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Posted: 2019-06-25 20:09:34
What a weekend. The Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure, Wolfmother, Rob Zombie, Slash and finally the best band in the world Die Aerzte. And the whole thing on the "Pannonia Fields" near Nickelsdorf between Vienna and Bratislava, the Nova Rock Festival, probably taking place for the 19th time - there are said to have been over 220.000 people on the long weekend.
I would probably never have heard of this festival if a friend (Bettina) - a journalist working for a radio station - hadn't told us that she has 2 free tickets and that she is going there with her daughter (Ella). When I saw who should play at the Festival, I was very excited and accepted to take the tickets. The rest of my family was not interested or had other dates, because it was to be decided at short time.
Now it had to be clarified how I would do that with overnight stay, because one thing was clear: I did not want to camp like Bettina with her daughter, but luckily we have friends in Vienna, where I had a guest bed.
The last thing I had to do was to clarify who should get the 2nd free ticket. Since none of our Viennese friends had any desire/time, I immediately remembered Adil Baktir, whom I know from The Sunpilots, but who got out in 2015 and went back to Vienna again. He also accepted immediately, but unfortunately he could only come on Sunday.
On Friday I got up so early (4am!) that I could pack everything up in time - without stress to the railway station - looking for my 1st class seat and until Nuernberg I had no one at my table-seats. The change also worked great and the train first snaked along the Danube, then along the Inn, through Linz and finally shortly before 3pm I got off in Wien-Meindling, made 24h ticket for Vienna and with the U6 then to Burggasse, 5 min later Satu greeted me at the apartment door. With coffee and waffles briefly entertained, prepared for the festival (only money and mobile phone), got keys and short briefing and then I am already gone to get the right train at the main station.
In the train there were almost exclusively festival-goers and I got into conversation with some of them. 50 minutes later the train stopped in Nickelsdorf, then there was a shuttle bus and finally we went to the festival area. I got my tickets without any problems (luckily I took a picture of my ID-Card). Unfortunately I had to pay 10 Euro per card. Next I got my wristband, then I had to buy a chip card to book money on it - the only way to pay at the Festival. Finally at the right entrance to the area the inspector didn't want to let me in - backpack would be too big and I had to dispose of my water bottle. I was pretty pissed off. Never mind. First I walked around a bit for orientation and tried to buy something to drink, which took quite a long time. A bit off the beaten track I ate a piece of pizza and then tried to reach Bettina. After some descriptions on the phone, where exactly they are, we finally found each other. Slowly I relaxed and it should be a nice evening with the two of them.
There were 3 stages on which bands played, whereby I was only at the blue and red stage. The blue stage was the main stage and it was there that The Smashing Pumpkins and The Cure were to play, while on the red stage Anthrax and Slayer were on at the same time. We stayed at the Blue Stage and there was enough room in the inner area in front of the stage where we positioned ourselves mid-right about 200 m away from the stage. Smashing Pumkins I only knew by name and maybe I also knew one or two of their hits, but they didn't hit me from the socks (not even Bettina and Ella). It all sounded a bit monotonous. The singer (Billy Corgan) always played in the same pitch and enthusiasm looked different.
After they were finished, Bettina took me with her to the press area (nothing special, but own toilets and a bar, where you could get drinks faster, but also had to pay). There we met 2 colleagues of hers (man/woman) from Bratislava and chatted nicely together.
Shortly after 11pm The Cure started to play and we quickly went over to the stage which was no problem either. There was also enough space, but better visited than the Pumpkins. Bettina was a bit surprised that she didn't even know the songs that Cure started, although it was announced that they would play all their hits. As both Bettina and Ella were quite tired, the two said goodbye shortly after 12pm to hide in their tent - the lucky ones. I had to wait until 3:30am before the first train was due to return to Vienna. But as soon as they were gone (Hehe) one hit after another came from Cure and it was really fun to hear all those things again: 'The Forest', 'Jumping Someone Else's Train', 'Let's Go to Bed', 'The Walk', 'The Lovecats', 'Friday I'm in Love' ... At 1:30am they ended up with 'Boys don't cry' and I immediately made my way outside. In the tents and booths on the left and on the right the party still went on. Party music - full volume - and also on the "red" stage a band was still playing, but which band I didn't know. Arrived at the shuttle bus I went straight to the station, there I waited about 20 minutes and could already take the train back to Vienna. Shortly before 5am I was back at Satu's place - straight to bed to enjoy the next day.
After relatively little sleep (9:30am) I had a little breakfast with Satu. Afterwards we walked into the city, first to the Augustin monument and then to the sights of Vienna. Today it was also hot and hot. In a beautiful Viennese coffee house we drank coffee and on the way back we passed the "International Pride Parade", which happened today (500.000 people are said to have watched). Back at Satu I called Adil that he gets his ticket today. Completely finished I slept for 4 hours, before I went with Satu to the '7Stern Braeu', a brewery, where you could also eat small things. Adil came by and picked up the card. Satu and I sat there for some time and had a good cup. At 11pm we were home again. Satu went to bed relatively fast, I did e-mail check and other important things on my laptop, but at about 1am I also went to bed.
Sunday was much more pleasant from a temperature point of view (maybe only 26 degrees and a little wind). At 12:30 a friend of Satu's came by and we had lunch together and then sat down on the balcony. At 3pm I left for the last day of Nova Rock. I met Adil then at the train where we talked about the good old times (The Sunpilots: US-Tour, Raigh voice problems) and what he is doing now in Vienna. Around 5:30pm we were at the festival area - just in time for Wolfmother. Bettina and Ella also joined us. We listened to Rob Zombie on the red stage for a short time before we went back to listen to Slash feat. Miles Kennedy (singer of Alter Bridge).
When Slash started we went back to the front area, had a nice view and the music was great. I also knew some songs from his 2010 album Slash, on which Miles Kennedy also sings. Relative to the end my favourite song of Slash was By the Sword and since Wolfmother had played before, it was clear that Andrew Stockdale would sing this song. When the song reached its climax, I really had goose bumps on my arms.
When Slash was finished, I had to piss like many others, but around the toilets, piss mud had formed everywhere and unfortunately it was unavoidable to step in with a shoe. Then I quickly fetched a beer and wanted to return to our previous place, but meanwhile crowds of people pushed into the interior. There were already 3 corridors where the people were standing in line, but I didn't feel like it. Fortunately Ella and Bettina were also outside, so I could pass the crowds with a press pass. We tried again to get through to Adil, but there were already too many people there. For Bettina it became too narrow and I went then with Ella as far as it went in - again and again quite loudly to call for Adil (the others tried also to help), but he remained untraceable in the crowd. Never mind. Now simply enjoy and a little father duties with Ella fulfilled.
All hell broke loose when Die Aerzte started their show. And their show was brilliant again, even if they talked a little bit too much in my opinion. But their allusions to current events were already funny (Bela B. was wearing an Ibiza T-shirt). In between I offered Ella to sit on my shoulder, which she had accepted gratefully. As soon as she was on top, she was bobbing back and forth like crazy. Had to work really hard against it, so that I could stand straight. I endured two songs, then she had to go down again, but it was enough for her and she also took some photos from above. In the meantime I had to fight with my bladder. I had to go to the toilet so badly. Finally I went - this time to the press area - what a relief. Still quick to get something to drink and back inside. I then tried to see if I could get to the front of the stage with my press trailer, but the inspector just smiled and said "with this card at Die Aerzte - no chance". So I went back to Ella, which was relatively easy and I enjoyed the rest of the show.
When it was all over we went to the press area and found Bettina. The two then strapped on their camping gear and at the VIP stage, where we met at the beginning, Adil also waited so that we could go to the exit together. Of course now the crowd was pouring towards the shuttle bus, cars - it took us a while to get on the bus, then we had to wait at the station again because the first train had already left. All quite finished, but we were sitting in the second train. Around 2:30am we were back in Vienna, Bettina and Ella went straight to their accommodation and Adil and I had to wait for a car because there was no subway anymore. A short farewell and at 3am I was in bed.
At 8am I woke up, had a quick shower, because I wanted to get the train at 10:22am in Meindling. Meanwhile Satus "Oesterreicher" (Ewald) was back again. We had a briefly talk and goodbye, off to the station, into the train and almost the whole trip to Berlin a 4 seat-table for me alone. Arrived quite broken at home, quickly told about the weekend and off to bed. WHAT A JOURNEY IT WAS.
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