[Dajana] Somehow, the ROCK HARD FESTIVAL always goes by far too quickly. As soon as you get there, you're already back at home with (four)thousands of photos and tens of thousands of words to write (19.472 words on 38 pages to be exactly).
I have to say, despite all my own nagging, the offered line-up vs. my personal preferences, the weather forecasts and my own expectations... the ROCK HARD FESTIVAL 2024 scored a lot. Many a band that I had casually dismissed surprised me and delivered a great and powerful show, such as MYSTIC PROPHECY, WINGS OF STEEL and JOHN DIVA. There was no flop. And the weather also played along, except for the 15 minutes of rain on Sunday evening.
My top 3: BRUTUS, BÆST and EXHORDER.
Though, I’d say, the festival has just been chugging along the breakdown lane in recent years. Or in other words, didn’t gain momentum again after the pandemic. There are many reasons for this, yes, and you surely can’t change the music business "just like that". Nevertheless, I think something new and fresh is needed. A new concept, a new musical direction, something that blows away the sluggishness of the festival and brings back more pep into the Amphitheater. Otherwise, the ROCK HARD FESTIVAL will soon be a pensioner's tea party. Not that there's anything wrong with that... you know ;)
[BRT] There have been a lot of prophecies of doom, which will certainly not abate. The metal scene is getting old and the RHF is not the only over-40/over-50 party in our scene. Nevertheless, it was once again a surprisingly entertaining and fun weekend, which of course thrives above all on the family reunion feeling.
A bit more outside the box thinking regarding bands (like with BRUTUS, MAGGOT HEART and WALTARI) wouldn't hurt in the future, but of course, the fan also wants to see old heroes like PRIMORDIAL, DEMON or EXHORDER live. That's why it is the mixture that will make the difference in the future, even if that is difficult. Not everything is bad and old.
Maybe the one or the other of the festival team will check out fresh young festivals like Over The Edge, Dying Victims Attack or Der Detze Rockt, where old school metal is played, experiments are made here and there, and a much younger audience can be seen. I would like to see it for other ROCK HARD FESTIVALS.
[Sui] The ROCK HARD FESTIVAL is first and foremost a family reunion. Musically, there were few surprises - the number of play-it-safe bands seems to get more and more.
My personal discovery no. 1 was BÆST. There were no real disappointments this time, but there was also very little that was really so thrilling that you will remember it for years to come. The thought that this could be the last RHF in this form is still quite depressing. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it will continue somehow (preferably with plenty of seats for the ageing regular audience).
[Seb] Despite all the adversities, it was, as always, a great festival where, as always, meeting people took priority over the music.
Unfortunately, the future of the festival is anything but certain due to planned reconstruction work in the park: let's hope that it will take place again at all and that, in the worst case, a move will not be the indirect end. Without the Amphitheater, the ROCK HARD FESTIVAL would no longer be what it is. And with the average age of the audience now estimated to be over 50, I can't imagine that it would attract anywhere near the same audience without masses of seats available.
[Öko] Unfortunately, I was only able to attend two days due to a migraine, but as always, it was worth it to meet friends and drink a few beers with them.
There were also some musical highlights! My top 3: KK's PRIEST, BRUTUS and UNLEASHED.
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