Wacken Stories: Günter Jacobs

Almost 30 years of W:O:A lead to many, many great stories – crazy, heart-warming, revealing, or just plain funny. To collect those stories, we have talked to the people that live, work or party around the „Wacken Holy Ground“. Their experience illustrate the festival’s extraordinary spirit, so have fun with special anecdotes which you won’t find everywhere else: Here are the „Wacken Stories“!

Günter Jacobs (Wacken grandpa, Doro fanboy, W:O:A veteran)

„We partied with Doro like there was no tomorrow“

Günter Jacobs has seen every single W:O:A and partied with Doro as early as 1993. Today he is considered a part of Wacken and attends the festival no matter what.

„I am Günter, the Wacken grandpa. This year marks my 29th time at the festival, since I have been to the very first Wacken Open Air! Thomas Jensen, one of the two founders, worked as a waiter at the „Post“ which is now the restaurant „Zum Wackinger“. That’s where we met. I found out about the first W:O:A through tons of little flyers that were posted everywhere because that was all they had for advertising. We were about 800 people back then and it was actually a really good party. Just like the young folks do nowadays, we went pretty crazy that night.

I remember Doro’s first gig in 1993 in Wacken. After the show we partied like there was no tomorrow. We were a group of about ten friends, and Doro was right there with us. That was so great and just amazing! When I see her perform here, I am happy. Every year there are discussions whether she should play or not. But the way I see it, Doro grew with Wacken and Wacken grew with Doro as well. So, yes, she should play!

In the early days, I knew almost everyone at the festival, nowadays almost everyone knows me. When I cross the holy ground or roll through the town, I hear people screaming my name all the time. Well, I just turned 70 and until two years ago I was still walking on my two legs. Now I’m out and about on four wheels. I always said: No matter what happens, be it with a walking aid or in a wheelchair, I will come to the Wacken Open Air. It’s my most important week of the year!

I even kept all the wristbands, but unfortunately lost my vest with the patches. It was stolen six years ago at a little concert in Hamburg. Something like that would never happen at the W:O:A – we are a family here!“

Günter’s wish for the 30th W:O:A, if anything was possible:

„Lemmy, just Lemmy! I miss him so much.“

Katharina Metag