Ok back from the trip and let me just say that the fucking trip was awesome, Slipknot, Slayer and fucking Hatebreed, 6 shows in 7 days, it was completely fucking nuts and was everything I thought it would be, cant fucking wait to do it again.
OK the trip starts with me practically getting stripped search at JFK airport and they can really kiss my fucking ass, anyway the fucking plan is delayed more than a hour which gets me to start to think about my connecting flight, the one thing I knew was that I wasn't going to get my luggage, well I was only traveling with a backpack but I knew it wasn't going to be there.
I slept for almost all of the flight there which was good, very good for me, I like woke up and I was almost there and that always helps on long trans Atlantic flights, I don't normally sleep but it was a trying last day here, the 23rd that is and I slept like a fucking baby.
I had only moments and I mean moments to catch my next flight, I think about 20 minutes and of course it was on the other fucking side of Frankfurt airport.
I arrive in Dresden and what did I say, my bag wasn't there, I head to the hotel which wasn't bad and not far from the arena, here are some shots of the hotel.
I stayed at the Gaestehaus in Dresden , not bad for the price and I recommend it, no lift but it was a decent quiet place to stay, if you head there tell them the crazy American sent you.
The hotel was cool, now as I stated I slept the whole fucking way but I don't know what came over me, after making a quick run to the store I came back and fell out, I woke up not sure what fucking time it was, I was thinking it was only like 8pm or some shit, I gather now it was after 12, so I went out and about looking for some food and had to settle for fucking MacDonald's, what can you do but in my search for food I saw this in a window and new I was in the right fucking place.
When I got back I turned on the TV, I always look forward to what I am going to find on foreign TV, I mean you never know and you would be amazed as to what is in syndication over there.
There's also this, I took some shots of these because of the controversy that is here now with the FCC and decency with the airwaves and shit, and certainly this is why other countries laugh at us, I mean the big fucking deal that everyone made over Janet Jackson's nipple being exposed.
The next morning my pack finally arrived and right on time, I had much time to kill so I went for a small walk, I didn't get to spend much time in Dresden, for that matter no city really, I of course found a bridge to walk under and find some Dresden Graffiti, check it out.
Ok so after my walk its time for the show, time to get ready, this is what I traveled so far for, people close to me thought I was crazy going all this way to see, well my opinion the greatest heavy metal band to ever hit the stage, now don't get me wrong I don't think they are the greatest musicians to hit the stage, except maybe Joey #1, I think he is the greatest fucking drummer to ever hit the skins. But yes I traveled far from home to follow these 9 sic fucks around Europe and also get to see Hatebreed, one of my other favorite bands and of course Slayer.
My tickets
Now sure I saw them here, and yes I didn't have to travel that far to see them, but this is Extreme Disorder and I am a physco, and just a side note, according to Dr Phil's 14 points to being a serial killer I score 13 of them, now as I was saying. I mean what fucking better vacation could there be to see the crazies at least 6 times. I came along way for this so you can imagine I was certainly amped the fuck up, of course I don't know where I am going or how I am getting there and I of course don't speak the fucking language but where's the fun if its not like that I ask you.
Here's a couple of pics before the show, I think I just got out the shower.
Yeah I'm goofing off.
Ok so on to Dresden arena, now I arrive and there are loads of kids already there. I take a step back, soak it all in, a smile crosses my face, 6 weeks of planning has come together, the trip for a minute I didn't think I was going to able to make, I'm here. A smile crosses my face as I take it all in, I'm here and for reasons we wont go into for me to even be here, to be able to be here is truly amazing and the smile widens.
As we are herded in as cattle into the arena a young German boy starts a conversation with me, of course in German, why should I be here, when I tell him English he is amazed and tries his best to communicate with me.
I get into the arena, camera in bag them not giving a fuck, I honestly don't know what to expect, I am a long way from home and have to remain safe, hahahahahahahaha, so I lay back a bit, almost convinced the shows will be 100 times more violent than anything I have seen here.
Hatebreed comes on and powers through 30 minutes of brutal attack, I fucking love them guys also, sick fucks from CT but you know what I am here to see.
Slipknot is next, I feel the excitement starting up, now nothing like in the Ozz fest this summer and American fans when it comes to this we have it. I have to go back a second.
When Slipknot started, I mean they didn't even start at the Ozz fest and the violence started, by the time the 1st song began at Ozz Fest you were already fending for your life. Here in Dresden it wasn't like that, I was somewhat relieved to find that out, like I said I was a long way from home.
I took only a few pics, I was more enjoying the 1st night know I had more so I could just get into it and know I can get some better pics in the coming days.
The set opens and the 9 sic fucks blast into a fine mix of the 3 CD's, Prelude 3.0, The Blister Exists, Disasterpiece, Sic, Eyeless, 3 Nill, Vermillion part 1, Pulse of the Maggots, Iowa (fuck yeah can never get tired of that), Heretic Anthem, Spit it out, People = Shit (cause they fucking do), Wait and Bleed, Surfacing, and I'm sure I left something out, does it really fucking matter? All the pics will be here.
The crowd explodes as they rip into us, if you've never been to a Slipknot show then you don't know what you are missing, organized chaos, terror, brutality, its everything you could want for a fun evening. Like I stated there was no blood or injuries that I could visibly see, that doesn't mean the crowd wasn't hard rocking, for those of you that don't understand this is war and Slipknot is leading the invasion.
I have often said in recent times that in Hell there will be Slipknot and Slayer playing every night, this is Hell.
I'm a bit shell shocked you could say by the time Slipknot finishes there set, my dreams are realized, I'm in it now for better or worse as the trip progresses, I await Slayer.
I cant say I agree with Slayer performing after Slipknot, the main reason I say this is that there is no energy left after Slipknot, you are pushed to the limits, at least those of us who brave the front and the pit, the Slayer fans try to make enough noise to let it be know that Slayer is the king still, I love Slayer don't get me wrong, but who, who can truly follow Slipknot and make you know it.
Slayer comes on, I'm laying back at this point, but here's a question, what about Slayer turns women into strippers? I have to know. I decide the best place for to watch the show is behind of these now obsessed women and she made it all the more enjoyable experience for me.
Slayer starts off with God Hates us All, the back is to fucking cool, neon Satan symbols and proclamations that god hates us, the rip into such favorites as Mandatory Suicide, and of course the end will be Raining Blood.
Now the first night in Dresden I cant make it, I figure I have at least 5 maybe 6 more nights and will get to see Slayer again. So I leave the stripper chick and head out, stopping to eat something before I get out, I head back to the hotel, now here's the thing, I have no fucking clue where I'm going, I mean sure I have the address to the hotel but that's it, there are no cabs in sight so I start walking, I almost made it back the distance of the hotel before I found a cab.
Here are some pics after Dresden show.
OK so I wake up and head to Berlin, the room before I leave.
Onto Berlin and the 2nd night of the Unholy Alliance.
On way to Berlin I meet some dude from Utah, he was traveling for a couple of months at that point, a twinge of jealousy hits me as I want to stay on the road for a while on this trip and know I cant. Anyway we pass the time talking, I ask him if he's had a bad day traveling yet, the answer is not really, see this is the test when traveling, I should have kept my mouth shut as you will see soon enough.
I get to Berlin, now I have traveled by train many times while in Eastern Europe, you cant help but wonder, or at least me anyway, that the very rails I am traveling were used for human transport during the holocaust, now I am traveling for the first time in Germany, I mean I am not going to see any of the country except concert halls and country side while flying by on a train but as I head into Berlin the thought creeps in me, this is where Hitler was, this is where they were. Now Dresden itself was completely destroyed during the war but this is Berlin.
As I take the taxi to the Hotel I cant help but notice the city looks like my city, the over all feel in Germany is dark, I like it of course.
The hotel in Berlin was cool, couldn't complain about it, I wasn't there long enough to find something to complain about but a very good hotel none the less. It was the Park Plaza Hotel Berlin If your going to Berlin I certainly recommend it but book through Hotels.com
I have enough time in Berlin to eat, take a shower and head to the show, I'm goofing around in the hotel room before the show.
So I am headed off to the Berlin arena now, this was a cool place by the way, I think it was a old factory or something. Very cool place. The only bum part about this trip is I don't have time to see anything other than Slipknot, is there anything other than Slipknot.
Ok Hatebreed, whom I already liked and admired before this band before this tour, seeing them a couple times already but by the end of this tour I can say I am now a hardcore Hatebreed fan. Hatebreed Pics.
Hatebreed, if your not familiar with them or haven't seen them are hard hitting. I cant say enough about these guys really, there lyrics are on the money, Jamie is the man that's all I'm saying, the link and you will see, also get a fucking CD and support these guys, they deserve it.
Now I didn't travel to Germany to see Hatebreed, I came to see Slipknot.
They take the stage in Berlin, a smile comes to my face, here I am night 2, I am here for night 2 to what I believe is the greatest Heavy Metal band to ever hit the fucking stage. Dreams being realized, the 9 crazies are about to stomp on our heads.
Listen they are not, I have said this over and over and will say it again and again, they are not the greatest musicians that have ever taken the stage, except maybe Joey Jordison, but they are in my opinion the greatest metal band ever.
They hit the fucking stage and all hell breaks loose, being in a Slipknot show is like being in a beehive, the swarm begins, there is always the potential of danger and violence, you have to love it, the frenzy starts, you cant help but inch closer and closer as you like to witness the carnage.
The same set from the night before, I don't care I can listen to it over and over, the Berlin show louder then Dresden the night before, is this what I can come to expect, each city getting better and better.
It is here we find that #5 133 Craig Jones had to fly home for emergency dental surgery, EMERGENCY DENTAL SURGERY, YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME, MY FUCKING TOOTH HURTS, MY FUCKING BACK HAS BEEN KILLING ME, IM ALONE IN GERMANY. I AM FUCKING HARDCORE. Anyway what is #5 really doing anyway.
Ok they don't miss a beat and they hit hard. More pics
In this show my camera got tossed from my hand and the fucking thing reset itself so I had to stop taking pics, I didn't know what was going on, hahahahahaha. The Berlin show was excellent, I have to say I enjoyed it very much.
So its shaping up, arrive, unpack, shower, dress, concert, shower, pack, depart, do It again. Hahahahahahahaha
Now the next day I have to travel to Munich, I think this train ride was at least 6 hours, now here is where the horror starts. I know I don't have much time by the time I arrive in Munich to drop my bag and get to the concert, its ok though cause the next day is a off day so I know I can rest, I don't know what's worse being in the train 6 hours or the plain 6 hours, what I didn't know was there was cheap shuttle flights inside Germany.
I get to Munich almost 5 PM, the doors open at 6:30, I show a taxi driver where I'm staying my hotel, its the next fucking town over, Freising, its almost an hour away, a fucking hour away, I'm tired, hungry, need a shower, need the bathroom, need some food, my back is killing me and I have a splitting fucking headache. I decide to head straight to the concert hall with backpack in tow, I will worry about the room later.
When I'm there I attempt to find a room in Munich.
Now I have to say that before I left I had a feeling that some thing was going to transpire in Munich but I thought it was something better, I thought I am going to meet them in Munich. So my instincts were right, something did happen in Munich.
Ok at the hall I start making phone calls, no fucking rooms and what there is are like 300 Euros, see its October fest in Munich. I call my hotel and tell them I am going to be arriving late is it a problem, no they will hold the room. Ok I have a room to get to and now need to store my bag. This dude and chick pull up and I hope the dude speaks English, his name is Marco, I regretfully didn't get a pic of Marco. He speaks English, I tell my dilemma and ask if I can store my bag in his car, he says sure no problem, lifesaver.
I am defeated though, ok so its all working out but its lonely in these moments, I have to tell you this is when you find what you are made of, can you keep moving, can you resolve it. There is no where to run, you have no choice to keep it going, I had already made up my mind that I was sleeping in the woods.
I go to the front of the hall and there is Sid fucking around in a window, I cant even get my camera, I'm spent wasted do you understand and I know I have to wait till Slayer finishes there set tonight.
I get inside and have my Alieve with me so I pop 2 hoping that the head eases on me. Hatebreed does there thing. And here comes the knot. Now in Munich they had these barriers set up, why I don't fucking know but they did and there was this one fan, old dude in a wheel chair and he was rocking out for the knot.
Ok when the knot takes the stage I can feel it, this is where the sickness lives in Germany so far, the fans explode, they literally start climbing the rafters, its on, the pain starts to subside in me or I just don't notice it, security is loosing there fucking minds trying to get people down, beer is flying everywhere, they pound through the set and the set is getting better and tighter. I am shell-shocked. When the knot finishes my headache worsens, I'm spent, dead, body killing me, I didn't even take many pics here this evening and the couple I did take are horrible.
I get some shots of Slayer this evening.
I'm walking around while Slayer is playing, the carnage is unbelievable, its out of this world, people laid out, drunk, fucked up, who knows what and do I really give a fuck. I'm stuck here held prisoner by Slayer, hahahahahahaha, drunk bitches everywhere.
I head out near the end, I need some fucking air and I need to start preparing for this horrific journey to my hotel, I decide to try and get there by taxi, its almost 11:30 now, Marco shows up and I ask him how far he thinks it is, he doesn't have a clue, not from around there. I am ever grateful to Marco and his girl for showing me some hospitality, they even offered me food, they were great.
I take my bag and start off, I ask the German Police where can I catch a taxi, its a walk, I head there, I of course take a wrong turn and walk about 20 mins out of my way, I finally find the taxi stand and guess what, there is no fucking taxi around. I see this chick and asks if she speaks English, she does but gives me bad news, I can be here a while.
OK finally a taxi shows up, its well after midnight now, maybe 12:30 I don't know, so its a old guy and I show him where I need to go. So look I already know how much this is going to cost me, so the dude is like 60 euros, it should be only 40, what can I fucking do at this point, then the dude is like lets leave the meter off, I am from NYC motherfucker I know when I'm getting ripped by a fucking taxi, he's ripping me, what can I fucking do. And then the fucker says 70 when we get there, my miscalculation cats me $100 American, you know I will not make the same mistake ever again.
Ok so we get there, several times he tells me if we had the meter on it would be so much more, shut the fuck up motherfucker you just made pocket money.
Its after 1 when I get there, there is a sweet old German lady that I have to wake up, she's waiting for me, they have me checked into the hotel already, key in hand when she comes to the desk sand says lets go. In the elevator she says something in German, she translates and says it means like a long day, I am like you have no idea.
Ok I drop the bag, use the toilet and basically crash.
The Hotel Lerner, I recommend this Hotel also, nothing fancy, very simple and not bad at all for the price, pleasant owner and staff, hahahahahaha, I sound like a fucking tour guide now right.
I wake I have no idea what time, mid afternoon, the long sleep is welcomed and needed, everything looks better after a good nights sleep.
I head out to eat, I am kind of famished at this point and so far haven't had one good sit down meal really, fast food all the way. I head into the town and its nice, very quaint from what I seen of it, I eat stroll a bit, sit and sip coffee and head back to the hotel, I want to do more but figure I need my rest.
I watch some more T.V. I cant get over the phone sex adds that they show.
I head on to Stuttgart, I have to tell you at this point in the trip I don't know what fucking day it is, I know I have to head to Stuttgart that's all, My hotel is outside Stuttgart but so is the concert, I have to tell I caught a lucky fucking break with this one cause I had no idea I was picking one such a cool place and 2 close enough, after the Munich disaster I was leery to say the least.
I arrive after taking a local train to the hotel. I have to say I was blown away by this room and whished I had more time in the city, I didn't want to leave.
I love this room
Akzent Hotel, Sindelfingen, Christian Hempel was the man, should you go tell them I sent you, the crazy dude there for Slipknot.
I grab a shower, after any train ride I suggest a shower and I need food, now these fast food Turkish restaurants are all over the place this much I can tell you.
On my way back I see some Sindelfingen Graffiti, I don't know why I love graffiti I just do.
Now its time to move on to Slipknot, 2nd to last show in Germany, the days have morphed, I have no fucking clue what time it is, what day of the week it is, what the date is, when the last time I ate is, where I slept the night before, how I got here, where I'm going next, how am I getting there, I don't know a fucking thing that's what I know. But I also know this is where I need to be, this is where I am home. I am the stranger, to borrow words from Jim Morrison, "who among you will run with the hunt". What is the hunt?
I can get used to this, sure its lonely, but for a fucked up psychopath paranoid schizoid this is where I need to be.
Does Germany know a lunatic is on the loose?
Stuttgart show, the hall is pretty cool, tonight I decide to watch the show from the right side, why I don't know, I will later, everything I do is with reason, my gut tells me to do something I do it I don't hesitate, the forces at work in the universe know better than me that's for sure.
The arena is like a small local hockey ring or something as there are bandstand seats, like I'm headed to the seats.
I am getting used to the stranger, he doesn't speak the language, I'm looking around though wondering if there are other crazies like me here, surely I am not the only one going around with them, I'm looking to recapture old magic.
Hatebreed again, only tonight they did Live for This for the 1st time, I am pleased. I got more pics of them in Stuttgart, if you've looked already at Hatebreed's pics these are the same
Slipknot hits the stage, I mean what different can be tonight, they have taken no prisoners so far, it has been everything I wanted it to be, I mean it can always be sicker, I can always take sicker. The slayer fans that still doubt this band are shut up night after night, the haters of the sick 9 have no choice but to shut it.
Slipknot is more than just 9 crazies wearing masks. They are everything ugly, violent, hated inside us all, the lyrics are full of everything that is inside me, it is the soundtrack for my life, a soundtrack for serial killer. It is everything, why would I be willing to sacrifice everything for them, because in some way though they don't know me they have sacrificed everything for me, for us. Slipknot is what makes us tick, what lies in wait inside us, the thing that everyone should fear the most, the madness and sickness that has been bred in us since they told us we weren't shit.
I am sick of the critics, the sometime fans. Now when I first heard the self titled CD I was in awe, when Iowa came out I couldn't stand it, then I really listened to it, it was sicker than the first, then Vol3, it is even more maddening.
I went off where I shouldn't here, hahahahahaha.
At the end of the Stuttgart show, while Slayer is playing, I laid back pretty far, when you look around when the Knot is finished with there set you see a familiar look in peoples faces, we've been through war, also its over, it wasn't enough, they could have played longer. Its the look of like, ok what do I do now? I see this chicky and she just kind of plops down on the floor, defeated, the look in her face, I can understand that look, she looks how I feel.
Stuttgart Pics, If you've already looked at the Slipknot pics these are the same.
I leave the arena, I think I recognize some faces now, or are they with the crew, I don't fucking know.
I start roaming the back streets, lost of course, I mean when am I not fucking lost when traveling in strange places. I find some food, I think I did anyway and then a cab and then back to the hotel.
See how this is shaping up? Wake, eat, travel, check in, shower, eat, Slipknot, shower, sleep, then I wake up and do it all over again, I could get fucking used to this.
Onto Dusseldorf, the last show in Germany, I haven't decided if I am headed to the U.K. or not at this point. At this time you must also understand I am considering never coming back, its getting more real for me that I can t be here, doing what I am doing at this very moment while I write this, but I am here for now. This is another story.
Ok I have to take a local train to get back to the main rail station, on the train I see a bunch of children from military school, now my fellow German brothers and sisters don't get upset with this, they looked like little Nazis almost.
Ok I arrive in Dusseldorf.
I can feel some excitement in the air, I see some fans but at the moment I want to only find my hotel.
I am staying at the Alt Dusseldorf, its OK, I mean nothing to write home about and right underneath me is a busy bar street, I mean it was centrally located, nice little restaurant in the hotel, the staff was very pleasant. My reservation was fucked up when I got there, meaning I didn't have one but they had a room available and honored the rate which I thought was cool of them.
So I head out, I go to find some food and maybe start making my way to the show.
As I walk around the city it reminds me so much of NYC its not even funny, Starbucks on every corner, plenty of shopping and all kinds of people.
I'm trying to get my bearings for where the show is and see a dude and chick, the chick is wearing a Slayer shirt and I ask in my best German, hahahahaha, my best German are hand signals, they tell me its not far.
I sit in Starbucks drink a coffee, something isn't right, I mean its all great but something is missing, I am trying to figure it out, I know what it is, its all feeling normal to me but something is missing, the faces, the names, I know no one.
I head to the arena, as I'm standing in line I see the chick that I saw the night before in Stuttgart, the one that looked defeated, as it turns out she's been with them since Dresden like me. we start talking, Ivone is her name, of course I forget to get a pic, hahahahahahaha, we hang for the rest of the show. I also meet Chris from Greece who is here for Slipknot, I'm not the only lunatic traveling to see the show ok.
Dusseldorf was a great show, a little sad because there was only one more guaranteed for me to hit, at this point I am toying with the idea of the UK and then Asia, deep down I knew if I went I would never ever come back.
Also I get the most pics of all the shows here.
Ivone was possibly able to get me backstage to meet the sic 9 from Des Moines, after the hassle I decided to leave.
I have to say this, there was this supposed straight edge dude working merchandise, not sure if I touched on this or not, lets get this thing straight here and now, there is no need to make any excuses for what you are, that is what we are about, I don't need to make up things, now I don't drink or do drugs, and I don't need to say I'm straight edge to justify why I don't, its a problem for me, I drink I don't stop simple as that so therefore I don't drink, you don't respect that than guess what, fuck you and suck my fucking dick, and if you drink and have a problem with it, guess what I don't give a good flying fuck, point is I don't need to make any fucking excuses or give you phantom reasons why I do this or that or don't do this or that. ill meet up with the dude again.
I head to Belgium, another country, another city, another show. I'm still not sure at this point if I will head to the UK.
I arrive in Lueven Belgium, I need to change some money, eat, shower, blah blah, you know the drill by now, and then head to the show early, this show my ticket is supposed to be waiting at will call and I was a bit nervous about it.
Stayed at the Holiday Inn in Leuven
I enjoyed this room, I should have stayed here a couple of days, but if I knew then what I know now, oh well.
So this is possibly my last night seeing the Knot and the and I get some more pics and that's it.
I arrived at the hall and there is no will call, someone is scalping tickets and I'm thinking about it, I see this women that looks like she may work there and as it turns out she is waiting for will call also, we start talking and it comes up I'm from NYC, they ask me what I'm doing there, its hard to imagine that the sick fuck I am has traveled all this way to partake in the Un Holly alliance. So some people are listening to us talking and they think I'm crazy, I know I'm fucking crazy.
Will call finally opens up and my ticket is there, I'm happy.
This was the first night, in Belgium that Slipknot headlined. After another powerful set from Hatebreed I head out to take a breather while Slayer plays, again nothing against the Masters but, well we all know how I feel at this point.
While roaming the halls I run into the ladies daughter, the kids were like 14-15 something like that, and there was a boy with them, young kid also who was pretty cool, we hang for a bit and then he wants to look for his friend, he needs me to take him in, Slayer is kicking ass and its packed, but after the wave, near the pit of course it opens up for those of us brave enough to enter war, he takes off and I don't see him again.
The knot show was great, maybe because this was the last confirmed show for me on the tour, I savior each song, each note, each hit on the drums, every last visual as if it were my last, I feel it coming to a end and realize the impact the tour and the bands made on me, I'm leaving my family, or I wont see them for a while, its over.
With each song shit getting wrecked, the fucking pace exploding, the fans a little more wild then every where in Germany, this is the only show in Belgium, they are making sure its getting sic, I forget the pain in my back for a little while as I loose my mind.
The last note is played, the last pick thrown, the lights come up, there is at buzz of shell shock over the room, smoke lingering, the bombs have been dropped, the casualties picked up, the survivors walk in a daze, we search for a way out, ears bleeding, the body drained and bruised, I stumble away, I find a cab and the next thing I know I'm in bed.