Three songs, no flash: DGM

I have been to another concert, a feast for eyes and ears, and I would like to present one of my new favourite bands to you, the Italian progressive metal band DGM.

Singer Mark Basile:



Bassist Andrea Arcangeli:


Guitarist Simone Mularoni:


Drummer Fabio Costantino:


Keyboardist Emanuele Casali:

Heute ha-ha-habe ich Geburtstag...

Ok, my birthday is not exactly today (25th September, please keep that in mind for next year ;-) ). But since I'm still celebrating, I dedicate this post to myself and make it a little guessing game for you, dear visitors. The photos I took of my birthday presents look somewhat cryptic, so your job is to guess what they are... some are easy, some not as much. And sorry: no hints!

My favourite, both for packaging and for contents:


I asked for that one:


These were a surprise:



This one I gave to myself:


And as a bonus: the gift wrap I picked:

Holier than thou

Having to drive 60km for (really not that special) goat milk's ice-cream if you don't even like sweets? That's something that can only happen to me.. But if you add some culture to the ice-cream trip, spiced with interesting photo motives, I'm reconciled with the idea.

Here, it was the Abdij van Averbode (Averbode Abbey), where an ordination to the priesthood took place last Sunday:

The Abbey:


built in 1672:


It doesn't say anything about photography, so...


The "show" inside:




The procession:




And the end:

Wackennnnnn!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry! I'm sorry for having deserted my blog for the last two weeks .. but: I have a good excuse which is also the theme for this blog. From 2nd to 6th August, I was at the world's biggest heavy metal festival, Wacken Open Air!!! \m/

And although I didn't take my big camera(s) to the actual festival area (not because it would have been dangerous but because I couldn't have headbanged or been in a mosh pit while holding it... or even flirted for that matter ;-).

So anyway, I had my phone and my little Pixi (Nikon Coolpix) and want to show you some impressions in and around the concert. I didn't take pictures of the bands and gigs - same reason as above.

Here it is, Heavy Metal Town aka Wacken:


That's what you see first and foremost - the Wacken Logo in different versions:



"Hochalberne Bösesabwendgeste" (= highly silly gesture to prevent evil) or commonly referred to as "the metal gesture":




Oh yes, the metalheads..

They are: (impossible to treat)


but impossibly fun:


they headbang, mosh in pits, crowdsurf:


but like their comfort:


and are generally just very relaxed:




Oh yea, where are you from again?


I like everything that has the W:O:A logo on it, so I loooved the Full Metal Bag:


You wonder what my favourite place after the stage area was? "Wackinger Village" of course:


With games:



- wrong:
- right:
A little torture here and there ("He listened to Hip-Hop!" - "I saw him doing it!"):


and as all over the place, mead in its typical containers:


Isn't all that exhausting, you ask? You bet:

Ray Wilson And Acoustic Band

Almost a year ago, C., M. and I went to a concert in Rodgau, the first one where I took photos. I didn't know the rules, I partly made it difficult for the musicians, partly for myself, and I want to think that I have improved since then.

But be that as it may, we enjoyed big time - thank you,

Ray Wilson and acoustic band!!!

Singer Ray Wilson




Keyboardist Filip Wałcerz

Guitarist Ali Ferguson


Guitarist Steve Wilson


My favourite song of the night? Hard to say but this one was certainly one of them.