Finally something new and not just a little bit. First the second game of the Euregio Cup of the GEC Ritter Nordhorn against the only left over team the Heerenveen Flyers 2 took place. After the leaving of Gijs Bears Groningen Heerenveen and Nordhorn agreed on continuing the tournament with a best of three. The first game the Ritter lost at Heerenveen narrowly and could now egalize the series by winning 4:1 in a exciting game. Only one week later the EHC Grizzly Adams Juniors Wolfsburg were guests of the next Regionalliga Nord game. Against very inconvenient playing opponents the Ritter could finally keep the points at home with a 6:1 final score.
Finally the Euregio-Cup at Nordhorn should start and with the Dutch second division team Gijs Bears Groningen an opponent at the same level arrived. But it was only a very short evening because during the second third the Groningen players left the ice without any reason and left back angry Nordhorn fans. How the Euregio Cup will proceed has to be decided later but the behaviour of the Groningen players was really inexcusable.
On 28.12.2011 the "Beginning Of Time" tour stopped at the Hyde-Park at Osnabrück. With them the Finns had not only their new album but also many old songs enthusing the people in front of the stage. Beside them to warm up the crowd the two bands The Man-Eating Tree and Leprous were joining them but both could not completely satisfy the audience at the well filled club.
Although the Metropool was sold out the hall filled very unhurriedly like it is usual at the Netherlands. So there weren't many people around when the support act Crimes Of Passion opened the evening. But those who were there did not regret that. Very nice classical heavy metal was presented and afterwards it should even get better.
Although it took a little longer now finally the last bands of this years Metal Female Voices Fest are online. These are the bands from Sunday starting with Triosphere who just like on the Wacken Open Air presented a really good show. Afterwards the musicians of System Divide were the ones heating up the crowd in front of the stage before it was getting something more calm with Midnattsol. Also the gigs of Stream Of Passion and Draconian were exciting the audience before it was getting to the main act of the day.
Although the Nordhorn team had to play their home game with a heavily restricted number of players against the guests from Celle they did not offer them faintly a chance from beginning to end of the game. In front of 999 visitors they fastened the lead in their division and won the game undoubtfull with 9:1.
Another five bands are now online. Among them are also the two headliner of Saturday evening: Leaves' Eyes and Doro. Furthermore the first three bands of Sunday: Diary About My Nightmares, Operatika and VelvetSeal.
On Wednesday it finally was the day that the concert originally planned for March with Within Temptation was caught up on. At the sold-out E-Werk Anneke van Giersbergen with her band was to heat up the audience before at round about 21:00 Sharon den Adel with her guys entered the stage. A great evening also compensating for the disappointing First Challenge.
As I am currently work-related heavily bound I am not able to make progress as expected but nevertheless I at least was able to finish the first part of Saturday.
Because of the not very promising line-up I first travelled to Belgium with mixed feelings just to be disabused. The situation on the camping ground had improved compared to the previous years as sanitary installations were much better and also a container where you could take a shower was available. Unfortunately the cow pasture (this year it was again a different one due to the swamp desaster of last year) still was a big mess.