Rock am Ring - when you see more thunderstorms than bands (part 2)

 Saturday, 4th of June - second day of the Festival 

... I woke up at 11am and woke up Carly who wasn't really amused since we only had slept 5 hours, but I was awake and all my friends had gone somewhere. 

After Carly finally managed to get up we decided to grab something to drink and go into the workers tent to charge my speakers and my phone, so we could listen to music. The tent was really dirty since the others often partied there after the concerts or during the thunderstorms. 

When we had finished our drinks Carly went outside to get some more when she suddenly came back inside, without any beer, and told me that Joko and Klaas, two famous german comedians, were outside to film something for their TV Show. I left my speakers and phone inside, asked some girls I had met to watch them and went outside with Carly and Dina and her friend. Joko and Klaas were standing somewhere upstairs and danced weirdly while they were talking to us volunteers. It was funny seeing them but since I was awaiting beer I went into our Camp and got one for each of us. When I came beack with the beer all the volunteers watching Joko and Klaas were singing some german party songs. They talked to us a little more and then left to film somewhere else. Carly and I went back into the workers tent and kept charging my speakers and phone 

After charging my stuff we went into our camp and chilled a little; we put on some music, drank beer and sat in the sun, since the concerts were supposed to start at noon. A few hours later we went into the camp of some people Carly had met during work and chilled with them until Toni came back, since we wanted to shower or at least wash our hair before the concerts. So Carly and I went back to our camp where our neighbours were already chilling. We sat down with them and waited for Toni.

When Toni arrived we were thinking about whether to shower or not but since my curls become really disgusting and horrible if I don't shower enough we decided to at least wash our hair. So we brought my speakers, which were empty by then again since we didn't really charge them, back into the workers tent and then filled all our waterbottles with water to wash our hair. Toni got out her small shampoo and I washed hers and Carly's hair and it started to rain. When we all had washed our hair we sat down under the pavilion our neighbours had brought and we had tried to built up again after it broke on friday due to wind. 

Shortly after we saw a few volunteers wearing vests running through the camp telling us to get into the workers office because they were evacuating us. We didn't see any danger so we stayed in the camp until they forced us to leave. Everyone left and Carly and I ran into the people who Carly had worked with. We sat down again, totally ignoring what was going on until it seemed to become really dangerous. I got my speakers and we went into the office were we stayed for about half an hour until they let us out again. I brought my speakers back to charge and we went back into the camp. 

A few moments later Toni brought back my speakers that were almost completely charged by then and we went back to chilling in our camp while Carly stayed with the others she had met. The sun came out again and with it our mood got better, even though we found out there was gonna be a PR meeting about whether to continue with the festival or not. By then we had also already heard that the festival was stopped until 8pm, so we wouldn't be able to see any bands until then. Just a little bit over an hour after the first evacuation we were evacuated again, but for a shorter period of time. 

When we were sent back into the camp we listened to music and waited for the new lineup of the day, since a lot of bands weren't allowed to play anymore. The festival was opened at 9pm and Bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Bosshoss, Billy Talent and Bullet For My Valentine played. 

More than just happy we went onto the festival to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers. We got something to eat and then entered, going straight to the Main stage. After about half the way through the festival Carly and I lost the others so we decided to stay a little more in the back and watch them play from there since I also wanted to see BFMV who were playing at the same time as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They came on stage and started off with their most famous songs like "Can't stop" and the crowd went crazy. Everyone was singing along and dancing to their music - they had forgotten about the thunderstorms by then. 

After a little more than an hour Carly and I decided to get something to drink and then go see BFMV. We met Dina on the way who was also planning to get something to drink. Sadly we also lost them on the way so it was just Carly and me again walking around. The next act on my list was Billy Talent. Carly was kinda tired by then but she stayed with me. So we watched Billy Talent play. My friend left after a few songs and I stayed alone since I had lost everyone else by then. I was enjoying it to the fullest and Billy Talent put on an amazing show, dedicated to all the people that had gotten hurt the days before. The crowd was singing along and everyone was dancing. It was a really good show but I also left earlier because I was really tired. 

I walked through all the dirt and it took me about 20 minutes to get back to the camp right next to the entrance. When I went inside I saw Carly sitting with her friends under half a pavilion. I went up to her and sat down with them. After a few minutes I noticed that the music was missing so I asked Carly to come with me and get my speakers to charge them for a while and then go back and chill. When we reached the camp some of our neighbours called me and told me that the festival was over and that we'd have to leave till12pm the next day because of thunderstorms. I immediately checked the app and it was true.


Sunday, 5th of June, last day of the festival 

It was Saturday night, Sunday was supposed to be the best day concerning the lineup and now it was all supposed to be over. I couldn't believe it. While the festival was still going it was actually already over. Carly and I grabbed a bottle of black Bacardi and went to charge my speakers. We were just feeling upset and sad. Upset because we didn't actually understand why they cancelled it all since leaving during the thunderstorm is just as dangerous as staying at the festival and sad because we couldn't believe it was all over.

Shortly after Carly and I went into the workers camp a few of our friends came to us and told us they'd leave. A few others stayed with us and after an hour we grabbed my speakers and went into their camp where we would chill until 10am, when they left. We then packed our things and also left, not knowing what to do because we didn't have any train tickets for Sunday. But we had to leave, so we left. 

We grabbed our things and took the shuttle bus back to Andernach where we would get new train tickets and leave. It took us about 9 hours until we were back in Hamburg, all feeling a little bit sick. A friend picked Carly and me up from the central station and drove us home, where my mom would already wait for me. 

All in all I gotta say that Rock am Ring may had to deal with a few difficulties due to the weather but still managed to organise a good festival. I know a lot of visitors said they won't come back again but I just gotta say, it was their second time at the Flugplatz Mendig and you can't change the weather. They for sure could've done something against all the dirt but I'm sure they will learn from it and make it better. In the end I'm already excited for next year and hope to see some of the people again I have met this year!