UNITED METALHEADS FESTIVAL – MAJESTY, REBELLION, THE MYSTERY, LIGEIA, ATAVISM

There are festivals a dime a dozen. Where in former times just Wacken Open Air and the Bang Your Head festival had a bigger name, nowadays festivals spring up like mushrooms. But a special idea was born by Michael “The Lord of Metal” Reis: The UNITED METALHEADS FESTIVAL. The beginning was done by Micha with a fanclub president´s webring. The fanclub presidents of the German true metal band MAJESTY wanted to unite fanclubs of different heavy metal bands to support and help each other. For a longer time there also was a webradio that could catch regular listeners. But unfortunately it had to be quit because of the high costs. The common destination of the UNITED METALHEADS has been a festival with different bands that all have fanclubs to bring the bands closer to the fans and the other way around, of course, too. Additionally I have to say that all bands played at no charge!
Mario Decher, who is responsible for the promotion and the management, as well as the booking of the German melodic metal band THE MYSTERY, could find with „Die Börse“ in Wuppertal a compatible location. So the outline of a festival slowly got a form. A mixture of a „normal“ festival and a common fanclub meeting should become the special thing in that story. Also the ticket prices for the fanclub members should become something special compared to the normal price of 6,50 Euro, which is not much as well. Furthermore they´ll get a backstagepass that allows the members to be backstage with the bands together with one of the organization persons. Exemplarily!
The result was a good success: The first UNITED METALHEADS FESTIVAL 2005 occurred on September 02, 2005!!!
5 bands took off that night.
After nearly punctually doors opened at 5 pm, it didn´t seem that anybody wanted to listen to metal at this early time. But very fast the hall was full. And so there was a little delay because of a longer soundcheck, but Mr. Reis got easy with it and just said: “Don´t care. Every good festival has got a delay!” Exactly! And furthermore a good sound has a value like gold.
After that was solved, the metalheads surged into the hall and the location was full. And that at THIS time! Respect!
Through MTM Events the local band ATAVISM was the opener and started the night. 30 minutes was the time for the guys from Western Germany to give us full power metal. The guys had luck and got applause like the big bands, even though the stageacting still is in the children´s shoes… The keyboardist upstaged the singer and the show had its highlight with the stagediving of that man of the keys. Most of the songs could entrain, even though the songs cannot be put into the category „easy listening“. But they did a good job and ATAVISM were a good opener. ATAVISM did their first live gig ever very, very well. And the audience thanked them with a lot of applause.

ATAVISM Setlist:
1. Intro
2. Van Helsing 5:45
3. Seymor 5:15
4. Golem 5:05
5. Morning Star 4:50
6. Sorrowmaker 4:00
7. Project Revolution 8:30
8. Wintersong 7:30

LIGEIA from Neu-Ulm/Germany delivered us a high carated, professional show. Front madam Dani sang and grunted with her voice and made the audience go crazy. Supported by her male band collegues, Dani and LIGEIA had an easy playing time. Just the posing of Dani became boring in a while. The special thing got burned in the beginning of the set: „Walpurgis Night“. A special guest visited the band: A fan from the distance of 1000 km, Italy, came up here, just to see LIGEIA playing live! Thumbs up! They thanked him by giving a signed drumpelt.

LIGEIA Setlist:
1. Walpurgis Night
2. Heaven is hell
3. Orleans
4. Gloria
5. Mistress of the night
6. Nevermore
7. Beyond the sky
8. Thunderstorm
9. Children of the lost
10. Last desire

The next band was: THE MYSTERY from the local town Heiligenhaus who just released their new CD „Scars“, on the merchandise stand at least. The official release date will be in fall 2005. Firts reviews confirm that this disc is going to be a killer! The band kills live on stage in any case! The sympathic female singer Denise and her 3 guys (Alex on guitar, Daniel on drums and Chris on bass guitar) got the fans eating from their hands and played their melodic metal with an energy that rocked. Denise seemed to have bumblebees in her back and conducted the audience. Outstanding are the vocal efforts of the beauty. And even while Alex´ guitar seemed to go on strike, the nice singer still was smiling. For 1 hour the audience got crazy with songs of the upcoming album „Scars“ and also from the selfproduced parent „Facing the storm“. Again crowdsurfers. Additionally the first „We want more“ calls. With melodic pressure, charismatic sympathy and promising live action to the top! The hall was boiling and the horns were flying to the band! Top!

THE MYSTERY Setlist:
1. Fading away
2. 1.000.000 light years away
3. Restless heart
4. Ignore the signs
5. Scars
6. Another day in hell
7. Broken
8. Facing the storm
9. Running from the law
10. Revolution
11. Everytime
12. Inside my heart
13. Schizophrenia
14. Revenge

From band to band the atmosphere got pushed and so it was no surprise that while the Co-headliner REBELLION was playing, the fans shouted and screamed and had fun. REBELLION, the power metalians around Ex-Grave Digger Uwe Lulis (guitar) and Tomi Göttlich (bass), at the moment very in demand, played a tight show with songs of all their albums, but mostly of the third opus called „Sagas of Iceland“. The fans were enthusiatic and so was the atmosphere! REBELLION were together with THE MYSTERY the highlights of the day, even though they were not MY personal highlight (but THE MYSTERY were!).

REBELLION Setlist:
1. intro
2. ynglinga saga
3. eric the red
4. dragon slayer
5. the prophecy
6. ragnhilds dream
7. born a rebel
8. through the fire
9. dragon fly 90
10. harald hardrade
11. canute the great
12. letters of blood
13. rebellion
14. disdaining forture a
But as MAJESTY entered the stage, the people went crazy seeing their heros, at least the ones that left, who didn´t think, REBELLION were the headliner for that night. Hey, guys, where have you been? You missed something! Despite declined amount of fans, the firm core of people stayed, mostly existing of Majestic Metalheads (Majesty fanclub) and MAJESTY from Tauberbischofsheim/Germany accelerated.
To celebrate the day, singer Tarek thanked his fanclub, especially his fanclub president, took him on stage and moshed together.
With a setlist, decided especially from and for the fanclub (see below) the MAJESTY show became something special. Never played live was the song called „Ride and fight“ and with this that song had its live debut after an 8-year-existance. After a long time, you also had the pleasure to hear „Last Revolution“. Singer Tarek haven´t had a guitar in his hands for a longer time. But he did an exception for tonight and so acoustic guitar strings resounded in our ears and we all felt a creep running through our skin (especially the Majestic Metalheads): „We will ride“.

MAJESTY Setlist:
1. Intro
2. Reign in Glory
3. Hail to Majesty
4. Heavy Metal Battlecry
5. Into the Stadiums
6. Last Revolution
7. Epic War
8. Troopers of Steel
9. We will ride (acoustic)
10. Metal Law
11. Ride and fight
12. Sword & Sorcery
13. Fields of War
14. Son of Metal
15. Keep it true/Metal to the metalheads- Medley

After the official end of the festival (that was around 1:30 am) the fanclub members still had the chance to go backstage, because there the fanclub meeting with THE MYSTERY and MAJESTY happened. What a night!

Exemplarily also the smooth organization of Mario Decher. There were big backstage rooms, everybody was provided comfortably and more than enough and everybody had great fun. Also thanks to the friendly (!) securities and assistants! Even a room for the press staff could be used! Calm and peaceful metalheads. There I just can say for next year´s event – and I am nastily going to use the words of MAJESTY – „Bring metal to the stadiums“!

Result: THE MYSTERY and REBELLION had most of the popularity of the audience. Super organization, comfortable location, good sound, nice people, great atmosphere! Operation succeeded – festival perfect! Let´s do the next turn! Thank you!

The UNITED METALHEADS are at the moment:

Michael “The Lord Of Metal” Reis (fanclub president MAJESTY, ticket service)
Mario Decher (promotion, management and booking THE MYSTERY, organization and promotion of the United Metalheads Festival)
Marcus “Evil Ernie667” Glücks (fanclub president THE MYSTERY & Co fanclub president MAJESTY)
Oliver “Webhamster” Fleck (Webmaster)

Website:
www.unitedmetalheads.de

Bandcontacts:
www.majesty-metal.de
www.rebellion.st
www.the-mystery.de
www.ligeia.info
www.atavism.de

Contact:
mario@unitedmetalheads.de
thelordofmetal@unitedmetalheads.de