey I had.
In general I have to say, the people around me and later at the festival was so open, nice and we shared drinks, booze, stories and laughed.
Now, even if I come from Denmark my German is quite good, not perfect of course but it also means, I take my conversation to them on their terms and I feel it really opens them up.
Metalheads! They might be brutal in the pit, but more friendly and helpful persons than them you won’t find anywhere in the world.
Small conversation with the Infernal Music people and lots of the other people behind the bar, grill, the volunteers and the picture was clear. It was metalheads, making this for metalheads because they wanted to. All they see in a festival or being at one, they take to this and the culmination is a bunch of passionate metalheads, full of joy passing that on to others. Everyone and even me, felt like being at home surrounded by family or best friends. That is one of the things I miss with some larger festivals and here it’s an overload of all.
On the festival camping area, it was easy to talk to people, many came to me and again, smiles, laughs, metal, alcohol and the occasionally Scooter or other 90’ties music in the background. But not much. Of course I tried to teach people the wonderful song from danish Red Warsawa “Skin Boy” and some liked it, some found it weird = success haha. Sharing is caring haha. Especially at 08 in the morning with a group of Germans and listen to this Danish crap. Epic!
As I stumbled my way around, from the concerts, beer with people, crew, band members from Norway and the festival guest I did wonder, how come a drunk Dane felt so happy there and cold. So I found a chair in a tent and died for a while.
Looking around I also noticed the place was full of posters of goats. All type of goats and sheep, alone, together with other goats and with humans and no, no goatfucking pictures, but I might as well had been. They love goats, they truly love goats and that combined with their need to make grindcore and extreme metal kind, a little bit of Satan and it just made sense.
So I ran with it and indeed, lot of pictures of nice goats. Somehow I couldn’t get the old Woody Allen film out of my head, Everything you always wanted to know about sex, but were afraid to ask, where in one of the segments Gene Wilder falls in love with a beautiful sheep from Albania(?) Daisy, who then breaks his heart and in the end he is sitting homeless drinking wool softener.
After changing to summer clothes. FUCK THAT FELT GOOD OH MY SATAN!!!! and getting my first impression with their techno toilet, I got to set up my tent and for unknown reason, as one of the first, I choose to stay furthest away.
Now, furthest away was about a 34 sec walk, later with all tents and people, somewhere between 62 seconds and 5 hours! A little trip to Edeka mostly resulted in me buying a lot to drink, icetea, Fanta, milk products, a little food and my hunger and hangover turned to a bad stomach, so I returned to my favourite little techno toilet.
Techno toilet????
I will share with you. The bathroom facilities was like the rest of the town and the Sports area this festival was in the middle of, perfect.
Only the light didn’t quite agree with being on. So it turned itself off after 3 seconds and trust me, when you are drunk, it can take a while before you sit down. So the light goes on off, on off, on off and because it’s sensor controlled and you all the time have to move. ...... ....... you end up sitting, shitfaced drunk, waving your arms and legs trying not to fall off the toilet while shitting and also not to, by accident, let the toilet paper get out of your hands and reach.
If.... then.... you have Brutal Sphincter and Gutalax everywhere. Trust me on this. You do not want that!
Really not!
-Retrospect-
What is it that makes everyone want to drink this weird mouthwash drink, Peppermint liquor 18% alcohol, 50% lovely breath 100% arsewater! Yirks and people drank it like it was the best thing, only thing in the world. No thanks, a Lemmy (Kilmister) for me please.
- A Lemmy - two parts Jack D and cola on the rocks.
The Orchestras of noise and what came in between
The bands were mostly local bands from the area or around in Germany, not that far, but they had a lot to offer and again the energy put in all of this was great.
From the beginning, it wasn’t hard to see that the room was small and when people start to mosh or circle pit, it’s hopelessly too small. Cramped into a small place many, decided it was as good to stand outside and look in or just sit on the benches under the tent. After all, it was just a meter away.
Interesting enough, after the night moved in and the bands played, I noticed many didn’t really care who played, as long someone played. As long they had a drink in their hand and as long they were among each others, all was good. Oh and as long there is no insane rain or storm. This year, no rain.
Scrvmp, took the stage and with a brutal scream, Grabbenacht had begun. The singer jumped down among crowd and with an in-your-face performance, this started out quite well.
The sound was good, no big flaws in general. But Anüs from Sweden had weird mic problems and I couldn’t really hear if he was (now stop, I want to write “singing” but that we all know that ain’t what he is doing) pig-screaming into the mic or not.
I noticed one tried to make him aware of it, but nothing helped. So it ended up feeling as an instrumental grindcore performance. Fascinating, but unlucky as he’s voice was so low..
Scrvmp, Bitchfork, Into Darkness, Anüs, Defaced, Carnal Decay all were a strong start and people without hesitation started a brawl, both inside and a little inside in the bar area. Was fun. Not much room, so all tried to do the best. I wanted to see Carnal Decay up front, but like most, I ended up being outside. I was so lucky to spot the next band and with a little Scandinavian “heysan” managed to have a beer with the Norwegian band Blood Red Throne. Which was insanely funny and really great guys! These very friendly people also turned out the be the best act of the day. Extremely tight, without errors or compromise, they lay the place down like you’ll expect from Norwegian Vikings. No one got out if there alive. My phone almost did, but only almost. Shit, so brutal and the crowd was one sweaty goat.
By: Federico Escobar
After the concert we talked a bit about it, things and normal stuff. Then... I am not sure. Don’t think I saw the last band, now I think about it.
After a while I remember DJ G*A*P, which was a metal DJ playing 90’ties tunes. I think.
The fun wasn’t over, since people didn’t really had an idea of leaving the party and to be honest, neither had I.
Somewhere around the morning, I found my way to my tent, passing a lot of camps with awesome people and then.
Knockdown Brutality was up and running at 13:30 thinking, I am pretty sure my head wasn’t ready for this and most of the day I hang around with people. That was also when I realised that the music really was second and the main event of Grabbenacht were people seeing each other again, partying, drinking, laughing and all the stuff I already wrote.
I occasionally pop my head into the stage and watched a bit, but Grabbenacht had me. I was interested in it’s people, crowd and crew. Sitting on the camping ground, in their “Biergarten” or watching people playing vollyball or having fun in the little pool. In such a small area, so much was going on.
I had some food, which was really good, unfortunately I didn’t eat enough and got drunk second day which wasn’t a good idea. It resulted in me realising I couldn’t wait any more.
It was dark, the cheers were high at the previous concert and I looked at the clock and rushed to my tent.
Then something amazing happened. People helped me pack my things in record time, and I went to the entrance. Sat my things down and got my phone from charging and said a few goodbyes in a rush and as I wanted to go to the train, two of my new friends refused to let me go alone although the last band was playing and the party DJ was about to start. We took my stuff and went to the train station and waited there for an hour.
The end of something
I was sitting with my friends at the train station, we were listing to some music as I suddenly realised I had forgotten some things. Shit. But I didn’t say anything. No way we could run back an find it anyway.
Like them, I think, I had a hard time to let go and to really enjoy this festival and it’s people, I just needed more time.
As the train thingy came, I got in, said my goodbye and left I couldn’t help being truly happy to have been a part of this crazy party, festival and all what it was about.
The journey started at 03:00 and with a delayed train later, a missed train, I arrived at the airport with hangover that gone from bad to worse to kill me now, I've stepped onto the plane.
First, no one next to me, which was not only good it made me wonder. Where the hell was the shower at Grabbenacht, was there even a shower? I must have smelled like a dying rotting wildebeest or goat, at my best and then a little family switched seats and I screamed “nooooooo let me rot in silence” - inside of course!
Plane got up, plane got down. I got home around 13:42.
2 hours later I had 38.9 in fever and I my festival depression could begin. Crawled into my bed, closed my eyes and tried to relive it all again before it was gone.
...und ich reiße der Puppe den Kopf ab, Ja, ich reiß' der Puppe den Kopf ab
Und jetzt beiß' ich der Puppe den Hals ab! Es geht mir sehr gut, ja!
What’s is hidden?
The promise of a warmer days by the end of May, what hopefully will become a nice summer of 2019, gathered a small group of people for a tiny little brutal festival in the Baden-Württemberg area, the south of Germany, hidden away from time, the modern day problems and curious eyes. Metal, foul as the depth of hell is lingering in the rotten air, sweat dripping fleshly off the corpses of hungry bloodthirsty audience. The night is young and yet so old.
So it begins. The 5th edition of this brutal untouched and isolated festival.
Arrival!
In this little town, in the south of Germany, called Schriesheim, people gathered to join the annual festival for it’s 5th edition. A small, if not even tiny, festival with a brutal line-up from local bands from all over the country, even some from far as Norway and Sweden. Placed in an old little unused building between towns Youth and Activity centre, on its outskirts, next to some horses and a lot of talkative poultries.
The camping area is tiny and compared to other German festivals, no cars, and that's a blessing. This means everyone camp next to each other and it’s possible to actually get to know each other and talk. Thumbs up, don’t change this. Furthermore, the camping area doesn’t open before the first concert day, so no early arrival is possible. I don’t know if some came the day before and slept in a car near or as me, at a friends place close, in Darmstadt, but it didn’t seem like it.
But it also meant that one has to; arrive, find friends, find spot, put tent up, unpack (as much as it’s possible or needed) find beer, drink beer, find another and hope the weather is holding and to be ready for the first band or one of the first bands. Luckily, the area is tiny, all arrive at once, they travel light and before the first band, all is packed, people are chatting, drinking, talking, bathing in the small pool, drinking, laughing, got their suppliesfrom the nearby Edeka.
Let’s destroy, with a smile!
So, after a two day travel, too much whiskey, getting lost several times, gettingt stuck to a bench with my wallet chain which I had to spend 30 minutes twisting-loosing and missing my train (it broke eventually), having a crazy hangover time in Darmstadt (sorry for that Kev) and moving on the next morning, I’ve arrived in Schriesheim. A beautiful town at the end of a big hill. Looking up, I saw there was this fantastic old ruin, thinking I really wanted to visit that and I was finally here. Air was fresh and things looked so nice and I was completely alone! Well, I had no idea where to go. Normally, I look for metalheads and slowly stalk them from the distance, with a slow pace and light feet getting closer and closer to them and the festival area, until I reveal myself as a fellow festival guest and follow them the last few meters.
But here. None. No one. Quiet. Looking for signs. Something, a little hint. Nothing.
Grabbing my phone, searching FB, no address. Texting a friend from Schweiz. Head where? Okay? What? Hmm.
Eventually I got there and made it before I overheated. Too much clothes, packed and my hangover was still pretty active in giving me some troubles.
Grabbenacht!
After walking past some signs, finally, I found one, I must admit, the area was so nice and cosy I didn’t mind walking around. The place is a little German village paradise with the promise of a little SS Jugend around every corner. Cute.
Found the place and entered.
I was quite early, people some going a bit around smiling saying hallo to everyone and I went to the front desk, where people can buy or get the wristbands and drink cards. There I met one of the head organisers from Infernal Music Team who welcomed me, which I soon found out was the main theme there; a big smile, curiosity and pride of this place and all what was around. Great!
Camping wasn’t open, so I took the opportunity to take a little look around, several came and greeted me, smiling and was extremely forthcoming. They truly didn’t only made me feel welcome but relaxed and my mood from two days of travelling, taking wrong trains and my hangovers went away in a bunch of laughs and stories about the place. It was a tiny place, the building wasn’t used for much any more and had earlier been a car workshop. The stage was small and in the left side at the back wall, which made me wonder how that would effect the sound. But as the told, the place is perfect in many sense of being really far away from the nearest houses and thusfore it is easier to have concerts and this festival here, without disturbing anyone. Quite clever. But the downside was, no one really used it for anything. I must say, in a really small community like this, being so utterly brutal and to have this place, I had to agree it's a shame it does not get used more.
