14.06.2015 End Of Green

Blackfield Festival

Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen (Germany)

(Pentax K-5 with Tamron SP AF 17-50mm 2.8 XR Di II LD Asp IF and Sigma AF 50-150mm 2.8 EX DC APO HSM II)

Before End Of Green could take the stage, there was a bizarre spectacle to behold in the interior. Many people lay down on the floor and had their outlines drawn with chalk. It looked as if there were a lot of corpses lying there. Additionally, there was the inscription: 'We die with you – R.I.P. Blackfield'. Nevertheless, the mood quickly lifted as the band energetically kicked off to the sounds of “Don’t Stop Killing Me”.
This band has also been in the business for about 20 years and managed to captivate the crowd with their dark, rocky songs. Finally, there was significantly more action on stage. Guitarist Michael Setzer repeatedly let his dreadlocks whirl wildly, bassist Rainer Hampel encouraged the audience to join in (even though it wasn't necessary), and singer Michael Huber would light up a cigarette during the songs. As with the previous bands, there was also a nice cross-section through the last albums, starting with the latest "The Painstream" from which the opener was taken, and then they worked their way back through history until they concluded the set with "Death In Vains" from the 2002 work "Songs For A Dying World".
For me, they were one of the better bands of the day, really understanding how to interact with the audience. This was rather modest with most of the festival. So it was not surprising that the mood was significantly better than with many other bands. I really enjoyed it and would gladly see them again anytime.