< PreviousJuuso, but I’ve had my moments with metal. We Finns are big fans of heavier genres, probably because of our long, dark winters. In my twenties and thirties, I loved bands like Katatonia, Sentenced, and Type O Negative. But the older I get, the more I lean towards the classics. For me, the greatest metal band of all time is Motörhead. How much of yourselves and your own experiences with the metal scene went into “Heavier Trip”? Juuso Laatio: A lot of my experiences as a long-haired metalhead who gets yelled at on the street went into the first film. Many of the metal references and jokes in “Heavier Trip” come from that as well. I can’t say I know what it’s like to work in the music industry, but I tried to incorporate my experiences from the film industry into this movie... Jukka Vidgren: For me, it’s mostly about the feeling of being an outsider in a small community. I was born in a small town and was a bit of a strange kid who got into live action role playing, made amateur films with friends, and hung out with other misfits. So I understand this clique, whose friendship runs much deeper than just being bandmates. Babymetal plays a key role in “Heavier Trip.” How did you collaborate with the band? Juuso Laatio: I’m still trying to figure that out myself. We needed a controversial band for a scene with Xytrax, Impaled Rektum’s singer. As a placeholder, I wrote Babymetal into the script but didn’t think they’d actually agree to it. Then we found out their founder, Kobayashi Key, is a fan of the first film. That led to a meeting. I gave a short speech in Japanese, and we managed to find a few free days in their packed schedule to fly them to Lithuania and film some scenes with them. It was amazing to watch them work. Jukka Vidgren: I think the heartfelt speech Juuso gave during our first Zoom meeting with the band and their team left a good impression – though to this day, I have no idea what he actually said. “Heavier Trip” will be available as a stream from all common providers from 12th December 2024 and on Blue Ray and DVD from 24th January 2025. There’s no bus going anywhere: Pasi in full regalia with corpse paint under a rainbow parasol The band Babymetal also plays a role in the film ‘Heavier Trip’ Credit: Promo “, ’ ’ ”Traditional board game meets favourite festival: Monopoly is now also available in a special Wacken edition. Anyone who has ever been to the Holy Ground will have metallic fun with the details Monopoly goes Metal! By Andrea Leim onopoly has never been this heavy! On November 1st, Wacken Open Air released a special edi- tion of the classic game dedicated entirely to the legendary Festival itself. Metalheads can there- fore look forward to a musical journey through the heavy metal metropolis of Wacken, packed with that real W:O:A feeling and lots of unique de- tails that will elicit a knowing grin from fans. It took a year to develop this heavy met- al version of the traditional game, reveals Jasper Ahrendt, Head of Merchandising at W:O:A, and explains how the community was involved. “In October 2023, we asked fans for their suggestions for a Wacken Monopoly - and re- ceived several thousand sub- missions.” Schlossallee becomes the Harder Stage Ahrendt describes the typical course of the game: “As a player, you arrive in the village, maybe go to the Landgasthof first, then to The game pieces: Wacken town sign, guitar with amplifier, metal horn and the W:O:A cow Secure your favourite stage instead of the Schlossallee Authentic W:O:A visuals are of course a mustthe band’s venue and then slowly work your way into the festival. The highlight is, of course, reaching the in- field.” The special charm of the Wacken Monop- oly lies in the details: here the Schlos- sallee becomes the Harder Stage, the Südbahnhof becomes the Camping Plaza and instead of the event cards, the W:O:A version naturally takes you into the mosh pit. Monopoly, which was in- vented in the USA, has been played in Germany since 1936. It is still one of the most popular board games today, more than 300 million copies have been sold since its inven- tion and the game is available in more than 100 countries and 47 languages. With ever new special editions, Mo- nopoly remains up-to-date and reaches generations of fans. According to Ahrendt, the idea of a festival version has been around for over ten years: “Back then, we were still too early with the idea, because we wouldn’t have been able to change much to give the game a Wacken feel. When Monopoly variants came onto the market in re- cent years that were much freer in terms of design, we wanted to give it another go.” But despite all the free- dom, there were also lim- its. “Hasbro didn’t want certain details of the game changed. For example, the ‘Start’, ‘Jail’, ‘Park free’ and ‘Go to jail’ fields. Finding new fields for these would prob- ably change the flow of the game too much.” Topics such as alcohol were also treated sensitively: “The beer trolley became a drinks trolley, and the cups are of course called drinks cups,” adds Ahrendt. The game pieces in particular should delight festival fans: the Wacken town sign, a gui- tar or the typical drinking cup invite you to play metal games. The special edition is only available in a German ver- sion and is priced at 49.90 euros and is available at www.metalmerch.com. , :: The ‘Moshpit’ and ‘Barbecue break’ action cards are all about typical actions and games that you experience at the festival Credit: WOAA Visit to Lemmy , s Los Angeles For the first time since the funeral of Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister, Thomas Jensen and his family traveled to Los Angeles, the adopted home of the unforgettable musician. The Bullhead accompanied him to sites of remembrance and iconic Rock’n’Roll landmarks By Andrea Leim os Angeles, Califor- nia—a city not only syn- onymous with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood but also with the highs and ex- cesses of Rock’n’Roll. That’s where home was to Motörhead’s legendary leader Lemmy Kilm- ister until his death in December 2015. The British-born rocker spent countless nights at his favorite haunt, the Rainbow Bar & Grill on the Sunset Strip, and was laid to rest at the For- est Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills, directly across from Ronnie James Dio. Lem- my has left many traces in the City of Angels. Thomas Jensen and his wife Ulrike, who knew the Motörhead icon well, took their first U.S. trip in nearly nine years and visited numerous plac- es where Lemmy’s memory and spirit remain alive. Thomas, how does it feel to visit these places that remind you of Lemmy? Thomas on the Sunset Strip in front of the Rainbow Bar & GrillThomas Jensen: Ulrike and I haven’t been to the U.S. since Lemmy’s funeral in January 2016. There were several reasons for this: our kids were still very young at the time, and later on, the pandemic hit. It simply wasn’t logistically feasible all these years. Of course, we received invitations from friends and business partners in the U.S. over time, but we maintained contact mainly through phone and video calls. This year, we finally felt it was the right time and were especially happy to reconnect in person with long-time friends like Wendy Dio, the wife and manager of Ronnie James Dio. What places did you visit? Thomas Jensen: Los Angeles is full of exciting places for me: the Sunset Strip, the Rainbow, Whisky a Go Go, and the Viper Room, to name a few. I also visited the Sunset Marquis, a legendary L.A. hotel for musicians. Since we were traveling with our kids, we also did a classic hop-on-hop-off bus tour, which takes tourists to all the city’s major spots. The massive billboards, like one featuring A statue of Lemmy stands in his former favorite haunt Dark leather booths, heavy wood, and countless music memorabilia and photos: the interior of the Rainbow Thomas with Motörhead manager Todd Singerman This was Lemmy’s usual seat at the Rainbow during his lifetimeDebbie Harry, were absolutely impressive. Coming from a small village like I do, you don’t see things like that every day. And you stopped by Lemmy’s old “living room”… Thomas Jensen: Of course. Even though he was British, Lemmy absolutely belonged on the Sunset Strip, especially at the Rainbow. There’s even a statue of him there, placed next to his usual spot. We also have a Lemmy statue at the Landgasthof in Wacken, even though Lemmy wasn’t really a fan of monuments. But ours isn’t about his passing. It’s always been more about honoring and celebrating him. At the Rainbow, you met some of Lemmy’s longtime companions. Thomas Jensen: Yes, including Todd Singerman, Motörhead’s manager, who still oversees everything related to the band. We had dinner at the Rainbow and even discussed some Wacken-related topics. By coincidence, Wendy Dio and Slayer’s manager Rick Sales joined us later. It turned into a fun evening! The food at the Rainbow is surprisingly good—I highly recommend the chicken wings and pizza. But the real draw is the atmosphere; it’s a pilgrimage site and cultural landmark for music fans. The photos on the walls alone are incredible. The Sunset Marquis also has amazing black-and-white photos from the ’80s featuring Metallica and other legends. Did you ever meet Lemmy at the Rainbow during his lifetime? Thomas Jensen: Not often. I remember one evening when he was sitting at his slot machine, and we briefly said hello. Most of my meaningful conversations with Lemmy happened backstage at Wacken, like after he had to cut a show short, or when we met on tour. How did it feel to return to his usual spot? Thomas Jensen: Well, it’s a bit strange and has a museum- like vibe. That said, the Rainbow has done a tasteful job of keeping Lemmy’s memory alive. Many fans toast to him at the statue and leave drinks in his honor. It feels like he’s still part of the action—probably how he’d have wanted it. That’s what we tried to capture with the statue in Wacken as well. What stood out even more to me was hearing Motörhead songs being played. To me, it’s more important that the music lives on and continues to be enjoyed because that’s where the energy comes from. You can feel his spirit in many parts of Los Angeles. Did you visit the former hangout of the Hollywood Vampires, Alice Cooper’s drinking club, upstairs at the Rainbow? Thomas Jensen: Of course! Todd retold the story, which is always entertaining—though not entirely family-friendly. We had to be mindful since our daughters were with us. Did you draw inspiration from the Rainbow for the Landgasthof in Wacken? Thomas Jensen: Replicating the Rainbow in Germany wouldn’t make sense. But there are elements there that I really admire, especially the fantastic photos. I love looking at great pictures, and I’m glad we always have talented photographers, like Pep Bonet, capturing moments in Wacken. That’s something we’ll continue to prioritize. As a vinyl enthusiast, did you stop by Amoeba Music, the legendary record store Lemmy often visited? Thomas Jensen: Of course, I couldn’t resist. But I’m running out of space at home for records, so I have to limit myself. Still, I brought back a few special finds. “ ” Perfect fit: Thomas places his hand in the imprint of Motörhead legend Lemmy The entire band left their mark on the Hollywood Rockwalk Credit: Enzo Mazzeo PhotographyNEVER SACRIFICE TASTE www.landgasthof-wacken.de WARNING an Aidvertisement from another dimension * For this special premiere issue of The AI Art Magazine, we have partnered with the Metal and Country Club WACKEN to produce an aidvertisement worthy of sacrifice or at least a pint or two at a late Sunday brunch - Guten Appetit and rock on! For most fans, W:O:A is no longer just a music festival—it’s often the highlight of their year, a vacation like no other. Traditionally, attendees stay in tents, campers, or RVs on the festival grounds. However, more and more guests are opting for special camping options like T E .N.T., Moshtel, Residenz Evil, Camper-Park, and Bauer Uwe’s Garden. On December 6th at 11 a.m., tickets for the 2025 camping options go on sale By Andrea Leim hat’s the best part of Wacken Open Air besides the amaz- ing lineup? That’s right: the community! Visi- tors find themselves in the best company the moment they step foot on the sacred grounds – espe- cially the W:O:A Campground. Over the past three dec- ades, countless friend- ships have been forged, beers shared, and canned ravioli savored on these fields sur- rounding the main stage area. In recent years, the festival has expanded its offerings to include specially curated camping areas that have be- come increasingly popu- lar. These include the Camper-Park, Bau- er Uwe’s Garden, Residenz Evil, and Moshtel. The newest option, launched in summer 2024, is T E .N.T. Greta Hoffmann, the team leader for special-camping, shares insights into which camping option suits which festival-goers and what they can expect. The already strong demand for special-camping has been steadily increasing, Greta Hoffmann explains: “We’re thrilled about it! We put a lot of effort into de- signing these options with care and incorporating feed- back from the community. There’s definitely a desire for comfortable accommo- dations.” Sustainability and envi- ronmental considerations are also key aspects of special camping. These areas gener- ate significantly less waste since everything is pre-set and nothing needs to be car- ried in. Hoffmann elaborates: “Where everything is al- ready set up, there’s less to transport, and much less is left behind. Additionally, some areas make it easier for guests to travel light and use public transport to reach the festival.” All Special Camping areas will be available for booking starting at 11 a.m. on December 6, 2024, at www.metaltix.com. Every booking includes access passes, which can be added to a Wacken ticket in the spring via the spe- cial camping ticket center. Residents of Residenz Evil in high spirits Greta HoffmannFor those seeking style and comfort, Residenz Evil offers upscale accommodations. Here, guests will find larger, high- er-quality tents for two to six people, complete with real beds, electricity, indoor and outdoor lounges, a private food service, and a dedicated check-in. “A real sense of community has formed in Residenz Evil, with guests identifying with the area. The atmosphere is fantas- tic—perfect for those who want to be close to the action while enjoying a bit of luxury,” Hoff- mann shares. She adds, “Personally, this is my favorite area, and I’d proba- bly book it myself!” For a hotel-level experience, the Moshtel is the most ex- clusive option. Guests here enjoy amenities like a recep- tion area for wristband dis- tribution, upscale bathroom facilities with showers and flush toilets, and sturdy cab- ins equipped with single or bunk bed beds for two to four people, complete with proper bedding. “The Moshtel is ide- al for those who want a qui- eter environment and their own private space,” Hoff- mann says. String lights create a cozy atmosphere Individual shower stalls… …and a private lounge area Proper beds, fridges, and linens await guests Comfortable beds in Residenz Evil Dedicated food service Activities like yoga are also offered The lounge area is perfect for after show partiesNext >