< Previousjoy to just be accepted as we are, with the music we make. Tarja is also performing at W:O:A this year, just not on the same day as you. When did you first meet, and what bond do you have today? Sharon den Adel: In the beginning, we were constantly pitted against each other. People would say one thing about Within Temptation and then the same thing about Nightwish. The media tried to create a rivalry that simply wasn’t there. In the early years of our careers, we met briefly but never had the time to get to know each other. During the time when Tarja left Nightwish, we wrote the song “Paradise” with Within Temptation and thought: “Wouldn’t it be great to get her on the song?” So we set up a Skype call. Do you remember Skype? (laughs) My husband Robert and I sat across the screen from Tarja and her husband Marcelo. It felt like we had been living in a parallel universe all this time – with very similar stories. You are also close friends with Anneke van Giersbergen. Are female friendships important in the male- dominated metal scene? Sharon den Adel: It would be great if women supported each other even more. Many of us do so already. We are in the minority, and sometimes it can be quite lonely on tour. We all benefit from being connected and kind to each other. Do you still get stage fright before shows? Sharon den Adel: Sometimes, sure. With big festivals like Wacken or Hellfest, that can happen. You don’t want anything to go wrong – but sometimes everything does ... (laughs) Occasionally our guitarist Ruud will approach me before a show and ask: “So, how are you feeling today?” When he does that, he already knows that I’m nervous. Then he says: “Do you know what we’re about to do today? We’re gonna have fun! Forget the nerves, forget the rest. It doesn’t matter as long as you’re having fun. The audience can feel it – the energy, the connection, the fire. It works.” And he’s right! You work on the songs for Within Temptation alongside your husband Robert Westerholt, but in separate rooms. Why is that? Sharon den Adel: Robert used to share the stage with us and still remains active behind the scenes, for which I am very grateful. But when we work in the same room, we’re constantly arguing. That’s why we decided to send each other emails with lyrics and music ideas. Then we comment on each other’s ideas – but without the emotions. And it works really well! We wrote seven out of eight albums that way. It wasn’t until our last album that we tried to collaborate more closely again, and I have to say, it’s easier now. These days, we just leave the room if things get too tense and come back an hour later. That helps. (laughs) What is your secret recipe for balancing family life and music? Sharon den Adel: Robert deserves all the credit in this case. (Editor’s note: The guitarist has not been touring with Within Temptation since 2011, but joins the band in the studio.) He manages everything at home when I’m on the road with the guys. That’s the only way we can keep the band going and make the music we love. Robert just doesn’t suit the stage. (laughs) To be honest, sometimes I’d like to swap because I miss out on a lot at home. That can be really hard. But I have the most amazing children – and I have a policy of never performing on their birthdays. Of course, I’ve still missed a lot of things. That breaks my heart sometimes, but fortunately, they forgive me. Is it true you love karaoke? Sharon den Adel: Yeah, I really do! (laughs) Do you have a go-to karaoke song? Sharon den Adel: Oh God! (laughs) “Barbie Girl” is one, as is “Shallow” from the movie “A Star is Born”. We actually sang that at our own wedding. I usually sing karaoke at weddings, sometimes I miss notes, but it’s fun. Karaoke just gets everyone in the mood and gets the party started! “ .” Credits: Martijn SwierSave the earth - it's the only planet with heavy metal. Get greener and cleaner energy with us! octopusenergy.de Save 100 € with powermetal100by Andrea Leim ockets, rovers, stars and satellites – on the Camping Plaza oppo- site the large merch stand, things will get galactical- ly interesting this year with the new Space Area: a place where festivalgoers can get a little closer to the skies and enter the world of space and space travel. The Space Area offers a var- ied programme of presenta- tions and interactive exhibits. For example, visitors can mar- vel at a model of the Ariane 6 rocket, test Mars rovers or touch real satellite compo- nents. For the curious, there will be specialised lectures on topics such as space telescopes or the everyday lives of astro- nauts – given by actual astro- nauts! Two-time ESA astro- naut Alexander Gerst and the first German woman in space, Rabea Rogge, will also land on Planet Wack- en and talk about their ex- periences in space. Rogge’s experiences are still fresh: just this April, she orbited Earth an astonishing 55 times. The Berlin-based electrical engineer and polar researcher travelled aboard the Dragon capsule and had an impressive view from an alti- tude of 425 to 450 kilometres. During the flight, celestial phenomena were studied, and the first X-ray images in space were taken. Rogge will talk about her flight on Friday at Space Camp, as well as on Ma- chine's legendary late-night show. Her fellow astronaut Alex- ander Gerst has already been to the International Space Station (ISS) twice – in 2014 and again in 2018. During more than 360 days in space, he conducted hundreds of experiments, for example on the formation of lightning, the effects of weightlessness on the human body and ma- terials research. At the festi- val, he will talk about precise- ly these experiences during his lecture “A journey into For the first time ever, the Holy Ground is going galactic this year: Wacken Open Air is bringing space travel to the Acker with its new Space Camp Credits: Norbert Tacken, Effelsberg, MPIfR ESA–P. Sebirot, SpaceX, OHB Record-breaking astronaut Alexander Gerst will visit the festival on Wednesday The Effelsberg radio telescope beneath the night sky. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy are holding lectures in Wackenspace“ on the Welcome To The Jungle stage on Wednesday. “Metal and space trav- el have more in common than you might think: passion, precision – and a certain fascination with extremes,“ explains Marco Fuchs, CEO of Bre- men-based OHB. The space and technology group will be bringing a moon balloon to the Acker, among oth- er things. In his downtime, Fuchs is an avid metalhead, having visited W:O:A on sev- eral occasions. “What I find fascinating about Wacken is the diversity of the visitors, the atmosphere and the fam- ily spirit.“ W:O:A bosses Thomas Jensen and Holger Hübner are excited about this new initi- ative: “With Space Camp, we are creating a place where in- novation can be experienced first-hand,” says Jensen. Hüb- ner adds: "The co-operation surrounding Space Camp is a milestone for everyone in- volved. It symbolises inno- vation, inspiration and a real spirit of optimism across the board – a feeling that is echoed in the music. It's great to be part of this ambitious project.“ The Space Camp is open daily, and admission is in- cluded in the regular festival ticket. From mosh pits to the Milky Way – the universe has arrived in Wacken. Also on show at the festival: the RFA-One-rocket Rabea Rogge was the first German woman to go to space and will be the first female astronaut to land on planet Wacken on FridaySpace Camp is coming to Wacken: in this area, metalheads can experience space travel, outer space and space research. Experts will give exciting presentations in the tent, offering unique insights into their science, and visitors can marvel at highly specialised technology. Even actual astronauts will be there. by Andrea Leim or most people, space is a huge mystery. It starts with its size: where does infinity begin and where does it end? What does moon dust feel like, and can you take a walk on the Milky Way? This year, for the first time, experts from the fields of space research and travel will be attend- ing Wacken Open Air, giving festival guests the opportu- nity to learn about topics such as satellite mis- sions and current challenges like sustainability in space. There will be exciting lectures such as “Exit Light, Enter Night – How important dark- ness is for humans, the en- vironment and astronomy“. Radio astronomer Dr Ben- jamin Winkel from the Max Planck Institute is an expert in this field: “Light pol- lution on Earth is increasing,“ he says. “At first glance, it seems contradicto- ry to address this topic at a festival as large as Wacken Open Air, where there are huge floodlights. But we are not trying to ban everything. Sci- entists also listen to music and love concerts. However, Wacken may give us the op- portunity to show how simple measures can be used to create more darkness in the sky.“ Dr. Winkel also has some exciting news for party-lov- ing W:O:A fans: “We have found alcohol in space!“ he says. “Alcohol is actually a very simple molecule, and there are plenty of those in space.“ The scientific teams at the Effels- berg Observatory found the alcohol, or more precisely, its radiation, a long way away. “The light took a few billion years to reach us,“ he confirms. “At that time, the universe was half as old as it is today.“ This means that alcohol existed be- fore humans did. And: “There are incredibly large quantities of it,“ says Dr Winkel. In addition to established sci- entists, several student space initiatives will set up shop at Space Camp. Among other things, they will present water rockets that fly up to 50 metres high, a satellite construction kit and a headbanger contest in which participants have to rock a specially developed helmet. Prof. Dr. Enrico Stoll, head of the Department of Space Technology at TU Ber- lin and head of department at the German Aerospace Society (DGLR), will give short lectures and will also be available for a casual “beer with the profes- sor.“ “I am really pleased that we have been given the oppor- tunity to present Germany’s achievements in space travel,“ he explains. And anyone who wants to get involved after all the exciting impressions can also learn more about careers in space travel at the Space Camp. Much like space, the op- portunities are endless… Radio astronomer Dr. Benjamin Winkel Credits: ESA, Benjamin Winkel Brightly lit: Europe from space at nightMPS HANSEATIC PROUDLY PRESENTSby Christof Leim You are known for your scary make-up and costumes with long coats, hats or even crowns. Festivals usually take place in summer. How do you deal with the heat? Would you rather play in shorts and a T-shirt, or are you happy sweating your bum off again and again? King Diamond: I am more than ready! I live in Texas, and prior to going on tour, I run a lot, in full sun with extremely high humidity. That gives me a lot of stamina. This year, we played in Europe during the heat wave. Of course, you sweat more and your clothes take longer to dry. I actually sweat more than our drummer because I never stay still! Do you have several sets of costumes? Other bands in costume have hinted at having a smelly problem… King Diamond: We have to have several sets! You can treat things with alcohol, so you might be able to do two or three shows with it. But sometimes even that doesn’t work, depending on how the shows are going. Then you see salt patterns all over the black clothes. You can remove them to a certain extent, but they come back quickly, so you need proper cleaning. That’s why I buy five jackets or five shirts of a certain type, for example. For fans of horror, darkness and mystery, there is nobody who does it quite like King Diamond – whether he’s with his solo band of the same name or legendary Mercyful Fate. In conversation with The Bullhead, the likeable Dane talks smelly costumes, the physics of crowd energy and the secret of nailing a scarily high falsetto. King Diamond onstage, in a pose befitting a royalAs King Diamond, you embody a character and the stories are creepy or even gory. How well can you detach yourself from this role? King Diamond: Oh, that’s never a problem. I’m no different off stage. When I record in my studio, I make the same faces and hand movements as I do on stage. I’m never out of character. People have even asked me if I mow my lawn in full garb or sleep in a coffin. Seriously? Come on, now. Not every night. So you’re in your rehearsal space at home, singing vile stuff into a microphone. UPS rings the doorbell. Do you answer the door in full gear and go right back to the darkness? King Diamond: Yeah, I don’t even really switch gears. And when I’m standing next to the stage just before the show starts, I don’t transform, either. I don’t feel any different with make-up on, even though I know that people see me differently. Years ago, I had to do a few gigs without make-up because of an eye infection, so I just put on sunglasses. It didn’t matter whether I was wearing make-up or not; I did the exact same moves. By the way, my eight-year-old son Byron is used to seeing me with make-up on, but he’d rather touch it than run away screaming. Do you let your son into the worlds you’ve created? King Diamond: At eight years old, he’s a bit young to understand these things. But he accompanied us on tour until he started school and loved it. Constantly getting on and off tour buses and checking in and out of hotels was easy for him. He sees everything, but he doesn’t find it scary. Of course, I won’t go into any more detail with him for now. “’ .” King Diamond and guitarist Andy LaRocque (r.) have been playing together for 40 years King Diamond during his 2014 Wacken Open Air setDo you remember your first W:O:A show with Mercyful Fate in 1999? King Diamond: The main thing that comes to mind is the impression the huge crowd made on me. You just think ‘Wow!’ because you can actually see the sound travelling! The sound takes a while to move, so when people clap their hands, those at the front and further back aren’t on the beat. And that looks really funny! You returned to the Wacken stage in 2014 and in 2022, when Judas Priest also performed. Back then, Rob Halford said that he was looking forward to meeting you. Are you friends? King Diamond: Absolutely. Halford and I have met many times. It’s always very enjoyable, we talk openly about singing and many other things. We recently saw each other in Monterey, Mexico, and I was at his show in Dallas a while ago. There are great photos from Wacken of Halford holding Byron in his arms. Both of you have a big influence on heavy metal, especially when it comes to vocals. The high pitches are very demanding technically. On top of that, you have to muster the energy for a two-hour show every night. How do you deal with the factor of time, getting older and changing physiques? King Diamond: It’s even more fun now! It’s actually easier for me to sing these songs now because I’ve discovered something. I’m always looking for new things, and you’re never too old to learn. I’ve probably sold the last little piece of my soul for this, but I’ve found something incredible: dark honey! Before I go on stage, I take a little bit of it and just let it run down my throat from a plastic syringe – no needles involved. It coats the mucous membranes, refreshes, cleanses, protects and regenerates them. Then I start to sing. The first costume change happens after about four songs, at which point I use a bit more honey. And so on. And lo and behold, each time my voice feels great. There’s a second little trick: Just before the show, I put a piece of candy in my mouth, a really hard little chunk, made from honey, of course. I keep it under my tongue while I sing, which I had to learn first! It slowly dissolves as the honey takes effect. On a day off, I pour a little bit of the honey into my mouth straight from the bottle and just let it heal. It works wonders for me. This honey trick even works for the encore “Abigail”, which is extremely difficult to sing. Now I can even hit that very last note again, which is otherwise impossible. Back in the studio, these special overtones were just a happy little accident. And I was never able to reproduce that. Now, I can do it live. Credits: W:O:A, Jeremy Saffer “ , .” Also in 2014: King Diamond onstage with his signature bone mic standNext >