Festival number 2 this year – yet another one that took us roughly 2.5 hours of travel, this time towards the north. The main reason we decided to go there were Caliban, who I personally loved a lot at Full Force last year. Another big plus was that Maelføy were part of the line-up and we’d also seen Venues before (as support for Blind Channel), so all in all the line-up didn’t sound too bad given the price.
Here’s my little festival report.
First of all: I struggled a lot with deciding how to approach this review because for me, the festival was not a pleasant experience. I will try my best to stay somewhat neutral. The bands were nice, but the overall vibe of the festival was off for me.
General info on the festival
Despite its name, Free For All is not free. The price of 25€ for a one-day festival with quite a nice line-up is worth paying. I don’t know who’s behind the organisation, but I think it’s mostly done by volunteers (seemed like half the village was involved).
The festival is in a park in Stapelmoor, which is a part of a town called Weener in East Frisia, close to the North Sea and the Dutch border. The next big city might be Oldenburg, which is still quite a bit away. There were signs to the parking lot, which was a meadow – and already full when we arrived. So we were sent back more or less the way that we had come, basically, to park in the parking lot of a kindergarten. Parking cost us for 3€ for an unsupervised parking where we could’ve parked for free if we had simply stopped there (there was no receipt for the payment, so I guess if people had arrived from that direction and just parked their car there nobody would’ve cared or noticed).
From said kindergarten, it was a 10-15 minutes walk to the park where the festival was at. I had the impression that this was closer than the actual parking meadow, but I might misjudge. Getting in took a while, especially because there was only one security woman present for quite an amount of female visitors.
The park isn’t that big and there was mostly meadow, but they had put woodchips on the ground to prevent the area from getting too muddy (which was smart because as to be expected in northern Germany there was a lot of rain throughout the day). There were only few spots where you could seek shelter from the heavier rain. It was bearable underneath the trees though, especially with a rain coat or cape. One could say they were prepared as best as they could for the weather.
First big downside: There were portable toilets and I don’t know if we were just too blind or if there really wasn’t any water to wash your hands after using the toilets. Neither was there any desinfectant available. I only went to the toilet once when we arrived (which wasn’t very much after the festival opened, so the toilets were still okay) and later decided to try to just pull through. Luckily it wasn’t so hot, so we didn’t have to drink much. I guess it would’ve been an option to go to a close Döner imbiss to use their toilet, but we didn’t do that. But yeah, what I learned from that is to pack my own desinfectant for the next festivals, just in case, because I don’t like touching my food after using a portable toilet and then not having a chance to clean my hands.
Food-wise there was pizza, burgers (with vegetarian options), an Asian imbiss (with fried noodles, spring rolls and the like), crepes and churros, good old Bratwurst, curry sausage and fries. At the beginning there was also a table with waffles, but they closed quite early. For me it was a little tricky to find something safe to eat that I felt like eating, mostly because the allergens were not always labelled clearly (not the organisers‘ fault though, since the food stalls were external).
Speaking of the food stalls: I was definitely put off by the female personnel of one of them wearing aprons with the typical big-boobs-sexy-lady-print. Mostly because one of the people working there looked like she was barely 18?! Probably not in the organisers‘ hands, but it was one of the things that were just off for me and killed the vibe.
I missed hot drinks though. I don’t know if the waffle booth had any coffee, but we didn’t find either coffee nor hot chocolate, which sucked a little given the weather.
To buy food, you could pay by cash. For the drinks you had to exchange money into chips, but it was possible to return them and get your money back if you had any of them left. The stalls for changing were open all the time and you didn’t have to wait for long.
Other booths and stalls included festival merch and artist merch, the anti-discrimination organisation Kein Bock auf Nazis, a tattoo artist, glitter tattoos and a stall by the German drugstore dm where you could also get glitter tattoos. A few more that I can’t really remember that much, I wasn’t interested in their offer.
I personally felt like the Kein Bock auf Nazis presence and some of the pride flags that were shown were more or less the organisers‘ attempt at creating an atmosphere of diversity, inclusion and a safe space. To me personally, the mission failed. I didn’t really feel safe.
Don’t get me wrong. There were visibly queer people, there were alt-kids, but something about the audience felt off to me personally. I didn’t like the overall vibe. Part of that was because of the overwhelming amount of merch of controverse artists, part of it numerous incidents we either had ourselves or observed, where people behaved straight-forwardly rude, disrespectful or weird. And part of it was because of the absence of a person to turn to. No idea if the festival had any kind of awareness concept. I didn’t spot an awareness team and I don’t know if I would’ve felt safe addressing any concerns to the security guys. There was police present from time to time, but that was it. I wouldn’t have known who to turn to if anything had happened.
Another factor is that I was particularly whiny that day since I hadn’t slept well and I was very exhausted. There wasn’t really much space to sit down and at some point I considered just going back home before Caliban would enter the stage. I was annoyed by smokers, I was annoyed by people crashing into us without apologising, I was annoyed by family members of „staff“ acting disrespectful towards us as paying visitors.
I don’t want to be more explicit. There were several incidents that just made me feel generally unwell and I was basically more than happy when we finally hit the road back home. This is also all very subjective, I bet a lot of people had a great time there. I didn’t. And quite a big factor was that I as a generally insecure queer woman did not feel safe.
The bands
We missed Sascha und die Heringe because we were a little too late (we saw them when we arrived, but it took us too long to get in). We also missed Slope because I was exhausted and freezing, so we went back to the car instead to have a little break and also get my second hoodie. And we didn’t watch Unearth because it’s simply not our taste in music. So that’s that.
Nuking Moose
The first act of the day for me were Nuking Moose, whom I’ve had never heard of before. They play melodic death metal, it was a nice warm-up, but to me personally nothing too striking. I liked their sound and their stage performance, but they didn’t blow me away as much as I had hoped (given that I have a weakness for Melodic Death Metal). It was still a solid performance. And at that point, I was still in good spirits…
Maelføy
The day continued for us in good spirits with Maelføy, who we discovered as opener for Our Mirage earlier this year and since we had liked them a lot there, we were super excited to see them again. It was worth everything, because Maelføy delivered. The show at Free For All was extra special, since it was their 100th gig, which they topped with a little surprise promising that crowdsurfers would get a free t-shirt when they arrived in front of the stage. It was fun to watch, but I guess they underestimated the crowd a little as they quickly ran out of t-shirts.
Nevertheless, both band and crowd had a great energy. There was some moshing and jumping and dancing. I don’t remember many songs from their set except for Borrowed (as always with acoustic guitar) and Eiskaltes Blut and I also believe they played away (great song for jumping and dancing) and Heroes. But it was all in all a nice set. They played for about 30 minutes that felt way too short.
Stesy
Next up were Stesy from Austria, who I was actually looking forward to because their introduction on the website sounded interesting. And I have to say that their stage energy and overall performance was cool. Great fun. They had matching hoodies (with different colours), the smoke machine was used effectfully instead of complete overuse and they included songs that would activate any crowd filled with millenials. Also if I remember correctly they tossed an inflatable whale or shark into the crowd, which was perceived well by the people.
Their style is metalcore with electronic elements, basically influenced by the early 90s electronic dance music, which is reflected in their use of samples / covers of songs like the German Sailor Moon intro or music by the German singer Blümchen. I personally though that it was just a little too much cover and not enough own stuff, but since I didn’t check them out I can’t judge if they would’ve had more own stuff. And after all, I guess it’s a technique to get the crowd involved if you play familiar songs.
Another issue I had with them is a similar issue I sometimes have with Kevin from Electric Callboy (who are supposedly an influence for Stesy): Their singer talks waaaay too much on stage. It’s somehow entertaining, but then again I’m there to hear the music and not to watch a comedy programme.
All in all I think they’re interesting, but my expectations were a little too high. Nevertheless, the crowd had fun and everyone was partying, so their concept definitely works.
Setyøursails
One of my surprises of the day were Setyøursails. During their set I found out that I heard exactly one of their songs before in a Spotify-mixtape, so I had no idea what was ahead. But I liked them. A lot actually.
First of all I am a huge fan of their overall stage presence and performance. The entire band comes across as extremely powerful and badass. And it’s on point, nothing seems over the top, just very energetic. I loved their outfits, I loved their looks and I loved their vibe. The sound was also amazing – yet we haven’t figured out if this was the first band we heard properly because they were the first band we watched mostly from the back than right in front of the stage, or if their mixing was generally better.
I don’t remember many songs from their set. Definitely Bad Blood, which was easy to vibe along even without knowing the song before, and I think Jules announced Nightfall (a bit too early at first, but if I remember correctly they played the song) and my personal favourite Bad Company. I definitely plan to check them out again. I’d love to see them again, but I’m not a big fan of their upcoming touring company, so I’ll have to delay that mission.
All in all, this was one of the best performances of the day for me personally. I liked it. And I think Jules has a very cool voice.
Venues
Another familiar act for me that I was really looking forward to were Venues, whom I had seen as support for Blind Channel twice last year during their FLATLINE mini tour. I admit I don’t really listen to them. They’re one of those bands that I somehow prefer to see live because that’s where they enfold their true potential for me personally. I’ve been listening to some of their songs as studio versions and they don’t convince me as much as when I hear them live. Also I personally am not the biggest fan of Robin’s (their shouter) voice, but that’s very subjective – it’s just not my personal preference.
Yet I was super excited to see them again and I didn’t get disappointed. As I remembered, their live energy is great and I really like their dynamics on stage. Somehow to me personally there seems to be a good chemistry between them and I enjoy watching them perform. It’s also always a big pleasure to watch Kira’s drumming. I have a love-hate-relationship with drummers who tend to throw and spin around their sticks – lots of show-off behaviour, but it’s fun to watch and I gain way too much joy from the moments they lose their sticks 😀
Also, let me point out singer Lela’s look that day. Stunning make-up and great outfit. Lela’s performance is so powerful and I also really love her voice.
All in all, since Venues were one of the reasons why we went there (besides Caliban), I’d say it was worth it. I immensely enjoyed their performance. No info on the setlist though, because I simply don’t know any of their songs by name. I’m kinda sad that I won’t see them at Summer Breeze because I plan to see Subway to Sally instead (musically more my cup of tea), but I am sure there’ll be another chance to see them play – and I’ll use it.
Aviana
Here’s my personal big surprise of the day. I listened to Aviana before the festival because they were also announced as support for Imminence later this year – and I didn’t like it too much. So my expectations for Aviana, sound-wise, were kinda low. I wanted to make use of the opportunity to photograph them though because I know their performances are „visually pleasing“.
And damn it, I was surprised. First of all, Aviana definitely had the best sound the entire day. They were, besides Setyøursails, practically the only band where you could properly hear the vocals even right in front of the stage and their overall mixing was very good. Secondly, it turned out that I indeed liked their sound a lot. So much that we almost bought merch, but then postponed that to their tour with Imminence. Honestly, Aviana were my favourite act that day.
The vocals were clear and crisp and powerful and I absolutely loved the guitars. And although both guitarists and drummer perform anonymously, being dressed completely in black and wearing masks, while singer Joel Holmquist is recognizable (and stands out between the dark figures with his bald head), you never had the impression of some kind of one-man-show, which I kinda feared might happen. The stage energy of the entire band is enticing in a certain way. Both guitarists use their entire body to express emotions they could not express with their face due to the masks, which makes their performance even stronger and more impressive.
I am honestly super excited to see Aviana again with Imminence. They won my heart with their performance.
Caliban
The last act of the day was the one I was looking forward to the most – and who I was suffering for the most. Caliban were supposed to start their set at half past 10 pm and as I’ve mentioned earlier, I was tired af throughout the entire day. So honestly I was already half asleep while waiting for them to start. But due to what looked technical difficulties (new cables were brought to the stage) they could start only half an hour later.
They had a very strong start with VirUS, immediately followed by Paralyzed, so that I was already hyped after the first two songs (despite the fact that the situation in the photo pit was difficult as hell. The light was a nightmare – red, stroboscopic flashing, DARKNESS – and it was tight and super difficult for my unexperienced ass to get anything decent out of this show). After the first two songs in the photo pit, I managed to shuffle back to the edge of the front row to enjoy the rest of the show that I had been waiting for for WEEKS.
And now here’s the issue: My excitement slowly reduced song by song. The setlist was a nice mix, with the oldest song on the set being Nothing is Forever, which they played as the final encore. They only included one of their German songs (Ich blute für dich) – which is okay – and played a cover of Rammstein’s Sonne (and while the crowd went crazy on this one – unsurprisingly – I personally felt a sting in my heart because as the woke bitch that I am I honestly don’t think it is necessary to play Rammstein covers these days if you have a band history of about 25 years and tons of own songs in stock… For me, that was the lowest point, mood-wise, that evening).
I was pleased though to hear Davy Jones and Ascent of the Blessed (which was the first encore). We didn’t get to hear their new single I was a happy kid once, which they promised for their upcoming support tour. And, to my personal disappointment, we didn’t get Dystopia either, which I had really hoped to hear.
Speaking of their new single, shortly before the show Caliban announced Kenneth Iain Duncan as their new bassist and clear vocalist, who was basically introduced with said new single. He did a great job and I liked his vocals – which were, due to the mixing / sound quality, usually better audible than Andy’s screams. Because have I already mentioned that the sound at the festival was, in my opinion, not the best? 😉 … Well, Caliban was another example for that. But once again, I was in the front row for them again. Yet, the issue that the vocals were unbalanced and that with most bands, backing vocals were more audible than the actual main vocalists (or, in case of clear vocals vs shouter / screamer, one of them was usually not as audible as the other one) was a constant factor throughout the festival day (and we were in the front for Aviana as well, who didn’t have this issue).
What I liked: Especially Iain seemed to have an eye on what happened in the crowd and pointed out when he thought that someone needed help / assistance. I like when bands notice what’s going on in the crowd.
What I didn’t like: The fact that Andy was talking way too much (which felt a little like wasting time. I swear to god, they could have squeezed one more song into the set if only they had reduced Andy’s talking time by half). It was even supported by the way the audience acted, interrupted him, started constant chants, whatever. I don’t know if I was only annoyed because I was getting more and more tired and disgruntled and if this much talking is an integral part of Caliban shows (I’d only seen them once before), but I did reach a point where I thought „Just shut the f… up and play the next song“).
I’d still go and see them again. Just not at their next tour, because that’s yet another case of „touring company is not my cup of tea“. Because as I said, the first time I saw them was amazing. This time … not so much. But I was tired and the day had been overwhelming for me. So they deserve another chance. (I just really wish they’d ditch Rammstein covers, but something tells me they won’t do me that favour.)