What's better than good music

Good music nearby, free of charge, and maybe some cold beer.
As we all know, Karl was a Metalhead - look at his fingers..... ;-)

^{pic by Gemini and a @detlev idea based on welt.de made in Canva}

Louder than Karl. The Emperor gets a Soundcheck

You all know my Aachen as the city of Karl der Große - Charlemagne for the international folks. Old emperor, old cathedral, old stones everywhere. But this weekend I do not need my earplugs for the church bells.

Louder than Karl - yes, that is really the name. A two-day Metal Open Air, right in the middle of the city, named after an emperor who died 1200 years ago. I love this wordplay. Only in Aachen.

For the fourth time the Platanenplatz at the Templergraben turns into a festival ground, directly opposite the old main building of the RWTH university.

Eleven bands. Two days. And the best part - the organizers say it follows the ancient law of our patron Kaiser Karl: everybody gets in for free.

In times where a normal festival ticket costs you half a monthly salary, this is not self-understood. Punkt. Means - save some Hive for the BEER!

The Facts. Short and knackig

See more at https://www.kultur.ac/louder-than-karl

^{pic by kultur.ac}

The Agenda. Who is making the noise

Here comes my little band guide. I checked all of them, so you do not have to.

Friday headliner. Prog-Metalcore from Berlin and real Wacken veterans. Complex riffs, big melodies and a show that makes stagediving look like an academic discipline. Perfect for the RWTH crowd.

Saturday headliner. These guys from Mönchengladbach are a pure high-octane Rock'n'Roll machine and true stage veterans. If your neck does not hurt after their set, you did something wrong.

Nu-Metalcore from Münster, on the road since 2016 and with a brand new album Letters To My Future Self in the luggage. Heavy, honest and modern.

Modern Metalcore from Köln. Hard riffs meet synthesizers, aggressive screams meet clean singing. From mosh pit to sing-along in one song - nobody stands still here.

Death and Thrash Metal all the way from Kiel. They know exactly how to heat up a crowd and make the near surroundings shake. The neighbors will love it.

A fresh interpretation of Folk Metal with growls and screams. The organizers said they had to search a bit for this genre - I say it was worth it.

The young blood. Only two years on stage and they already deliver Black Metal with full Wucht and dedication. Remember the name.

Our local heroes. Punk rock from Aachen - short, fast, loud. Home game advantage guaranteed.

Thrash Metal from the "far away" Luxembourg. Old school speed with a wink - the name is the program.

Stoner and Space Rock from Belgium. Heavy grooves that take you on a trip through the cosmos - the perfect soundtrack for the sunset over the Platanen trees.

Rock and Metal classics from Brunssum in the Netherlands. Fun fact: this band started as a cover band at the drummer's own wedding. Now they write own songs too. Best wedding investment ever.

Three countries on one stage. That is how we do it here in the Dreiländereck - borders are just lines on a map when the amps go to eleven.

The Student Quarter. Relaxed is an understatement

Now let me explain something for everyone who never was in Aachen. The Templergraben is the heart of the student quarter. RWTH buildings everywhere, cafes full of laptops, bicycles parked in every possible and impossible spot, and in summer the students simply sit on the grass, on the steps, on the Platanenplatz - everywhere.

The atmosphere here is relaxed like nowhere else in the city. Nobody hurries. Somebody always plays a guitar somewhere. The Kneipen around the corner serve cheap beer to people who discuss quantum physics and football with the same passion.

And the timing? Could not be better. Early July means the semester is almost over. The lectures are done, the exams are close but not TOO close - and every student knows: this exact moment is the sweet spot. The last big party before the library swallows everyone. When a free Metal festival lands directly in front of the university in this week, that is not a coincidence. That is a Geschenk.

I have seen this place on many summer evenings. Trust me - when the first riff rolls over the Templergraben and the students look up from their books, this square will explode.

Beer. Of course. Belgium one!

It would not be me if I would not mention it. Around the stage there is a half market of drink stands and food stalls. A proper Metal festival without a cold beer in the hand is like Aachen without Printen. Simply not thinkable.

So my plan is easy: arrive early, get a fresh Pils, find a good spot under the Platanen and let Chaosbay do the rest. On Saturday - repeat, but with Motorjesus and one beer more, because Saturday.

Are you anywhere near the Euregio this weekend? Come over, bring your friends, bring your black shirts. I am the guy near the beer stand - as always. And tell me in the comments: what is the best free festival YOU ever visited?

^{pic by Info sources: veranstaltungskalender.aachener-zeitung.de + frontstage-magazine.de}

See more at https://www.kultur.ac/louder-than-karl