Saturday morning started with a rich but early breakfast for me. My day and night rhythm was a mess during the festival. The festival started at noon, so I decided to lay down again after breakfast. I slept two or three more hours or so, took a long shower and wanted to settle my way to the festival. “My group” just stood in front of the hotel but had two more friends with them, so there wasn’t any more space in the taxi for me. I called another taxi and asked some guys from the hotel opposite mine if they would like to share a ride. Luckily they accepted. But we needed to wait for 30 minutes until the taxi was back. Fun fact: I ordered a taxi just for me. Two more people got in there, so we were 3 people. The taxi driver tried to charge us for coming with a van/bus. So instead of 20€ including tip, he tried to charge us over 25€ excl. any tip for the exact same ride.
Unfortunately I missed the first band, and arrived while they played the last two songs. Spiritual Front is an Italian band, playing with Neofolk, New Wave, Rock, Punk and Blues elements in their music. Overall quite radio friendly music which some of you might already know from some movies or series.
I used my time for a second breakfast, and it was one of these “Höhlenteller” two fried sausages with curry-ketchup, french fries and mayonnaise. And yes, it’s true what Vincent Vega is talking about in Pulp Fiction. The fact that that we drown our fries in mayonnaise is not only true in the Netherlands, though, but also in Germany .
Next band and my real first one this day was Eïs. The band was known as Geïst from 2005 to 2009, but another German band threatened them with legal actions if they didn’t change their name. So in 2010, Eïs emerged from Geïst, old albums were re-released under the new name including a re-recording of their first album “Patina“, Atmospheric Black Metal, German lyrics. It was a good way to wake up to. I think the band was really happy to be on stage and played a very good show. I like my friendly, smiling Black Metal bands more than these true inhuman guys. And if you ask yourself, how the hell do I get an i with two dots above it?!? Just hold the ALT-key left to your space key and type in 0239 -> ï
E-L-R were next. Bass, drums and guitar and for many, me including, a real surprise at the festival. No talks, just music, and they delivered a great performance. Atmospheric Doom with some point on blackened blasts. The heavy music felt like the soundtrack to a ritual, you were able to let loose, float, as if in trance, and I think that’s exactly what the music is supposed to do. After the last song, there was this need for one more song, I was not sure if it was really the end or the broken guitar string that was the reason for one song missing.
After E-L-R, I decided to take a break and to take a little walk. So I left the festival to walk to the town-center and grabbed lunch. Before the festival I checked some restaurants and chose one. What’s maybe interesting is that the cave is just 10-15 minutes away from the center by foot and on the way, there are two discounters as well as a supermarket. Entering the center you can find the first of a few different restaurants. I chose the Drostenkeller, one of the better restaurants in town, and got a starter bruschetta with beetroot and a good burger there. I took my time there and relaxed on the restaurant’s terrace, although I originally planned specifically to go to their cellar, but all the tables were reserved, they told me. While I was there, around 90 minutes, there were 10 more people there and everyone ate outside.
By the way… I love dogs, but a small dog I don’t know sat next to me during dinner, and tried to take a look at my plate, climbing me and the table. I love dogs, but this little rat and its owner needs to learn a lesson. But because I love dogs and I’m a friendly guy…
I missed two bands while I was at my diner, Dordeduh, who played the set of their old band on Friday already, and Klimt 1918. To be honest, I didn’t listen to them that much before, but now, while writing these lines I listen to some of their tracks. Somewhere between the 80s and 90s, dark and melancholic music, psychedelic, able to let you drift away. I think that could work in the cave as well. I think I will need to take a look at the stream replay again, which still can be found on Youtube, I hope.
I arrived right on time to the soundcheck of Dool. Dool are from the Netherlands, formed in 2015. The rhythm section, bass and drums consist of former The Devil’s Blood members Job van de Zande and Micha Haring, which might be important or interesting for some of you. Right after the soundcheck, when I saw the whole band on stage, I was sure that I saw some rockstars here. I don’t know what it was, but somehow the cave felt like a stadium suddenly, and it got BIG. Hard Rock, Metal and some Gothic combined with a powerful performance and some great guitar leads. That’s all I need to feel comfortable with a band.
My final act for this weekend would be Deine Lakaien, a German band, formed already in 1985, and since then a name in the German Dark Wave & Gothic scene. Avantgarde Pop, electronic elements, Dark Wave of course… But personally I love the band for their acoustic performances. Ernst Horn, the band’s instrumentalist, is a studied musician and conductor who uses his piano not just as a keyboard instrument but in many different ways, so it can also sound like an acoustic guitar or he is muting some of the piano’s strings for a more percussive sound. Alright, he won’t be the only one doing stuff like that, but it’s not the usual way to play the piano. So Deine Lakaien played some kind of best-of with some songs from their last release Dual as well as songs from their very first releases. I was just happy to get the chance to see them live, especially with an acoustic performance. Like Dornenreich, I have been listening to them for at least 20 years, but had never seen them live.
After Deine Lakaien, I took a taxi back to the hotel. I was exhausted, tired. To be honest, it wasn’t the way I would like to have a festival to be, because I was fighting with myself, my tiredness, a weak circulation, headache and all that stuff. I’m not sure if I’m just getting old or what’s wrong… But I was happy and satisfied after each day and on Sunday after the entire festival.
Next year, it is planned to let the festival happen in a location in the US, in 2023 Prophecy Fest will be back in Germany, and I hope it will be in Balve again. The location is as special as the bands that are playing at the festival. Thank you for your time and I hope you like my little report.
Greetings Rocko
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