Goodbye Wacken - a critical review
 

The same procedure as every year.Wacken on the first August weekend. Because of the rain the ground was first opend on tuesday because they had to dry the infield. On Wednesday people from all over the world arrived at Wacken. Also New-Metal-Media starts his way to explore the fields of WACKEN. First of all it is very hard to find a way through the holy ground because there are not enough signs to show you the way through it.All streets around the area are blocked and so our way is straight over the camping ground. The floor is still spongy but not muddy. Near the entrance to the festivalarea we are trying to find our way but its hard, because many things have changed since the last year. So what should we do? Right, we ask the personal for the right way. But what happens? Are they joking? We asked 5 safety-employed but no one could tell us the real way.
It is the same as last year, where we asked for the way to the camping ground of the handicaped people. But hope is the last to die. Maybe it will change during the next day.
So we go to the press area, which is also a hard fight to go there. Also the press area has some changes. Ok, lets go back. What happend? We tried to go the same way back, but they denied us the enterance, so we had to go another way through the whole area.


Thursday, today everything should start. Our first place we want to visit is the wackinger village, in my opinion it has not enough attention from the visitors. But there is much to see. A small blacksmith, some campers, also showfights and the option to try spear- and axethrowing. Ok from the wackinger village straight to the mainstage.But where is the wheelchair area? Instead of it, there are now cameras on the ground.
 

In the first moment I am a little bit confused. Where are the Wheelchairareas? Ok lets go ask the regulatory personal, but what happend? Nobody knows anything and also nobody even tries to ask or to help. The only good thing is that the infield is not as full as last year and some wheelchairs are crossing my path. On our way to "Wacken Arts" we ask again about the Wheelchairpodium and now we found someone who helped us. There is only one big area left for wheelchairs on the edge of the infield, far away from the stages. So, we are a Webzine about Metal and handicaped people, so i have to have a look at this podium. And again no acces, and the securityguy was very unfriendly. He asked me a couple of time about my permission to be there and make fotos. I showed him my permit as handicaped person and now i am allowed to enter the podium, but alone. And what i saw was not good. The view was very bad and there was no integration of the handicaped people to the other.

 The artist where about 2 cm high, this is the big new wheelchair podium. The friday was a rainy day, and everything sunk in the flood. The ground was muddy and it was realy hard to cross the area. But also the streets where blocked so we had to go through the mud.
Saturday was the highlight. Water, everywhere was water. It was not possible to go over the field without slip away. ON THE WHOLE AREA!!! So let us go home.....
 

Overall: In my oppinion the personnel on the 23. Wacken Open Air was very unfriendly and their knowledge was very poor. The new concept of the wheelchair area has much defizits and there should be more signs on the fields. I am very unhappy about the reduction of the Wheelchair area to the edge of the infield, but sometimes a good view for the cameras seemd to be more important than handicaped visitors. The travelguide this year was bearly ok. The bands where great. Hammerfall played for the last time before their break, the Scorpions played their farewell concert and Doro introduced her newest EP "Raise your Fist in the Air". The W.E.T. Stage got a new place and there was an extended Wackinger Village. Partypeople had a lot of fun of course, but whats about the people with handicap? They where pushed into the Background. But overall it was a real peaceful festival this year.