Messed!Up
One-day metal festival Elbriot Fest has spoiled Hamburg with great line-ups since it started in 2013 and has always walked the fine line between cheesy old rock bands and hot bands at the height of their careers. Thus, they attract kind of a diverse crowd – there’s something for every rock fan out there.
This year was no exception and already from the outset it looked amazing. Just imagine the mix of brutal metalcore act Jinjer, the chaotic and visceral performers of Fever 333, metalcore legends Bullet For My Valentine, and rock veterans Accept. On top of that, our photographer has something going for German hard rock band Kissin’ Dynamite and she can’t stop talking about their “Not The End Of The Road” video, and as they had an early slot we sat off for Grossmarkt – the festival area – already at noon.
Being a bit late to the festival ground, Ms EyesClosed ran ahead to make sure she didn’t miss out on Kissin’ Dynamite while I got stuck at the entrance having a chat (and a beer) with the organizers – it’s called networking people – but I joined the Kissin’ Dynamite crowd after the third song – and they had already fired up the crowd! One thing is obvious: We should pay a lot more attention to the German rock and metal scene because Kissin’ Dynamite are a hidden gem. Their performance was amazing and quite entertaining, and although I didn’t know anything about them I found myself stompin’ around after a few songs (EyesClosed filled in the blanks later – and yes, they played “Not The End Of The Road”).
As we skipped out on lunch we left when Caliban and Alestorm played and returned in good time for what we thought would be the highlight of the day, Ukrainian metalcore band Jinjer. Once in a while, a band will come along within a genre that takes me completely by surprise, a band that plays with the intensity of a headlining act, yet it appears that they have come from literally nowhere. That band is Jinjer.
As the crowd replenished their now vacant cups of beer, a sudden silence caught the attention of the fans. And from the sides of the stage, began to emerge the members of the band with vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk emerging last. Though her normal level of spunk seemed slightly diminished she still owned Grossmarkt and every captivated attendee in the crowd. Save for Tatiana, each member seemed a bit distant, but if anyone had an excuse to be a little adrift, it could be someone whose country is fighting for their lives. Eugene Ulasevich and Roman Ibramkhalilov did a dazzling dance with their fingers as they flew in a flurry over strings. The vibrant tones branded each song with diversity and intelligence. The clarity, and harshness of Shmaylyuk’s heavy vocals gave an extreme hue of expertise to the band’s overall sound.
Similar to a lot of shows I’ve seen in recent years, there wasn’t a lot of talking in between songs; it was song after song after song, with a couple of small interludes to say hello to the crowd or thank the openers. While Jinjer is able to write memorable vocal lines and choruses, they are another act that is incredible to watch from a technical point of view. Their songs are layered with running bass lines, intricate guitar work, and progressive-style drumming. Needless to say, they delivered an exciting show and gave it their all on stage, which is a respectable feat in every case.
After a short break to restore the water balance (and buying a Kissin’ Dynamite t-shirt to our photographer), it was time for Fever 333 and we can promise you one thing: it is the wildest and craziest band on stage at the moment. Nothing can compare to Fever 333 (the 333 represents the three core principles that the members view the band to stand for: community, charity, and change). Fever 333’s live performances have always been filled with energy, they’re fuelled by the emotions they feel when using their voice to speak up.
The capacity crowd is buzzing with anticipation, and a few minutes passed 6am a growling bass, distorted vox, and angry chants filter through the sound system. Suddenly an almighty cry breaks, “There’s a mother fucking fever coming!”, as singer Jason Aalon Butler, drummer Aric Improta, and guitarist Stephen Harrison explode onto the stage. It’s a truly remarkable sight and so sets the scene for tonight’s emotive demonstration. Like a persistent kick in the face, the trio blast through a 60-minute roller coaster ride full of emotion, music, and discourse. Preaching to the converted, the demonstration is fused with an overwhelming feeling of community and togetherness. Without doubt, however, it’s the conviction with which Butler delivers their message that takes Fever 333 to the absolute next level. In One Of Us, the singer goes for the jugular by calling out the sexist culture that exists within the music industry. He screams, “Tonight there is no room for that misogynistic patriarchal bullshit…women should feel safe to be in this room, they should be celebrated and respected!”.
Butler is known to climb pretty much anything and everything at Fever 333 demonstrations, from lighting rigs to balconies, but tonight doesn’t stray too far away from the stage although it looked like he was about to stagedive a few times. Tonight’s demonstration is proof that Fever 333 continue to rise and are already a mighty force to be reckoned with and when the band bow out after 45 minutes I felt I couldn’t take anymore. It was time to refill again.
And that was it, that’s why we came because weren’t super interested in any other band. And yet we stayed for another band because the atmosphere at Grossmarkt was awesome. Great weather and about 25 degrees and heaps of places where to buy beer that you never had to wait more than a minute. Why not stay and catch a glimpse of Accept as well, just to tick another box on the “Bands I thought I didn’t want to see but did anyway” list.
Now, I know about Accept because my classmates in school back in the 80s all listened to “Balls to the Wall” during the Udo Dirkschneider era, but never had the chance to see them live (I’ve seen Udo Dirkschneider solo though). Well, I’ve had the chance several times at festivals but skipped it in favor of a few more beers at the campsite. But finally!
I know that some (most!) bands are never the same after replacing the original singer, or the one that everybody is acquainted with. Mötley Crue lost a lot of their fan base when they decided to ditch Vince Neil in the early ’90; nobody really gets Johnny Solinger as the lead singer in Skid Row, even though he has been with them longer than Sebastian Bach was; and even the mighty Van Halen got a lot of shit for replacing David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar back in the day. But some bands fare very well, and one of these bands is Accept.
Some bands, who had their best times in years gone by, tend to focus immensely on their hit material even though it might be largely out of date. And though this trend is changing, Accept are no way in hell resorting only to their old hits.
Right off the bat, this sextet proved how they are still relevant with their fresh pieces. The giddiness from the crowd was contagious since most of them have been fans for decades. It was wonderful to witness such die-hards gather and gaze upon their favorite band. Founding member Wolf Hoffmann had a glisten in his eye as he thrummed out ditties he has been playing for years. It was a thrill to experience his sincere joy of performing. Every song was a singalong because the devotees knew each lyric. The boom and vibrancy of their classic heavy metal sound rang with stunning strength, and if I wasn’t into the scene before I just became a die-hard member of it.
There were many bows and a lot of gratitude shared as the band left the stage. Even though this set was full of pleasant remembrances, it was also a night where many made new, wonderful memories.
We left our second Elbriot Fest after Accept with some awesome memories. Not only did the bands surprise us but the atmosphere at the festival was fantastic. Sure, it was a perfect summer day and not having to wait for buying beer and food is exceptional. And I have to say that city festivals are quite nice. Twenty minutes after we left the festival we sat down at a local burger restaurant before heading off for another party (where we spent the night figuring out the geographic locations of churches in Hamburg).
See you next year Elbriot!
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Photos: Sophie Dobschall
