"I want to go to festivals until I'm 100," says Charlie, who is known by almost everyone at local metal festivals

You won't miss Charlie at festival. He walks around in his regal clothes and
wand, looking like a nobleman. He mainly dresses in this style for music events, but otherwise helps seniors and people with disabilities as a caregiver during the year. As he says, he earns money all year to go to festivals in the summer, which is his second home. Read the interview with him to find out how he got his style, what bands and festivals are his favourite and what his dreams are.

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What's your name?

My name is Charlie and I come from Austria and I go to many festivals in Czech Republic. Nice to eat you, Czech Death Fest, Basinfirefest, Brutal Assault, Obscene extreme, Fest Pod Parou and many other festivals.

The whole summer is festivals for you? Every year.

Every year.

And why are you going to festivals in Czech republic?

So many festivals here, so many festivals. And it's cheap. The beer is cheap, the entry is cheap. And I like it when I am a guest in other country.

And in which year you were first time at festivals here?

The first was 2012 at Masters of Rock and Brutal Assault

And which of the festivals is your favourite?

Obscene Extreme, yeah, Obscene Extreme especially.

And do you live whole summer in Czech Republic?

No, no, no. I came from Vienna and I travel around.

And what do you do for living in the year? What's your job?

My work is a social work, help old people and people with handicap in their home.

And now you have whole summer holiday or only few weeks?

When I am on festival, its three, four days. Than I go home, I have a little bit work and at two weeks I am going to Spálené Poříčí to Basinfirefest.

And what's your favorite band?

My most favourite band is the Rolling Stones. Yeah, and I know them from times when I was boy. I was 12 years old. And at the beginning of the 80s, we enjoyed music from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones is the oldest rock band I am listening to.

And do you seen them alive? Have You been to a concert?

Yeah. Five or six times. I saw them few years ago in Prague. I saw RS in Austria and then one year after this gig I went to Prague and saw a poster, that the The Rolling Stones will play soon there. I had to see them again.

This is your clothing style only on festivals?

Yeah

Why you choose this outfit for festivals?

My hat, my shoes. I wear this every day so… People recognize me really well.

What do you like on this festival? (Czech Death Fest)

I like to meet many people there as usual. I recognize many faces there and the people knows me. And I come every year to see the same people, it's a big family.

So, you don't think you are alone, you live alone and you have lots of friends.

I am coming alone, I am solitaire on my way. The people I know in Austria, they say: no festivals.

So you found your friends there and in your homeland you have other friends, but they don’t like festivals.

Yeah. They are not so interested. When I go I know people in every festival. When I go in other festival is Czech they are like: “Aaah Charlie, you are here, we're happy.”

And in Germany, when I go to festivals, all the people are so nice… I love it so.

And what was your first time you had this outfit? How you made it?

I don’t know this is in English. In German we say “Rugenhempt”

(note - white shirt with draping)

This… I was 17 years old, I think. Yeah. I see it from Jim Hendrix and I was: Ohh where I can buy this and then I forgot it and I think It was 10 year, 10, 11, 12 years later when I said to my daughter: Hey look at the Internet when we can buy this. And my daughter found it, she was better than me at the internet.

This is all my ideas. This is a little bit punk, a little bit rock, a little bit metal is all in me, in my head and heart.

And in the normal year you wear what?

I have many clothes. When I go to my father, when I get to my parents I wear other stuff, not so crazy. But when I do this, my parents knows who am I.

And how old are you?

58

When was you first festival, it was there in Czech republic?

The first was in 86 in Germany.

And are you going in other countries or now only in Czech republic?

I was also in Berlin, 3 or 4 weeks ago. Then I go to Switzerland in October. In middle of September I go to Berlin, in October to Munich, in end of August I go to Slovakia at Gotham. I was also in Hungary festivals and in Slovenia too.

Can you say how many festival this year do you visiting?

Fifteen. Yeah, yeah. Last year it was 15 at all. Between 10 and 15 festivals in one year. I'm not rich, but I have a little bit money. I work when is no festivals and I am working almost every day. And then I can buy the things, beer etc.

Are you living in tent or you have some hotel.

In tent

Do you like living in tent?

Yeah, I'm the gypsy. I am festival gypsy.

Do you like the festival energy, the people and the...

Yeah, the energy, the smiles, the happiness. Yeah, it's all good, no aggressive people, all happy, familiar.

Yeah, do you have some dream for the future. Some festival or something?

When I'm 100 year old, I will go to heavy metal festival.

So do you want to go to festivals all life, until the end?

Yeah, until I die