Day 1 – With Full Force – Ferropolis, Germany – June 22, 2017

On the festival grounds, I see Airbourne setting up on the main FeroX stage, where Sepultura were to be playing. Yet when I ask security for info, they all say they don’t know who’s going on or when. I wait around in this chaotic confusion until a screen finally shows rescheduled band times – all the headliners are still playing, but at later times.

I see that Toxpack is now playing at 9:35 at the Hardball stage, so I figure I’ll get started and head over there. The band comes out quickly and throws a towel, picks, and other fan goods. The crowd goes wild and cheers them on. A moment later, an official-looking man who does not look like he’s in the band comes out to give a speech. Again, with my knowledge of German being limited to “I love beer” and “What is this?” I am obviously in the dark, but I know what he’s saying isn’t very pleasant based on the crowd’s reaction, and I get the picture when the Toxpack backdrop starts getting pulled down.

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I asked the photographer next to me what happened, and he said that the festival is cancelled for the rest of the night, everyone is to go back to their camps, and it is recommended to sleep in the car or to get accommodation in the city because 3 storms will rip through Ferropolis overnight, potentially creating tornadoes. No fear, of course – no, there wasn’t a tornado that just touched down in Hamburg this morning, nope. I walk back with this photographer to the press area – he wants to get on WiFi – but that is closed as well. Everyone’s sent home, the party’s over before it has even begun.