As you read this, 75,000 metal fans are descending upon Wacken, Germany for the annual Wacken Open Air metal festival. However, thanks to Schleswig-Holstein’s (the state Wacken is in) higher than average swine flu rate, their health ministry has issued a statement urging caution.
Citing “circumstances of limited hygeine,” the statement urges festival attendees to “resist close greeting rituals,” including hugging, handshakes and kisses on the cheek. They also asked not to let beverages “circulate.” Also, medical rescue personell have stockpiled antiviral medical inventory and isolation rooms to help prevent the spread of swine flu, also known as the A/H1NI virus.
So if you’re at the biggest metal festival in the world, don’t share a beer or hug anyone? I mean, it’s almost a win-win. There’s probably a ton of people there that you wouldn’t want to share a brew or make out with anyway. A virus outbreak at a multi-day metal festival has all the makings of a pretty amazing horror movie, actually.
