Personally, one of my favorite festivals of all throughout the year is Open Flair in Eschwege.
Friday:
The festival was sold out way in advance. But with an awesome line-up like this there was nothing else to expect. We couldn’t come on Thursday already to see the bands playing at Seebühne and Ewerk, but we arrived in time to see the first band play on Friday: No Use For A Name. No Use for a Name (sometimes abbreviated NUFAN) is a punk rock band from San Jose, California, United States formed in 1987 by Chris Dodge (guitar), Steve Papoutsis (bass), Rory Koff (drums), and Tony Sly (vocals). The band’s sound has evolved considerably through its career, taking on a much lighter brand of melodic punk as the years passed. Just like us, many people had found their way to Open Flair’s Festbühne early just for No Use For A Name. So even though they opened the festival, they played in front of many people. No Use For A Name “borrowed” Lagwagon’s guitar player. With an awesome voice and great music the band blasted out their hits. Almost everybody sang along, and surely each and everyone moved along. There was no need for the band to animate the audience to clap, sing, move or jump along because everybody did already, but they still did so. It was an amazing show, full of energy and power. Unfortunately their set was really short. We all would have loved to see a lot more of No Use For A Name. All the shouting for more did not get the band back on stage. The festival had to continue. And it did.
Lagwagon was the next band we watched. Lagwagon is an American punk rock band originally from Goleta, just outside Santa Barbara, California. Their name comes from the band’s old tour van, which can been seen on the back cover of the album Trashed. The band has 10 releases through Fat Wreck Chords: seven studio albums, one EP, one live album and a collection of B-sides, compilation tracks and demos. The singer came on stage with brightly colored shorts, sweatshirt and pink shades as well as white baseball cap and began rocking. Throughout the show he took off cap, shades and sweatshirt. The bass player wore a western hat in the colors of the German flag. The band reacted to everything that was going on in the audience. It was a fun show with great music and everybody had a blast watching.
Up next on the big stage was Therapy?. Therapy? is an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist–vocalist Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing from Larne, Northern Ireland. The band initially recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar. To complete the lineup, the band recruited Larne bassist Michael McKeegan. Although now vanished from the charts and wide media attention, Therapy continue to release material, gaining enough attention to enable them to tour and entertain a small loyal following. Following the addition of Neil Cooper on drums, the band has enjoyed a stable lineup since 2004.Therapy? put up an amazing live show and many people could sing along to the songs. The audience kept growing though out their performance. Even though they did not move around too much on stage, the band still played with the audience and filled the stage with their appearance only. The Irish accent completed the whole image and made it even more special. Therapy? is an awesome live band and knew how to rock their crowd.
Up next on the little stage was Skindred. Skindred is a Welsh rock band from Newport. The band was formed in 1998 following the disbandment of vocalist Benji Webbe’s previous band, Dub War. Skindred’s musical style mixes alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and reggae. The group refers to this style as “reggae metal”. Their show was fitting perfectly well to the bright sunshine and put everybody in a good mood. The people bounced along to the music, danced, sang, clapped and had a blast. The band talked a lot with the audience and got them going along in no time till the very last second of the show. Skindred are always a lot of fun to watch. The Jamaican influence in the music spreads the good vibes and the songs definitely get stuck in your head and bouncing bones.
Last band for us of today was NOFX at the main stage. It was crowded because everybody wanted to see this amazing punk band perform. NOFX is an American punk rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1983 in Los Angeles. The band was formed by vocalist and bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined them shortly afterward. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up. The band rose to popularity in 1994 with their album “Punk in Drublic” which was certified gold. NOFX has released 12 studio full lengths, 15 EPs, and many 7″ singles. The group has independently sold over 6 million records worldwide, making them one of the most successful independent acts of all time. The band also aired their own show on Fuse TV entitled “NOFX: Backstage Passport”. The audience rocked along to the music of NOFX, shouting the band name at all times and going insane. The band on stage talked a lot, with each other, with the audience, pulled jokes and did funny stuff. NOFX never get boring. it was an awesome show and everybody enjoyed them.
Saturday:
A new day with a lot of sun had begun. It must have rained in the night though because the ground was slightly muddy. We started the day with Streetlight Manifesto. Streetlight Manifesto is an American Ska band from East Brunswick, New Jersey fronted by Tomas Kalnoky. They released their first album, “Everything Goes Numb”, which was distributed by Victory Records, on August 26, 2003. The band headlined and sold out their first concert at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey on December 9, 2003. Several of Streetlight Manifesto’s members were well known in the New Jersey third wave ska community for their roles in past ska punk bands from that area, primarily Kalnoky’s “Catch 22” and fellow New Jersey band One Cool Guy. As of October 4, 2009, the lineup consists of Mike Brown on alto and baritone sax, Jim Conti on alto and tenor sax, songwriter Tomas Kalnoky on guitar and lead vocals, bass guitarist Peter McCullough, trumpet player Matt Stewart, trombone player Nadav Nirenberg, and Chris Thatcher on drums. The bass player stood far behind everybody else, and it was a little strange to have a line-up like that. But the band rocked and many people were up already to watch them perform. The music was thriving and spreading a good mood throughout the festival. Streetlight Manifesto are definitely an interesting and great live band.
The next band we watched was Against Me!. Against Me! is a punk rock band formed in 1997 in Gainesville, Florida. Their first full-length album, released on No Idea Records in 2002, was “Reinventing Axl Rose”. They have released music on Misanthrope Records, Crasshole Records, Plan It X Records, Sabot Productions, No Idea Records, and Fat Wreck Chords. In December 2005, they signed with Sire Records, and released their major label debut, “New Wave” on July 10, 2007. Their second album on Sire, “White Crosses”, was released on June 4, 2010. Against Me! could not really fill the huge main stage but did a great job in entertaining their audience. The people liked the music Against Me! played many songs that the audience knew and sang along. A great rock show with everybody moving along.
Up next on the little stage across was Turbostaat. Turbostaat is a punk rock band, established in 1999 in Husum, now based in Flensburg, Germany. Their stage always includes a living room like item. This time it was an amp, very nostalgic design. The band had a big audience and everybody went wild as Turbostaat began playing. Everybody could sing along to the German lyrics, even to the new songs. The band put up an amazing performance and you couldn’t help it but had to go along to the music. Many of their songs are about their home and about happenings of the world. Turbostaat is always a pleasure to watch and to listen, the songs are deep and the band has a lot of potential. They know how to make you feel what they try to say with their songs. So it doesn’t matter whether you understand German or not.
Up next was The Gaslight Anthem on the main stage. They had many fans anxiously waiting already. The Gaslight Anthem are an American folk punk band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, consisting of Brian Fallon (lead vocals, guitar), Alex Rosamilia (guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Benny Horowitz (drums, percussion, tambourine). They released their first album, Sink or Swim, on XOXO Records in May 2007, and their second album, “The ’59 Sound”, on SideOneDummy Records in August 2008. The band’s third album, “American Slang”, was released on June 15, 2010. I had expected them to be a lot faster and play more punk, but I was mistaken. Their looks were misleading though. Anyway, the music was thoughtful and very relaxed. The Gaslight Anthem had a very clear sound and their songs are amazing to relax to. The fans sang along to the songs and the band appreciated that big time. The Gaslight Anthem is a beautiful sounding band and I can’t wait to see them again.
The next band we watched was Ska-P. Ska-P is a ska punk band formed in Vallecas (Madrid), Spain, in 1994.The band can be categorized, politically, as an anti-establishment musical group. It is one of the most popular ska bands in Spain, Europe, and Latin America. Musically, despite their fun image, Ska-P has well-rehearsed and tight arrangements, and as of 2002, includes among its members a small but striking brass section which gives the band a powerful sound. Their nonconformist attitude is also evident in their eccentric haircuts. Some band members have mohawks while others are almost bald-shaven (with a ponytail at the back). Ska-P is an awesome live band, there is always a lot going on onstage so that you don’t know which of the members to watch the closest. The songs are all in Spanish and the band also talks to their audience in Spanish, but nobody cares. They somehow just feel the meaning – I doubt that everybody in the audience spoke Spanish. The people were going insane while watching Ska-P, starting circle pits and moshpits, singing along and were constantly moving along. For one song the singer came on stage with a gorilla mask and a “policia” uniform. Their show lasted for about 90 minutes and it could have lasted a lot longer without anybody getting tired or bored.
Now we went over to the Seebühne to see Auletta. Auletta is a German indie-rock band from Mainz, founded in 2006. There were not too many people to see the band perform but that was probably because Madsen was playing at the other stage at the same time. The people that were there to watch could all sing along to the German songs of Auletta. Thriving and catchy tunes made everybody move along as well. The light was dim and gave the atmosphere a final touch. For the first song Auletta also had a keyboarder aloong on stage. The band talked a lot with the audience and had a good time.
Last band we saw tonight was playing at the main stage again: The Hives. The Hives are a Swedish rock band that first garnered attention in the early 2000s as a prominent group of the garage rock revival, playing garage punk. Their mainstream success came with the release of the “greatest hits” album Your New Favourite Band, featuring their most well-known song “Hate to Say I Told You So”. The Hives are known for performing in ever-changing black and white suits. They were behaving like kings on stage, just as we know it from The Hives. They had their band name in huge letters standing in the back of the stage and wore suits with sailor hats. They performed all their hits with the singer jumping around all over the stage and climbing around. Unable to stand still he also tried to animate the audience to do so too. The audience did. It was a nice show of The Hives. The audience loved it.
Sunday:
The festival was coming to an end, the last day had begun. The weather was not as bright and sunny as it was during the past days. But nobody cared. We arrived while Arcona Comes were still playing. The band is a German newcomer and was still quite insecure on stage. Only a handful of people were watching them.
Next was Timid Tiger. Timid Tiger is a German indie rock band with hilarious outfits that nobody would wear outside. Their performance was more a parody than an actual concert. But their music was good too. The audience was slowly gathering in front of the stages, waiting for the awesome bands that were yet to come.
One of my definite must see bands of the day was Livingston. Unfortunately it had begun to rain a whole lot. But I still had to see them. Livingston is a rock band from London founded in 2002. Their show was amazing, the music was very powerful and thriving. You could feel what the band wanted to say with each and every song. There was a connection between band and audience. A very intense show that many people were watching closely, even though it kept raining worse and worse. Livingston played songs off all albums, talking to the audience and played awesome music. The microphone stand of the singer reminded of something Australian or African. Livingston’s show simply left me speechless. The show was brilliant and I so can’t wait to see them again.
Up next was Papa Roach, a band that it probably my favorite live band of all. Papa Roach are an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum debut album “Infest” (2000). The group’s success continued with their gold album “Lovehatetragedy” (2002), their platinum album “Getting Away with Murder” (2004) and “The Paramour Sessions” (2006). Their latest album, “Metamorphosis”, was released on March 24, 2009. The band’s new studio/live album, “Time for Annihilation”, will be released on August 31, 2010. Papa Roach has sold more than 10 million album copies worldwide, and are known for their hits “Last Resort”, “Scars”, “Forever”, and “Lifeline”, among others. Their show is always extremely energetic and powerful, not only because the singer Jacoby is rocking and singing his soul out. The entire band is rocking it big time and infects you with the urge to rock your minds out. The songs are ass kicking, especially the new single “Kick In The Teeth” off their upcoming album “Time For Annihilation”, out on August 27th, made the audience go insane. But each and every song was a kick in the teeth and made the audience go wild. Jacoby walked through the audience during a song, as well as up and down in the photopit reaching out to their fans during another sing. Their performance was simply amazing and breathtaking. Unsure weather I was soaked of sweat or the rain that was still pouring down on us, this show was definitely my favorite performance of all throughout Open Flair which does not mean that the other performances of Open Flair were bad, it only means how amazing this festival is with all these amazing bands!
Up next on the main stage was Bela-B. Bela B. is a German musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known for being the drummer and one of the singers in the German band Die Ärzte. In 2006 he released his first solo album entitled “Bingo”. Bela B. is also an actor and has done several voice-overs for television and film. His songs were all in German. The band including their crew wore a sort of uniform with a “job description” on their shirt. Bela played a lot with the audience and it was a lot of fun watching the band. The songs were all easy to sing and go along. The audience loved doing what Bela asked them to do. It was more of a participatory show than a pure rock show. Bela had control over his audience. His facial expressions were fascinating and somehow you couldn’t help it but thinking of him as the devil every once in a while. He definitely has this evil look sometimes. But he is also a really nice guy and said a lot of friendly stuff to his audience. Bela B. is definitely a legend in the German Punk scene. What a wonderful show.
Our last show for this years Open Flair was Bad Religion. Unfortunately we had to leave the festival early, but the punk legend Bad Religion were an awesome highlight and personal closing band. Bad Religion is an American punk rock band founded in Southern California in 1979 by Jay Bentley (bass), Greg Graffin (vocals), Brett Gurewitz (guitars), and Jay Ziskrout (drums). They are often credited for being involved in the revival of punk rock and inspiring several subsequent punk bands during the late 1980s, as well as influencing a large number of other punk and rock musicians throughout their career. In the 31 years since its inception, Bad Religion has had numerous lineup changes, and Graffin has been the only constant member, although the band currently features two of the other original members. It seemed like since Papa Roach the entire festival audience was gathered in front of the main stage and had not left ever since. It also seemed like really everyone knew the words to the Bad Religion songs and took over for the band. Bad Religion still rocked the stage as they did 20 or even 30 years ago. It was an epic show and everybody had a blast.
I am sure all the other bands put up awesome shows as well. The people at Open Flair are always super friendly, just like the crews and security. Everyone at Open Flair is like a huge family and the festival is always a pleasure to be at. I totally can’t wait till next year!
Our last show for this years Open Flair was Bad Religion. Unfortunately we had to leave the festival early, but the punk legend Bad Religion were an awesome highlight and personal closing band. Bad Religion is an American punk rock band founded in Southern California in 1979 by Jay Bentley (bass), Greg Graffin (vocals), Brett Gurewitz (guitars), and Jay Ziskrout (drums). They are often credited for being involved in the revival of punk rock and inspiring several subsequent punk bands during the late 1980s, as well as influencing a large number of other punk and rock musicians throughout their career. In the 31 years since its inception, Bad Religion has had numerous lineup changes, and Graffin has been the only constant member, although the band currently features two of the other original members. It seemed like since Papa Roach the entire festival audience was gathered in front of the main stage and had not left ever since. It also seemed like really everyone knew the words to the Bad Religion songs and took over for the band. Bad Religion still rocked the stage as they did 20 or even 30 years ago. It was an epic show and everybody had a blast.
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