Andi Rohde
...about the sponsorship in June 2015 for a workshop/masterclass in Tehran:
I would like to thank the Wacken Foundation very much for their support! Without this, my workshop in Tehran would not have been possible. For two days I gave a masterclass on metal drumming in the Iranian capital. On the third day there was a studio recording, press conference, photo shooting and a concert. The Iranians are extremely hot for metal, although this music is officially completely forbidden. So this action was not without risk, but it was worth it, because the - mostly young - people were unbelievably grateful for this event and this thanks goes with it also to the Wacken Foundation.
Iran is a very interesting country full of friendly and open-hearted people. The reality does not correspond at all to the cliché that many have about the country and you can feel very safe there. I can only recommend everyone to travel to this country and I think it's great that the Wacken Foundation has advanced the musical exchange between Iran and Germany!
![[Translate to English:] Damnation Defaced Bandfoto](/fileadmin/_processed_/3/4/csm_DamnationDefaced2020-3000_6840abb980.jpg)
Damnation Defaced
One can only emphasize again and again what an important contribution the Wackenfoundation makes to the underground and helps one or the other band to be able to take the next step. For us, the funding was elementary, especially when we still consisted entirely of students, it was not easy to raise the funds that you need as a band to create a quality product or to invest in marketing.
Both funding and interest-free loans make it possible for small bands to make the investment first, before you can bring your music to the fans at concerts and online and replenish the band's coffers. And medium to long-term support also pays off. Not least due to the support of the Wackenfoundation we were able to get better albums, sound quality, but of course also general commitment and motivation Damnation Defaced on stages like Wacken or the PartySan.
And last but not least in times of the Corona Pandemic we were grateful for the opportunity to present ourselves again at the Wacken World Wide.
Aphyxion
...about the support of their CD production in April 2016:
The Wacken Foundation helped cover some of the studio costs while we recorded our second album. Without their help we would never have been able to go to Hansen Studios.
We are honored to be supported by the Foundation, which is constantly working to help both unknown and established bands achieve their goals. They are helping to establish a new generation of metalheads by showing them that sticking together and being there for each other is the only way forward. You are the best!
Tulkas
...about the tour support 2016:
It's very hard for a Mexican Thrash Metal band to be known and supported in their own country, it's a shame that all the "public art and culture organizations" deny support and distribution even to their own people.
Earlier this year "Tulkas" (Mexican Thrash Metal) won the Metal Battle in our country, as we all know in Mexico the winning bands have to cover their expenses alone. We are all students or work part time. From the beginning Tulkas has always been independent in every sense, so we started selling our merchandise (CD's, shirts, patches, stickers) and organized some gigs to earn money.
We knew about the Wacken Foundation a few months before our show in Wacken and decided to submit our application, it was a surprise when the answer came.
The Wacken Foundation decided to support us with a grant to cover some of our expenses (plane tickets, accommodation, etc.). For us it was a surprise and a great help to make this dream come true.
We received all the information in time and all the doubts were removed, we are very happy to be a part of the Wacken Foundation family and are really grateful to know that there are people working to help bands.
WACKEN FOUNDATION GRACIAS AMIGOS!
Rampart
...about the support in December 2014 for their tour:
With the decision of Wacken Foundation to support our way up, we got the opportunity to take the risk of organizing our live shows. This increased the reputation of our band in the eyes of promoters and they started to take our proposals more seriously. So we got a lot of gigs in already prestigious venues and in still unknown ones and we could open new doors for the metal culture in our region and Europe. Thanks to the Wacken Foundation our music reached more fans and our career indeed got a boost.
...about the support in September 2016 for their tour with Udo Dirkschneider:
Being a part of the "Back to the Roots" tour of metal titan Udo DIRKSCHNEIDER with special guest ANVIL was a dream that a band from Southeast Europe never dared to dream... Thanks to Wacken Foundation we could live this dream and played more than 2000 km away from home. After 60 hours of driving without a break, we reached Aarhus in Denmark just in time for the sound check. Just on the road we were suddenly on stage. It is an incredible experience. Most of the shows in Sweden were sold out. The audience heard Bulgarian heavy metal for the first time. Without you, Wacken Foundation, we would not have been able to do a tour like this in Scandinavia!
Your support is priceless for us! There were hard times when even the existence of Rampart was in question.... but thanks to your extraordinary help we managed to survive and do the unbelievable. Now we are signed to a new label and have a new management. It's a big step forward for us, we reached a new level. No doubt, you are the biggest supporter of metal in the world!