Heavens set upon us.
Casting spells over the weather didn’t work, nor did nervously (every five minutes) checking the online weather forecasts. It was said it’s gonna rain – that’s it. The very crossing Berlin from its eastern to the western side reassured us that the forecasts were not just figments of overzealous meteorologists. From the train window we could see - alternatingly – rain, sunshine, little clouds and BIG clouds.

The first cloud burst reached us while we were queuing up before the entrance, luckily, after this first shower, the sun – temporarily –shone above our heads and after wringing our clothes quickly we could start to explore the Citadel. Among historic walls there were little shops full of climate located all around, stalls with food and all kinds of beverages, I also noticed that the bug-out routes were much better signed than in previous years. There was also not a single problem with buying folic raincoats – which were definitely necessities this day. Aside there was a shed installed, where the fans could get autographs of their favourite artists in certain times. Only Blutengel ratted on that Autogrammstunde. Well, I guess it was far for them to get to their Berlin, if they could not find some time for the fans (Yeah, I know that etery local guy claims that Spandau is not Berlin, yet still it’s over the top to arrive at the very last moment and run away just after the concert)

Meanwhile, the first performer appeared on stage – ZIN
A goth- rock band was not too lucky, unfortunately – the rain came again and the fans hid under the sheds and trees. For the brave ones who didn’t mind the rain, the musicians from Leipzig prepared quite a show, they did quite well in the role of the ‘warming up’ one. The vocalist, even being hidden behind the sunglasses (what an optimist…), ably came into contact with not too numerous audience and for the whole concert he was doing his best. The fans appreciated his effort and for the whole show they were awarding the band with thunderous applause.



After a short technical break, Mono Inc. were installed on stage with charismatic Martin Engler at the head. The musicians from Hamburg were much luckier than their anterior friends – as soon as they entered the stage, the sky finally ‘cooperated’ and turned off its tap. I dare to suppose that the musicians have some underhand deals with somebody ‘from below’, which can explain the title of their last album – "Viva Hades" ;)
An energetic concert, great contact with the audience (not without noticing a considerable number of the band’s official fanclub members), good sound – if only Martin’s voice were as powerful as on records, the fans would gain full happiness. A secret weapon of the band is a charming drum-girl Katha Mia – talentem with an extraordinary voice and able to rock the public even when the guys could do no more.
For the end of the concert, the musicians performed in characteristic outfits, which the fans know surely from the cover of their latest album, and the videoclip ‘Symphony of Pain’.



The restless rainfalls appeared not to frighten such a stage old-timer as Sven Friedrich, the vocalist of Zeraphine. He was sprightly running out of the roofing and in effect he quickly became dripped through, not less than the fans watching the show. Sven marked the rainy mood with such pieces as 'Be my rain' or 'Rain falls'. Paradoxically, when he ran empty with song about rain... it stopped raining. The course of the concert was not much surprising at all – it was both romantic and energetic, there was nothing which the fans of Zeraphine hadn’t seen before. The musicians reached for old, proven smash hits, and also tracks from the album 'Whiteout' released in 2011.

Artists from another band, Project Pitchfork, unfortunately were the most unlucky ones about the weather this day – it was raining intensively and - sorry – I had to save myself and run under one of the sheds. From the distance (oh my short-sighted eyeballs…) I could appreciate the effectiveness and power of stage lights, which they brought with them, and also notice that for their fans the weather couldn’t refrain them from getting crazy in front of the stage.



"With a small note of controversy" - whatever BlutEngel’s music brings to your mind, there’s one thing we can say for sure– it doesn’t resemble rock music. But – as the fans and the organizers were reasoning – sometimes you don’t need guitars to make a rock show. Indeed, the charismatic frontman of BlutEngel certainly isn’t without teeth on stage. He can infatuate the audience, conduct confirmed rockers in such a way that they were eagerly skipping to the rhythm of the pop song 'Soul of Ice' or 'Reich mir die Hand', well, and he never loses his tongue. Let me cite: "We are BlutEngel and when we play the weather is beautiful ". Really – there was no single raindrop during their show. The performance was daring as always – dancers in dishabill (a little less than usually), litres of artificial blood, fire-show... yeees. The show certainly worth attention and interesting. Musically – without a scintilla of rock, Chris could never sing and he still cannot, but I didn’t observe that the public Gould mind, so won’t I ;)



The dusk has fallen over the citadel, when the headliner of the first day was getting ready to capture the stage. Eisbrecher – the old-timer of this festival. Undeniably, it was easier for the musicians this time than in the past years, for, as usually, they started the performance wearing thick anoraks and hats, yet this time they didn’t have to set their outfits against 30-Centigrades of heat. Well, AT east somebody was fond of the weather this year...
A group of gentleman from Munich served us a big deal of solid rock stuff, not forgetting a small cutting remark at their mate Pohl - "You’ve already had pop, disco, dance and nice naked chicks here today. Now it’s time for old rock guys, do you mind?"
Anyway – they didn’t need the mentioned naked ladies, they needed paper streamers and teddy bears instead, which they were endowing their girl- fans with. Calling the kettle black...
I must admit one thing – the show was trully rock-styled, mighty, not anything like nativity play for preschoolers.
Their frontman, Alex, as the only one from the musicians decided to jump out of the stage and surrender to the fans. Literally in fact, as to one them he gave a riding crop and then let this little ‘Black Widow (Schwarze Witwe)"punch him. After he got pulled back onto the stage, he tossed off a bottle of whisky, which this time, unfortunately, didn’t end up in the parched audience’s hands.
The culminating point of the concert was a cover of ‘Miststueck’, during which Alex flaunted, inter alia, his ability to rap. Just after that, above the heads of the audience there flew the mentioned streamers and teddy bears, and the red-hot public had to reconcile themselves to the fact that the first festival day came to an end.

The saying - "it’s bad, don’t worry, it can only get worse from now on…" proved correct and indeed, unfortunately, it happened. When it comes to the weather, the second day was no turning point, no suddenly blinding Sun gave us a shock (hard luck), yet considering the fact that we aren’t made of sugar and we were just about to have our hearts warmed up with hot images and sounds from out of the stage, we were still in good spirits.

On the circumstances, dressed in hoods, thanks to the German Qntal we felt relocated back to the times of the Middle Ages. Amazing Art performed at high level. Having been on stage for 21 years, the Qntal musicians absolutely never let the audience to get bored or disappointed during their concerts. Subdued playing, crafted outfits, the medieval sound inscribed, thanks to the meddled electronics, into contemporary times.



The next band, Teufel, appeared in slightly different stylistics (wearing specific masks on their faces) as damned representatives of rock & electro/medieval sounds. A bit different, softer incarnation of the musicians known mostly from rock/industrial band – Tanzwut. Their set was actually a promotion of their latest album "Absynt", which the public seemed not to mind at all having fun anyway.



Personally, I was impatiently waiting to come close and see the owner of fabulously deep voice, Michael Darkness and his companions, the band End Of Green. I was not disappointed, the guys not only did an amazing job, but with great commitment they showed how much fun they have to perform for us. And then the next cloud burst, causing many people gathered in the public run away to hide under nearby trees. End Of Green’s set list was a short form of section of the band’s whole output. We could hear songs from the newest album – " High Hopes in Low Places" such as: "Tie Me A Rope... While You're Calling My Name", "Good night insomnia" or "Saviour" but tere were also such fine older tracks as "Demons" or "Killhoney". A great concert, the rain didn’t matter here.

The rainy aura did not disturb the guys from End Of Green, however, we were totally fed up with our pants being the only dry thing we were wearing. That’s why standing under a natural umbrella of leaves, in crowded area under the trees, we were peeking at Samsas Traum smashing the stage with his stunts.



The best thing this day, getting near the evening, was still about to come. Masters of the genre commonly known, and probably reverential, as castello rock. Do you know who I mean now? The classics and hard rock closed in one, an energetic bomb and lack of an attractive female vocalist… I guess now all doubts are surely wind-blown - Apocalyptica. From the very beginning the Finnish musicians caught perfect contact with the audience, which was proved by vivid cooperation of the spectators with the band. Massive energy flowing out of the stage definitely heated up everybody there, putting the gathered into positive excitement. Who would have thought that this music made mostly with a use of classical instruments fills with (excessive) peace, nothing more mistaken! There was a moment when Tipe Johnson, (a vocalist of Leningrad Coboys) joined Mikko Siren, Perttu Kivilaaks and Paavo Lötjönen and he began to support them with his own vocals. I shall remember this concert particularly long, thanks to unbelievable skills of the musicians, their creativity and high level of adrenaline.



Although it’s a fact that the weather during the 5th editio of Zita Rock Festival was not spoiling us, I would lie to say that we were lacking musical impressions... That’s why we certainly know it is worth being there and we surely know where we gonna meet next year in mid June!