Rock am Ring 2015 - Seven Acts You Have To See

Last year was the last time that legendary German festival Rock am Ring had the opportunity to grace the famous Nürburgring, taking with it plenty of classic moments and live sets nobody will forget soon. This year, for the weekender’s 30^th anniversary, Rock am Ring has relocated to Flugplatz Mendig, not too far down the road from its former home. With headline sets from Foo Fighters, Slipknot, Die Toten Hosen and The Prodigy, Rock am Ring takes place from 5-7 June.

ENTER SHIKARI
It’s not a festival season until St Albans quartet Enter Shikari are part of the party. If they’re not busy breaking the world record for amount of crowdsurfers, you’ll find frontman Rou Reynolds and his band tearing up tents and open air stages the world over. You see, the thing with Enter Shikari is that they’re an absolutely unstoppable bunch of musicians. Fourth studio album The Mindsweep proved just that, with an ethereal mix of post-hardcore, electronica and stadium anthems intertwining seamlessly to create one of the finest albums of the year. Their live show is absolutely impeccable, with everything from the iris-shattering light show to human pyramids proving their live worth. If you don’t see Enter Shikari absolutely destroy Rock am Ring this year, we hope that you have a terribly good reason.

FOO FIGHTERS
Massive headliners Foo Fighters need little introduction. Frontman Dave Grohl, “one of the nicest men in rock”, is a true born frontman who can carry a whole crowd in the palm of his hands at the click of a finger. Last year, the band released Sonic Highways, a record which featured eight songs recorded in eight different American cities with a rich musical history. The accompanying tour has so far seen the Foo’s play in South Africa and South America, with Europe next in the firing line. An arena tour has already been announced before the festival run has even begun, with all the dates selling out in extremely quick succession. The Foo’s are unarguably the biggest band on the line-up, with their set in Mendig likely to be nothing short of stunning.

SLAVES
We’re not going to say much about Slaves. All you need to know about this no-holds barred Kent duo is that they will smash Mendig to shits with their abrasive and raw rock. Watch the below video to get a good idea, because there’s not much we can actually put into words.

FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS
Folk rock troubadour Frank Turner and his band The Sleeping Souls are an unstoppable force, touring so often that it seems like they never stop. This summer is no different, as Turner and co. will yet again take on another set of festivals. This will be one of Turner’s first festival appearances of the summer, also taking in the Dutch Pinkpop Festival a week later. Although you wouldn’t expect Turner to draw a large crowd of die-hards, do expect him to convert plenty of people thanks to his powerful folk rock, which is flecked with hints of punk. Rock am Ring is the perfect setting for his music to go down in.

ASKING ALEXANDRIA
Asking Alexandria’s 2015 has been nothing short of eventful, with former vocalist Danny Worsnop announcing his departure from the English metalcore quintet back in January. Following almost half a year of speculation and various false rumours (most notably involving the rapper Riff Raff), the band announced that former Down & Dirty vocalist Denis Shaforostov will fill Worsnop’s shoes. A new single, I Won’t Give In, was subsequently released alongside the announcement, showcasing Asking Alexandria’s more melodic side. There may currently be Visa problems which have already prevented Shaforostov from performing in the UK this month, but don’t let that stop the band from tearing Mendig apart in June.

A DAY TO REMEMBER
Taking to the Mendig stage in June are Californian pop punk-meets-post-hardcore behemoths A Day to Remember, a band who can’t seem to get away from Germany after having performed there multiple times in the last few years. Since becoming one
of the most reputable live bands in their local scene, the Jeremy McKinnon-fronted group have slowly worked their way up the ladder to a point where their name has become a mainstay on festival main stages worldwide. The moment that standout track All I Want powers out of the speakers in June will be the moment that everyone in attendance embraces one another with a huge feeling of camaraderie. And boy will it sound good.

INTERPOL
The final act on our short list are New York City’s finest indie rock legends, namely Interpol. The Paul Banks-fronted group released the critically acclaimed El Pintor back in the autumn of 2014, with it being all systems go from that point onwards. In fact, they’ve been busy touring since before the record was even released. This summer is no different, with the band set to be appearing at festivals the world over as early as June and as late as August. It’ll be a busy summer for the New Yorkers, and Rock am Ring will be one of their first shows on the final stretch of El Pintor’s touring campaign. Expect them to bring New Yorker grandeur to the fields of Mendig, because we can all admit that Interpol are just legends who you have to admire. All the Rage Back Home and Tidal Wave were two of the best songs of 2014, and both are currently live highlights in their exciting live set. Go and watch Interpol, you won’t regret it whatsoever.