Well-known German bands will play in Jamel again in 2022. Thees Uhlmann, Kreator, Sportfreunde Stiller and Deichkind are on the stage of the festival for “Democracy and Tolerance”.
The “Jamel rockt den Förster” festival ended on Saturday without incident. The event in the small town near Wismar in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which primarily campaigns against right-wing extremism, repeatedly attracts well-known names from the German music scene.
This year, Thees Uhlmann, the metal band Kreator, the Sportfreunde Stiller and Deichkind played on Friday and Saturday. “As usual, our music program was great this year,” said organizer Birgit Lohmeyer on Saturday evening.
The festival has been known nationwide since the Toten Hosen performed in 2015, which was followed by numerous visits by well-known artists. Since then, music greats have been coming to Jamel again and again: Out of conviction.
Cultural and political added value
For Rüdiger Linhof from the Sportfreunde, the performance was a “great opportunity to show where you stand”. He described the two-day festival on Saturday as symbolic “of political commitment, democratic thinking and attitude”. According to Kreator frontman Miland Petrozza, it was a matter of course to come and Uhlmann also said he felt honored by the invitation. Playing at the Forstrock Festival has cultural and political added value, said the indie musician.
On the anniversary of the Wall’s construction on August 13, 1961, Linhof reminded that authoritarian thinking is still a danger today: You can no longer pretend that the gift of the fall of the Wall is a gift for eternity, he told the German Press Agency . It called on artists to get involved. “You can only live and work freely as an artist in a democratic state,” he said.
15th anniversary
Which musicians appear is traditionally kept secret until the end. This is to prevent an excessive rush, and there is no box office. For the 15th anniversary, however, ticket sales for the otherwise quickly sold-out festival fell short of expectations: 2,500 spectators celebrated in Jamel over the weekend. 3500 tickets were offered. Lohmeyer was nevertheless satisfied: “We look back on our extremely successful anniversary festival with pride and great joy.”
The couple Horst and Birgit Lohmeyer brought the festival to life. Since 2007 they have been holding it behind the forester’s lodge where they live. In addition to the concerts, the festival also offers a large number of stands from non-governmental organizations and workshops. What they all have in common is their commitment to a democratic society. (dpa)