D DAY

Since the car park seems quite full yesterday we arrived around 10:30AM, to avoid unpleasant surprises. But (I ‘m VERY impressed), despite the large number of vehicles, despite the fact that the only access goes through a little road where two cars can barely cross, and even despite the place where you park is a succession of meadows separated by very small bridges 2m wide, despite all of this I will not have to wait over a few minutes to get done. Outstanding!

Volunteers are present at the entrance to bring the cars in the first meadow, then there are volunteers spread over the fields to tell you where to go. Simple as that. I wonder if this can work in France … won’t bet my skirt on this.
Thanks to our beautiful red bracelets we can quickly pass the crowd and enter the site before anyone else. Let’s have a deeper look on the second part of the Waldrock.
From far distance, the Main Stage seemed already big, but from close it’s worst. Holy shit, she must stands over 3 meters high!!! We’ll have a hard time makings pics. Without surprise the ground is grass (quite usual for a meadow ^^) with some sand in the firsts rows and in the photopit.
Sand ?! It will be the hell when it comes to mosh parts.

The Jagermeister is sized like our Discover Stage (around the waist).

Good point: the toilets’ area is located in a small plot on the side, which helps prevent bad smells spreading. Bad point: the only one water point is also located there, and after a quick test I’m not really sure the water can be drunk (reminds me I’ve never ever seen anyone drink water here…). Well, given the heat (26/27° shaded) I know what to do with my tokens.

Back in the main area, i watch another photographer (the only one without the blue t-shirt that every volunteer wears) as he seems to go backstage and decide to follow him. No backstage for us, but access to the “Crew area”, with toilets and catering. YES!
More canteen than lounge club (as in Hellfest), this place is nevertheless well thought and you can buy drinks (and food for volunteers). Considering the number of shaded points on the site (zero), here is my new home ^^.

But i speak, i speak and it’s already noon, the doors are open and a dense crowd begin to fill the field.
Straight to the Mainstage (the photopit entrance is less than 5 meters away from the crew area exit) for the first show of the day!.

MS : Mainstage. JG : Jagermeister. TS : Tentstage
After a little explanation on “how using our pass” (and a little misunderstanding), everything will be like a train on rails.

Bboo : First band of the day, they had the heavy task of opening the festival. Happily, the (quite consequent) crowd seems to know the band. It must be said that Greyline is from The Netherlands … it helps ;).
The choice of taking them on the main stage is quite questionable as obviously the band is very nervous and very stat (that make Mainstage seems even bigger). With their very addictive music and their singer’s deep voice, their performance is quite pleasant.

Unfortunately, a small problem with our photopit’s access will lead us to leave the place after a few songs.

SpiriT : No surprise, a local band open the festival. I had never heard of this band before. Not bad, it’s a mix of different influences, an angry pop rock, with a little country music, a pinch of grunge and a dose of Core metal. On stage it’s rather shy, except one guitarist every one is very static. Quite interesting in his own genre, but too diverse for a first listening.

As I’ve previously said, there was a little misunderstanding on “which pass give what access”, so I had to go back at the press area to get some information. A little explanation on the different colours and the “photo” badge, will settle the matter, and with a smile. Cool.

Of the photopit work.
It’s very simple in fact. Everyone (photographers and holders of the black, white or purple bracelets) has access to the photopit during the first three songs and can enter or exit at will during this period. Very different from the “waves system” used in France. No wait, no race to get in first … the only concern is that we shoot all in the same time so the photozone can be quite crowdy sometimes (especially in the tent where it was sometimes extremely difficult to move in the photopit).
Quite unusual in France, there is always people without camera in the photopit … Fortunately few photopasses were given (obviously much less than in France) and photographers here are models of good citizenship.
In this regard I commend my colleagues, very, MUCH very disciplined than French’s ones. The difference in behaviour is quite unbelievable. First, everyone is careful not to disturb the others. Then there is almost no flash, except in extreme situation (unlike some French photographers who flash even with a full sunlight). Neither there’s a rock star attitude (“because I worth it”). It changes. Indeed it will be the same behaviour I will find in Czech Republic … Again, French people stands apart … in the bad way.
I’m so sorry …

Bboo : Discovering of the «Jagermesteir Stage » I find it very low. While the two others scenes can make you dizzy spinning, this one is nearly on the ground level. This will therefore make shots from the pit almost impossible.
For his first title, the band will have a lot of sound problems : no guitar, no bass, only the voice & drums are bursting our eardrums. Sadly, sounds worries will be recurrent during the entire fest.

Fortunately things will improved fast enough. The band will make a good show, with a little “Sick of it All” like soundings. Very dynamic, the frontman will not hesitate to leave the stage in order to sing directly from the middle of the moshpit.

Well, it must be acted that Dutch Pogo (at least Waldrock’s ones) is, in “the Metal fighting ladder”, between the French ones (quite violent) and the Czech ones (care bears land).

SpiriT : Not my style, the Americans play a quite nervous, trash tainted Hardcore. Sadly for them, numerous sound problems will broke their set. Efrel Schulz’s behaviour reminds me of Chino (Around the fur period). The singer will endlessly pace every inch of the scene, the stage obviously too small for him. After a little slam he will play a whole song from the crowd.

Talking of the crowd I’ve been quite surprised : there was relatively not much mosh ultimately, and in any case much less than here (and by the way almost no dust in the air) and almost no slam.

First: slam was forbidden under the tent (and I did not see a single one there). Second, even outside, I saw at the best 3 or 4 slam throughout the afternoon.
A sure sign : no “professional” security in the photopit, only happy volunteers, very relaxed, who take cares of the slammers very gently (at the opposite of the way, slammers are beaten by Czech security …). Therefore we can easily shot against the fence without being worried by an angry mob ;).
As I’m going straight to the tent stage, I can see that the field is quite filled by now.

Bboo : On paper, i did expect something quite kitsch. It just proved that basing someone’s judgement on a website’s visuals or myspace can lead to hasty conclusions.

No “piou-piou” power (sorry for this “French image”) for the keyboard, while the guitars solo are quite nice. The set is rather pleasant and dynamic. The “heavy” singing is right and never try the ascension of “treble’s Everest”. Well, this last remark will not be worth all the time. As soon as I put a Newrock outside, did the alarm goes off. This will be the disband of the public, came in search of adventure.

SpiriT : Heavymetal, on the edge of progressive metal, those Norwegians plays a rather commercial, but still varied, music. The keyboard is never hysterical but the singer’s voice is sometimes too high for my taste. It does move well, it poses well, it seems the band had some good times. I think that the fans of this style will be delighted, especially with a quite good sound. As I left the tent it seems to me they did a David Bowie’s Cover.
Unfortunately, as the day advance it begins to warm, and the public is from mellow to amorphous. It’s the perfect time for my first break. Hop to the festival’s official merchandising. 20€ later and here I am with a nice Waldrock official 2008 t-shirt. Next thing to do, taste the beer … ooops, not that good, and far from the delicious Pillsner in Czech republic where you can buy a half a litre for 80 cents. It will be water and coke for me during the rest of this festival. Anyway I will have many opportunities to “have” beers without buying ones.