The June lottery will open up June 1st! To participate, please be sure to join the Patreon as a VIP member! The lottery happens every month and it is a chance for you to have your song request reacted to by me GUARENTEED if you win!! The link to the Patreon is in the description box!
You want to go to "Wacken Open Air" in Wacken Germany, where more cows live than humans. At least most of the year until the first weekend in August and the 3 days before then it suddenly turns into metal village. But you need to be quick, it sold out in hours the last few years. But it will get live streamed by T-Online they partnered with the wacken team.
Hansi ist ein Legend. Truly one of the most inspiring metal singers in the world, he's on par with DIO, and even if Blind Guardian isn't as popular as many other metal bands, no true metal fan can say that they haven't heard the Bard's song at least like 50 times.
Legend says that you are not allowed to enter the Wacken festival unless you can sing The Bard's Song on demand. The reality is that you can still enter, but when you leave you WILL know the song.
The one time Blind Guardian was not at Wacken, they played a section of the Bard's song on a big screen and people stopped what they were doing, started singing it to the finish, then went back to doing what they were doing before.
Blind Guardian was formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres. And, as you guessed already, this is how most - if not all - of the concerts look alike. They mention Helloween, Iron Maiden, and Metallica (amongst others) as their influences. I personally find it also very noteworthy that the lineup is almost the original one, from when they formed. They are still going strong, being on tour, and it is said that they are working on a new album, which might come out in the next one or two years. On a sidenote: I don't have the exact number, but the crowd there is something around 70,000 people. As you maybe can tell, Blind Guardian is very dear to me, I've grown up to Blind Guardian, it's probably the band I've listened to continuously the most. "The Bard's Song" is also the funeral song of one of my best friends, which unfortunately passed away too early.
Since 2011, 85,000 tickets have been sold each year (with a 3-digit fluctuation, excluding the pandemic, excluding the flood last year). There are also another 15,000 visitors to the village itself. They weren't here.
„Singt uns von der Bühne“ direct translated „sing us out of the Stage“. The Bard song is the anthem of the heart of the Wacken open air. Wacken is a small village in the north of Germany where one week at the end of July meet 85000 metalheads from all over the world. The open air has over30 years of experience.
the legend says that the crowd still sings until Wacken ends forever. Great reaction. Blind guardian and especially the Bards song is always a piece of childhood for me. greets from germany
I cannot wait to sing it this sunday! I am so excited to finally see them live! I have my Somewhere Far Beyond hoodie ready and my recently gifted Nightfall In Middle Earth shirt ready. I might wear my Witcher amulet but I am still very unsure about that.
@@waldmeister0815 I was going to wear my Witcher shirt but then my internship gave me a shirt of my favourite album. I am still debating if I should wear my Witcher amulet instead, I am at least going to wear my Ayreon necklace.
When going home to your tent at Night after a long day of Concerts at Wacken Open Air, you can from time to time hear people sing these Songs from the tents...even if Blind Guardian are not a part of the Festival.
As a musician, i cant even begin to describe just how incredibly powerful and emotional it can be to stand on the stage and have a response from the audience like that. There is something truly magical about music and how it brings people together in unison. And i'm pretty sure he chooses to let the audience sing so much because even as professional singers, we can get emotional and it does affect our ability to sing properly to some extent. Crowds like this makes me emotional! The power of so many voices in unison is very special.
@@sugoruyo To have some random people you have never met before connect with and love the thing you have created with passion from the heart and soul, yeah that is some really unparalleled experience.
There are some live versions of this song where Hansi sings like 10 words total of the song, I think in the version from Imaginations Through The Looking Glass is one of them.
Oh damn - Blind Guardian. Didn't expect this. Some context - this was filmed at Wacken Open Air, one of the world's largest heavy metal festivals. Blind Guardian are a staple of heavy metal from Germany and Europe and have been for decades. As you can see the crowd loves them and they make awesome music. The Bard's Song is one of heavy metals best ballads and one of my favorite songs ( was also "our song" of an ex of mine).
You are correct about the love in the metal community. We're like one big family and concerts are just better versions of your typical family reunions. Most other large music events have multiple fights on a regular basis. Metal heads rarely get into fights at shows, and when they do, security is rarely needed because everyone else comes together to end it quickly. Truly some of the best people you will ever meet.
Yeah, a few years back at OzzFest, someone had a medical emergency, and the crowd actually crow-surfed EMS to the person in under a minute. There was no other way through the crowd, but the logistics of steering someone was pretty mind-bending. I've never seen a crowd work that quickly in unison before, and this was unprompted, out of the blue, and everyone knew what to do. I still don't know what the emergency was, I heard someone fell, but also a possible allergy issue. But the person was alright, so whatever it was, it seems to have worked out. I also caught Maiden during the Brave New World tour, Tickets were only $25 back then, but sold out instantly. I went anyway to see if there would be a scalper I could buy from. Dude wanted $85 a ticket. A crowd of guys overheard, and intervened... "Nah man, don't pay him shit... come with us", and I had a huddle of 15 people around me as we went through the gate, so it was easy to sneak in for free. I don't mind gate-crashing if it's sold out, since the band has made maximum potential profit on the show anyway. The only one who lost anything was the scalper. Metal heads have each other's backs in all kinds of situations.
I feel like the pits also help with this. In the pit you watch and help each other if something happens, that because you want that others help you when needed. But i have to say the bard’s song is just one of those songs that live makes you feel like everyone near you is your friend.
im on wacken nearly every year (ist just 200km from where i live) and i can only confirm that, never had any trouble on the contrary i made really good friends with ppl from all around the world, last year i visited my man in japan (who i met at wacken in 2017 we stayed in contact to talk and gamed and last year i was invited, bro showed me japan) but my can opener gets stolen every time xD
I'm one of the biggest Maiden Fans in earth but I have to say, Blind Guardians crowd interaction is on absolute different Level of its own. Blind Guardian has the most acurate singing crowd on earth, it's more like a big coir. And it's always funny to See how professinal singers react to the voice of the frontman.
I stood in this Wacken-Bard's Song-crowd some years before and it was one of the most overwhelming moments of my life (only the birth of my daugther can compete). Even after about 15 years the memory leads to goosebumps and send tears in my eyes.
This was at Wacken Open Air 2016, where 84500 visitors were in attendance, and this was on the main stage where the majority of those people fit in front of. And I didn't see a lot of empty space. So if there weren't 60000 then call it 50000 people, all gathered there, who almost universally know the song by heart well enough to sing along. Largely in tune and in time. Hansi, the man with the mic, was honestly mostly superfluous to the proceedings. What greater accomplishment could a musician aspire to, than to have your music so ingrained in the souls of so many people? And this is off an album that is over 30 years old (released june 30th 1992). Therefore I confidently dare call it a truly timeless classic.
There was this one spot around the second row of bars. It was basically a "lake", and nobody really stood there. I was just in front of that lake, could probably have fit some 200 people more if it hadn't been there :P But yeah 50k people for sure.
After 40 years they are still rockin hard. Their most recent album still has the energy that the first albums had. Explore more! they have a massive discography.
Blind Guardian from Germany are part of the European 'power metal' genre that is defined by high range vocals, fast double bass tempos and lyrics based on fantasy fiction (Tolkien books being an inspiration) from medieval times & battles... swords & sorcery... dragons & wizards... fantasy voyages... etc. Usually, the songs have catchy choruses that metal fans can sing along to... Formed in 1984 in (West) Germany, Blind Guardian was originally named Lucifer's Heritage... They renamed themselves after the 1986 album 'Awaken the Guardian' by Fates Warning, one of the underrated American metal bands... Blind Guardian were signed in 1988 and debuted w/ 'Battalions of Fear'... They hoped to follow the careers of German bands like Helloween ... Running Wild ... Grave Digger... as heavy metal was exploding in popularity in the 80's... The band consisted of Hansi Kursch (vocals), Marcus Siepen (guitar), Andre Olbrich (lead guitar) and Thomas Stauch (drums)... Hansi Kursch played bass but eventually wanted to be the band's frontman and Blind Guardian eventually hired a live bass player. 2nd album 'Follow the blind' was released in 1989... 'Valhalla' was a song from the record. But Blind Guardian was not seeing their records being distributed outside of Europe... 3rd album 'Tales from the Twilight World' in 1990 incorporated more folk and classical influences into their music. Signing w/ Virgin Records in Europe, Blind Guardian released 4th album 'Somewhere far beyond' in 1992 ("The Bard's song: In the forest" was from this record) and toured Japan for the first time, releasing the live album 'Tokyo Tales' in 1993. However, the 90's brought about the decline in popularity of the heavy metal genre and power metal bands like Helloween, Gamma Ray and others were left without any American distribution for years. 5th album 'Imaginations from the other side' in 1995 was produced by Metallica producer Flemming Rasmussen and became their most successful record to that point. Blind Guardian finally scored worldwide distribution of their albums w/ Century Media Records which released their 1998 concept album 'Nightfall in Middle Earth' in 1998... and their past catalog in America... It produced some of their popular songs - 'Mirror mirror' ... 'Nightfall'... 'Into the storm'... They also began touring the US after the 2002 album 'A night at the opera'... and the subsequent double live album 'Blind Guardian Live' in 2003... The band parted ways w/ drummer Thomas Stauch and hired Frederik Ehmke (drums) ... Blind Guardian toured using session bassists and keyboardists on the road. 'A twist in the Myth' was released in 2006 and Blind Guardian were actively touring the US as well as Europe and Asia as headliners... 'At the Edge of Time' was released in 2010... and record sales continued to grow for the band. Their 10th album 'Beyond the Red Mirror' was released in 2015 and was another successful metal release. In 2019, Blind Guardian completed and released an orchestral album 'Legacy of the Dark Lands'... and performed w/ the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Their latest (and 12th) studio 'The God Machine' was released in 2022 and Blind Guardian just completed a US tour in 2024 and r still on tour.
I love seeing the reactions to this. I was there that year, and singing in unison with the whole audience is an experience that has stuck in my heart, I get emotional just remembering it. Good times.
The singer Hansi Kürsch is also called "The Bard" for his voice and his lyrics just like Tuomas Holopainen from Nightwish is called "Metal Mozart" for his compositions. Some Blind Guardian suggestions: - "A Past and Future Secret" from the album "Imaginations from the other Side" from 1995; - "Nightfall" and "Mirror, Mirror" from their album "Nightfall in Middle Earth" from 1998 that was inspired by J.R.R. Tolkiens book "The Silmarillion"; - "Sacred Worlds" (Official Video), the video is the final reward when you successfully finish a side quest-chain in the video game "Sacred 2: Fallen Angel" released in 2008 (not the best graphics quality though as it is 16 years old now); - "Deliver us from Evil" or "Secrets of the American Gods" are two more recent songs from the album "The God Machine" from 2022.
Calling Tuomas Metal Mozart is pathetic. Calling this guy Metal Mozart...wow...Blind Guardian lacks ANY complexity, even for metal standards it's as simple as can be. It's power metal ffs.
@@miskatonic6210 I said Hansi is called "The Bard" as a nickname because he is able to tell these stories in the songs just as a medieval bard did traveling from village to village spreadng news and stories. "Metal Mozart" is Tuomas's nickname given by many Nightwish fans, I think you misread and misunderstood my comment.
@@miskatonic6210 You go ahead and write a bunch of melodies so catchy 70.000 people want to learn them and sing them to you on your shows then. Making simple music that is still good is harder than it looks.
@@miskatonic6210BG lacks complexity?????? Please, write a metal band that is more complex and sounds great… Come on, I’m really curious about your choice ;) Would love to make a discussion about it. The only two bands that might be as complex or even more are Nightwish and Dream Theater. The first one is good, the second one far from that
Hansi (the singer) told in an interview, that they can make a gig without him, because the crowed can sing every song and the have just played the melody. You should check out Finsterwacht from Saltatio Morties. There Hansi sings a part of the song. It's in German but they have very good subtitles. They exists since the mid 80's and belive it or not, Hansi has had very long hair a long time! Their song are often inspirated from fantasy lyric like Tolkins Lord Of The Rings.
Yes, "Finsterwacht" from Saltatio Mortis is really epic, like a short movie with great music and singing (also partly from Hansi Kürsch). The English subtitles are good as m.behrens5332 said before.
These songs have accompanied me since puberty (since 32 years)... They just dont get old! The first 5 CDs from BlindGuardian are very underrated and totally outstanding!!! BTW, they sing about TheLordOfTheRings before PeterJackson made his great Films. ------> 4ever love them🥰 Greets from Germany
Blind Guardian formed in the 80's, and these two songs are hits of theirs from the early 90's. I discovered the band in about 1998, when I decided to look for metal bands outside the most mainstream, and I happened across them first. They like to write songs about fantasy subjects, and in 1998 they released 'Nightfall in Middle Earth', a concept album based upon The Silmarillion. Andre Olbrich is the guitarist, and a founding member along with Hansi. I find Andre's guitar tone to be instantly recognizable, just from a single note. Frederick is their current drummer, fantastic player, though I also loved his predecessor Thomen Stauch. Those were two songs that every Blind Guardian fan can sing along with easily. When I got to hear them live in a small venue, and they played 'Valhalla', the band walked off the stage and turned off the lights, and we in the audience kept singing without them for what felt like 10 minutes before they came back out. If you want to dig deeper into them, I would go with something from their 2022 album, like 'Secrets of the American Gods', which is inspired by the Neil Gaiman fantasy novel.
Bard Song (In The Forest) is such a beautiful piece. Never seen them live, but heard them in metal clubs and we just stood there arm in arm and sang together.
I was once lucky enough to watch a Blind Guardian show here in Brazil and it was the same thing that happened in the song The Bard's Song, it was incredible One song that I think is the band's coolest is Bright Eye
somewhere in that crowd there was a much younger me ^^ that was so chilling and amazing experience, the song is so beautiful and BG is a really og. for a german he is emotional ;)
I've been listening to metal music for my entire life and I know 1 thing for sure: Bard Song is the closes thing we will ever get to a fantasy in music.
If I remember correctly, there was something like 80-90thousand people at the festival when this was recorded, and about all of them were singing along with the band when they performed this. you could hear them from miles away. Not to mention just the general good vibe that everyone here was giving off.
I saw them live several times, fist time was in 1998 and every time the audience was like that...... one of the best live metal bands I have ever seen (and I have seen a lot.....)
I was there and it was fantastic. I´ve seen them multiple times and these two songs are always a highlight. But standing in this crowd, it was a blast!
Speaking for millions of metalheads from all over the world. Blind Guardian is our Taylor Swift and "The Bard´s Song" Is our "Shake It Off" Love from Denmark!
There is a live version of Bard's Song where Hansi sings maybe one line out ouf five. It's almost all the audience, and yes, the experience of being in such a crowd is sublime.
There is the legend that the crowd is still singing valhalla 🙂 If you want more drums listen to "Mirror Mirror" Another Band with crazy fans: Helloween th-cam.com/video/1CqaLqNyFDI/w-d-xo.html
At a concert in NYC they couldn't sing this cause of time restraints. So the crowd sang it, even until we were ushered back from the stage from security. The band just stood amazed as the set was being broken down.
I believe it was 2001 in Istanbul concert. Their performance took around 3-4 hours and crowd was approx. 4000 people. The crowd sang all of the songs the whole concert word by word. I've been to many live performances and never seen anything like that in my life ever again. Up until A night at the Opera album every song they made is incredible and known by the fans word by word, note by note...
Well,....Blind Guardian has been here for a while. Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres. This song ("The Bard's Song") is a must learn, if you want to go to Wacken (Holy Land of METAL) !!! 🤘😎🤘
I read the lyrics one time. Heard the song the 3rd time, (going back to this festival version). I understood the crowd so clearly in every word. I still have goosebums!
ive been listening to guardian since ive been 13years old, im 35 now, and ive missed all but one live performance of them in their and my hometown of Krefeld. everytime they come here, its a sold out performance. you should definetely check some more of their songs out, especially the newest album and some of their older stuff, like the somewhere far beyond album or the lord of the ring stuff.
Hi Stacey, Blind Guardian is in the german speaking area and in japan a garant for metal at its best since the late 1980. so all we metalheads in germany and austria grew up with blind guardian. they are located in speed metal or power metal with wonderful melancholic and heroic parts. some would call it "old metal" in the 1990s the look like real metal heads. leather and long hais :) thanks for your reaction! greatings from austria
These 2 songs are the most iconic jams to blind guardian's fan as you can see on this video they're power speed metal band and has been around since a long time ago one of the pioneers of this metal subgenre I'll recommend you listen to the entire "nightfall in middle earth" album if you enjoy Tolkien work.
If you listen to this and don't get emotional, you're broken on the inside. This performance is absolutely why attending Wacken is #1 on my bucket list.
Hi Stacey! Keep in mind that this song was released in early 90s. When metalheads knew about Tolkien, dwarves, hobbits and elves they were looking at us as we were aliens! And then...came Hollywood! Since you like learning new things I"ll be glad to join my new website, coming on October, where you may listen to metal music...diffetently! Cheers and❤ from Greece!
I would say Hollywood pretty much ruined everything with the Lotr movies and stuff. Luckily there are always Peter Jackson's older movies available. The ones "normal people" hate.
Looking forward to see them this saturday in Koblenz. Blind Guardian allways delivers top live performances and the chemistry with the crowd is allways amazing.
What Hansi is saying at the start (roughly translated, I'm Belgian not German): "We would love to let you shout some more but our time is limited. That time we will spend on music. I think most of you know what’s coming next. It was already legendary here (in Wacken). I have a feeling that this will be the icing on the cake. Let’s sing The Bard Song."
Blind Guardian fans have always belted out the songs, even before they were popular. Like in this clip from '92, when they usually drew a few hundred people at best: th-cam.com/video/IGorj_buhBo/w-d-xo.html The closest thing I've ever had to a religious experience was when I saw them live in a venue that seated 200 or so back in '03. When half of the crowd sings the same song you're just kind of drawn into it, and start singing yourself, even when you don't know any of the lyrics.
You should listen to "Harvest of Sorrow". It's been played in at least 4 different languages (possibly 5). t's very impressive to see a song that can be translated that much and still keep the lyrical meaning and the timing across all those languages. 1) English: “Harvest of Sorrow” - Album: Nightfall in Middle-Earth 2) Spanish: “Mies Del Dolor” and “La Cosecha Del Dolor” - Album: A Night at the Opera 3) Italian: “Frutto Del Buio” - Album: A Night at the Opera 4) French: “Moisson de Peine” - Album: A Night at the Opera 5) Mixed: “Harvest of the World” (a mix of all of the versions except the English acoustic and Italian) - Album: A Night at the Opera And I'm fairly sure there's a German version as well, but I don't see it on any album track listings in the U.S., might have been a B-side / Bonus track, or maybe a bootleg from a different show. If anyone knows, I wouldn't mind a reply with the info.
Their first drummer Thomen left the band in 2005. He was one of the best drummers that ever played in a Metal band and they had to pause for a while to find somebody who was just as good or better. Frederik is a lot younger than the rest of the band, but they still gave him a chance and it worked out great.
Yes. This is just normal for a Blind Guardian concert. Saw them at the request of my 16 year old son a couple of weeks ago, and had no idea what I was getting into. It's amazing.
I cannot wait to sing this sunday! Check out my favourite Blind Guardian songs (some will be requested a lot, some get a little forgotten): Fly, Time Stands Still (At The Iron Hill), Into The Storm, Blood Of The Elves, Imaginations From The Other Side and Bright Eyes. Yes it is normal to sing the Bard's Song, sing Valhalla's chorus and to shout for Majesty at a Blind Guardian concert.
"How is he not emotional, is this just what a Blind Guardian concert entails?" As a matter of fact, it is. The crowd singing to "The Bard's Song" has been a staple of BG shows for many years. For a similar experience, check out any live recording of "Goldilox" by King's X. In fact, just check out King's X, you'll thank me for it. ;)
the funny thing people miss about this crowd singing like this is that this isn't even a blind guardian concert. this is a week long festival that blind guardian performed in and yet still the whole crowd could sing their song like they came just to see them
Yes, every Guardian is like this, just different crowd sizes depending on venue. Best ones are the sub-200 people ones IMO. But, at Wacken, we are an army banging on the gates of Valhalla. Oh, and as for nerd street cred, BG have an album that is basically a metal retelling of The Silmarillion (and it's a fucking banger).
This today selection is one of the best for sure. The bard's song is no a song, it's an hymn. And the main guitarist won a place in the top 75 (not 100) of the best metal guitarist. Love your Iron Maiden reaction, but i was really waiting for this one. Like a french guy i can suggest "Indochine - l'aventurier" or "j'ai demandé la lune".
![ROADIE REACTIONS | Blind Guardian - "The Bard's Song/Valhalla (Live)" [FIRST TIME EVER LISTENING]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MPZxwKTZ43E/mqdefault.jpg)
The June lottery will open up June 1st! To participate, please be sure to join the Patreon as a VIP member! The lottery happens every month and it is a chance for you to have your song request reacted to by me GUARENTEED if you win!! The link to the Patreon is in the description box!
If you want more of Hansi and also a new band PLEASE react to "Saltatio Mortis x Blind Guardian - Finsterwacht" You wont regret it.
Another great crowd interaction: "Megadeth - Symphony of Destruction (That one night in Buenos Aires)"
You want to go to "Wacken Open Air" in Wacken Germany, where more cows live than humans. At least most of the year until the first weekend in August and the 3 days before then it suddenly turns into metal village. But you need to be quick, it sold out in hours the last few years. But it will get live streamed by T-Online they partnered with the wacken team.
Guinea Pigs love to surf at midnight when the water is chilling hot
This is basically the national anthem for metal heads and Wacken is the Capitol city 😊
Hansi looks like proud dad when he watches and smiles to audience 😄🤘 Awesome singer 🤘
Hansi ist ein Legend. Truly one of the most inspiring metal singers in the world, he's on par with DIO, and even if Blind Guardian isn't as popular as many other metal bands, no true metal fan can say that they haven't heard the Bard's song at least like 50 times.
afaik he IS a proud dad. 😂
awesome person too
To the question "why's he not emotional"....look at his smile, those are big emotions for a German xD
this.
Legend says that you are not allowed to enter the Wacken festival unless you can sing The Bard's Song on demand.
The reality is that you can still enter, but when you leave you WILL know the song.
The legend says you'll sing the bard's song even if you don't know it
The one time Blind Guardian was not at Wacken, they played a section of the Bard's song on a big screen and people stopped what they were doing, started singing it to the finish, then went back to doing what they were doing before.
Yep, gotta love the Wacken crowd. Epic, every single year. 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Blind Guardian was formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres. And, as you guessed already, this is how most - if not all - of the concerts look alike. They mention Helloween, Iron Maiden, and Metallica (amongst others) as their influences. I personally find it also very noteworthy that the lineup is almost the original one, from when they formed. They are still going strong, being on tour, and it is said that they are working on a new album, which might come out in the next one or two years. On a sidenote: I don't have the exact number, but the crowd there is something around 70,000 people.
As you maybe can tell, Blind Guardian is very dear to me, I've grown up to Blind Guardian, it's probably the band I've listened to continuously the most. "The Bard's Song" is also the funeral song of one of my best friends, which unfortunately passed away too early.
Its Wacken. If i recall, in 2013 during the Nightwish concert, there were 82.000 audience. So probably something similar here :)
Damn, the line "In a world far away, we may meet again", must have hit hard at your friends funeral. It's a beautiful choice.
Since 2011, 85,000 tickets have been sold each year (with a 3-digit fluctuation, excluding the pandemic, excluding the flood last year). There are also another 15,000 visitors to the village itself. They weren't here.
My condolences, my friend! Blind Guardian is also a band I grew up with and I really love them.
Gruß aus dem Ruhrgebiet! ✌🏼
„Singt uns von der Bühne“ direct translated „sing us out of the Stage“. The Bard song is the anthem of the heart of the Wacken open air. Wacken is a small village in the north of Germany where one week at the end of July meet 85000 metalheads from all over the world. The open air has over30 years of experience.
the legend says that the crowd still sings until Wacken ends forever. Great reaction. Blind guardian and especially the Bards song is always a piece of childhood for me.
greets from germany
Not a legend, it is the truth. I am the evidence: still singing in 2024 🤪
As a metalhead in germany knowing "The Bard's Song" is mandatory. ;)
I cannot wait to sing it this sunday! I am so excited to finally see them live! I have my Somewhere Far Beyond hoodie ready and my recently gifted Nightfall In Middle Earth shirt ready. I might wear my Witcher amulet but I am still very unsure about that.
@@alexdoorn234Have fun. It's going to be awesome. I am not the metal fashion police so wear whatever you feel like and have a great evening.
@@waldmeister0815 I was going to wear my Witcher shirt but then my internship gave me a shirt of my favourite album. I am still debating if I should wear my Witcher amulet instead, I am at least going to wear my Ayreon necklace.
two more songs for us germans are mandatory too. Valhalla, and Rebellion
Korrekt ^^
Living legends ! 🫶🎶🤘🔥
When going home to your tent at Night after a long day of Concerts at Wacken Open Air, you can from time to time hear people sing these Songs from the tents...even if Blind Guardian are not a part of the Festival.
Legends say on silent winter nights at the snow covered acre in Wacken you can still hear the crowd singing the bards song.
❤
As a musician, i cant even begin to describe just how incredibly powerful and emotional it can be to stand on the stage and have a response from the audience like that.
There is something truly magical about music and how it brings people together in unison.
And i'm pretty sure he chooses to let the audience sing so much because even as professional singers, we can get emotional and it does affect our ability to sing properly to some extent.
Crowds like this makes me emotional!
The power of so many voices in unison is very special.
Yeah, it's gotta be an insane feeling to have, what?, 80,000 people singing your song back to you?
@@sugoruyo To have some random people you have never met before connect with and love the thing you have created with passion from the heart and soul, yeah that is some really unparalleled experience.
There are some live versions of this song where Hansi sings like 10 words total of the song, I think in the version from Imaginations Through The Looking Glass is one of them.
Oh damn - Blind Guardian. Didn't expect this.
Some context - this was filmed at Wacken Open Air, one of the world's largest heavy metal festivals. Blind Guardian are a staple of heavy metal from Germany and Europe and have been for decades.
As you can see the crowd loves them and they make awesome music. The Bard's Song is one of heavy metals best ballads and one of my favorite songs ( was also "our song" of an ex of mine).
You are correct about the love in the metal community. We're like one big family and concerts are just better versions of your typical family reunions.
Most other large music events have multiple fights on a regular basis. Metal heads rarely get into fights at shows, and when they do, security is rarely needed because everyone else comes together to end it quickly. Truly some of the best people you will ever meet.
Yeah, a few years back at OzzFest, someone had a medical emergency, and the crowd actually crow-surfed EMS to the person in under a minute. There was no other way through the crowd, but the logistics of steering someone was pretty mind-bending. I've never seen a crowd work that quickly in unison before, and this was unprompted, out of the blue, and everyone knew what to do. I still don't know what the emergency was, I heard someone fell, but also a possible allergy issue. But the person was alright, so whatever it was, it seems to have worked out.
I also caught Maiden during the Brave New World tour, Tickets were only $25 back then, but sold out instantly. I went anyway to see if there would be a scalper I could buy from. Dude wanted $85 a ticket. A crowd of guys overheard, and intervened... "Nah man, don't pay him shit... come with us", and I had a huddle of 15 people around me as we went through the gate, so it was easy to sneak in for free. I don't mind gate-crashing if it's sold out, since the band has made maximum potential profit on the show anyway. The only one who lost anything was the scalper.
Metal heads have each other's backs in all kinds of situations.
I feel like the pits also help with this. In the pit you watch and help each other if something happens, that because you want that others help you when needed.
But i have to say the bard’s song is just one of those songs that live makes you feel like everyone near you is your friend.
im on wacken nearly every year (ist just 200km from where i live) and i can only confirm that, never had any trouble on the contrary i made really good friends with ppl from all around the world, last year i visited my man in japan (who i met at wacken in 2017 we stayed in contact to talk and gamed and last year i was invited, bro showed me japan)
but my can opener gets stolen every time xD
When the crowd sings your songs with such enthusiasm, there's not much more to achieve as a musician (imo).
Those are are legends!
I'm one of the biggest Maiden Fans in earth but I have to say, Blind Guardians crowd interaction is on absolute different Level of its own. Blind Guardian has the most acurate singing crowd on earth, it's more like a big coir. And it's always funny to See how professinal singers react to the voice of the frontman.
I stood in this Wacken-Bard's Song-crowd some years before and it was one of the most overwhelming moments of my life (only the birth of my daugther can compete). Even after about 15 years the memory leads to goosebumps and send tears in my eyes.
the crazy thing its not even a "BG" concert.. its a festival but everyone can sing the songs!
They're a top german band, on german ground, with a mainly german audience...it's only expected
The one time they could not make it to Wacken, they played the song over the loudspeakers and the whole festival sang it.
@@alexandremaireno-ni4ec Nah, Blind Guardian can tour anywhere in the world, and everyone would know the lyrics to The Bard's Song.
This was at Wacken Open Air 2016, where 84500 visitors were in attendance, and this was on the main stage where the majority of those people fit in front of. And I didn't see a lot of empty space. So if there weren't 60000 then call it 50000 people, all gathered there, who almost universally know the song by heart well enough to sing along. Largely in tune and in time. Hansi, the man with the mic, was honestly mostly superfluous to the proceedings. What greater accomplishment could a musician aspire to, than to have your music so ingrained in the souls of so many people? And this is off an album that is over 30 years old (released june 30th 1992). Therefore I confidently dare call it a truly timeless classic.
There was this one spot around the second row of bars. It was basically a "lake", and nobody really stood there. I was just in front of that lake, could probably have fit some 200 people more if it hadn't been there :P But yeah 50k people for sure.
After 40 years they are still rockin hard. Their most recent album still has the energy that the first albums had. Explore more! they have a massive discography.
Blind Guardian from Germany are part of the European 'power metal' genre that is defined by high range vocals, fast double bass tempos and lyrics based on fantasy fiction (Tolkien books being an inspiration) from medieval times & battles... swords & sorcery... dragons & wizards... fantasy voyages... etc. Usually, the songs have catchy choruses that metal fans can sing along to...
Formed in 1984 in (West) Germany, Blind Guardian was originally named Lucifer's Heritage... They renamed themselves after the 1986 album 'Awaken the Guardian' by Fates Warning, one of the underrated American metal bands... Blind Guardian were signed in 1988 and debuted w/ 'Battalions of Fear'... They hoped to follow the careers of German bands like Helloween ... Running Wild ... Grave Digger... as heavy metal was exploding in popularity in the 80's... The band consisted of Hansi Kursch (vocals), Marcus Siepen (guitar), Andre Olbrich (lead guitar) and Thomas Stauch (drums)... Hansi Kursch played bass but eventually wanted to be the band's frontman and Blind Guardian eventually hired a live bass player.
2nd album 'Follow the blind' was released in 1989... 'Valhalla' was a song from the record. But Blind Guardian was not seeing their records being distributed outside of Europe... 3rd album 'Tales from the Twilight World' in 1990 incorporated more folk and classical influences into their music.
Signing w/ Virgin Records in Europe, Blind Guardian released 4th album 'Somewhere far beyond' in 1992 ("The Bard's song: In the forest" was from this record) and toured Japan for the first time, releasing the live album 'Tokyo Tales' in 1993. However, the 90's brought about the decline in popularity of the heavy metal genre and power metal bands like Helloween, Gamma Ray and others were left without any American distribution for years.
5th album 'Imaginations from the other side' in 1995 was produced by Metallica producer Flemming Rasmussen and became their most successful record to that point.
Blind Guardian finally scored worldwide distribution of their albums w/ Century Media Records which released their 1998 concept album 'Nightfall in Middle Earth' in 1998... and their past catalog in America... It produced some of their popular songs - 'Mirror mirror' ... 'Nightfall'... 'Into the storm'... They also began touring the US after the 2002 album 'A night at the opera'... and the subsequent double live album 'Blind Guardian Live' in 2003... The band parted ways w/ drummer Thomas Stauch and hired Frederik Ehmke (drums) ... Blind Guardian toured using session bassists and keyboardists on the road.
'A twist in the Myth' was released in 2006 and Blind Guardian were actively touring the US as well as Europe and Asia as headliners... 'At the Edge of Time' was released in 2010... and record sales continued to grow for the band. Their 10th album 'Beyond the Red Mirror' was released in 2015 and was another successful metal release.
In 2019, Blind Guardian completed and released an orchestral album 'Legacy of the Dark Lands'... and performed w/ the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
Their latest (and 12th) studio 'The God Machine' was released in 2022 and Blind Guardian just completed a US tour in 2024 and r still on tour.
I love seeing the reactions to this. I was there that year, and singing in unison with the whole audience is an experience that has stuck in my heart, I get emotional just remembering it. Good times.
The singer Hansi Kürsch is also called "The Bard" for his voice and his lyrics just like Tuomas Holopainen from Nightwish is called "Metal Mozart" for his compositions.
Some Blind Guardian suggestions:
- "A Past and Future Secret" from the album "Imaginations from the other Side" from 1995;
- "Nightfall" and "Mirror, Mirror" from their album "Nightfall in Middle Earth" from 1998 that was inspired by J.R.R. Tolkiens book "The Silmarillion";
- "Sacred Worlds" (Official Video), the video is the final reward when you successfully finish a side quest-chain in the video game "Sacred 2: Fallen Angel" released in 2008 (not the best graphics quality though as it is 16 years old now);
- "Deliver us from Evil" or "Secrets of the American Gods" are two more recent songs from the album "The God Machine" from 2022.
Calling Tuomas Metal Mozart is pathetic. Calling this guy Metal Mozart...wow...Blind Guardian lacks ANY complexity, even for metal standards it's as simple as can be. It's power metal ffs.
@@miskatonic6210 I said Hansi is called "The Bard" as a nickname because he is able to tell these stories in the songs just as a medieval bard did traveling from village to village spreadng news and stories. "Metal Mozart" is Tuomas's nickname given by many Nightwish fans, I think you misread and misunderstood my comment.
@@miskatonic6210 You go ahead and write a bunch of melodies so catchy 70.000 people want to learn them and sing them to you on your shows then. Making simple music that is still good is harder than it looks.
@@miskatonic6210BG lacks complexity?????? Please, write a metal band that is more complex and sounds great… Come on, I’m really curious about your choice ;) Would love to make a discussion about it. The only two bands that might be as complex or even more are Nightwish and Dream Theater. The first one is good, the second one far from that
Hansi (the singer) told in an interview, that they can make a gig without him, because the crowed can sing every song and the have just played the melody. You should check out Finsterwacht from Saltatio Morties. There Hansi sings a part of the song. It's in German but they have very good subtitles.
They exists since the mid 80's and belive it or not, Hansi has had very long hair a long time! Their song are often inspirated from fantasy lyric like Tolkins Lord Of The Rings.
Yes, "Finsterwacht" from Saltatio Mortis is really epic, like a short movie with great music and singing (also partly from Hansi Kürsch). The English subtitles are good as m.behrens5332 said before.
These songs have accompanied me since puberty (since 32 years)... They just dont get old!
The first 5 CDs from BlindGuardian are very underrated and totally outstanding!!! BTW, they sing about TheLordOfTheRings before PeterJackson made his great Films. ------> 4ever love them🥰 Greets from Germany
Blind Guardian formed in the 80's, and these two songs are hits of theirs from the early 90's. I discovered the band in about 1998, when I decided to look for metal bands outside the most mainstream, and I happened across them first. They like to write songs about fantasy subjects, and in 1998 they released 'Nightfall in Middle Earth', a concept album based upon The Silmarillion.
Andre Olbrich is the guitarist, and a founding member along with Hansi. I find Andre's guitar tone to be instantly recognizable, just from a single note. Frederick is their current drummer, fantastic player, though I also loved his predecessor Thomen Stauch.
Those were two songs that every Blind Guardian fan can sing along with easily. When I got to hear them live in a small venue, and they played 'Valhalla', the band walked off the stage and turned off the lights, and we in the audience kept singing without them for what felt like 10 minutes before they came back out.
If you want to dig deeper into them, I would go with something from their 2022 album, like 'Secrets of the American Gods', which is inspired by the Neil Gaiman fantasy novel.
I saw them a couple weeks ago and it is so magical being a part of the crowd singing The Bard's Song.
Bard Song (In The Forest) is such a beautiful piece. Never seen them live, but heard them in metal clubs and we just stood there arm in arm and sang together.
ghoose bumps! I was there at Wacken that time. 80.000people singing along was amazing
I was once lucky enough to watch a Blind Guardian show here in Brazil and it was the same thing that happened in the song The Bard's Song, it was incredible
One song that I think is the band's coolest is Bright Eye
somewhere in that crowd there was a much younger me ^^
that was so chilling and amazing experience, the song is so beautiful and BG is a really og.
for a german he is emotional ;)
I've been listening to metal music for my entire life and I know 1 thing for sure: Bard Song is the closes thing we will ever get to a fantasy in music.
If I remember correctly, there was something like 80-90thousand people at the festival when this was recorded, and about all of them were singing along with the band when they performed this. you could hear them from miles away. Not to mention just the general good vibe that everyone here was giving off.
Fan since 1984. I remember going to school with them blasting on my Sony tape player in the bus.
The memories .. been fan for 40 years now haha
I saw them live several times, fist time was in 1998 and every time the audience was like that...... one of the best live metal bands I have ever seen (and I have seen a lot.....)
i just saw them live a few days ago. it was fantastic and singing the bards song with the crowd is a fantastic experience
One of the greatest experiences in life. Right in the middle of this crowd.
I was there and it was fantastic. I´ve seen them multiple times and these two songs are always a highlight. But standing in this crowd, it was a blast!
Speaking for millions of metalheads from all over the world. Blind Guardian is our Taylor Swift and "The Bard´s Song" Is our "Shake It Off"
Love from Denmark!
Taylor Swift sucks
I saw them live in Denver a few weeks ago. They always play these 2 songs, and we always love them.
Such a legendary band, I see them live last year and the Bard's Song was again sung almost entirely by the crowd
There is a live version of Bard's Song where Hansi sings maybe one line out ouf five. It's almost all the audience, and yes, the experience of being in such a crowd is sublime.
There is the legend that the crowd is still singing valhalla 🙂
If you want more drums listen to "Mirror Mirror"
Another Band with crazy fans: Helloween th-cam.com/video/1CqaLqNyFDI/w-d-xo.html
At a concert in NYC they couldn't sing this cause of time restraints. So the crowd sang it, even until we were ushered back from the stage from security. The band just stood amazed as the set was being broken down.
I get goosebumps everytime i watch this Performance
I believe it was 2001 in Istanbul concert. Their performance took around 3-4 hours and crowd was approx. 4000 people. The crowd sang all of the songs the whole concert word by word. I've been to many live performances and never seen anything like that in my life ever again.
Up until A night at the Opera album every song they made is incredible and known by the fans word by word, note by note...
Love this version. Love to see them live someday
Well,....Blind Guardian has been here for a while.
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany.
They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres.
This song ("The Bard's Song") is a must learn, if you want to go to Wacken (Holy Land of METAL) !!!
🤘😎🤘
I read the lyrics one time. Heard the song the 3rd time, (going back to this festival version).
I understood the crowd so clearly in every word.
I still have goosebums!
Legends of Power Metal!
ive been listening to guardian since ive been 13years old, im 35 now, and ive missed all but one live performance of them in their and my hometown of Krefeld. everytime they come here, its a sold out performance.
you should definetely check some more of their songs out, especially the newest album and some of their older stuff, like the somewhere far beyond album or the lord of the ring stuff.
If you talk about German Metal Bands,HELLOWEEN is a MUST next ! For Example Halloween" or "Keeper of the Seven Keys" Reunion Concert Live !
And Then There Was Silence..from A Night At The Opera
Hi Stacey, Blind Guardian is in the german speaking area and in japan a garant for metal at its best since the late 1980. so all we metalheads in germany and austria grew up with blind guardian. they are located in speed metal or power metal with wonderful melancholic and heroic parts. some would call it "old metal" in the 1990s the look like real metal heads. leather and long hais :) thanks for your reaction! greatings from austria
If I could, I would give it a thousand thumbs up.
I was in a Blind Guardian concert in my hometown in Brazil in 2002, the energy was the same... Amazing as always.
These 2 songs are the most iconic jams to blind guardian's fan as you can see on this video they're power speed metal band and has been around since a long time ago one of the pioneers of this metal subgenre I'll recommend you listen to the entire "nightfall in middle earth" album if you enjoy Tolkien work.
Yes, thats a BG concert! I'm frome Brasil! Same thing! Amazing
The bass player goes off in this video when you watch the Valhalla segment he goes nuts on the bass guitar
I have seen this twice it allways gets me
If you listen to this and don't get emotional, you're broken on the inside. This performance is absolutely why attending Wacken is #1 on my bucket list.
Gracias !!! Good reaction !! SDS desde Chile 🇨🇱 preciosa 🎸 🙋❤️❤️🎸
Hi Stacey! Keep in mind that this song was released in early 90s. When metalheads knew about Tolkien, dwarves, hobbits and elves they were looking at us as we were aliens! And then...came Hollywood! Since you like learning new things I"ll be glad to join my new website, coming on October, where you may listen to metal music...diffetently! Cheers and❤ from Greece!
I would say Hollywood pretty much ruined everything with the Lotr movies and stuff.
Luckily there are always Peter Jackson's older movies available. The ones "normal people" hate.
When you asked what he said around 16:50 - "Looks cool, sounds cool" roughly translated. At around 19:30 - "Sweep us from the stage"
Looking forward to see them this saturday in Koblenz.
Blind Guardian allways delivers top live performances and the chemistry with the crowd is allways amazing.
You nailed the Iron Maiden comparison- made me think immediately of Iron Maiden. Awesome audience/crowd participation
Their audience starts singing their songs before they get on stage. Blind guardian are the shadow king of metal.
Absolute Classic!!! On the holy Ground! And yes- Metalheads are top!
I have taken in this anthem so many times and every time it gives me chills, Danke Hansi 🤘🤘🤘
What Hansi is saying at the start (roughly translated, I'm Belgian not German): "We would love to let you shout some more but our time is limited. That time we will spend on music. I think most of you know what’s coming next. It was already legendary here (in Wacken). I have a feeling that this will be the icing on the cake. Let’s sing The Bard Song."
One of my favorites band .. THANK YOU 🤘🤘🤘🤘💥
This reaction remind me my first Blind Guardian concert in Florence! 🤘
Cheers from Italy🇮🇹
Leyends say that the crown still singing ❤
Blind Guardian fans have always belted out the songs, even before they were popular. Like in this clip from '92, when they usually drew a few hundred people at best:
th-cam.com/video/IGorj_buhBo/w-d-xo.html
The closest thing I've ever had to a religious experience was when I saw them live in a venue that seated 200 or so back in '03. When half of the crowd sings the same song you're just kind of drawn into it, and start singing yourself, even when you don't know any of the lyrics.
They are on tour in the US/Canada right now
You should listen to "Harvest of Sorrow".
It's been played in at least 4 different languages (possibly 5). t's very impressive to see a song that can be translated that much and still keep the lyrical meaning and the timing across all those languages.
1) English: “Harvest of Sorrow” - Album: Nightfall in Middle-Earth
2) Spanish: “Mies Del Dolor” and “La Cosecha Del Dolor” - Album: A Night at the Opera
3) Italian: “Frutto Del Buio” - Album: A Night at the Opera
4) French: “Moisson de Peine” - Album: A Night at the Opera
5) Mixed: “Harvest of the World” (a mix of all of the versions except the English acoustic and Italian) - Album: A Night at the Opera
And I'm fairly sure there's a German version as well, but I don't see it on any album track listings in the U.S., might have been a B-side / Bonus track, or maybe a bootleg from a different show. If anyone knows, I wouldn't mind a reply with the info.
Every single Blind Guardian must know every single word of Bard's song lyrics. It is rule number 1
Hope to see Guardian (again) this saturday 25.5. @ Festung Ehrenbreitstein in Koblenz Germany. Thank you Stacey.
This is the perfect moment to suggest Saltatio Mortis "Finsterwacht" - it features Hansi on guest vocals.
Legend says You still can here the Crowd Sing at Night ;-)
#truestory
Legend has it that you can still hear them chanting when walking the Wacken grounds
Bonechilling Evening 🤘🏻
i remember when Blind Guardian had a Easter Egg in the game Sacred 2 and that's how i discovered them
The Bard's Song is a Metal Classic. It is probably among all Metal Songs, the one most people know the lyrics to.
I saw them that year and it was glorious! I can just recommend to watch them live!
Their first drummer Thomen left the band in 2005. He was one of the best drummers that ever played in a Metal band and they had to pause for a while to find somebody who was just as good or better. Frederik is a lot younger than the rest of the band, but they still gave him a chance and it worked out great.
This song was already legendary when I was in school >30y ago, it must be the most loved song of them
Yes. This is just normal for a Blind Guardian concert. Saw them at the request of my 16 year old son a couple of weeks ago, and had no idea what I was getting into. It's amazing.
been alive 48 summers, first time knowing about this band
Then dive into this loophole
Totally worth checking them out
I cannot wait to sing this sunday! Check out my favourite Blind Guardian songs (some will be requested a lot, some get a little forgotten): Fly, Time Stands Still (At The Iron Hill), Into The Storm, Blood Of The Elves, Imaginations From The Other Side and Bright Eyes. Yes it is normal to sing the Bard's Song, sing Valhalla's chorus and to shout for Majesty at a Blind Guardian concert.
"How is he not emotional, is this just what a Blind Guardian concert entails?"
As a matter of fact, it is. The crowd singing to "The Bard's Song" has been a staple of BG shows for many years. For a similar experience, check out any live recording of "Goldilox" by King's X. In fact, just check out King's X, you'll thank me for it. ;)
Identifying Hansi as "That guy from Ayreon" is like identifying Michael Jordan as "That guy from Space Jam" 🤣
And yes, indeed: this is every concert.
saw these guys live a few weeks ago, was an incredible show
more like this is mirror mirror live for you
They most ambitious concept album is Nightfall in Middle-Earth (JRR Tolkien based story). BG is well-known as one of the pioneer of Power Metal scene.
the funny thing people miss about this crowd singing like this is that this isn't even a blind guardian concert. this is a week long festival that blind guardian performed in and yet still the whole crowd could sing their song like they came just to see them
I forgot I had Bard's Song on my Spotify playlist until I heard it a couple days ago
you dont go to a blind guardian concert to hear bard's song, you go there to sing it :)
it's quite the experience
Yes, every Guardian is like this, just different crowd sizes depending on venue. Best ones are the sub-200 people ones IMO. But, at Wacken, we are an army banging on the gates of Valhalla.
Oh, and as for nerd street cred, BG have an album that is basically a metal retelling of The Silmarillion (and it's a fucking banger).
This today selection is one of the best for sure. The bard's song is no a song, it's an hymn. And the main guitarist won a place in the top 75 (not 100) of the best metal guitarist. Love your Iron Maiden reaction, but i was really waiting for this one. Like a french guy i can suggest "Indochine - l'aventurier" or "j'ai demandé la lune".