Vainstream Rockfest
When you get to read this I will already be gone to my third and most waited festival this year, But Vainstream Rockfest, a 1 day (option for a pre-party the day before) Hardrock/Punk/Metal festival I only found out about last year but am already in love with was not disappointing at all!
Vainstream festival is quite a small one (10.000 people), but with big names every year. I happens in Münster, not really far from the city center, which allows you to go eat and drink outside the festival area, although it is not really necessary, they have everything inside.
Camping/ Coming and going
As Vainstream Rockfest is a one day only festival, there is no camping area from the festival itself, but Hotels and hostels in Münster are extremely expensive so we end up staying at the “Campingplatz Münster” along with many other festival attendants.
The camping is great and there is a direct bus to the city center (10/15 min.). The Festival ticket entitles you to use the citys public transportation for FREE. From the city center you can get a beer and walk to the festival site, which will take you around 15 minutes.
The way back can be a bit longer as everybody wants to leave at the same time and, of course, it depends on how many beers you’ve had 😉 We decided for a taxi ride, which took the same amount of time as the bus and costed 15EUR because of the time, traffic and so on.
Atmosphere
The people at Vainstream Rockfest are just there for the fun and the music and it is amazing! It doesn’t matter what you wear, who you are with or if you actually like an specific gender of music, they are all (well most part) really friendly and will help enjoy your day even more. The crowd goes from kids (15/16 y.o.) to the 50/60 y.o. all timer rocker! They are either in groups or families or whatever but always laughing, drinking and having loads of fun.
You can see the occasional dead beat that drank to much and is laying down the floor and the one thats is trying not to fall of the bench. The ones that are jumping and screaming and the huggers showing some drunk love. But, it is all worth while!
Food/ Drinks
As mentioned before, the venue is actually close enough to the city, so you can just eat there. We did! Vainstream Rockfest also allows you to take with you water (1L) and a small snack . After being traumatized by the prices at Hurricane Festival 2017, we packed ourselves some sandwiches.
The beer, oh the beer! The most important fuel of festivals! Again, sponsored by the worst beer in Germany, BECK’S. Vainstream has a cashless system for drinks (ONLY DRINKS), where you have to buy chips to buy beer and I HATE IT! mainly because if you have some chips left you cannot change it back to cash again, so you have to calculate well beforehand. A 0’3L beer costs 3EUR and the long drinks 6EUR.
The food on the other hand is paid in cash and, on the contrary of hurricane, there are a lot of options between 4 and 10 EUR. Also loads of vegetarian and vegan food trucks. My favorite snacks are the mini donuts (10 pcs for 4 EUR). They are delicious and I could stare at the machine for hours. There is something for everybody at fair prices.
Bands
Vainstream Rockfest consists in a German festival, so most of the bands are form here and I have to say, I was not disappointed! Many Germans are way more open to dance, jump and sing along to music they completely understand (the ones in german). So here are my favorites:
Tim Vantol
I didn’t know the guy existed up to 3 days before the festival where I downloaded their playlist and was really positively surprised. What a man! What a Music!
It was the last concert in the evening and people couldn’t stop moving. He is singer/ Songwriter from Holland and reminds me a lot of Frank Turner, not just the music, but the energy and the passion on stage.
He also made remarkable requests to the people there to respect, accept and help the ones in need coming from wars and being mostly misunderstood. A hug can do more than money sometimes.
Broilers
This well known German rock band made my heart pound. They played all the songs everybody could sing along, old and new. Stories were told on stage, thank your were said. The crowd was entertained, static and amazed, singing along to their all time favorites from the band.
Feine Sahne Fischfilet
German Punk Rock done at it’s best, filled with energy and music that relates to the good old anarchy punk days, from rights to wrongs and missing home and the old days.
They have trumpets and a singer that will stop a show to stop a fight in the crowd. All screams and jumps, al mosh pits and bruised left were just a history from an awesome concert.
Dropkick Murphys
I have seen them this year already, so as part of the same tour, the concert was pretty much the same. Nonetheless, it was the power I needed, the music I knew alongside loads of beer and fun.
The only thing I hate in international concerts in Germany are the germans! They do not move! I am generalizing here, of course, and mean no disrespect to anyone, but come on, get a little life people! Only if you are lucky enough to make between the 1st and 6th row you get to see some action at a concert, and this one was no different. It Sucks!
Rogers
Completely underrated German Punk Rock band. They only played for around 30 minutes, but they managed to rock it! Their songs are against the world we live now, in memory of better times, a request to change, feelings and running away. My favorite song is the “Vergiss nie”, it gives me a feeling of happiness somehow. Definitely worth putting it on the playlist!
All in All it was perfect. Toilets were clean and enough for everybody. There were enough beer stands, food options and places to seat in between concerts. I am definitely be coming back next year! See you soon Vainstream Rockfest!