Thousands of people at one place? Most of them in a slightly intoxicated state? Mud and dirt everywhere and somewhere in the front a band plays on a big stage although it’s kind of hard for one to fully recognize who exactly it is. No, sometimes it’s better to think in smaller dimensions when it comes to festivals. Especially when you are a music lover first. So instead of heading for Europe’s big players NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION is always happy to experience those small festivals which are on the rise and who are returning the concept of these events back to its roots after it got slightly out of control in many ways over the past years. Our next goal? Dortmund and the second Way Back When Festival which is about to happen from May 22 to 24. It’s just the second installment of the event so it still got a ‘newbie’ status but one with quite an impressive line-up and at least 5 definite reasons why to attend it. Here they come…
1. Because we finally get to know Dortmund
Seriously, what associations come to your head when you hear ‘Dortmund?’ Well, not much as long as you aren’t a big football nerd and fan of the famous local team. But since it’s the final days of Jürgen Klopp as a coach and the whole are of the ‘Ruhrgebiet’ is changing to a post-industrial status it’s definitely worth to give it a try. The Way Back When is a city festival, taking place in the centre of Dortmund at three different venues – FCW, Domicil and Pauluskirche. And especially the latter one, an impressive church should work as a perfect advertisement for the event. We already saw THE SLOW SHOW in a church in Groningen so we’ll definitely not miss their slot here on Saturday. And who wouldn’t mind an acoustic set of HUNDREDS on Friday? Hallelujah, girls and boy!
2. Because all those great newcomers we’ve come to love are also in town
Photo by Sander Baks
So, we already mentioned THE SLOW SHOW but there are other up and coming artists NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION has fallen in love with over the past months. The beautiful songwriter SOAK is bringing her songs to the stage which will most likely result in an epic overdose of goosebumps. And mysterious dreampop artist INNER TONGUE (remember that funny tennis video?) will also show his face. The crafted ADNA will be there to warm our hearts and the hypnotic groove of EAST INDIA YOUTH is ready to unfold its magic again. This sounds like fun.
3. Because you can get an impression of the vital German music scene
A lot of things are currently happening in the field of German-speaking music (you remember our list from a while back, right?). The language barrier slowly but steady vanishes and the bands create their own musical microcosms. We already introduced you to Austrian pop maestros BILDERBUCH before. And even better… they are bringing their fellow countrymen WANDA as well. And then there’s ANNENMAYKANTEREIT whose name you might fight hard to pronounce but they could easily be the most hyped German newcomer band at the moment. And don’t even get us started on Swiss kraut-pop duo KLAUS JOHANN GROBE or Hamburg’s very own TRÜMMER. Scheiße, ist das geil!
4. Because it might be one of the last chances to catch Foxygen live
Photograph by Cara Robbins
Yes, ever since the all-hyped American duo announced its farewell tour (for whatever reasons) their live appearances become rarer and rarer. Well, we don’t know if they are actually just make fun of the whole ‘farewell tour’ concept in the end. No matter how it will turn out in the end but their live shows are always a crazy and furious experience too. Of course, we don’t dare to miss the FOXYGEN performance.
5. Because NBHAP gives you the chance to actually attend
Ladies and gentlemen, here comes the best part of it. You can join us for three days of high quality music celebration in Western Germany as NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION is giving away one pair of tickets for the 2015 Way Back When Festival. All you need to do is write us a mail to win@nbhap.com with your full name and the subject ‘Way Back When’. Final date to contribute to this raffle is May 15. TheYou don’t want to miss that if you are in town, right? And neither do we so we have a date in Dortmund, two weeks from now. To get us in the right mood here’s a sticky and sweaty performance by Danish punk rockers ICEAGE who are also playing the event.
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