ROADIE REACTIONS | Blind Guardian - "The Bard's Song/Valhalla (Live)" [FIRST TIME EVER LISTENING]

[@mausewix]

The most memorable moment was a Wacken Festival that Blind Guardian wasn't there. The Bard's Song was played briefly on the video wall and 70,000 people suddenly stopped, paused and began to sing the song. Complete. Only then did everyone go their own way again. That was magical.

[@jivitasvideo]

I was there. This was insane and my absolute best wacken moment.

[@caro11_elf]

i was there, it was AWESOME!

[@user-vd5vu8lx3d]

is there any video of this awesome moment?

[@caro11_elf]

I'm not really sure what year that was to be honest...and since it happened out of the blue, i didn't even think about pulling my phone out. A couple of years ago, cell reception on the infield was still really bad, if non-existent, so there usually was no point in having your phone with you anyway... so at least for me it was a "enjoy the moment" kind of thing...

[@mausewix]

@@caro11_elf Yes man thats exactly what happened. to be honest, we did it like kid rock said, sippin whiskey, smoking funny things if you know what i mean. Remembering things from this time is, lets say, not so easy. At night at the camping grounds a random metalhead, drunk as shit, was standing somewhere on the field and yelled VALHAAAALAAAAAA. Take a guess what happened. Good times, at least 10 years away.

[@SkMrFusion123]

Funfact: There is a Train that goes through all of germany, collecting people to bring them to this festival. People started the valhalla chant on that train...

[@TankTheTech]

That's amazing!

[@Always-fd7pk]

I was on that train in 2005, it was SO much fun!

[@JuanWonOne]

@@BOOMBiggityBam dude good call! There is alot of songs off that album that are good. Dorian is Tied for first. Immigrant song and terror train are the others. The whole album is great if you read the dark tower series.

[@BOOMBiggityBam]

@@JuanWonOne yup! I read the books ages ago so when this album came out I was so stoked and not one song has disappointed!

[@Wotsefaqq]

@@mikemcchesney2555 Dude, WTF is wrong with you?

[@TheFrugalVideoGamer]

"The Bard's Song" is the pinnacle of a band's achievement - when you can let the audience take over the vocals for you without *any* instruction, you know you've made it.

[@thedriver133]

One of my long time fav band.

[@mrolsen6987]

It's so funny to watch every "reactor" react to the bard's song, the look in their eyes 30sec in when they realize that they are not reacting to the band, they are reacting to the crowd😂👍 Cheers from Northern Sweden 🍻

[@ArcienPlaysGames]

It's this, and that high note towards the end. So much fun to watch haha

[@HDreamer]

Hansi actually singing a lot of it in this clip, I've seen him do less. xD

[@juanselainez9828]

Teaching English at a third elementary class, made my kids sing "The Bard´s Song". They loved it. Many years have passed, they still remember.

[@kaynhhunch1270]

Hansi has one of the most recognizable voices in metal. He is a great vocalist. During The Bard's Song he usually has not much work to do. :)

[@clayjf]

I love Hansi

[@BOOMBiggityBam]

you absolutely can't mistake his vocals! He is just so unique.

[@TremereTT]

Ya The Bard's song is lazy time for him...

[@Draztikus]

Hansi is God

[@Jilhoa1]

I believe Arjen Lucassen describes it this way: "As if he roaring from atop a mountain"

[@Wackenlivesforever]

Y'know, I was in the crowd at that concert and The Bard's Song is like their hymn. Everybody who knows Blind Guardian knows this song and pretty much the entire crowd sang it. The band don't even have to sing it, just a few notes and all will be done by the crowd. Also the Valhalla chant goes far beyond their gig. I remember people still singing it 30 minutes after the band finished. It was an amazing night there. Keep up the good content buddy. You're one of the best "metal reactors" out there. :)

[@TankTheTech]

That is amazing. I HAVE to see these guys live. Thanks for the kind comments, man!

[@rickychau7687]

@@TankTheTech They are amazing live. I'm seen them twice in the Bay Area and we all know the words to all of their songs.

[@Wackenlivesforever]

@@TankTheTech You're welcome dude. Also I forgot some things: 1. Yes, they were headling. As usual in Wacken (and most other german festivals) the headliner plays "usually" 10pm - midnight. In Wacken day day goes up until 3am, so 2-3 other bands were after this gig. 2. Blind guardian songs are difficult, If you want fun songs, go check out their covers of for example "surfin usa" oder "barbara-ann". But personally I like nearly everthing. They have an entire album about LotR. Also "Nightfall" or "Mirror Mirror" have amazing live videos to check out. And lastly, of you want a band, which are very close friends to blind guardian, check out Heaven Shall Burn. They even did a cover of Valhalla with Hansi as a guest singer. My recommodation of HSB would be Black Tears, Endzeit or Voice Of The Voiceless. Rock On

[@Templarofsteel88]

Before, during, and after. :P

[@xSniper1982]

@@TankTheTech Seriously suggest you check out their track 'Sacred Worlds' - I honestly think you will LOVE it.

[@nahco3994]

I'm a simple man. I see Blind Guardian, I upvote. I really love how deliberately modest and down-to-earth their visuals are. No edgy 'metal' stuff, just them and their music. Just look at their outfits, plain black clothes, that's it.

[@TankTheTech]

Yeah, I really like that, too. No gimmicks whatsoever.

[@thecreetree3434]

100% I agree, they're so down to earth. I think it's awesome because it helps to spread the idea that people can love metal without looking edgy and be just as cool.

[@aenorist2431]

The bards song is pretty much their anthem, if not the anthem of a large chunk of german metalheads. You'll get a willing choir on most every campgound, and reduce grown ass drunks to tears.

[@veselinjokanovic3032]

It also fascinates non rock or metal fans as well. All my friends know Bards Song even tho only 2 of us listen to metal. :D

[@A2ndVoice]

i once heard someone describe it as more akin to a hymn than a song and i've never been able to drop that thought since.

[@th3new0ne]

I was there in that crowd. This was the last song. As we went back to the camping ground people continued to sing Valhalla on and on the whole way back.

[@nighthunter3039]

@Smökje yes me too it was awsome @TankTheTech it was a crowd of 80.000 all singing together. It still gives me shivers and teary eyes just listing to it.

[@nighthunter3039]

@TankTheTech and to your question Blind Guardian was indeed not the headliner it was Iron Maiden ifrc. But thats pretty Normal for Wacken most of the big bands playing could be headlining. Normaly its five or six bands playing that could actually headline the festival. Just Last year for example. Nigtwish was headlining and than there was Slayer, Sabaton, Epica, Beyond The Black, Within Temptation, Power Wolf, Delain, Hammerfall, Deamon and Wizards (wich Hansi is part of too its a projekt with John Schaffer of Iced Earth together with wich they realy rarely play live) and the list goes on its around 30 Bands playing there over the three days

[@GAjim007]

@@nighthunter3039 Hansi isn't with the lead singer from IE in Demons and Wizards, it's the rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer

[@nighthunter3039]

@@GAjim007 oh ok my mistake

[@GAjim007]

@@nighthunter3039 All good. Although Hansi with any of the 3 main singers would be killer.

[@christiannystrom1120]

Blind Guardian - Mirror mirror , nightfall , welcome to Dying !

[@tatischisback]

Welcome to the show, and...

[@xSniper1982]

Sacred Worlds.

[@jdtesch86]

Nightfall is one of my favorite songs of all time.

[@DarkAngel89]

Mirror Mirror live is really good

[@bartvandemortel]

Usually don’t see people recomending welcome to dying, But that is a great song too. Personally i would add majesty as well

[@juliettemcgee9055]

Oh nooo the VALHALLA chant is going to stuck in my head for weeks.

[@caligo7918]

They chant that at Wacken hours after the gig, random people in the streets getting to their tents, in small groups, chanting Valhalla...

[@Templarofsteel88]

Some say the chanting is still carrying on. :P

[@CamaroMann]

I heard they stopped chanting this in Wacken a few weeks ago… they ran out of beer.

[@Nightykk]

Check the video of the concert, they kept on going.. well, the joke is that they're still going! Edit: I was thinking of a older concert of theirs, when Hansi still had long hair :p Still, check it out!

[@darilsteelbone1278]

The VALHALLA chant really never stops from the point you've heard it once. For me it was around the middle of the 1990s and it's still inside my head.

[@Norpal]

A note on the Tolkien thing: Early on, the influence would show in the occasional individual song with a Tolkien subject, or a reference here and there. But then came the shining crown jewel of their career, the album "Nightfall in Middle-Earth." It is a concept album fully based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "Silmarillion", and one of the finest metal albums ever written. The song "Mirror Mirror" that keeps getting suggested in the comments is from that album.

[@TankTheTech]

Yes! Thank you for that info! 🤘

[@tomh.8364]

In my eyes "imaginations from the other side" is their best Album

[@Norpal]

@@tomh.8364 It's a very very good second, imo.

[@jamesnewcomb9834]

i much prefer when sorrow sang. that song is so great but gets so little love =(

[@michaeld7413]

@@tomh.8364 That's the one that got me hooked as well. :-)

[@Flweem]

A hundred thousand people, all singing the Bard's Song. Nothing like it.

[@jonathonvargas3476]

Saw them live 14 years ago, after the show went to Denny’s and a bunch of fans there were still chanting Valhalla. The look on the people eating there who didn’t come from the concert was priceless.

[@TankTheTech]

Hahahahaha

[@koroslav]

Tank speaking about crowd clapping being terrible. Most people have rythm but physics comes to play. If you play at 100m long stadium speed of sound comes into play 330 meters per second. So people in the back hear the music 0.3 seconds later than people near stage. Which in music is terribly long. Plus some of them clap to frontman clapping on stage but light is million times faster than sound and that confuses them. Eyes want to clap to visual stimulus, ears want to clap to music both are tenths of a second apart and in the end it ends up sounding like waves of claps.

[@zulawoo]

A bard's job is to entertain the people, but when I was at this show at wacken, the crowd entertained the bard. It was insane. Will never forget that evening

[@seangrover6101]

The crowd at the end of Valhalla is always amazing. There is a video of the 10 best crowd moments somewhere on KZbin and there was a concert that the song ended the band said goodnight and the crowd continues to sing for like 10 minutes so the band came back out and played the song again.

[@snorri0411]

just for the record, Bard's Song is the highlight that everyone at every single Blind Guardian show is looking forward to because everyone knows full well they're going to collectively make sure Hansi can just take a break...

[@clumsyturtle8544]

Some say the crowd is still singing Vallhalla.

[@TheLuftpolsterfolie]

I am

[@jsimsgt96]

Blind guardian is the most underrated band in the world. It’s not my normal genre but man they just rock so hard

[@HellBrYnger]

i remember being drunk on the summerbreeze campground just roaming around trying to get some food/more booze, and at some point i just started screaming "VALHALLA! DELIVERANCE!" and everyone around just started to sing along :D loved every second of it

[@TankTheTech]

That is amazing. 😂

[@AndreasAugustin_gobold]

Up to this day, no one has ever found out how to end the Valhalla song. Love it!

[@maximus_siberius]

I still remember watching the video of "The Bard's Song" in GORGEOUS 240p as a kid. Two men playing acoustic guitars, another man in front of the microphone with a voice I never heard before. Needless to say, I was in awe and until this day this is still one of my favorite songs of all time. This version with 70000+ beautiful people singing along Hansi made me love this song even more.

[@frutti_di_marius]

One of those magical summer nights in Germany...man I hope all the festivals will be back this summer, if there is anything that I am patriotic about then it is exactly this stuff. Great people, freshly brewed beer and some of the best metal live acts out there. Just hits you right in the feels

[@TonyMontanaCA]

Tank let me bring this in the right context. Wacken 1992. First time Blind Guardian had a gig at Wacken. 2 months after the release date of the "Somewhere far beyond" album, where the Bard's Song is a part of it. I was there in the crowd. And everybody sang this song like in this video. I have tears in my eyes thinking back at this amazing experience. It's hard to describe, it's already getting dark and hearing and singing this song is like sitting with your friends at a campfire, to hearing/feeling this crackling in the air. It's magic.

[@cheesepie72]

"I was expecting Nordic sounding, but this is POWER METAL" Ya, Blind Guardian is one of the grandfathers of Power Metal! They've been around since the mid 80's \;;/

[@CarlosGarcia-ze1mk]

Blind Guardian concerts are magical. I have never felt such a feeling of brotherhood with total strangers as I did at that concert, singing at the top of my lungs to every song with thousands of people.

[@maartenprehn3960]

It’s funny to see that while BG is an averagely well known metal band in the world, they’re absolutely legendary in Germany. Whenever they play a German festival they are headliners. There are only a few bands that would be listed higher on a German festival. You could even argue that while there are more well known German metal bands worldwide, like Kreator, Helloween or Rammstein, that they are considered to be THE German metal band by many German metalheads.

[@thecreetree3434]

That's great! I wish more people in my community listened to Blind Guardian, or even just metal in general. I might have to make some more German friends lol.

[@kevinpiacente3456]

Kreator is amazing.helloween also amazing

[@puckoster]

i like how you got teary eyed talking about crowd participation. i'm not a musician myself, but seen tons of concerts and being at a concert where literally everyone sings every word to songs is... amazing to say the least. seeing shows like this one live or on computer screen always makes me teary eyed too, it's the essence of music for me. thats why i dont understand people that go to the show and just stand (or ever worse) sit there for the whole gig not moving a muscl or even get angry at other people enjoying the music and singing / moving along.

[@teddyenragedvocalcovers1020]

"Mirror mirror" is a great song by them 😁

[@rancidraldur4342]

not a great song By far the best they‘ve ever written My opinion😉

[@daven4297]

Legend has it that Hansi Kürsch sang the entire Bard's Song only once during a studio recording. Since then, concert audiences have not allowed him to do so. :)

[@geraldgetskow3420]

60,000+ fans singing the song with and for the band. Awe-inspiring stuff right here.

[@martenwolff426]

"river of time" - live by Ayreon. Hansi of Blind Guardian and Marco of nightwish singing a duett. Ayreon with "the day that..." has to be on your List. Lot of cool stuff in the Video (making of and Great Song with lot of "surprise" vokals)

[@adambates4436]

The Day That The World Breaks Down video is a great watch with the behind the scene info. Ayreon Universe - Age of Shadows Live at Tilburg 2017 is another great mix of Hansi, Marco, and Floor.

[@mariaelenasanchezyanez690]

Yes amazing song

[@jordanlindsey4299]

Some Ayreon reactions need to happen

[@sirfistaslit]

I have " in the world of tomorrow dreams our future lies, in the world of tomorrow dreams our hopes will rise" tattooed on the back of my neck because of the way hansi sings it.

[@Cha0sRising90]

I got to see them in SoCal a few years ago, and the audience was one of the best experiences I've ever had! It was a small, comparatively, show, but I will never forget the audience. It was just die hards (and a few newbs) and they sang along with EVERYTHING, even the opening band. It still sends chills down my entire body. I think we made the opening band, Grave Digger, cry. So much emotion just from one night!

[@Cha0sRising90]

metalassault.com/gig_reviews/2015/11/24/blind-guardian-grave-digger-conquer-anaheim/ Here's a great article about that night. So much fun!

[@Interverse]

I think, I might be wrong, that in one live gig in Wacken they ended Valhalla before that chant part, but people kept singing the chorus. And after that gig, it has been The Thing that they do every show. There is a live video from back in the day when Hansi still had long hair and they played the song and the crowd kept singing and you can see Hansi's reaction to that, he didn't see that coming. Enough rambling on, I'm drunk go home, I'm at home, that was quick.

[@everett880]

I, represent the 12 realms of Asgard, came down here to give this video 👍 before the premiere even starts.

[@TankTheTech]

🤘💪

[@deathguardian25]

I WAS THERE! That is my favorite band and was an amazing show, and nope, that was not the final song, after that they came back on stage played my personal favourite song, mirror mirror

[@karlosairsoft]

You should DEFINITELY look into Demons & Wizards - The fiddler on the green live at Wacken!!! Crazy performance

[@cwo666]

You‘ll never find a heavy metal crowd havin‘ tears in there eyes - except there!

[@martenwolff426]

Both Songs are around 30 years old now. Nowadays their Musik is much more complex. "wheel of time", "sacred... " or "and the there was silence"(this one has the greatest drumming of All time in the originell Version) are really big Orchester peaces. Kind of nightwish with choirs. The mid 90s stuff is maybe their best time with 4 killer albums in a row. "Nightfall in middle earth" and "somewhere far beyound" are my all time favourits. "Imagination..." has a lot off cool Songs to, but the Sound is Kind off strange and muddy. All in all they are my first love in metal and made a big impact in folk-, speed-, and powermetal.

[@kevboard]

yeah they became more and more prog over time, with plenty of older songs also having strong prog influences and now IMO they are basically a full on Prog/Power Metal hybrid with tons of folk stuff. but again even older songs like I'm Alive are very prog and people always looked at me weird when I brought up how Guardian is basically Power Prog Metal, but in a recent interview even Hansi was like "yeah I don't know why people call us a power metal band" and also said he always through of guardian to be more of a progressive and power metal mix with tons of other little influences here and there

[@adorabell4253]

@@kevboard4 years later and I think that the reason people think of them as power metal is their biggest songs tend to be the most power metal songs they have and most people don’t dive into their full discography. That and they have clean vocals.

[@exiledkopite5127]

Was there. Blind Guardian are my favourite band and it was this Wacken that I met my wife-to-be. Incredible night, life changing week. The guitar melodies of Bards Song will play her down the aisle.

[@hamakavula8]

Heaven Shall Burn actually did a cover of Valhalla which is as awesome as the original. Highly recommend it.

[@blifi77]

I've seen them live twice, you cant even imagine how awesome all of this is when you're right there❤

[@CamaroMann]

Recommendations for this band? It's pretty simple: actually every single song, every recording, everything. Because: even the bad ones are still so damn good that you want to scream it out. Works for me every time.

[@rogerbehrendtz9750]

This is by far the best reaction i have seen on youtube your comments hit perfectly and are on spot. Being a big fan of New wave of british heavy metal i got a unusual request. I love Saxon as they are a very big part of my interest in music. People seem to have forgotten them but the singer Biff Byford is a god amongst entertainers and a beast. Still active being over 60 touring and bringing it. Metallica has a special invititation to Biff to honor him to sing with them. That is so legendary. I would love it if you would give it a listen. YOU ROCK MAN!

[@TankTheTech]

Man, thank you so much for the kind words! Means a time!

[@kumikey]

There is a great video from Wacken (2010 i believe) which incorporates three german metal bands collaborating: It starts with cover version of the song by Van Canto an then goes into the real song. Only the singer is accompanied by Hansi Kürsch (lead singer of Blind Guardian). Thats german metal dating back to 1980 right there :) The video is called: GRAVE DIGGER - Rebellion feat. Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian) and Van Canto And yes, there ARE kilts involved...

[@MI982]

In the early 2000's they had a gig in my hometown as part of some tour. There were only about 3,000 people in attendance as metal is very low on public interest bar but Hansi never got to sing The Bard Song - we all sang it for him. He started it then stopped as we got very loud and then he just stood there shaking his head and smiling. I guess he wasn't expecting to get that kind of reaction in my part of the world.

[@ayrie09]

The Bard's Song is like an unofficial metal hymn in Germany. I really do believe that every Metalhead in Germany knows it by heart. I have been at two of their concerts and this was always the best 3 or so minutes. So many goosebumps. And Valhalla is just a fan favorite all together. It's so awesome and sometimes the crowd keeps chanting for 5 to 10 minutes or so

[@floreaciprian9742]

Last night was enjoying a beer and a joint in my garden. I live in Uk and we had a nice breeze from the east. You could hear a dim echo in the night chanting Valhalla! Deliverance

[@chrisyork3709]

This is an example of legendary crowd participation, that's for sure.

[@vikingxj42f41]

These two songs and Mirror Mirror were the ones that brought me into the fold back in the early 2000's. "They all will remain. In my thoughts and in my dreams." YEEEWW!

[@Ryan_Thompson_Guitarist]

I love it when Hansi pulls out a scream when you least expect it.

[@BenjaminBK]

When I was younger and still in my hometown, i had a group of metal head friends. One time in the woods around a fireplace I started a song, i don't know which or from which band anymore, with three words and everyone joined. was cool. After singing i joked "yeah, three words and i got all of you singing". One Friend started to grin (to be honest, he was nearly always grinning, happy guy) and said: "I can beat you to that, i only need ONE word. VALHALLA!" We grew up less than 20km away from Krefeld and loved fantasy, so Blind Guardian was always kind of special for us.

[@ShadowhispersBand]

If you don't know the Bard's Song by heart, you're not allowed onto the hol ground of Wacken 😉

[@65Bardy]

Thats absolutely true

[@pirimpallopirimpalli4932]

I have to pause the video after minute 3 because you said you're getting teary-eyed, and it's the first time you see them. Imagine me, I had not listened to this song for at least ten years, it was with me when I was still a student and during the best times of my life, and, to put it with your words, I'm still singing every single word. Man, if I'm like this now, what's gonna be of me when (if) I become old and gray?

[@christianemmler6496]

Nightfall on middle earth, whole album in the right order

[@lacapsuladeltiempo9040]

Amazing album

[@tackle47]

My favorite album from any band ever

[@Ben_Demon_Hunter]

My first video of your's I've come across... ABSOLUTELY LOVED your reaction to both the Bard Song & Valhalla! Watching your reaction to Valhalla- specifically- I was grinning ear-to-ear for almost all of it! Found Blind Guardian, thanks to my best friends, an Austrian; back in 2002! This was an EXCELLENT introduction to your channel, Sir! NEXT up... (my second video) is Nightwish Ghost Love Score! ->NEXT one after that, will be... Jinjer Pisces! METALHEAD FOR LIFE 🇩🇪🇨🇦🤘🤠🤘🇺🇸🇩🇪

[@janhoffmann599]

I am always surprised, how American metal heads, even proper music fans like Tank, don't know the big European metal bands. Blind Guardian is huge for more than 25 years. Personally I think, their live performances are way better than their studio albums. The studio is missing the audience participation... ;-)

[@TankTheTech]

Yeah man, it kind of blows me away too. We're so sheltered from it over here. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely fans, but it's such a smaller scene. I loved diving into their background when I was editing this video and I can't wait to hear more from them.

[@luisnunes2010]

Don't want to be a downer, but american metal publications tend to be notorious power metal haters. Now the internet and the north american power metal wave led by Unleash the Archers are finally washing that away...

[@JeffreyBezeau]

@@luisnunes2010 and again, Unleash isn't even an American band, but a Canadian one. The U.S.A audience always has been snobish and haters to the power metal scene and yet...the power metal scene probably have amongst the most talentuous and *TIGHT* musician of the whole metal scene. I'm not a big power metal lover, i really dig more into the melodeath bands from Sweden and Finland...but i just can't ignore the musicianship behind almost every big power metal bands. They're just out of this world man, especially the guitarists and that's what i like the most about power metal.

[@luisnunes2010]

@@JeffreyBezeau Yeah. I mentioned the Archers because there's quite a few U.S. bands coming in their wake. As for the melodeath scene, well, it was Wintersun, Amon Amarth and Ensiferum that finally got me into harsh vocals...

[@ixachilanca]

@@JeffreyBezeau is AMERICAN because is from the fricking AMERICA the continent. If you are going on a global scale you have to understand that, globally, AMERICA is a continent.

[@eiriknordahl5112]

I was there, tank. It cant be said in words how magical that was. I sincerely thank you for all your reactons, facts, knowledge and enthusiasm. Greetings from Norway

[@roykliffen9674]

If you just heard Valhalla you would suspect this is a German band, simply by hearing the accent of Hansi singing. Don't get me wrong, Hansi speaks English fluently but somehow never managed to lose traces of his German accent. They're veterans in their field celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2024 and it shows; they're magnificent.

[@chaosultimamage]

This live set makes me tear up every time. Tens of thousands of metal fans singing out like that is just insane.

[@Deam0nify]

I get goosebumps everytime I hear the bard's song live!

[@Keksgame]

I'll remember this exact live set until I die. This was a magical night and I've made some of my dearest friends that year.

[@MrPeaTearGryfin]

Imagine playing to a crowd of 80k people, they sing along, and are not only in key, but also harmonizing well with each other.

[@ketchupkeks]

thanks for watching this, i love blind guardian and i love your reaction as well... made my day, dont stop rocking :D

[@frittenfett2932]

I had been to that concert. Believe me Tank: you made me getting goosebumbs. Thank so much. 🥺

[@Crazael]

Having been in one of those crowds singing this song, it is absolutely amazing to be a part of that. One of my best moments of my life.

[@tassadar666]

At Wacken there are official headliners (duh, someone has to be at the top of the list on the merch), but every show in the evening feels like a Headliner Show. The Wacken crowd is just amazing.

[@locust0311]

Hansi played ProgPower USA XX in Atlanta with Demons & Wizards last year and they did Valhalla. Every time the band went off stage, the crowd starting singing the chorus again. Another fun fact, Blind Guardian's first ever show in the USA was at ProgPower USA III in 2002. Definitely check the festival out when it returns next year as its only 4 hours from Nashville!

[@nathanberry4849]

With Floor and Hansi out of the way, there is a small but increasing crowd that'll be suggesting Ayreon. I'm one of them. However, the Blind Guardian rabbit hole is worth diggin into by itself, as you noted, they have a fantasy element inspired by tolkien and plenty of other authors. Hansi is a Tolkien fanatic. Early blind guardian, that a lot of people will recommend is essentially heavy metal fanfiction. Well written stuff, and there's a reason they have the following they do. Ever since the time he guested on Ayreon though, (There's that other dutch rabbit again!) I've noticed he's been very heavily favouring his own writing. Beyond The Red Mirror is entirely self contained and also does something interesting with one of their earlier albums, which is it redirects the content into that same story. All the original allusions are there, but now, something else. Also they released an orchestral album last year that basically expands the story of Imaginations/Red Mirror and ties in Demons and Wizards as well. Which is a side project he shares with Iced Earth leader Jon Schaffer. I don't recommend Iced Earth. I would very happily have done so couple years ago... but not at the moment. Way Too Long, Definitely Skipped version: Demons and Wizards - 2 Songs - Wacken 2019. The backing choir also ties to that other rabbithole...

[@CrocTheOne]

I'm a BG fan and found this reaction video of yours and was so sure your expression will be exactly at 15:12. Every concert of BG, we are like that, after this covid problem we'd like to see you in our crowd.

[@PsycHoOone]

I've watched this video a couple of times, but there where no upvoted translations, so here I (lately) go: We always genuinely play at Wacken! I'd like to let you scream even more, but sadly we only have little time (left). Of course we want to spend that (time) with music. I guess, most of you know, what'll happen next. It was already legendary here some times! But I feel, like you're going to take it to another level today! [lit. to put a crown on top of that] *English starts* *Between Bard's Song and Valhalla* Wacken! I barely dare to say: you're even more awesome then ever! We up here had an incredible time! We always loved to come to Wacken, but there's always a time to carry on! That time has come now! We'll see you somewhere in the future! *Valhalla Intro* Looks awesome; sounds awesome! I think Marcus worked enough, we can get Frederik into play... For this, you should sing a little LOUDER! *drumfill* [No clue!] Gimme everything! *end* [To my fellow Germans: don't go to hard on me, it's Friday, I'm really not sober, but I wanted to type this down :D]

[@TankTheTech]

Thank you!!!

[@PsycHoOone]

@@TankTheTech no, thank you! This wasn't more than some english homework in my schooldays, but thank you for giving incredible and in foreign countries most likely underrated bands some attention! And yeah, this is by far my most loved Wacken clip of all time and I can't wait for 2022! 🖤 P.S. I was in that crowd and could kick "Sing the Bard's Song with BG" from my bucket list 😂

[@garryrieger2144]

Finaly a descent and perfect reaction video about Blind Guardians. I grew up with them and just imaginet this: You are in a small rock/metal-bar - only 50ppl- , drinking your beer with friends, the owner starts Guardians Bard Song and baaaaam: the whole bar is singin!!!! Remembering this times....shivers of joy. God damn it...where is my time machine??????

[@garryrieger2144]

Oh...another Fact of Wacken: Wacken became sooooo big, even the Television in germany is broadcasting them!

[@humanoctopode]

Tank: I hope it will go heavy. Me, a german: you have no idea. In fact, i like how your reaction to Blind Guardian is the same mine was long time ago when i was like 13 or 14 years old. touched and fascinated! Cool vid, m8

[@nz540im3]

I’ve seen awesome crowd singing before. But holy shit this was intense. Like you, I got instant goosebumps.

[@metalhead4827]

Please do a reaction of the band "Demons and Wizards", it's a side-project between the singer of this band and the guitarist of another band called "Iced Earth", I highly recommend he songs "Fiddler on the Green", "Diabolic", "Blood on my Hands", "Wicked Witch" and "Seize the Day"

[@kagesaikin83]

Fiddler on the Green is one of my favorite songs of all time!!

[@BotShox]

Fiddler on the Green !

[@judywise3494]

Fiddler on the Green is awesome! I've loved the band for years - I have the hoodie with the album cover, and it's so washed out and holey but I'll never throw it out...

[@Templarofsteel88]

you forgot to mention Terror train. :P

[@ilon99]

I love Demons and wizard I had huge pleasure to see them in Chicago. They play fiddler and was so amazing. Anytime I watch my small recordings. Makes most shitty day to happy moment. Stupid covid. I hope I’ll see concerts of blind guardian and demons and wizards.

[@BaphoMettbroetchen]

Seen that video dozens of times now. Your reaction makes Blind Guardian(which I'm a fan of since...1996 man I'm getting old) even better. :)

[@peterichards3261]

This happened in London on the 2014 tour as well. We would not stop singing and Hansi joked that we cheated ourselves out of another song. The band even posted on their Facebook page the following day to thank The London Forum audience. Wacken has about 80,000 we were only about 2,000 but man we made some noise

[@Makiruot]

I will always remember the time a friend of my father took me to a BG concert while i havent had any idea about heavy metal at that time. They are from my home town, still live here and they stayed after the show to talk to all the fans. For me this was one of the most life changing moments.

[@thomasa7187]

Legends say they are still singing

[@65Bardy]

There is one Video of Valhalla on the Internet, when the Band two times ended this song and the crowd is still chanting on and on. I love the Guardians

[@metallikat05]

My friend is a Blind Guardian superfan, but I’ve gone with him to see them 3 times…in America, at two club-sized venues. You think this Wacken crowd is amazing? Seeing them in 300-person clubs is AN EXPERIENCE.

[@dkm4338]

You are probably the only reaction channel I trully enjoy watching. Keep going Tank.

[@celluz4156]

Remember saw them ages ago, and "the bard's song" it's a never ageing classic, singing it with the crowd is one of the best memories of my life :D

[@MsPandacakes]

Same 🥰

[@Censeo]

They wrote this music in the early 90s and they still make new music today! These old schoolers are still rocking your socks off

[@ARetiredPirate]

His voice is so amazing still, and with the ayreon songs even better in the duets!! Especially him and Marko from nightwish was amazing!

[@Evilghost555]

Goosebumps and teary-eyed. Fuck ya, live music is the shit. Nothing brings me joy like live fucking metal.

[@panditojr.4716]

„Mirror Mirror“ has to be next! 🤘🏼😊

[@Jonesm4n]

wanna hug u, and everybody that gives me the feeling of musical understanding like u do. Man!

[@SuperPepzz]

love this band and have been listening to them since about 2008. Underrated band and they deserve much more. Tnx german for all the bands you deliver past the years, greetings sweden

[@jbaum566]

We, the German people, want to thank you, the swedish people, for giving us so many great bands as well. Also for the (hilarious) rumor that death metal bands from all over the world are getting lost on your forests every year.

[@nothanks7919]

don't forget that this is a festival crowd. not everyone is there to watch Blind Guardian specifically, and they still manage to draw everyone in.

[@skullair52]

Hansi and Jon Shaffer of Iced Earth have Demons and Wizards, two albums in 2000 and '05 and III came out this year 🤘 BG are superior live to most bands I've seen 🤘😎🤘

[@itsbeckon2017]

I love seeing your videos Tank, nobody else does it your way, your so real, so unique, almost feels like I know you like a friend. Oh how I wish did.

[@NukedBird]

Hey, i think this wasn´t the sendoff. Most of the time the sendoff is "Mirror, Mirror". Love that reaction. If you want more recommendations: And then there was silence (Long epic telling of the trojan war) Punishment Divine (Song about a scientist going crazy) or of course the usual sendoff, Mirror Mirror. (Niche picks if you want to listen to more unknown stuff ive never seen youtubers react to would be : Banished from sanctuary, last candle or another insanely good song : Majesty) ... Think those are enough :D Greetings from Germany.

[@caligo7918]

Back in the day, i fell in love with this band through "Script for my Requiem", it grabbed me but it seems to be really niche these days...

[@Cartis88]

They played all of their older stuff at the weird wacken gig the other week! I was in pleasant shock, haha.

[@NukedBird]

@@Cartis88 Yeah i watched all of the online wacken. Was my first in 10 years i didn´t go to :( Was quite nice of them to do the online concert thing.

[@ayrie09]

Majesty and Banished from Sanctuary are two of my absolute favorites! So happy they keep slipping back into their set!

[@PabloRossel84]

I remember when I see Guardian for the first time, when bard's song start I try to sing but it was so emotive that I star to cry as a baby...

[@germanicaartifex6402]

I got into Blind Guardian after reading The Lord of the Rings and listening to their then new LotR concept album Nightfall in Middle Earth. I loved them for the power metal, but after listening to The Bard’s Song, I walked into a music store for the first time in my life and bought my first guitar. To this day, the song makes me tear up. Those guys ignited a lifelong passion for music in me and I will forever adore them for that.

[@TheViralInfekT]

I have been in this crowd that year in Wacken. It was one of the highlights of my life. Valhalla and The Bards Song are the two songs the crowd sings for Hansi. Its always special.

[@KalloSkull]

More songs from Blind Guardian I'd suggest would be "Mirror Mirror", "Bright Eyes" or if you want a long, epic track, you should try "And Then There Was Silence". And since you mentioned about the guitars being really forefront in this band, you might find it interesting to know that's because really the only full-on members of the band are the guitarists, drummer and vocalist. The bass and keyboard players are only long-time touring members. Before they got a bassist in the mid-90s, Hansi the vocalist used to play the bass. Speaking of him, he might just be one of the best metal vocalists ever. For any future reactions, I recommend you check out slightly older lives from them, to see how truly amazing of a vocalist he was when he was a bit younger. :)

[@lindseyliang9523]

I completely second all these suggestions and especially "And Then There Was Silence". Another absolutely epic song that I can't get enough of.

[@christiannystrom1120]

one of the most iconic voices in metal. accompanied by 70 000 metalheads . cant go wrong. was lucky to see them live. just awesome!

[@TankTheTech]

Dude... Un. Real. What a fantastic crowd and performance.