Rockezine festival review: Summer Breeze on Aug 18, 2005

ROCKEZINE AT Summer Breeze
When the end of August is near and we’re heading of to the south of Germany it seems like an announcement of the end of the festival season. Summer Breeze really is my last summer festival and it’s probably the best.
The organisation of German festivals is superb anyway, but here in Abtsgemund there’s something more. The location in the hills, on the edge of a friendly and hospitable village, the very practical festival ground and the original billing are just a few of the reasons. This festival has got the large X-factor that makes me wanna drive 700 kilometres every year to be part of it again.

The original billing lies within the combination of genres and national versus international acts. From one extreme to another, there’s something to everybody’s taste. And because of that everybody seems to enjoy him/ herself and is quite relaxed.
As we hit of the weather is better than any festival this year: nice and sunny, but not to hot. Fine temperature to set camp, to have a BBQ and to stay out partying all night. But during the day the hangover heads got quite a scare from the burning sun.

Thursday

Anorexia Nervosa

Born From Pain

Friday

Saturday

When the weather quickly distorted in the middle of the second day, the whole atmosphere of the festival changed. Especially the last day, when we got so much rain that it wasn’t even worth making an effort to get your camera out of it’s protection. Rain was pouring down and a lot of people even decided to return home a day early.
When we tried to get home the day after, even the agricultural machines that set out to pull the cars out of the mud on the camping place got stuck themselves. But in the good vibes of the festival everybody gave each other a hand. Nothing could suppress the good feeling about this weekend.

Looking back at my photo’s I have to compliment the organisation for the greatest set of stage light I know and the people who know how to use it. From all the venues and festivals I have photographed (and believe me: it’s a lot!), this is undoubtedly the best stage light I know. Year after year.