Marcel Winatschek

The North Won

Every summer the same calculation. Rock am Ring had been the default for years—a known quantity, the kind of festival you committed to without much deliberation. But the Hurricane Festival lineup that year made the decision before I’d even checked ticket prices.

Faith No More. Nine Inch Nails. Lykke Li. The Ting Tings. Franz Ferdinand. Editors. Die Ärzte—Germany’s most beloved and longest-surviving punk band. Katy Perry, Duffy, Blood Red Shoes, Less Than Jake, Moby, Paolo Nutini. That kind of density doesn’t come together often, and you don’t forgive yourself for skipping it when it does. Becca and I bought tickets without much debate. You don’t pass on Faith No More because you have a habit.

The north won. It was the right call.