Report: Kottenrock Festival 2023

Two years after our first visit, we had the honor to be guests at the Kottenrock again. Already then we were very happy about the invitation and also this time we were warmly welcomed on site.

Since years the Kottenrock e.V. is dedicated to this beautiful festival, but not only that! The association of currently 12 members around the association chairman Daniel Dudek has taken it as a task to drive the alternative-cultural promotion in Sassenberg and surroundings. Beside the organization of the festival one sees the troop besides regularly actions organize to the donation collection for the Lebensmittelpunkt e.V. Sassenberg.

Every year on the first weekend of September, the festival takes place at Hof Hülsmann. The area, this year for the first time wheelchair-fairly and with elevated wheelchair platform, covers place for scarcely 500 Besucher:innen. Several food and beverage stands supply the fans during the afternoon and provide beside the good music for an exuberant mood.

Last Saturday, the Heinrich Tellen School opened the festival. The school's music project from Warendorf is dedicated to covering well-known punk and rock songs. A dedicated front woman with a strong voice leads the band here, accompanied by drums and percussionists from the school. Bass, guitar and keys are also present to round out the band.

Strong continued with the second band. From Dorsten, Chasing Dreams introduced themselves with their extremely talented singer Kim. Supported by powerful backing tracks the musicians:inside musically very heated up the crowd. From the sound it went in the direction of Conquer Divide and As Everything Unfolds. We definitely remembered the nice soundcheck of the band with the Kottenrock team, which stormed the area in front of the stage before the start of the festival equipped with bengalows!

They were followed by Catapults from Oldenburg, who brought a good portion of good mood with their Emo Punk! The Group Vocals encouraged here to sing along and the band with frontman Joost brought together with Chasing Dreams the audience to operating temperature.

During the changeover, singer-songwriter Liron kept the musical arc going. His music and covers accompanied the visitors through the time and provided variety on the smaller trailer stage between the loud and driving music of the main stage.

Anchors & Hearts laid down a bang afterwards! The musicians from Bremervörde raised the temperature with their punk rock. In addition to the sun that then came out additionally, strong clean vocals and degenerating hard shouts and breakdowns provided for proper mood. The music has a political background but without negativity and frustration but rather with optimism and a positive view of the future.

Modern Rock/Metal from Münster followed with a bombastic show. Spin My Fate introduced themselves to the audience with new music, a new album and the old familiar line-up. Jan as the frontman has been providing musical highlights with his group for years, rich in detail and facets, as well as sensitive or driving and directly in the face. The band showed itself with soulful ballad but also opposite with driving shout-heavy breaks.

The evening was closed by the "Big" band Avalanche Effect from Münster. On this evening plagued with absences due to illness, the musicians could nevertheless convince. Impressive backing tracks and two extremely capable frontmen drove the crowd to its feet. Rap parts in the songs freshened up the evening musically once again and took the audience on a final journey into alternative metalcore.

After so much good music and so much family atmosphere among the guests as well as the Kottenrock crew, it was very hard for us to make our way home. We met so many great people that night and were able to talk to so many: thank you so much! We are already looking forward to the next time at the beautiful Kottenrock and hereby say goodbye. We will definitely see each other again!