Some things are perfectly good the way they are. TollRock Festival is one of these things and proving that bigger is not always better. The heartwarming family feeling, so many guests returning for so many years and the cozyness can’t just be beaten easily. The slight improvements each year make it better without breaking it. This year a new cashless payment on festival grounds was implemented and covering all food and drink booths.

Even before the first note rang out, the campsite was pulsing with anticipation. The weather was playing along and a slightly clouded sky provided the perfect surrounding.

By Friday afternoon, Lost Sanity tore into the stage as first act to officially opening up the 2025 issue. Having won the TollRockerz band contest in 2024 with their raw, fast, proudly German metal core, they gave a solid proof this year of how they had developed since. The five-piece with local DNA kicked off the ceremonies in style.

Then came the first real blaze: April Art unleashed a sport-rock spectacle fronted by vocal tornado Lisa. Her blistering energy, accompanied by shredding guitar and bass, pulled the crowd into a frenzy. Moshing beneath palm trees? Yep — the drum riser brought island vibes to the pit with its palm trees. Lisa surfing on audience shoulders was the cherry on top. If there was any doubt, it vanished in that very moment.

Up next were Emil Bulls, heavyweights in the German rock scene. Their set had mass — early eruption with “Euphoria,” but sound issues tampered some impact. Still, the crowd leaned in, and the band leaned back harder. A shoutout to tiny-town festivals drew applause, and their gritty performance proved even giants love grassroots stages.

FIDDLER’S GREEN didn’t play—they unleashed. A storm of Irish folk-punk madness. Drum solos thumped like heartbeats, flags waved like battle calls, and the fiddler climbed a ladder right into the crowd. Seasoned, confident, and infectiously joyful, they had the audience jigging, singing, and swaying like pub legends.

Then the curtain lifted for SKINDRED. If charisma were currency, frontman Benji Webbe would be a billionaire. Dressed in a pink plush hat, fur coat, and another number of other various outfits, he prowled the stage like a beast, never pausing, always engaging the audience. The crowd? Completely under his spell of the ecstatic mix of ska, metal, hip-hop and punk. Audio and lights meshed perfectly — a full-throttle climax to the night. No one stood still and partied till the very last note.

Closing duties fell to ROCK RISING, an Irish cover band was handed the Herculean task of keeping spirits flying after Skindred. Challenge accepted. They brought just enough charm and stomp to seal the evening with a wink.

After a long day of great music and exceptional performances, a great and fantastic first festival day ended. This was setting the bar pretty high for day 2.