Rock am Ring

Do you believe in fate or karma—the way the universe somehow crosses paths with different times and people in your life? I do. Maybe it’s not fate exactly, but there’s a thread weaving through it all

I didn’t have a relationship with my father for those formative years from an 8 year old boy to a 18 year old young man leaving for the Army. Before leaving for basic training, I reached out to my dad in Houston—I needed a place to stay for a few months. He welcomed me with open arms and from that day until his passing in 2014 we were the best of friends.  And he was a MASSIVE race fan. All types of racing…but especially NASCAR and Formula 1.  We used to talk about racing non stop, going to races together, watching them on TV. 

So let’s go back to 1985 while stationed in Germany, a new concert festival was announced at the legendary Nürburgring track in the western part of the country. It was to promote and kick-off a new smaller track from the historical course dating back to 1927. From our small Kaserne outside Wurzburg, it would mean a long train ride and figuring out accommodations, but as with other posts, my buddies and I knew we had to go. The thought of my dad’s voice, reliving the Niki Lauda and James Hunt battles on the Nürburgring, ran through my head as we planned the trip. I’d never even seen the track, but somehow I felt connected—like I was stepping into a world he had always loved from afar. The train ride, the small adventures of figuring out tickets and timing, and the anticipation of the festival made it feel like more than just a music trip. It was a collision of stories, history, and music that I’d remember for the rest of my life.

What is it about being 20 that makes you think you can do anything or just not worry about important details? Like where you are going to sleep?  So the three of us plan this trip. We had big ideas right. It’s me, Shane and Peter. 3 rock hungry GI’s living the dream in West Germany. Rock am Ring was a new two day festival - at a race track. There are no hotels at the track, at least not back then. It’s a race track in the middle of nowhere! There weren’t even restaurants at the track. So here we are in planning mode - the ultimate ticket secured and in hand (and I still have it). Train schedules figured out, time off locked in. 

Where will we sleep? What will we eat? And of course there would be drinking! After all, in West Germany in 1985, the legal age for drinking was 16. Can you imagine that today?! The running theme when these questions came up was, we will just wing it. And the most common thought, “sleep? We won’t need to sleep, we will be partying all night”. The time had come. May 25th & 26th of 1985. Memorial Day weekend for the U.S. would mean Monday off and a chance to recover. We literally left the base with nothing but the clothes we were wearing, a pocket full of Deutsche Marks and my Canon AE1 that was a gift from my dad after graduating basic training. This exact camera now belongs to my daughter, if it could only tell her the things it's seen.

The weekend concert of a lifetime.

To this day I still can’t believe the lineup. Joe Cocker, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Lone Justice, Rick Springfield, Saga, Night Ranger, The Alarm, Chris DeBurgh, Huey Lewis and the News, and the band that I was most excited to see - U2. I mean look at this list! It’s 1985 and these bands are at the top of their game, crushing arenas around the world, and here they were, all in one place at the legendary Nürburgring. It was a dream you didn’t even know you could have — and somehow, we were lucky enough to be among the 75,000+ others to witness it.

We made it to Nurburgring. We made it to the concert. And wow what a weekend it was. Most of it is still pretty fuzzy. We drank a lot. And we cheered and celebrated being young and free.

Joe Cocker with his iconic body gyrations. Flailing and convulsing like every note was trying to escape his body. I know I was just a kid back then, but this was rock royalty. From his amazing performance at Woodstock in 1969 - to now in 1985 and another festival, tearing up “With a Little Help from My Friends”

In the mid 80’s, you couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing Night Ranger. Sister Christian had become the power ballad of 1984. 'Don’t Tell Me You Love Me', 'When You Close Your Eyes', 'Sentimental Street'. These were all massive hits. And I was a huge Brad Gillis fan. He could shred with the best of them, and even filled in for Randy Rhoads with Ozzy after the tragic plane crash in 1982.  We worked our way down close and was rewarded with this epic shot of Brad posing for me and tearing it up.

Brad Gillis of Night Ranger, 1985

Foreigner wrapped up day one with an amazing set. All the hits and the crowd had reached a fever that lasted long into the early hours.  We did in fact just wing it. To the point of sleeping on the ground with plastic tarps we had fished out the garbage to help keep the night air and morning dew off of us. 

Day 2 begins with a search for breakfast! We had befriended some locals who were very kind and shared their bread and cheese with us. The German people are so great. I don’t remember much from that day, but I remember the time had come for U2. The Unforgettable Fire had been released the year before, and War came out in 1983 and had cemented them on a trajectory that would skyrocket all the way to 22 Grammy Awards and the 360 Tour that would come to Raleigh’s Carter Finley Stadium in 2009 — another show I’ll never forget. Completing that circle from a 20-year-old kid in Germany to a 44-year-old dad rocking out at NC State’s football stadium.

Record bin diving on this new vinyl adventure led me to find The Joshua Tree — U2’s 1987 masterpiece. Dropping the needle on it today instantly takes me back. I’m still hunting for The Unforgettable Fire, but that night in Germany, with its powerful title track, ‘In the Name of Love,’ ‘Bad,’ and ‘A Sort of Homecoming,’ I was hooked for life.

It’s hard to say what your favorite band is, especially when you love so many and enjoy all types of music. But I can honestly say that U2 is one of my all time favorite bands, and I can trace it back to Rock am Ring. Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen, and Adam Clayton were in perfect sync for an unforgettable night.

U2 in 1985

It was kind of anti-climactic to have Chris DeBurgh follow them and wrap up the show. It was clear U2 was on the verge of their meteoric rise.

So here I am 40 years later, looking for vinyl gems to take me back or just find a reason to purchase a great album to play in the groove den.

And when I go back to 1985, I replay that weekend in my mind like one of these favorite records. The dust, the music, the chaos, the awe—it all comes back in vivid color. Rock am Ring wasn’t just a festival; it was a turning point, a collision of history, music, and life lessons that I carry with me to this day. And every time I dig through record bins, I’m chasing that feeling again—the thrill of discovery, the echo of a moment that made me feel alive, connected, and part of something bigger than myself.