Aug. 2, 2026
Inside Dritte Wahl: Wacken Memories, Punk Rock Roots, and Dreams for the Main Stage
In this episode of Podcast, Pipeman sits down with Gunnar and Stefan of the German punk rock band Dritte Wahl at the legendary Wacken Open Air festival. The conversation dives into the band’s origins, experiences playing Wacken, brotherhood in music, aspirations for future performances, and the importance of music in Gunnar's life.Main Topics Covered
- Introduction to Dritte Wahl and meaning behind the band’s name
- The band’s history and roots in the GDR
- Experiences and evolution of Wacken Open Air festival
- The importance of supportive festival environments for artists
- Gunnar's journey in music and playing with family
- Band lineup changes and longevity
- Aspirations for playing larger stages and international festivals
- The personal significance of music and life outside the stage
- Band Name and Roots:
Gunnar explains that "Dritte Wahl" means “third choice” 00:47 and reflects their experiences growing up in East Germany, where making music was challenging. - Wacken Through the Years:
Gunnar and Pipeman discuss how Wacken started small, with just one main stage and a tent stage, and has now grown into an immense event with impressive organization and a massive, friendly crowd 01:53. - Festival Experience:
Both speakers agree that the atmosphere at Wacken is unmatched, noting the seamless organization, hospitality toward artists, and positive crowd energy 02:35. - The Impact of AC/DC:
Gunnar shares that his inspiration to play guitar came from listening to AC/DC and admiring Angus Young’s style 04:39. - Family in the Band:
Gunnar recounted recruiting his brother to be the drummer after seeing him drumming on a pan at the table, and how they've played together for 38 years 05:03. - Life on the Road:
The balance of family and band life is discussed, including how time apart and touring strengthens their relationship 05:54. - Aspirations & Dreams:
Gunnar talks about dreaming of playing bigger festivals and main stages, with Rock in Rio mentioned as a bucket list event 06:31. - Music Is Life:
For Gunnar, music is essential. Even hobbies like hiking and swimming are an aside; music remains the core 07:49.
- “[Dritte Wahl] means third choice, third quality... it comes from the time when we grew up in the GDR, and it was a little bit difficult to make music there.” – Gunnar 00:47
- “Now have a look at it, it's so amazing.” – Gunnar on Wacken’s growth 02:02
- “With a festival this big, with over 80,000 people, I haven't heard of any bad occurrence whatsoever.” – Pipeman 02:48
- “I have to learn to play guitar because I like this Angus Young style that much.” – Gunnar 04:42
- “He's my best friend and he's my brother, and it's very good.” – Gunnar on playing with his brother 05:29
- “Without music, everything is nothing for me.” – Gunnar 07:53
- Wacken Open Air Festival: https://www.wacken.com/
- Rock in Rio: https://rockinrio.com/
- Dritte Wahl: No direct link given, but recommended to search for "Dritte Wahl official" for more info on the band.
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WEBVTT
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Hi, you have done to cue?
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Wow, pray you.
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This is the pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe
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Man W four C Y Radio and I'm here with
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what's going on.
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From TV and Pungo band from Germany and Stefan OsO
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Moyne Stevan.
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Nice. Now.
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See that's why I always have bands say their own name,
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because I would never probably said it right, I'm an American,
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Ilo said dit.
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Wall Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. It's such as it's
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such quality. It's the meaning of the name and it's
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it comes from the time when we grew up in
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the GDR and it was a little bit difficult to
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make music there and that's what we're thinking about our
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own living.
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And now you're here at Vakin.
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Yeah. Now, Vadkin is the fourth time that we play
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in Valkan. Wow. Yeah. The first time was ninety ninety six. Wow.
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And yeah, we are happy and it's not raining. It's
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a pleased surprise.
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That's a blessing in and of itself. I think that's
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the best thing about Vakin this year, I think.
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So.
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You know, so, how have you seen Vokin evolve over
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the years, because you've been almost since the beginning.
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Yeah, not really the beginning almost.
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I don't remember when when one ninety one they saw
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on So you're close.
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Yeah, we are closer. Yeah yeah, it was in that
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time there was one main stage and one tenth stage
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and dead balls. And now I have a look at it.
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So amazing.
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This is been here for four days. I still haven't
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seen it all.
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Yeah. Yeah, it's insane.
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And I do festivals all over the US, UK, Europe.
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I'm thinking when I'm coming here, like, we know it's
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the holy ground. We know it's the biggest I've been
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at health As, I'm like, it can't be much bigger
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than health Est.
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Health Est is huge.
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It's fucking big. That's fun.
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I mean.
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I couldn't even get through the village in one day.
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Yeah, yeah, you know. And the organization is that good,
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and the people are friendly and we have a very
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nice time.
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Yet that's one thing I do love that I've heard
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and seen myself a with festival this big, with over
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eighty thousand people, I haven't heard of any bad occurrence whatsoever.
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Nothing.
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And then I also hear about artists catering, and oh
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my god, it's like going to the best restaurant in
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New York City. Or in Berlin or somewhere like that,
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you know, Yeah.
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It's amazing.
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Yeah, it's really cool the here when festival promoter really
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takes care of the artists, because I think if you
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take care of the artists, you make it less stressful
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for them. And for a festival like this, for them
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to take you know, care to every detail and take
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care of the artists to make sure it's as stress
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free as possible is so important because it makes the difference.
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How many shows have you been at that like load
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in and everything else is so stressful that by the
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time you get on stage, man, it can be hard.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah of course, And yeah they know exactly
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what the artist that needs to have a good day
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and have a good vibe to play a good concert.
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And yeah that's very good. But I think it's also
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a little bit process. Of course, I don't really remember
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how it was in nineteen ninety six, but but I
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think now it's nearly the best.
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Yeah, well, it definitely is. It is the whole way
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ground ye for sure, of course. So what started you
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in music?
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How we started in ninety eighty six and.
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What started it for you?
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What was that moment that made you want to go
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into this.
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Yeah, listening to a CDC nice and I was thinking
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to myself, I have to learn to play guitar because
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I like this angy understand that much. And so I started.
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And then I saw my brother is sitting on the
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table in front of me and he was making with
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a pan on the table, and so I said, you
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have to be my drama. And so it is. He said,
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drama since study eight years? Wow, And yeah, then's the
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time more people came. Cheffon came to us to play
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bass guitar, and now we have a second guitarist, And yeah.
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What's it like playing with your brother all these years?
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That's it's very good. We have a very family and yeah,
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he's my best friend and he's my brother and it's
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very good.
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I love her and that because that's not always the case.
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I know.
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I can never play in a band with my brothers,
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and even the ones I like, Yeah.
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I don't know. But when I be honest, we don't
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see it that much. When when we're not playing in
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a band or when we're not working on new music,
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we don't see us. We have a phone call, but
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we don't see us. And then when we start to
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touring again. Then we are happy to have us And.
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Well, let's say you don't need to because you got
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that time touring to spend together.
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Yeah. Yeah, I mean we like it and it looks Yeah.
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What else do you where you go from here?
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After thirty eight years, you're you're at the you know,
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the best festival in the whole world.
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You've accomplished so much.
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Where do you go?
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Where do you go from here?
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Yeah? I don't know. Rock and Rio Maybe.
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That's a good one.
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I've heard.
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I've heard that one, like the audience is just insane.
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Yeah, but I think for us it's not possible. But
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uh yeah, we are happy to be here. And maybe
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when we walk on our music and someone maybe we
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can come back and some years there you go.
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Yeah, and it's a right thing that you haven't done
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in music yet that you still want to do.
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You play the fastl loutist faster let's see as a
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big faster and the big stages main stage, main stage.
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Okay, well we'll put it out there. I'm gonna put
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it out there walking you need to put them on
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the main stage. Yeah, it's a dream, but dreams come true,
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especially on Holy Ground. Yeah maybe, yeah, there it is. Well,
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what do you love outside of music?
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Oh, I like going in the mountains, nice swimming too,
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have a little little sport. But without music, everything is
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nothing for me. True musication music and in my life,
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not not only my music. Music.
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It's the best therapy there is, isn't it.
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Yeah, yeah, of course.
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Well you're a true musician, a true lover of music,
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and that's why you're here at baking in my opinion.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's true. I think so.
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And thanks for being on the Adventures of pipe Man.
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Yeah, thank you for having us.
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Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipeline on
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w for CUI Radio.
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00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:01.720
125
00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:03.920
126
00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:10.000
127
00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:17.920
128
00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:21.160
129
00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:24.839
130
00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:30.839
131
00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:35.439
132
00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:39.160
133
00:07:40.759 --> 00:07:50.279
134
00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:55.959
135
00:07:56.040 --> 00:07:59.920
136
00:08:00.439 --> 00:08:03.480
137
00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:06.399
138
00:08:06.480 --> 00:08:07.519
139
00:08:07.800 --> 00:08:12.600
140
00:08:12.839 --> 00:08:16.319
141
00:08:15.959 --> 00:08:17.720
142
00:08:18.040 --> 00:08:20.199
143
00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:21.839
144
00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:29.279
145
00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:32.720
