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The Weekend Kicks Off (March 7–8)
Wizo and Rantanplan have booked two nights at Turbinenhalle Oberhausen — Friday and Saturday. Anyone wanting uncompromising German punk should be there. Meanwhile, Kulttempel hosts the darkwave highlight with The Beauty Of Gemina, while Lost Society present their just-released album "Hell Is A State Of Mind" at Gebäude 9 Köln. At Ratinger Hof Düsseldorf, The Hirsch Effekt tear apart the boundaries between post-hardcore and math-rock. And in Bochum, the BO-MIT-ROCK Festival delivers seven bands.
Big Names, Small Clubs (March 10–13)
Monday sees two post-hardcore heavyweights on stage in Cologne: Thrice at Essigfabrik and La Dispute at Live Music Hall. Tuesday, Between The Buried And Me deliver a prog-metal masterclass at Matrix Bochum, while Avatar fills Lanxess Arena Köln — and two days later, Westfalenhalle Dortmund as well. Thursday, Schattenmann celebrates their album release "Endgegner" right at Kulttempel Oberhausen — the release show on home turf. If you prefer it melodic-dark at Turock Essen: Call Of Charon and Words Of Farewell share the stage. And Fit For A King bring metalcore to Palladium Köln.
Friday the 14th Is Absolutely Insane
44 shows in a single day. Cockney Rejects at Don't Panic Essen, Mr. Irish Bastard at Turock, Stahlmann and Maschinist at Matrix Bochum, Heldmaschine at Junkyard Dortmund, Axxis at Alter Schlachthof Düsseldorf. In Cologne, Illegale Farben and Ernte 77 blast Gebäude 9, while Manntra and Wisborg engulf Luxor in gothic fog. The weekend then belongs to Keith Caputo (Matrix Bochum) and Spidergawd (Sputnikhalle Münster).
The Finale: March 20
The last Friday even tops the 14th — 41 shows. Mental Cruelty and Kanonenfieber destroy Carlswerk Victoria Köln, Godspeed You! Black Emperor hypnotize Die Kantine, and Feuerschwanz shake Turbinenhalle Oberhausen to its core. At Kulttempel, Angus McSix kicks off the tour with a new album and Brainstorm as support. Oberhausen becomes ground zero that evening: three venues, three worlds. The Hirsch Effekt hit Druckluft, Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space haunt Don't Panic Essen, and in Wuppertal, Heldmaschine and Vlad In Tears burn down Live Club Barmen.
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