Wave-Gotik-Treffen

The Wave -Gotik-Treffen (abbreviation: WGT ) is a music and culture festival, which takes place every year since 1992 during the Whitsun weekend in Leipzig. With currently about 20,500 visitors, it is next to be held in Hildesheim Mera Luna one of the biggest events of the alternative and black scene.

Name

Until the mid-1990s, the "Wave -Gotik-Treffen " was still called " Wave Gothic Meeting". The name was derived from the names of this wave and gothic, since the meeting was an event of the original Wave and Gothic culture in Germany and was limited to the related music genres. 1996 - the fifth meeting - joined the event for the first time under the new name in appearance.

Background

In the four days of the festival visitors - in addition to more than a hundred concerts - offers a diverse cultural context offer. These include special film screenings, club parties, author readings eerie and romantic literature, exhibitions in museums and galleries, live role-playing, church concerts, medieval markets and workshops on various topics. The visitors stay in hotels, guesthouses or use the camping facilities of AGRA campsite.

Besides the pure ticket also known as custody tickets will be sold for the Wave -Gotik-Treffen. The mere admission ticket allows access to the events and trips by public transport LVB during the meeting. Owner of a custody card can also use the tent sites and get the program book " Pfingstbote ". By 2007, this is a compilation " Silberling was - Artists for XX. Wave -Gotik-Treffen " settled. On the CD there were selected songs from bands who appeared at the festival.

Venues

Unlike other festivals, the venues of the Wave Gothic Meeting on the whole city spread. As inlet permission is a typical festival wristband, which is obtained when canceling the ticket. From this bracelet there are two versions: one with and one without campground permission. The former is only available on the Agra - exhibition center, while the second-named is issued in several places in the city.

In plant II, an alternative culture center in Connewitz district in Hall A and the concerts in the hall D Disco events. In addition, you can also sit comfortably in the beer garden here.

Other venues:

• Old District Office (since 2013)
• Old Fair, Hall 15 (2011)
• Anchor
• Auerbach's Cellar (until 2011 )
• Dark Flower
• Rock Keller ( 2008 to 2012)
• Geyserhaus
• Leipzig Gewandhaus (since 2007)
• House Auensee (until 2005)

• Haus Leipzig (until 2004)
• Island
• Kohlrabizirkus (since 2006; 2011 are not in the program)
• Krystallpalast vaudeville
• Castle Park
• Peter Church
• Playhouse
• Schiller Park

• Sistine Chapel
• Socio-cultural center " The VILLA"
• UT Connewitz
• Voelkerschlachtdenkmal
• Pantheon (formerly People's Palace )

History

As a predecessor of the Wave Gothic Meeting considered a celebration at Belvedere in Potsdam to the 1988 on the occasion of Walpurgisnacht around 20 people met. Ultimately, were joined by several more trailers of the black scene, so that about 150 people were present. The undisturbed flow of the gathering of relatives and sympathizing scene with the scene people, however, was prevented by the police of the former East German regime, where the emergence of a critical and difficult to control subculture was an eyesore. What was prohibited nor GDR times and was punished, was officially operated only after the turn. The first Wave -Gotik-Treffen took place in 1992 in the ice house (now " Conne Iceland " ) held in Leipzig. On this occasion, gathered about 2000 like-minded people.

In the following years the WGT both the number of visitors and the number occurring bands continued to grow. This has led to a need for additional venues, accommodation and disco events by themselves. In addition, the festival was extended to other attractions such as readings and film screenings. Formed the band selection of early WGTS still a small typical range of up to the black scene in Germany scoring bands from, the band selection, especially from the mid-1990s became more diversified. This was partially due to the influence of other genres on the black scene. The performances of more and more metal -influenced bands were seen by some visitors as the beginning of the end of the "real " Wave Gothic Meeting, since in addition to the traditional target groups, many metalheads had arrived. In assessing the quality of the festival, visitors differentiated by the more traditional scene people who saw the penetration of new music styles at the WGT as a dilution of the WGTS, while the followers of this new game types and more open minds the innovations positively considered and for it as evidence saw that the black scene and musically still lived and continued to develop.

In 2000 the ever- enlarging, elaborate festival ended prematurely with the bankruptcy of the organizer. The exact causes are unknown, mismanagement, massive card forgery and intra-industry intrigues is the question. During the festival, came on Saturday evening on the rumor that the payment of the bands and Obligated organizations is no longer guaranteed (eg security). The organizers went underground, the security left the post, the appearance of groups like Phillip Boa and the Voodoo Club And One and were canceled. Security tasks were quickly organized themselves and visitors from many bands decided to play without a fee and performed at the Agra hall. There were no riots or civil commotion, but the festival still was for the parties hold a very special event, but most believed that this would be the last WGT in Leipzig.

Since 2001, the Wave Gothic Festival takes place under new leadership and with the support of the city of Leipzig. Since then it belongs officially to the cultural program of the city, making it finds mention among others in tourist guides.

Line -Up

The artists appearing at the Wave -Gotik-Treffen cover the entire musical spectrum of the black scene. Their number increased from the beginning in 1992 from eight to nearly 350 in 2000. Today there are around 200, spread over four days on the parallel stages all over the city.

Line-up of the first Wave Gothic Meeting in 1992: Age of Heaven - The I - Ghosting - Goethes Erben - Love like Blood - Sweet William - Templar - The Eternal Afflict.

Audience

The audience of the Wave Gothic Meeting is mixed and usually covers the full range of the black scene of Goths on Waste Electrical and neo-folk followers to BDSM and fetish followers. Furthermore, there are also punks, metalheads and members of cyberculture, the medieval scene or Steampunk and Visual Kei scene.

This diversity has been criticized by some visitors and perceived as intrusive. Some feel the Wave -Gotik-Treffen at least since the mid-1990s as too large, impersonal and commercialized and want back a festival in the original small frame. Others hope for a steady growth in terms of visitor numbers and the musical styles represented.

Right-wing

For years, anti-fascist groups denote the Wave -Gotik-Treffen as " Nazi Meet ", 2007, there was already rioting. Criticize anti-fascist groups, visitors with uniforms that are similar to the uniforms of the SS or the Wehrmacht to confuse would be tolerated. Another point of criticism is the annual market stall of the extreme right-wing publisher VAWS. The organizers emphasize align a non-political festival, but not distance themselves from the right. 2009 was decorated with a symbol that looks similar to among others, the Black Sun used by Heinrich Himmler at Wewelsburg, the needed example for the campground " custody Cards". This has been criticized, among others, in an open letter to the band ASP.