Heat like the Sahara! Trautenberk sparked a moshpit and traktor shifted from 4x4 to 5x5
Tropical temperatures that would tire even a camel, combined with an atmosphere charged with rock energy. That's probably the best way to describe this year's Rock-in festival in Pardubice. It seems that the era of festivals with pleasant partly cloudy skies is definitely over. Either we battle torrential rain, wind, and thunderstorms, or we get scorched by relentless summer heat. Fortunately, rock fans are used to just about anything, so the heat wasn't an obstacle—it became just another source of fuel for a fantastic afternoon and early evening. At Cihelna, which looked more like the Sahara Desert, there were basically only two ways to survive: constantly replenishing fluids with ice-cold Radegast 12 beer and feeding off the incredible energy of the bands. They hit the stage with such intensity that you instantly forgot about the heat and the lack of shade.
From the Pub to the Pastry Shop and Slovak Halušky
Hospodo nalejvej sends its message to the distant beer stands as Ota Hereš and Alkehol take the stage, making sure to praise all the fans of beer-fuelled rock music for showing up despite the infernal heat. My jsme Rockeři immediately echoes back from the crowd in response. The first notes ring out across the venue at exactly 2:00 PM. The only shade is in the front rows, but Život je krátkej, so Pojďme se bavit! And when better than V pátek k večeru? The band heats things up even more with a fire show, and you'd better be a true Spalovač chlastu if you want to keep cooling yourself with beer and survive until the evening. The encores O chlastu and Na Slamníku bring their performance to a close.
Meanwhile, Šumperk pop-punk outfit Koblížci are getting ready backstage, soon proving they haven't lost any of the youthful energy that made them famous. The band that once captivated an entire generation and collected music awards storms the stage with a more mature sound but exactly the same level of energy. From the opening notes of hits like Líbej mě and Nejlepší chvíle, fans sway happily to the rhythm and the atmosphere remains relaxed. The winners of the Czech Slavík "Discovery of the Year" award in 2012 prove that their comeback is in full swing and that they truly belong on the festival circuit. They wrap up their set with Kdyby nám…
Horkýže Slíže kick off their set with Emanuel Bacigala, delivering their trademark humour and relentless pace. Right from the start, frontman Kuko almost scolds us for choosing live music over relaxing by the water. To be fair, in this earthly inferno, many of us would rather stretch out and say Mám v p... on a sunbed, but then nobody would be able to launch into a pogo during Silný refrén. Thankfully, the organisers thought of everything and installed a mist gate that often had longer queues than the beer stands. Even the water trough by the toilets seemed to be the second most popular place after the mosh pit. Horkýže Slíže also serve up A ja sprostá and Logická hádanka, while Kuko even treats the crowd to a short pan flute performance. "Feng shui very much," he bids farewell, and the ride continues.
The Noble Crew Reaped a Harvest of Applause Together with Traktor
Judging by the T-shirts worn by arriving fans, it wasn't hard to guess who everyone had been eagerly waiting for. "Here comes the loudest band around," echoes from the stage as tanz-metal outfit Trautenberk launch into their set with Umaštěný tváře. "You can dance with us to Jelito so we can warm up," invites the frontman, and we happily oblige. Everyone secretly wishes the nearby swimming pool would open a day earlier—it officially starts the season on Saturday after a lengthy renovation. It would have been the perfect relief after sweating through songs like Anička, Mužoretka, and Hory volají. As a reward, cans of Trautenberk beer are tossed into the crowd. When Pytlák begins, a wild mosh pit erupts. The encores Himlhergotdonrvetr and Netáhlo bring the concert to an end as fans leave covered in confetti.
Another shower of confetti rains down on the metalheads at 8:30 PM as the opening notes of the well-known hit Sybil announce the arrival of the evening's headliner – Traktor. This year, the band celebrates its 25th anniversary, and Martin Kapek tells the audience that after all these years he's said enough, so tonight the show will be all about the music. His words are backed up by a barrage of fan favourites: Defenestrace, Osudová from the latest album Jungle XXI, and Bludičky, during which the audience lights up the venue with their phones. The stage looks spectacular, accompanied by sophisticated large-scale projections that perfectly complement the atmosphere of each song. The details on stage also attract attention. The members of Traktor sing into custom-designed microphones decorated with dark motifs of human skulls, skeletons, and spines, perfectly enhancing the raw energy of their music. Flames shoot from the stage, and if we weren't already hot enough, the gigantic fire geysers practically singed our eyebrows. The newest single 5x5 is, of course, included, while one of the highlights is a medley seamlessly connecting passages from their biggest hits (Tmel, Katakomby, Neber si rockera, etc.) into one uninterrupted performance, accompanied by nostalgic projections. The fans are fully fired up, each enjoying the show in their own way—moshing, dancing slowly, some even pretending to row on the ground. At 10:00 PM, the show comes to an end with the encores Horizont and Letokruhy.
In Conclusion...
A huge thank you and hats off to the entire Rock-In festival organising team. From the excellent sound that never became overwhelming, to the impressive visual production and fantastic facilities, everything worked flawlessly. Every necessity was provided: refreshing water mist cooled sunburnt skin from the outside, while ice-cold beer reliably quenched thirst from within. Service at the food and drink stands was fast and efficient, with no long queues. Organising an event of this scale while maintaining such a great atmosphere is no easy task, and this year the organisers absolutely nailed it. See you again next year, Rock-In!
Text and photos: Lenka Svatoňová