Sweden Rock Festival is one HELL of a festival! And, as I learned, is perfect for a festival-beginner like myself. :-) Since the average age at the festival was... 37. So there were a lot of older people there. And families. I saw a lot of prams and young kids. They have this rule that you can't bring kids under the age of 3. And if you have kids with you between the age 3-13, they HAVE to have hearing protection (
big bulky kind), or they won't be let into the festival grounds. Good rules! :-)
All this meant it was a very friendly and happy atmosphere at the festival. No fights, no angry drunks. Just happy silly drunks everywhere. I saw the guards lead ONE visitor out while I was there, since he was so drunk he was almost unconscious. ONE! And there were around 33'000 to 34'000 people there. That should tell you something. :-)
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start from the beginning, sorta. :-)
I figured getting up early and taking a shower BEFORE going was a great idea. ;-) So I did that, and then woke up Alexandra so she got to daycare at perfect time before breakfast there. She's not a breakfast eating kid, but she eats better at daycare in the morning, so it's all good. :-) She was a happy kid, and I talked to her both during Thursday evening and in the morning that mom is going on a short trip and it's just her and daddy and mom is coming home tomorrow... She seemed to get it, and said OK and daddy picking up and all that, so she was a happy kid Friday morning. :-)
Then home, some makeup on and then the BIG backpack I had packed the night before. Reason it was heavy as fuck and big as well, was I had a tent in it. And an old air mattress. Yeah, that weighed a ton. Even if it is a lightweight tent.
I had a scare at the beginning of my trip though. I went by cab to the train station, because I'm lazy like that with a heavy backpack and such. Plenty of time and everything. First track was to go to Gothenburg with a bus and then catch a train to Lund from there, and then onwards to Sölvesborg where the festival is. BUT! Of course the bus was late. To the point I was sitting there on the bus and thinking, I will miss my connecting train... And I almost did. The bus-driver was a saint though and stopped at a red light next to the trains at the train station, so I could jump out and RUSH (with heavy bag, mind) to the train... I think I had LESS than a minute to spare... o.O
But I made it and ended up sitting on that train with some LOVELY people that I talked to for that entire trip. Made sure the time flew. :-) The rest of the trip was uneventful. No problems at all. Had lunch (with a glas of wine) in Lund while waiting and then last track to Sölvesborg.
Once in Sölvesborg things got interesting. Saw a few cabs, and lazy me I wanted a cab to the campsite,
Rosenlunds Camping. It's the calmer of the campsites around the festival area. Hence I booked my night there. :-) I would not want my tent to be run over or something... *lol*
Anyway, it's a rock-festival. I didn't expect it to be quite or anything. So I got there, found a spot that looked moderately calm. Next to the road, but I didn't mind that. Some music-nerds as neighbors on one end. And some older dudes on the other. Once I had put up the tent (which was very easy) my last neighbors showed. A bunch of rowdy 20 somethings... Crap, I thought to myself. So much for my beauty sleep after the concerts...
And the first thing they ask is if I wanted to see a real cock. *raises eyebrow* I calmly told him I'd seen plenty of those and was sure his wasn't that interesting nor very big. He pulled it out and sure enough, it was tiny, which I told him. I calmly asked him how old he was, and he drunkenly proudly boasted he was born 1982. Little boy with your little dick... You're younger than my little brother, I informed him. I swear he made a squeaking sound when he promptly put his dick away and to the laughter of his mates, went to get another beer. X-D
Man, I love my mother who taught me how to handle things like that. And I find it hilariously FUN to do that to! X-D
I was still worried they'd be noisy during the night though.
Once the tent was up and I was pleased with my camp, I went to buy some drinks and get some cash, wish you could withdraw right there at the campsite. For a fee. MAN! You had to pay a fee for EVERYTHING! So I made sure I had plenty cash for food and drinks, and then I followed the stream of people towards the festival.
Wasn't hard to find, the closer you got the more tents that sold food, drinks and just STUFF there was around the place. I found the entrance, but you couldn't get your festival-bracelet there. And everyone I asked gave me different directions to where to get said bracelet which had me go to the wrong place first. Not very fun. But eventually I found my way, could get my bracelet and got in. :-)
And it was amazing. :-D First music I was drawn to was a older band, which I later found out was called
Dokken. So I stopped at that stage for a bit listening to them. They were really good! Then I got hungry and man... There was SO MUCH FOOD you could buy everywhere! So I found a place selling moose kebab (no joke!) and got some energy. Then I went to buy a Mötley Crüe t-shirt, since I didn't want to miss that. And good thing I did. It was still early, around 5pm, and they'd already sold out almost. So I got one of the last ones in XL. o.O And I got a Sweden Rock t-shirt to! Of course. ;-)
Securing the t-shirt to my bag, I started walking around some more. Looking at people. Having a drink of cider. Looking at more people. Eating more food. Listening to music. Ended up in a tent at one point where these moderately young guys played heavier rock dressed in fantasy-clothing... Got me curious and they were funny when talking between songs to. Later figured they were called
Gloryhammer. They were not bad, but not quite my taste in rock.
I then just walked around, enjoying the festival atmosphere. I got stuck drinking, sitting on the grass and enjoying a cider after that for a bit. And listened to a band that was... really boring and... odd, if you ask me. They were called
Opeth, and I don't even know why I stayed at that spot listening to them for a while, but I guess I was comfortable.
I'd found a place that sold really good toasts with a swedish cheese called
Västerbotten cheese and chanterelles. And OH MY GAWD! It was sooo good, I had to go back several times.
At one point when waiting in line for a toast (it was constantly a long line there), there was this little kid there going ALL IN playing the air guitar with an inflatable guitar at a booth next to the toast-place. They were playing Mötley Crüe (!) in that booth, so he rocked out and HARD to the music! To the point of a guy joining him. Kid rocking out might be... 11 or 12 maybe? And the guy joining him on his own inflatable guitar somewhere around 25. And they pulled off quite the show! To the point of gathering a crowd that cheered for them and all that! So that was fun!
And when I was waiting for a toast (again!) I had these fun older guys behind me laughing and having fun, saying they'd eaten food at the festival that were better than orgasms... and lasted longer to! Since they were so cheerful, I just couldn't keep my mouth shut, and said I agreed! Orgasms usually don't last very long! It ended up with me and them four older guys having a HILARIOUS discussion about orgasms and growers and showers. X-D The younger of the four (probably just slightly older than
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peting73) said I was his future wife since I was that cool. I had to decline though, since I am already taken! Was SO MUCH FUN!
I made plenty travels to the portable toilets during the day, and that was an experience in and off itself. Because they had one big area with just portable toilets. *lol* Well run and all, but damn. That was a lot of portable toilets! X-D
I made sure to have a drink in my bag and fresh from the portable toilets, I went looking at
Backyard Babies, which are REALLY good! I really really like them! Such entertainers!
I kept to the back a bit in the audience though during their concert, because right after them the main event of the evening was to take place. So some time before their concert ended I made my way towards the main stage at the area. And, since I was alone… I made my way all up to the front of the stage!!! OH MY GAWD!!! I very very rarely go to concerts. And I’ve NEVER been that close to the stage before! Cue me nervous!
Anyway, it was still quite long a wait, so I talked a bit to an older couple that was next to me. And last they’d seen Mötley Crüe they’d been 16 and newly in love! SOOO COOL! But not so strange. Mötley Crüe has kept it up for more than 30 years. Had a good time talking to them, although the man in the couple was… VERY drunk. Which apparently amused his wife. Good thing I had someone to talk to, because we had to wait long. But the crowd just kept growing. And grew HUGE behind me!
I think not all, but most of the 33’000 - 34’000 festival goers were there. It was incredible.
Once Mötley Crüe entered the stage, I first wondered if I had to regert going to see them, since it took a bit for them to get the audience going. But once they did, oh my… What a feeling! I sang along to most of the songs and reached out for them when they got close to the stage! The sea of people moved, so even though I’d started at Mick Mars side of the stage, I ended up at the middle having the midstage in front of me after a while.
Vince Neil had problems with his earpiece and microphone at the beginning of the concert, and sadly they gave up so he had to go change, in the middle of Dr Feelgood, one of my absolute favorite songs. :-( So that was sad. Gladly though they did many other classics, like Kickstart My Heart, Smoking in the boys room, Livewire, Girls girls girls, Looks that kill, Wild Side… I could go on. :-) What made me happy was that they had a few from their latest album, Saints of Los Angeles and Mutherfucker of the year. I really like that album, so that made me happy. :-) And they had one encore, Home Sweet Home. Oh my gawd, the WHOLE audince sang along then, it was one hell of a moment.
And yeah, most of the audience sang along to all the songs. I did to, when I knew the lyrics. *lol* What annoyed me though, was that I had a gang to the left of me that kept complaining about the concert. Throughout the concert. While standing in the front. WTH? If you are going to complain, you don’t like the band… WHY would you be in the front, uhu? To destroy for us that WANT to be there? Makes no sense to me.
During the concert, although I have a HUGE soft heart for Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee, I was mostly impressed by Mick Mars. I mean, I know he has struggled with his disease,
Ankylosing spondylitis his entire careerer. But to actually SEE it! See how seriously destroyed his body is from his disease. But how very quick and clever he is playing the guitar and that he still loves to be on stage... That impressed the hell out of me. Rock on, old mutherfucker. Rock the fuck on!
Anyway, I loved being able to see them. I had fun. It rocked. The whole crowd moved with the music… It was incredible. And I’ll definitely remember it fondly. (Can you say that about a rock-concert? *lol*)
After Mötley Crüe had left the stage, it took a bit for the crowd to open up, but when it did I started to make my way to the exit. There were still bands playing, but I was exhausted, so I started making my way back to the camping ground.
It is quite a long walk, 800 meters, and my feet were VERY tired even though I had my good BIG Docs on. So it took a while since I walked slowly. Was easy though, there was this literary stream of people to just follow. On my way, I felt a nagging need for something sweet, so I found a booth that sold belgium waffles. And HOLY HELL! o.O They were GOOD! SO nice! I need to learn to make these… So I nibbled on that while walking.
Once at the camping ground, I got my toothbrush, then stood in line for bathroom and took care of all that.
Back around the tent however it was… silent. Except for the road, but not many cars there either. To my SHOCK the crazy ass 20-somethings that I thought were going to be loud and noisy all night… were knocked out apparently. X-D Only ones awake were the old guys who bid me a good night when I crawled in my tent. Kids these days… *lol*
After a bit of a fight I got myself in my sleeping bag and I was KNOCKED OUT! Next morning I fought my sleeping bag again. (I sleep VERY well in it, but I have to fight the zipper every time!)
Once ready I got out of the tent and located breakfast, taking a seat with some other guys (who had driven 12 hours to get there!) and talked to them while eating.
Back at the tent, I packed up cheerfully cheered on by the older guys, who after that offered me breakfast. AKA moonshine and Coca Cola. X-D I’ve had moonshine before, many times. And this was the GOOD kind. Looked like water and I could barely smell it at all.
So I had a drink with them, and they were really nice. Mötley Crüe fans as well, so we talked about them. And they were impressed I’d gone there alone. I told them about the greeting I’d gotten from the 20-something guys with the cock. Which had them laugh merrily and then I ended up in ANOTHER dick-discussion! MY GAWD! X-D It was all in good fun though, and some serious to since we talked about illnesses you can get in your dick if you're a guy. :-D They were REALLY sweet older guys, two friends that had visited Sweden Rock for years. Had I stayed another night, I would have loved hanging out with them and just talking. :-) They were really nice.
Once packed up, I made my way to the entrance and tried calling for a cab, but had no connection so I found a staff member who helped me call for a cab. My feet were so achy so there was no way in hell I was walking to the buss-stop at the festival entrance 800 meters away.
The rest of the journey home was uneventful. Trains that was on time and everything, so I had no problems. I didn’t have any fun company like I did on the way there, bu they… That’s what I had my smartphone for and my magazines that I’d bought for. ;-)
peting73 and Alexandra was both very happy to see me when I got home (a cab from the trainstation as well… hey, I’m old and my feet were achy).
All in all, going to Sweden Rock was one HELL of an experience! Seeing Mötley Crüe was wonderful! Slash was there playing this year, and if he comes back? I might consider going again. :-) It was such a great festival. Very friendly and happy an atmosphere and some seriously good music! :-D
If you wanna see the photos that turned out OK, you can go to my Instagram
HERE. There’s a clip of Mick Mars playing on stage… and of the little kid rocking out with the inflatable guitar there to. ;-)
And now I’ll shut up. For now. ;-D
This entry is crossposted between LJ and DW. Comment where you are comfortable. 
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rosecarmine
