u/Nitrosniffer00

(And thank you to this community!!!)

Guten Morgen, zusammen! (That's about the upper limit of my German, sorry :D)
Mike, 47, from Vancouver, Canada. Wacken 2026 will be my first ever European music festival.

20 Years ago, I watched the documentary "Metal: A Headbangers Journey". "I'm going to do that someday!" I promised myself, and, well, never got around to it. Last April, I decided I was finally going to make the trip, and committed to Wacken 2026.

When the lineup dropped last year, my jaw hit the floor. H-Blockx was on the lineup. I had dreamed of seeing them ever since watching clips of them at Rock Am Ring 1995, but it was also a dream I gave up on years ago...

This is not going to be my first trip to Germany; this will be my fourth time. My first trip changed my life, and "Time to Move" brings me back to 15 years old every time it plays. I had been part of a student exchange program in 1995. Towards the end of the trip, the school I was at sent 82 16 year old kids to a spa, which ended up being a massive party every night. My first LP was "Tougher Than Leather" by Run DMC, and my first Cassette was "Appetite for Destruction" by Guns 'N' Roses, and I was instantly in love when I heard "Move" and "Risin' High". I remember watching them at Rock Am Ring in 1995, with tens of thousands of people bouncing to the beat in front of them, and I even have an old VHS of the MTV Europe Broadcast somewhere... I spent my life fantasizing about seeing them live!

One of my biggest regrets in life was not going to Vans Warped Tour '99. I could have bought a ticket, I could have gone to the show, but none of my friends wanted to go, and I didn't want to go alone. I had high hopes that this was the first of many North American tours, but fate just isn't that kind sometimes. I have faithfully followed H-Blockx from halfway across the planet for over 30 years, and tried to spread their music here as much as I could ("The Power" got a fair bit of exposure at BC strip clubs in the '00's, LOL), and they have been a steady part of my rotation my whole life, knowing I would never see them live.

I learned my lesson this time, and as all of my friends told me their sob-stories about why they don't have enough money, I booked the trip anyways. I am genuinely excited, and find myself checking the countdown clock every morning! I've jammed as many shows onto my itinerary as I can, and tried to give myself a few breaks to not starve to death. Is it humanly possible to catch 36 shows? Probably not, but I'll try :D I may end up crawling out of the front gate on Sunday morning, but I know I'll be grinning ear-to-ear.

This community has been critical as well. I have learned so much about what to pack, what to expect, and how to prepare. I may have been a lurker this whole time, but I appreciate each and every one of you. If you're around the Hell's Bells tents and you see a Canadian flag flying from it, I'll probably not be there... You'll find me in the infield, trying to figure out if I have enough stamina to party for 4 days straight, and when H-Blockx hits the stage, I'm getting transplanted right back to 15 year old me sitting in front of the TV in Worth am Main, taking the first steps of a truly blessed life...

Metal Forever,

Mike

(PS: I know Wacken isn't the same, and I really don't care, it's still the party I've had on my list for 20 years!)