GERMANY: GERMANY'S FAMOUS RACING CIRCUIT - THE NURBURGRING HOLDS THREE DAY " ROCK AM RING" ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL

Record ID: 391561

  • Title: GERMANY: GERMANY'S FAMOUS RACING CIRCUIT - THE NURBURGRING HOLDS THREE DAY " ROCK AM RING" ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL
  • Date: 1st June 2001
  • Summary: (COURTESY OF MTV - PLEASE CREDIT) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) RADIOHEAD "We haven't actually really played that many times in Germany, really the first time was obviously 7 years ago here at 11.15 in the morning and we've gone back to Cologne quite a few times so yeah this is definitely the largest thing we've ever done in Germany by a long way."
  • Embargoed: 16th June 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NURBURGRING NEAR BONN, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVABH61WCMXB7T2L97YKZXNTEI9S
  • Story Text: Germany's famous formula one racing track - the Nurburgring - was rocking with a different event this weekend.
    Tens of thousands of music fans turned up despite bad weather conditions to watch one of Europe's most popular open air festivals. The "Rock am Ring" concert lasted three days and included top acts by superstars as diverse as Radiohead, Toploader, Alanis Morissette and US rising star Anastacia.
    The weather wasn't great but that didn't deter thousands of music fans to gather around Germany's famous formula one racing track the Nurburgring.
    Crowds of people camped out in the surrounding hills to make sure they got tickets for one of Europe's most popular open air festivals. The "Rock am Ring" concert is an annual event that combines a whole spectrum of different musical styles.
    Top acts this weekend included Radiohead, The Manic Street Preachers, Alanis Morissette, Toploader, Anastacia and Norwegian 'comebackers' A-ha.
    Festival organiser Marek Lieberberg said: "What's special about Rock am Ring is that the festival is open to all kinds of music. It's not limited to a particular musical direction but reflects the whole musical spectrum. We have 4 stages here offering different acts - I think that's unique in the whole world."
    It's certainly a program that attracted the crowds.
    British pop group Toploader flew over from their hometown Eastbourne to warm up the freezing crowd with their super smash hit "Dancing in the Moonlight." "We're gonna warm the crowd up today because the poor buggers are freezing out there...We're gonna warm ourselves up as well I think ...As for music we'll probably sing for a nice sunny day but you know what are you gonna do."
    It wasn't the first time that the British group had played in Germany and they had quite a few nice things to say about their German fans.
    "It's been really good. We've toured once with Robbie Williams, once with Bon Jovi and once on our own. It's been a really good crowd reaction - every time it's been really good.
    They're loyal German fans. If they like you, they love you."
    Other acts included a smashing performance by US soul queen Anastacia who hit the stage not in her usual sexy, skimpy outfits, but a large raincoat and warm scarf.
    "I tried but I kept getting freezing. I just kept most of it on but I did chill a little bit - I was like I can't take off the scarf, I'll die. I could have used some gloves though, it was a little bit freezing out there" she said.
    Other highlights of the three day festival included performances by Radiohead and Alanis Morissette who celebrated her 27th birthday at the festival on Friday.
    The Rock am Ring concert will return next year, no doubt with another round of musical favourites.
    ---ENDS----
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