August 17, 2002 - Ringfest - Cologne, Germany
Glady I write about my impressions from Cologne because it was absolutley great! I haven’t seeen them live before but now I know what I’ve missed before. I’m still totally euphoric, I’ve been spellbound by them, hard to describe that feeling.
erst, was ich verpasst haben muss!
Of course I’ve been to other concerts but Manowar is definitly one of the bands you have to see live again and again. That evening can’t be topped so easy, not only because of the great they play but also the incredible vibes you feel when you are among all the fans. The time we had to wait for them at Ringfest was so hard, everyone couldn’t wait until they hit the stage. I actually missed the ovations before the concert, that just began ten minutes before the show but then with a vengeance. Everyone just wanted one thing, to see the four guys standing on stage!
In my eyes, the setlist couldn’t be better but it simply was too short… Of course you can listen to your Manowar CDs at home until you drop but seeing a band live is different, that’s where you get blown away. I have to be there in December, the Westfahlenhalle has an amazing accoustic and I’m eager to see them again. The final moves when Joey ripped the strings off his bass were just incredible.
What also fascinated me, was how many different people came to see Manowar, there were not only the typical Heavy Metal fans but also Goths, Punks, ordinary people, just everyone.
They all had a good party together even if usually no one of thesepeople wants to be in contact with the other. Ten years ago, many people would have put us down because Heavy Metal was not accepted. But now more and more people listen to Metal because that monotonous disco music from the charts obviously showed them to the heavy corner. I will never forget that day in Cologne, I’m happy that Manowar exists because their music is unique, nobody tells them how to play their stuff. They’ve chosen a way and made it to the top. Respect, they deserve it that all the halls are packed up with fans!
There were no more places around the stage, everyone wanted to see them and I was fascinated by their show. Without any big show elements but still absolutley great. The most important thing, in my oppinion, was that the band spoke to the fans and, helly yeah, they did. “Die fucking” here “fucking there”, “fucking really everywhere”, that was really funny. The loudness was also ok even if the sound police didn’t like it. The fans even yelled for a loud sound and against the police, hehe. And what comes again and again after a show but is fine to me: a hurting neck…
Thanks!
Monique Krieger, Germany
But, kill me, that was so great! The four guys gave their maximum and I felt like years before when I was an outcast at school in my Metal shirt. They played a lot of their hits and some new stuff (well, they just have hits anyway) and the crowed loved it. And between it, the incredible bass solos by Mr. DeMaio.
THIS IS FUCKING HEAVY METAL!!! TRUE TILL DEATH!!!
Dennis
