Wave Gotik Treffen 2008
Just like every year in May I write this year as well : the carnival of spring-summer Festivals is now open!!!
Wave Gotik Treffen is a great opening (metaphorically and literally ) so it's no surprise Leipizg on the days of the Fest resembles a destination for numerous pilgrimages regardless of the reason: be it good music, company or sentiment that attract people: the amount of treats prepared for Festivals goers is enough to either recharge or destroy emotionally (and/or physically) for the whole year.
Aside from the concerts located in several venues (Agra, Werk II, Kohlrabizirkus, Parkbühne, Mortitzbastei to name just a few...) what is always prepared is a rich accompanying program that includes such highlights as films/photography presentations, picnics, meetings with bands and, of course, after parties led by renowned DJs or even band members.
I got to the place quite late, so the action I'd planned was a bit shorted and limited to the so-called “mini version”, still I got several discoveries and even ' revelations' during the event so all in all I see WGT 2008 as a success.
http://www.wave-gotik-treffen.de
FRIDAY
The first concert I watched on that day was the one of Swedish formation Ashbury Heights. I admit I'd been impatiently waiting for the show being utterly won by their album „Three cheers for the newly deads”, which, thanks to such smashing hits as „Cry Havoc”, „Agora Overdrive” or „Christ”, had really got me off my feet.
Well, they played my faves and they made no lame, though their problems with equipment (like with mikes) were 'audible'. Still, the music they presented was fine: appropriately energetic, wild and overpowering which was surely up to the songs featuring power, madness and invigorating blast.
As to the concert itself: Yaz is a somewhat volcano of energy and charm: fragile lady on 10 centimeter stilettos was rocking the stage in such a way that the force hitting from the stage was no more no less than irresistible signal to dance. Anders H in turn was doing his thing with a certain dose of persistence – or at least it look like that, especially when he was clapping his hands, trying to encourage the audience to join in. He himself resembled a little boy exposing his sad face in the spotlight – moving sight, indeed :-) - very contrasting with Yaz's uncontrollable enticing ways.
All that didn't stop them from playing a good, rocking gig – perhaps it wasn't the scenic mastery of the world, but good beginning – for sure.
Setlist:
Morningstar in a black car
Bare Your Teeth
Smaller
Stormbringer
Penance
Christ
Die By Numbers
Cry Havoc
World Coming Down
http://www.myspace.com/ashburyheightsmusic
The second project: Santa Hates You
surprised me very positively: whatever I'd expected it definitely was
not such a dose of fast-running, hard-hitting, powerful sounds. Peter
Spilles and his companion Jinxy performed wearing expressive make-ups
and provided (aside from the flood of lights) a highly lively and dancy
show.
I must say that such combinations of aggression, fine speed and vivid melodies is very much up to my taste, so I liked the concert (or rather a part of it, cause after several song we had to leave for Agra).
Setlist:
1. FEUERBALL
2. EGO INC.
3. SUGAR AND SPICE
4. KAROSHI
5. LOVE SONG
6. MACHINE SEX SYMPHONY
7. PANTHEON
8. U'R FUCKING IT UP
http://www.myspace.com/santahatesyou
Das Ich
secured a strong concert start-up. Make-ups (or even body make-ups),
crazy hairdos and wild frontman's mimicry plus the music – all that
taken together sounded and looked extremely well. Stefan Ackermann
painted red was running all over the stage mimicking towards the
audience looking like a ball of concentrated energy while Bruno Kramm
and Ringo Müller set aside two parts of a big movable machine supported
him musically and/or vocally. Very stimulating gig !
Setlist:
Der Schrei
Kain und Abel
Schwarzes Gift
Kannibale (New Song)
Garten Eden
Schwarzer Stern
Sing mir ein Lied (New Song)
Uterus
http://www.myspace.com/dasich
http://www.dasich.de/
What can I say: watching Sigue Sigue Sputnik
was a bit like a return to the roots (cuz I listened to the band some
'x' years ago) and a bit like going to the fashion show inspired by
Cherokees and Siouxes.
Artistically cut and did hair (wigs) together with eye-catching outfit were as carefully prepared as coloristically shocking: orange, yellow, red, blue, violet: altogether it resembled a jungle, „The Fifth Element” and most of all „Bladerunner”. Definitely they presented what could justly be called a 'show'.
Musically: Tony James and the crew play something which brings futuristic Dawid Bowie to mind: guitars, scything, processed melodies and the vocal – hoarse or glass tinging interchangeably.
Intriguing.
http://www.myspace.com/sputnikworld
http://www.sputnikworld.com/
Good
news is that Graf is feeling better and rocks the stage like the prince
of rhythm again and that his voice lost nothing of its warmth, power
and magic. Classic, marvelous show of Unheilig definitely moved
and left us with positive feelings whereas the songs of the new album
„Puppenspiel” combined with the old ones and the traditional scenery
(candles, clock) were as smashing as usual. It's really nice to hear that the Unholy party is more than fine.
http://www.myspace.com/unheilig
http://www.unheilig.com/
Blutengel
taught me a lesson on how to use the abundance of special effects and
props and yet to avoid the effect of flying circus: fireworks, confetti,
masked figures, elegant, sophisticated costumes, torches, fire-shining
visuals, Greek-modeled dresses for the singers and the supernumeraries,
black and white, red and gold, heaven and hell: all that mixed together
somehow produced a breath-taking and not the nausea-provoking effect.
Stage and the music: either lyrical or overpowering stood for a good concert: both visually and melodically which was praised with encore.
http://www.blutengel.de/
Just
after the concert of Blutengel had finished there was a break before a
so-called 'Midnight Special' that is before the concert of Paradise Lost. I'll put it this way: I'm not a fan of PL – I used to listen to them, I'd even say in the past I listened to them obsessively,
but it was in times of „Believe in Nothing”, so quite long time ago.
What I'm trying to say is that I'm unable to judge whether the band
have evolved or have gone to the dogs. What I'm able to say though is
that PL definitely extinguished themselves from the other bands
presenting their concerts in Agra that day – not only with their music,
but above all their 'appearance'.
Much as all the bands prepared spectacular sceneries, the gents of PL entered the stage wearing T-shirts and jeans, completely relaxed, calm and self-controlling. Still, just the intro was enough to understand what hard-hitting guitars are all about. In combination with strong, freely running vocal of Nick Holms it was a knockout that rammed and smashed me. Perhaps additional deco was unnecessary then and the scenic frugality was intentional to let the music enfold all its charms for the audience. The frontman himself also seemed cool, politely and gently encouraging the people to have some fun with words: 'ladies and gentlemen let's start a real party” :-)
The fans seemed to appreciate the fact that the band played the new songs of "In Requiem" and the old ones too, like e.g "Reflection" (”As I die”) - that was out 10 years ago.
All in all it was surely the concert many had been waiting for (also for the fact it proceeded the release of the first DVD of the band entitled "The Anatomy Of Melancholy”) but whether it met the expectations is another thing. I don't know, it's much too individual a thing for me to judge...
Setlist:
01. The Enemy
02. Ash and debris
03. No celebration
04. True Belief
05. As I die
06. So much is lost
07. Enchantment
08. Requiem
09. Unreachable
10. Gothic
11. Embers Fire (planned but not played)
12. One Second
---
13. Never for the damned
14. Erased
15. Say just words
http://www.myspace.com/paradiselostuk
http://paradiselost.co.uk/
SATURDAY
Saturday at Treffen had always brought some associations with strong, kicking sounds in Agra Halle to my head. And so it was this time as well. When we got to the place it was still rather empty but slowly the people were coming and those very much in style of Electric Tremor team were already by the stage, preparing themselves for action.
Jäger 90 that is Thoralf and Stev played as the first. The whole sounded quite homogeneously: dynamically, rhythmically and rather frugally - set in an atmosphere matching if not military drill then definitely police warm up. The gents managed to start up a by-the-scene pogo and talk to the audience a bit ( for instance the frontman said he'd been training so that he'd be able to keep up with his audience in running wild in dancing and marching – surely, he succeeded: his orange boots wee moving very fast onstage:-)
It sounded fine for warm-up and to set oneself into movement – but nothing more. Well, what would you have expected from the music collected on albums entitled „Total Debil”, „Hymns of Steel” or „Harte Zaiten”? Nothing more, nothing less.
http://www.myspace.com/jaeger90ebm
http://www.jaeger90.com/
Another project - Cyborg Attack
- sounded far more harder and it included a fair dose of harsh
elements, however, it was still set in a single, dancy route with no
sharp turns elsewhere.
Three gents: Eucha, Punisher and Zerindi (?) stood onstage: two operating the machines decorated with lit sculls wearing quite 'outdoorsy' clothes and the vocalist (he brought Lord Vader to my mind almost immediately). They were fighting with sounds quite violently, still, after some time such a wave of similar, yelling sounds became quite tiresome.
CA played the pieces of their new album Stoerf * * * tor” as well as the old one:. „Blutgeld„.
Setlist:
1 Alptraum Leben
2 Trauma
3 Blutgeld (part one)
4 PSYCHO-X
5 Ignoranz
6.STOERF * * * TOR
7.Blutgeld (part two)
http://www.myspace.com/cyborgattack
http://www.cyborg-attack.de/
A real sonic hell started only after Vassi Vallis and his crew of Reaper
had entered the stage. The gents appeared full of vigor and energy
wearing expressive make-ups and worn-out clothes, and whacked it up to
such an extent that some people lost their new-rocks on the way in
action. Good, after all that's what such music is for.
The fact is that the sphere of so called 'lyrics' will not, gently speaking – blow anyone down (though the message of „she is a devil and a whore”repeated again and again leaves no room for misunderstandings, huh ?”), but I don't suppose anyone would mind such a detail.
One thing is clear: even if the pieces have nothing to do with romantic poetry they definitely have their specific character and power – just exactly enough to smash at the dance floor. Say, „robuste maschine” or „x-junkie” featuring a single, hunting rhythm really hit hard, though may irritate at times. On the other hand, I think there's nothing more you would expect of a tangle of electro and techno: sometimes it's good to turn off your brain and turn on the muscles (esp. of your legs) and definitely Reaper provide a good soundtrack for that.
Setlist:
intro
angst
memento mori
twisted trophy hunter (live mix)
robuste maschine
execution of your mind
x-junkie (fsk 18 mix)
she is a devil and a whore 2008
http://www.myspace.com/reapermusic
Then, there was time for one of the best shows of the whole Fest, namely the one of Spectra Paris.
I had had a chance to listen to their album „Dead Models Society”, so I'd known it's worth going to their concert and let me say it straight ahead: it didn't fail my (high) expectations! Elena Alice Fossi appeared as if an incarnation of charm, wearing short, latex (?) dress so did the remaining ladies: Marianna Alfieri on bass, Cristina Restani (e-guitar, synth, megapone) and Dalila Bianco on violin - all beautiful, all bewitching the audience with their exceptional allure.
The music: FABULOUS! Presented with passion, talent and grace was flowing with such a fire power that it got me off my feet. It was a somewhat a show to honor classic, mysterious, a bit rapacious womanhood. Lyrics, visualizations (extremely chic and appealing: photos of photo sessions, mixed with glimpses of “Clockwork Orange”, beautiful faces : Helena Christiansen, Nadja Auermann...) were like a hymn sang to praise the beauty given in as charming as dangerous form.
Indeed, wearing mini skirt and suspenders that night was very much justified :-)
It was a brilliant show sparkling with emotions, energy and irresistible sensuality where stunning melodies coalesced heat with coldness. Fantastic performance!!!
Setlist:
intro (“clockwork orange attack”)
2. spectra murder show
3. lucky city oversight
4. size zero
5. glittering bullet
6. mad world
7. falsos suenos
8. eight (instrumental break)
9. 007 gold (not performed)
http://www.myspace.com/spectraparis
Signal Aout 42
- that is the project of Jacky Meurisse - soothed emotions a bit
offering a rather balanced combination of cold melodies and seductive
lyrics (like in „So beautiful” directed, as I understood, to all the
ladies gathered in the hall – to have them all was a daring plan I'd say
:-)
Hoarse, muffled vocal and dynamic melodies sounded very well, though they lacked a certain extraordinary, distinctive feature that would make them stand out of the flood of other such sounds. Still, altogether it was a fine, well-presented concert.
Setlist:
1 Hell gate
2 So beatiful
3 Totalk non sens
4 Dont worry
5 Transformation
6 Dea is calling
7 Live less
8 Waterdome
http://www.myspace.com/SignalAout42
Yet another acceleration of pace and abundance of props was presented by the Mexicans of Hocico.
Figures wearing plumes, visualizations that could make the gentler
stomachs rebel and well known music pieces of both new and old albums
such as „Memorias Atras” of 2008 or „About a Dead” and „Signos De
Aberracion” contributed to a fairly energetic and scything concert.
Still, every time I come across the combination of dancy, aggressive,
hard-hitting melody and nauseating images reflecting death and
destruction I wonder: how does it work? Have the people got totally
indifferent to what they see, or did they get used to it or aren't they
simply watching? I always have to either watch or dance or turn my brain
off (and, as I assume, it's not what the artists would like to
achieve?) cuz I can't do both ... well, a riddle, by all means.
Be it as it may: Hocico met a very good reception and got a decent applause from the audience.
http://www.hocico.com/
Patient waiting for Covenant
surely was made up for: after the series of preparations we could hear
the counting in the background : xx hz, xxx hz and finally 20 Hz... and
the scream let out and it was hard to stand still! Fantastic beginning
followed by even better treats: great lights, incredible music (the set,
of course, included both the old and the new songs – like e.g. „Come”)
and the whole Covenant crew in fabulous shape: vibrating voice,
incredible energy and power emanating from each and every subsequent
piece and the impression of fantastic spectacle we were participating in
: it was a complete kayo-quality blast!
All the three gents presented chic and style, all the three perfectly organized the scene either stimulating dance madness or building up a fantastic concentration atmosphere („invisible & silent”), or just simply boosting frenzy, uncontrollable fun that seemed to absorb the people in its whirl („we stand alone”, call the „ships to port” or „dead stars”). Magic or not – to resist the dark, tender machine would be extremely hard and as I could see - no one actually did.
Let me just say the encores were fully deserved and the concert itself – excellent. Bravo!
Setlist:
20hz
bullet
come
figurehead
storm
invisible & silent
the men (longer)
we stand alone
stalker
call the ships to port
short improv
ritual noise
happy man
dead stars
swedish folksong (acapella)
theremin
one world, one sky
http://www.covenant.se/
Wave Gotik Treffen is a great opening (metaphorically and literally ) so it's no surprise Leipizg on the days of the Fest resembles a destination for numerous pilgrimages regardless of the reason: be it good music, company or sentiment that attract people: the amount of treats prepared for Festivals goers is enough to either recharge or destroy emotionally (and/or physically) for the whole year.
Aside from the concerts located in several venues (Agra, Werk II, Kohlrabizirkus, Parkbühne, Mortitzbastei to name just a few...) what is always prepared is a rich accompanying program that includes such highlights as films/photography presentations, picnics, meetings with bands and, of course, after parties led by renowned DJs or even band members.
I got to the place quite late, so the action I'd planned was a bit shorted and limited to the so-called “mini version”, still I got several discoveries and even ' revelations' during the event so all in all I see WGT 2008 as a success.
http://www.wave-gotik-treffen.de
FRIDAY
The first concert I watched on that day was the one of Swedish formation Ashbury Heights. I admit I'd been impatiently waiting for the show being utterly won by their album „Three cheers for the newly deads”, which, thanks to such smashing hits as „Cry Havoc”, „Agora Overdrive” or „Christ”, had really got me off my feet.
Well, they played my faves and they made no lame, though their problems with equipment (like with mikes) were 'audible'. Still, the music they presented was fine: appropriately energetic, wild and overpowering which was surely up to the songs featuring power, madness and invigorating blast.
As to the concert itself: Yaz is a somewhat volcano of energy and charm: fragile lady on 10 centimeter stilettos was rocking the stage in such a way that the force hitting from the stage was no more no less than irresistible signal to dance. Anders H in turn was doing his thing with a certain dose of persistence – or at least it look like that, especially when he was clapping his hands, trying to encourage the audience to join in. He himself resembled a little boy exposing his sad face in the spotlight – moving sight, indeed :-) - very contrasting with Yaz's uncontrollable enticing ways.
All that didn't stop them from playing a good, rocking gig – perhaps it wasn't the scenic mastery of the world, but good beginning – for sure.
Setlist:
Morningstar in a black car
Bare Your Teeth
Smaller
Stormbringer
Penance
Christ
Die By Numbers
Cry Havoc
World Coming Down
http://www.myspace.com/ashburyheightsmusic
I must say that such combinations of aggression, fine speed and vivid melodies is very much up to my taste, so I liked the concert (or rather a part of it, cause after several song we had to leave for Agra).
Setlist:
1. FEUERBALL
2. EGO INC.
3. SUGAR AND SPICE
4. KAROSHI
5. LOVE SONG
6. MACHINE SEX SYMPHONY
7. PANTHEON
8. U'R FUCKING IT UP
http://www.myspace.com/santahatesyou
Setlist:
Der Schrei
Kain und Abel
Schwarzes Gift
Kannibale (New Song)
Garten Eden
Schwarzer Stern
Sing mir ein Lied (New Song)
Uterus
http://www.myspace.com/dasich
http://www.dasich.de/
Artistically cut and did hair (wigs) together with eye-catching outfit were as carefully prepared as coloristically shocking: orange, yellow, red, blue, violet: altogether it resembled a jungle, „The Fifth Element” and most of all „Bladerunner”. Definitely they presented what could justly be called a 'show'.
Musically: Tony James and the crew play something which brings futuristic Dawid Bowie to mind: guitars, scything, processed melodies and the vocal – hoarse or glass tinging interchangeably.
Intriguing.
http://www.myspace.com/sputnikworld
http://www.sputnikworld.com/
http://www.myspace.com/unheilig
http://www.unheilig.com/
Stage and the music: either lyrical or overpowering stood for a good concert: both visually and melodically which was praised with encore.
http://www.blutengel.de/
Much as all the bands prepared spectacular sceneries, the gents of PL entered the stage wearing T-shirts and jeans, completely relaxed, calm and self-controlling. Still, just the intro was enough to understand what hard-hitting guitars are all about. In combination with strong, freely running vocal of Nick Holms it was a knockout that rammed and smashed me. Perhaps additional deco was unnecessary then and the scenic frugality was intentional to let the music enfold all its charms for the audience. The frontman himself also seemed cool, politely and gently encouraging the people to have some fun with words: 'ladies and gentlemen let's start a real party” :-)
The fans seemed to appreciate the fact that the band played the new songs of "In Requiem" and the old ones too, like e.g "Reflection" (”As I die”) - that was out 10 years ago.
All in all it was surely the concert many had been waiting for (also for the fact it proceeded the release of the first DVD of the band entitled "The Anatomy Of Melancholy”) but whether it met the expectations is another thing. I don't know, it's much too individual a thing for me to judge...
Setlist:
01. The Enemy
02. Ash and debris
03. No celebration
04. True Belief
05. As I die
06. So much is lost
07. Enchantment
08. Requiem
09. Unreachable
10. Gothic
11. Embers Fire (planned but not played)
12. One Second
---
13. Never for the damned
14. Erased
15. Say just words
http://www.myspace.com/paradiselostuk
http://paradiselost.co.uk/
Saturday at Treffen had always brought some associations with strong, kicking sounds in Agra Halle to my head. And so it was this time as well. When we got to the place it was still rather empty but slowly the people were coming and those very much in style of Electric Tremor team were already by the stage, preparing themselves for action.
Jäger 90 that is Thoralf and Stev played as the first. The whole sounded quite homogeneously: dynamically, rhythmically and rather frugally - set in an atmosphere matching if not military drill then definitely police warm up. The gents managed to start up a by-the-scene pogo and talk to the audience a bit ( for instance the frontman said he'd been training so that he'd be able to keep up with his audience in running wild in dancing and marching – surely, he succeeded: his orange boots wee moving very fast onstage:-)
It sounded fine for warm-up and to set oneself into movement – but nothing more. Well, what would you have expected from the music collected on albums entitled „Total Debil”, „Hymns of Steel” or „Harte Zaiten”? Nothing more, nothing less.
http://www.myspace.com/jaeger90ebm
http://www.jaeger90.com/
Three gents: Eucha, Punisher and Zerindi (?) stood onstage: two operating the machines decorated with lit sculls wearing quite 'outdoorsy' clothes and the vocalist (he brought Lord Vader to my mind almost immediately). They were fighting with sounds quite violently, still, after some time such a wave of similar, yelling sounds became quite tiresome.
CA played the pieces of their new album Stoerf * * * tor” as well as the old one:. „Blutgeld„.
Setlist:
1 Alptraum Leben
2 Trauma
3 Blutgeld (part one)
4 PSYCHO-X
5 Ignoranz
6.STOERF * * * TOR
7.Blutgeld (part two)
http://www.myspace.com/cyborgattack
http://www.cyborg-attack.de/
The fact is that the sphere of so called 'lyrics' will not, gently speaking – blow anyone down (though the message of „she is a devil and a whore”repeated again and again leaves no room for misunderstandings, huh ?”), but I don't suppose anyone would mind such a detail.
One thing is clear: even if the pieces have nothing to do with romantic poetry they definitely have their specific character and power – just exactly enough to smash at the dance floor. Say, „robuste maschine” or „x-junkie” featuring a single, hunting rhythm really hit hard, though may irritate at times. On the other hand, I think there's nothing more you would expect of a tangle of electro and techno: sometimes it's good to turn off your brain and turn on the muscles (esp. of your legs) and definitely Reaper provide a good soundtrack for that.
Setlist:
intro
angst
memento mori
twisted trophy hunter (live mix)
robuste maschine
execution of your mind
x-junkie (fsk 18 mix)
she is a devil and a whore 2008
http://www.myspace.com/reapermusic
I had had a chance to listen to their album „Dead Models Society”, so I'd known it's worth going to their concert and let me say it straight ahead: it didn't fail my (high) expectations! Elena Alice Fossi appeared as if an incarnation of charm, wearing short, latex (?) dress so did the remaining ladies: Marianna Alfieri on bass, Cristina Restani (e-guitar, synth, megapone) and Dalila Bianco on violin - all beautiful, all bewitching the audience with their exceptional allure.
The music: FABULOUS! Presented with passion, talent and grace was flowing with such a fire power that it got me off my feet. It was a somewhat a show to honor classic, mysterious, a bit rapacious womanhood. Lyrics, visualizations (extremely chic and appealing: photos of photo sessions, mixed with glimpses of “Clockwork Orange”, beautiful faces : Helena Christiansen, Nadja Auermann...) were like a hymn sang to praise the beauty given in as charming as dangerous form.
Indeed, wearing mini skirt and suspenders that night was very much justified :-)
It was a brilliant show sparkling with emotions, energy and irresistible sensuality where stunning melodies coalesced heat with coldness. Fantastic performance!!!
Setlist:
intro (“clockwork orange attack”)
2. spectra murder show
3. lucky city oversight
4. size zero
5. glittering bullet
6. mad world
7. falsos suenos
8. eight (instrumental break)
9. 007 gold (not performed)
http://www.myspace.com/spectraparis
Hoarse, muffled vocal and dynamic melodies sounded very well, though they lacked a certain extraordinary, distinctive feature that would make them stand out of the flood of other such sounds. Still, altogether it was a fine, well-presented concert.
Setlist:
1 Hell gate
2 So beatiful
3 Totalk non sens
4 Dont worry
5 Transformation
6 Dea is calling
7 Live less
8 Waterdome
http://www.myspace.com/SignalAout42
Be it as it may: Hocico met a very good reception and got a decent applause from the audience.
http://www.hocico.com/
All the three gents presented chic and style, all the three perfectly organized the scene either stimulating dance madness or building up a fantastic concentration atmosphere („invisible & silent”), or just simply boosting frenzy, uncontrollable fun that seemed to absorb the people in its whirl („we stand alone”, call the „ships to port” or „dead stars”). Magic or not – to resist the dark, tender machine would be extremely hard and as I could see - no one actually did.
Let me just say the encores were fully deserved and the concert itself – excellent. Bravo!
Setlist:
20hz
bullet
come
figurehead
storm
invisible & silent
the men (longer)
we stand alone
stalker
call the ships to port
short improv
ritual noise
happy man
dead stars
swedish folksong (acapella)
theremin
one world, one sky
http://www.covenant.se/
