Legends Ruled the Night

Alright folks, on to day two...

Man, I honestly didn't know how to start this one. Thanks to Cihan, I ended up catching the Accept bug in a big way. And thank God I did. But damn, what a downpour hit during the night... I had one question running through my head: was the show going to be cancelled? I really didn't want that to happen because I'd already mentally prepared myself for three days of exhaustion.

There was another problem too: the weather. Like I said, I'd come straight from 44-degree heat, so I hadn't packed a single piece of warm clothing. Thankfully Tahir came to the rescue and sorted me out with a jacket—but what about the lower half? Anyway, I took my chances in the pouring rain and managed to find something to wear. After getting cleaned up and taking care of a few things, I was finally ready for the evening. The forecast showed no more rain once the concerts started.

Before long, it was showtime. I met up with Cihan and his wife Kübra, grabbed something to eat, and while I was filling my empty stomach, I ran into Cüneyt—the king of concert photographers. After a quick chat, we headed inside, took our spots, and waited for the first band.

SAINTS 'N' SINNERS were the perfect choice to warm the crowd up. I say this wholeheartedly: Mehmet Kaya is one of the finest heavy metal vocalists in Turkey. He's got an incredible voice. We were actually talking about that shortly after they hit the stage. Alongside Murat İlkan, I think he has one of the strongest voices in today's scene. They had the audience hooked from the very first song. Mehmet Kaya has always been excellent at connecting with the crowd, and this show was no exception. On guitar, Deniz showed exactly what he was capable of, firing off Malmsteen-inspired leads and putting on one hell of a show.

But for me, the heavyweight of the day was DESTRUCTION. They've played in Turkey countless times, yet I can never get enough of them. They're a band that hits my thrash nerve every single time. Honestly, I even think they're better live than they are on record. The moment they launched into 'Curse the Gods,' the crowd completely lost it.

There's one attitude I genuinely struggle to understand. I keep hearing people say, "They always do the same thing. They're stuck in the same lane." Well... what exactly were they supposed to do? Personally, I think there's something admirable about sticking to the path you know and love. That's why we fell in love with them in the first place. They never jumped from trend to trend like so many other thrash bands. They've always stayed true to themselves, and that's something worth respecting.

Then there's the other crowd: "Ugh... these guys again?"

Come on, man—you weren't going anyway. So what's the point of trashing them?

Anyway, they ripped through 'Mad Butcher,' 'Thrash Till Death,' and 'Destruction' like a machine gun. I also have to mention this: after the sound disaster the previous day, the audio was absolutely phenomenal. It reached another level during ACCEPT's set, and we got to hear the masters exactly as they deserved to be heard. At one point I caught myself thinking, "Thank God venues like Maximum Uniq exist." Hats off to Alper and the entire crew as well—they delivered a flawless concert experience from the production to every last detail. Long story short, the old masters played like absolute masters, and my ears had a field day. I couldn't even record some of the videos because I just wanted to go completely crazy in the pit.

And then came the day's headliner: ACCEPT.

It was my first time seeing them live, and once again I ran into some unbelievably ridiculous comments that genuinely annoyed me. Seriously, what do people even want? "Wolf Hoffmann is the only original member left." "It's not ACCEPT without UDO." Then people say the same thing about I AM MORBID because David Vincent is the only original member, or TERRORIZER because the lineup has changed. So what? Anyone who skipped yesterday missed out, believe me.

This was one of those rare concerts where I walked away saying, "What the hell did we just witness?" I had that much fun. The performance was so tight, and the stage show was so good that I absolutely loved every second of it.

They opened with 'Metal Heart,' and Mark Tornillo delivered a performance that never once made me miss UDO. I'd always felt Mark was a perfect fit for ACCEPT ever since I first heard him on their records, so it was great to see I wasn't wrong.

Come on, these guys are all in their late fifties or older, and they're still absolutely on fire. Right after 'Metal Heart,' they launched into 'Teutonic Terror' and whipped the audience into a frenzy with their explosive stage presence. The crowd response was fantastic.

Another thing that made me happy was seeing so many people over forty in attendance. Watching a concert alongside a mature, veteran crowd is always more enjoyable for me. These are people who fell in love with metal listening to these songs on cassette tapes and vinyl when they first came out. Naturally, they've built a lifetime of memories around this music, and I genuinely enjoy listening to those stories.

One of the best parts of the night was also seeing Uygar, who had come all the way from Çanakkale. Not only was he constantly looking out for me, but he kept showing what a genuinely generous guy he is. The İzmir crew, as everyone knows, likes their drinks. Apparently Uygar and the guys weren't slowing down either, because beers just kept appearing in front of me. Every time I'd ask, "Where did this come from?" he'd shove the glass into my hand and say, "Shut up, it's free." May his good spirits never fade. He's one of those people who always wins others over, and through his character he's earned a permanent place in my life. Long may he be around.

Getting to hear classics like 'Hell Hammer,' 'Son of a Bitch,' 'Up to the Limit,' 'Princess of the Dawn,' 'Pandemic,' 'Fast as a Shark,' and 'Balls to the Wall' performed live by the very men who created them was an incredible feeling. They closed the night with 'Rebel,' and in doing so etched an unforgettable day into my memory forever.

Once again, I'd like to thank Stagepass for this unforgettable day, and everyone involved—from the stage crew to security—for making it happen. Like I said, this is a concert I'll never forget.

I'd also like to give special thanks to Cihan and his wife Kübra for helping me get back and for always making me feel their kindness and generosity. Love you guys. I'm truly glad you're in my life.

HÜS