Amphi Festival 2008
The 4th edition of Amphi Festival has come to a close... It was awesome!
Last year I half-joked about wanting a better line-up in 2008. It didn’t really seem possible back then, but the organisers proved it is possible.
The festival’s line-up, which you might call a review of what’s best of new and old (though this is, of course, a matter of taste), was really stunning and it was probably the reason why so many people came this year. All the tickets were sold out several days before the event, which does not happen very often (if it happens at all in the case of open air festivals). Let this be proof of the Amphi's growing class and renown.
Apart from the concerts, which I will discuss below, there was also an “R&R treatment,” including the Amphi Cup (where artists, organisers, sponsors and journalists played), meetings with the bands, afterparties and some quality time in pubs and cafeterias (among these was the Beach Bar, where you could see a lovely view of the Rhine and where you could even take a nap:-).
The weather was okay, though there was some rainfall and it was rather windy. One way or another, there was nothing that could have spoiled the mood; especially that everything was going according to plan, with no delays or programme changes.
http://www.myspace.com/amphifestival
http://www.amphi-festival.de
SATURDAY
The festival opened with a screening of Welle:Erdball’s film Operation:Zeitsturm, which we were unfortunately late for on both days (ah, there’s nothing like a stroll down that good old cornfield, nothing like the Umweltzone for people with cars as old as ours:-). However, we did make it in time for the official opening by Jens (Funker Vogt) and Honey (Welle:Erdball), who were traditionally employed as hosts:-).
Main Stage
The first band to present itself was Mina Harker. The lovely vocalist, Mina, focused more on singing than interacting with the audience, but her strong, warm voice combined with guitars and drums sounded real fine; especially when Alexander Gorodetzki's kick-ass solo’s mixed with the lyrical vocals.
The track list included: "Letzter Kuss," "Tiefer," "Wie im Traum," "Engel," "Tränen," "Nacht," and was closed by "Fühlst Du mich."
http://www.myspace.com/minaharkerband
The next band, Cinderella Effect
(a side project of Blutengel’s Constance Rudert), didn’t really stir
the blood in me. You know, it’s really hard to get excited about cover
versions followed by cover versions and some more cover versions... no
matter in what sweet voices they’re sung. But that’s all CE has to offer
- their own interpretations of hit songs: Zeromancer’s "Clone Your
Lover," The Cranberries’ "Zombie," Project Pitchfork’s "Timekiller,"
HIM’s "Summerwine," VNV Nation’s "Standing;" topped off with stuff like
"Wenn die Liebe ein Engel ist," "Darkest Hour," and "Undivided." It’s
all too little - too little variety, too little force.
Visually: silk, suede, latex, flowers (from right to left and to the back), long dresses and curly hair - classical and feminine to the core.
Summing up: the songs were definitely different, full of romance and fantasy, with charming female voices... but it’s just didn’t work for me.
http://www.cinderella-effect.de
http://www.myspace.com/cinderellaeffect
Luckily, there soon came a change of mood when Zeromancer appeared on stage (preceded by their logo, which – as Mortis pointed out – looks almost like the Opel logo...:-).
They started with a longish intro on guitars, while the scene was being covered with clouds of smoke, and then came the "concert proper."
Just the first notes of "Need You Like a Drug" were enough to send the audience clapping and screaming, and when Alex Møkelbust finally appeared there was an explosion of energy in the crowd. That’s just the effect this band has on people; and this track’s intro is just so characteristic, the way the guitars come in, I think everybody knows it :-). Opening – SUPERB as always.
What followed was equally energetic: "Doppelganger I Love You," with Alex moving in a very tempting, erotic way (someone should have given him a pole to dance around:-), virtually stunning the audience; then came "Clone Your Lover," "My Little Tragedy," "I’m Yours to Lose" (off went the shirt and, ladies and gentlemen, I can’t stress that enough - Alex looks as good as ever:-), my beloved "Cupola," sparkling with emotions, which played in a sudden gust of wind, as if Alex’s low, dark voice wasn’t enough to create a spine-chilling atmosphere. "Fade to Smack" and "Doctor Online" were there as well. A fantastic, dynamic, thrilling show – bravo!
http://www.zeromancer.com
http://www.myspace.com/erotic_saints
I’m sorry to report that I was a bit late for the Welle:Erdball
concert (the obstacle races between the Theatre and the Main Stage were
on for good). As always, there was something to look at, 'cause W:E
know well how to put on a hilarious show.
This time Fraulein Venus and Soraya appeared in sexy latex outfits, glasses and short, blonde wigs; and their dance nearly caused heart attacks in some of the folks (:-D). The girls did give away some heart-shaped lollipops to appease the audience, though. Meanwhile, Honey and A.L.F produced their usual hymns in praise of the glorious Commodore 64 (and not just that...). While the band played stuff like "Funkbereit," "Plastik," "Starfighter" (this time they threw paper aeroplanes at the audience :-), "Wir woollen keine Menschen sein," or "0179-1923954,” a graffiti was being painted in the background (using Cellophane as canvas) of some kind of spaceship flying towards a littered Earth and its neighbourhood. The folks applauded C-64, which unfortunately ended its existence being thrown frivolously away:-).
We reached the peak of fun with "Arbeit Adelt" – an extremely vigorous track, during which Honey banged on a barrel (that, by the way, was red and white; I hope it had nothing to do with negative feelings for Poland, ‘cause he was really brutal with it...:-).
The concert closed with "Monoton + Minimal."
http://welle-erdball.de
I didn’t get to see the whole of the next concert either. It was Zeraphine, which is another (aside from Solar Fake and the "sometimes existent" Dreadful Shadows) project of Sven Friedrich.
The music is totally guitars with the characteristic harsh, nasal singing by Sven (dressed black head to toe), at times accompanied by the other musicians. The effect was quite thrilling, especially if you take into account the somewhat "dramatic," emotional manner in which individual tracks were presented.
Among the songs played were: "Die Macht in Dir," "Jede Wahrheit," "Nichts aus Liebe," "Still," "Be My Rain," "Traumaworld," "Inside Your Arms," "Ohne Dich."
My impressions are this: Sven has got to be one of the most likeable vocalists I have ever seen; a friendly smile, great contact with the audience, being really one with the band (not like some other projects where everybody plays his tune regardless of what the others are doing). And he sings like he’s giving the whole of himself to his listeners, sings to the audience and not to himself; he's extremely expressive and engaged.
As for the sound: the rocking guitars, piercing your unsuspecting ears with their sharp teeth, the percussion and the leading vocals all cooperate in a perfectly tuned, spiritual machine. A slight taste of metal, some folkish backgrounds, but mostly just gothic rock combined with that voice, sometimes dramatic, always lyrical, at times touching you so deep it makes you shiver, and the music resounds within your whole body; all this makes a very interesting and catchy combination.
http://www.zeraphine.de
http://www.myspace.com/zeraphine
Because the Theatre concerts overlapped with Covenant,
I didn’t make it before "Bullet." By the way, Daniel Myer deserves
praise for jumping on stage with Covenant right after Haujobb's gig – I
applaud his energy!
The gents were dressed real fancy, in suits: the usual white for Eskil, beige for Joakim and black for Daniel. I must admit, they were extremely chic:-).
On top of that, Eskil seemed to be in good mood: relaxed, smiling, chatting with the audience, joyously moving around - the effect was very good. They played songs like "Figurehead" (can’t help to feel it was an opera-like performance), "Invisible and Silent," "The Men," "Stalker," my favourite "20Hz," by which time it was difficult not to dance, especially that it was followed by "Dead Stars" (given a noise-ish tint by D. Myer’s exclamations between each phrase:-).
Generally, this was a very good, you might say classical Covenant performance.
http://www.covenant.se
http://www.myspace.com/covenant
Next,
Honey appeared on the stage and this is how he announced the next band:
he showed boards with the words "applause," "more applause," "still
louder," and finally Deine Lakaien :-).
DL didn’t have an orchestra with them this time, just the standard band: guitar player, female vocalists/violinists, cellist (and Ernst’s enormous grand piano in the middle of the stage:-). They’re in their usual good shape, although I must admit that at first (and in general) I had mixed feelings, because it all seemed to lack a certain zest, the sounds were too nostalgic, perhaps even monotonous. I don’t know why, but DL sometimes enthral, illuminate, make you worship them in silence for over an hour... just to give you a flat and colourless soundscape on another occasion. I’m inclined this was that other occasion; they did play the hits: "Colourize," "Over and Done," "Into My Arms," "Where You Are," "Overpaid," "Return," "Follow Me," "Generators," "Reincarnation," and the standard finisher "Love Me to the End," but I can’t say it was divine, sorry. Or maybe it was, just my ear and heart didn’t notice.
Of course it was not a complete disaster, Veljanov’s voice would not allow it (especially when singing "Overpaid" in the manner of an underage hooker:-) and neither would the double bass, which almost seemed to speak, the many instrumental ornaments enhancing original songs, lyrical outburst (thanks to the violins), the raging piano – it’s all high class and very charming. Nevertheless, I was not swept away this time.
This might be a temporary state, though.
http://www.deine-lakaien.com
http://www.myspace.com/deinelakaien
The last concert on the main stage was Oomph!.
It was the first time I’ve seen them live (and unfortunately not the
whole gig...). It should be enough to say that Dero, the vocalist,
appeared in the familiar kind of jacket with sleeves tied together in
the back and his companions wore more or less complete clerical outfits
(priest robes, collars and other wargear...), and they all rocked hard,
freezing from time to time like mechanical puppets, but mostly storming
our senses with a mixture of metal and electronica. Even if milder
moments did happen, they quickly gave way to mad passages and floods of
loud melody. They played tracks like "Träumst Du," "Unsere Rettung,"
"Fieber," "Du willst es doch auch," the new "Wach auf," the standard
"Augen auf!," and the encore consisted of "Brennende Liebe," "Gott is
ein Poppstar" and "Menschsein."
http://www.oomph.de
http://www.myspace.com/oomph
Theatre Stage
At the same time, the Theatre was naturally also under siege and the short intervals between the individual shows on the main stage and “under the roof” forced the more ardent fans to do some serious jogging if they wanted to make it to all the good stuff.
And this is what I think was the only flaw of the Festival: because of the limited space in the Theatre, some of the people were forced to stay outside and didn't really get to see the concerts (which must have happened all the time at the major concerts and, I suppose, was rather irritating!).
I'll begin by explaining that on Saturday the Theatre hosted mostly bands serving highly dynamic, electronic sounds – virtually every team kept that convention more or less successfully, which created a fine grounding to the coming afterparty – for it was some discotheque indeed:-).
Noisuf-X was the first to hit the stage with the shout: "OK, let’s go!" (well, they tried more of that, like "make some noise," "let me hear you," etc. throughout the concert, but - whether it was the early hour or something else - the public was unmoved).
My eyes saw nasty bug visuals, glow sticks and lights, while my ears were attacked by an electronic beat (I think this concert would have been great to make you tired, like a DJ set at a disco); but all this was a bit dull in the long run, monotonous because of the repetitiveness... too much of it for my simple needs...
For fans of trance mental trips – nothing better. But I didn’t make it to the end.
http://www.noisuf-x.com
http://www.myspace.com/noisufx
Next on stage was Nachtmahr,
which for some time now belongs to my "must-see list." This is because
of their skilful mixing of the intelligent with the brainless, that is
good quotes and interesting pictures (musical, war sequences, cartoon
turtle, and dark, Magritte-like landscapes; quotes from Huxley, Wos or
Kittel) with typical electro-shredding built up to epic proportions. The
music is generally quite catchy, but doesn't aspire to high art; nor do
I think it's supposed to – it plays to make you move, not to stimulate
emotional and mental thrills.
At the start: again four ladies in sexy uniforms went to the back of the stage (and again they were motionless all the time – what nice continuity!:-), the net to the equipment, the visuals to the screen, Thomas Rainer in his storm coat to the edge of the stage, and off we go! A powerful start - "Schwarzflug," then some other tasty tunes: "Deus Ex Machina," "Boomboomboom," "Einhundertacht," "Ein Spiel," or "Feuer frei!" Great beat, music, vigour; what’s more, Rainer seems made for the stage: his charisma, his motivating the audience, his slight exhibitionism, his great sense of humour – that's how you keep a show going. The applause was quite decent, as was the concert. Bravo! A military cantina disco that deserves a medal! :-)
http://www.myspace.com/nachmahrprojekt
The first thing that hit me when Grendel came on is that the vocalist looks different (he's got dark hair instead of red :-). The second thing - really great sound.
I've never been a fan, but I must honestly admit they played a good, energetic, high-class concert. A strong kick to the brains from the very beginning, thanks to "Soilbleed," "Pax Psichosis," "Remnants," "One.Eight.Zero," "Dirty," and "Hate This." Sharp light attacks, harsh vocals and extremely vigorous music; the blue and pink lights, smoke and an aggressive overflow of noises and samples seemed to mix like some devil stew.
The vocals did remind me at times of cutting metal and other types of screeching, but this didn’t spoil the overall effect - it even improved it. So if they wanted a show sparkling with hellfire – 100% success.
http://www.myspace.com/grendel
The first thought that comes to mind about Ashbury Heights is that the difference in quality between their music and their live shows is so dramatic it hurts.
I’ve seen them at WGT, where I decided I'd give them a second chance, 'cause I believed anyone can have a bad hair day. But what they displayed at Amphi you can only call one word - "embarrassing." Or maybe also "sloppy." Maybe it wouldn’t have bothered me that much with other bands (there’s a lot of them who "know not what they do"), but with AH it’s a crime. I just can't understand how such good music (Three Cheers... or the new Morningstar in a Black Car EP) can be screwed up by such a messy performance.
What do I mean? First track: the band staggers onto the stage, greets the audience ("Are you alright?" - "Yes/No" - "OK, let’s take it."), and "Illusion" begins. Anders is swaying by his equipment (he forgot to sing the chorus once, well, it happens...), while Yaz is performing a "somewhat" inept erotic dance with - as she said - her friend (oh, sweet, clumsy improvisation!!!). Okay, I’m not saying everyone should have a PhD in lapdancing, but if you want it in your show, some quality would be in order!
Right, let’s go on (and some struggle we’re in for). I spent "Morningstar in a Black Car," "Bare Your Teeth," "Cry Havoc," "Smaller," "Die by Numbers," "Stormbringer," and "Spiders" just waiting to see what more they could come up with. Some incomprehensible stage manoeuvres, stating that they don't like to push themselves (and replacing part of the lyrics with "la-la-las" or just yelling instead of singing), forgetting the lyrics, and general sluggishness were the only elements of "giving a show." Only by the last song, "World Coming Down," did the vocalist snap out of his drowsiness, and even became animated (I wanted to scream out the famous "He's alive! Alive!!!")... but still the act as a whole was awkward and unconvincing, to say the least. So they claim you need to have fun when playing? You can have fun and still stand for something, or else why don’t you just pay 3 euro to realise your fantasies at some disco.
The positive side was definitely the music, which tried bravely to be something on its own: great lyrics, melodies and beat, a bit of pop, some melodic accents and electronica... but the way it was served just breaks my heart. I don’t know if that’s their way of being or if they were drunk (it sure looked like it), but it was pathetic. There's a third option, of course: it’s the Swedish sense of humour. In that case, excuse me.
On the other hand, judging by the length of my review, it sure looks like arrogance and stage ineptness pay, and all you need to do is cause a scandal... but does it work in the long run? Good luck!
http://www.myspace.com/ashburyheightsmusic
Now Haujobb
was like a trip to another world, not only because of the
professionalism, but also the sound. It was like rope knitted from solid
strings: effective vocals, fast tempo, aggressive beat and lasers,
percussion vibrating like it wanted to cut you down, devastating
cataracts of light intermingled with less flashy, trancelike moments –
and you could sure swing high as hell on that rope. As I mentioned,
there were some delicate, even lyrical moments, but they all went down
in a noisy, industrial storm that landed us back on the dance floor.
Sounded a bit like “the best of megamix:" a bit of omnipresent, narcotic
matter, plus a sound-raid of steamrollers on lawnmowers, accompanied by
“shouted poetry,”
The applause was amazingly big, the audience cheered, danced and sang; everyone was having so much fun, they didn’t want let the band off stage :-).
Haujobb played (among other tracks): "Anti/Matter," "Yearning," "Eye over You," "Penetration," "Unseeing," "World Window," and my beloved "Noise Institute."
http://planetmyer.de
http://www.myspace,com/haujobbmusic
The Tactical Sekt
concert was preceded by their hyperactive drummer running around the
stage, waving his dreadlocks. And when he gig finally began, it sounded
like one rough, aggressive racket. Naturally, there was a lot of
"I-can't-fucking-hear-yous" (with this noise level, it was really hard
to make yourself heard over all the thrashing). The drummer seemed the
most lively, from time to time jumping to the front and motivating the
listeners. The track list included "Awaken the Ghost," "Soulless,"
"Bring Me Violence," "Devil's Work..." but after the third, I decided to
evacuate.
http://www.tactical-sekt.com
http://www.myspace.com/uktacticalsekt
Rotersand
played good as usual, with lots of smoke, red light and energetic tunes
like "Exterminate Annihilate Destroy," "Almost Violent," "Lost," "I Am
with You," "Merging Oceans," or "Electronic World Transmission." The
beautiful energy washed over us wave after wave, the tempo was fabulous
and the vocalist, Rasc, was very expressive and engaged, making people
really participate in the concert. Ah, breathtaking!
http://www.rotersand/net
http://www.myspace.com/rotersand
The final act was Combichrist
and they entered with a smash: "Shut up and Swallow," "Today I Woke to a
Rain of Blood," "Electrohead," "This Shit Will Fuck You Up," "This Is
My Rifle," "Princess of E-ville" - all that plus Andy LaPlegua's
infinite energy, masses of smoke, changing lights, and fantastic
responses from the audience: dancing, clapping, deafening applause
(worthy to be called, as Andy said just before "This Is My Rifle" - "my
Combichrist army - as always").
The view of almost everyone in the hall moving, waving, screaming, chanting, howling is, I admit, one of my favourites :-).
I can honestly say the uncontrolled madness in this living melting pot reached its peak at this very show.
Andy, seeming glad himself, radiated extraordinary energy, which spread to his fans. I appears that the fate of the newest Frost EP is sealed: imminent success:-).
Great concert!
http://www.combichrist.com
http://www.myspace.com/combichrist
After
the concerts, the afterparty began, hosted by DJane Jeanny and Vienna's
T. Rainer and DJ Sonoir (lovely set!), plus DJ Honey and Elvis. What
wonderful destruction!
SUNDAY
The second day of Amphi Festival was running smoothly as well, though the weather seemed bit worse: it was raining more often, the wind became stronger and it got colder. Still both stages were occupied b the bands who could make the mouth of more sensitive connoisseurs of 'dark independent' music water. We were a bit tired, true, but as we were wading through festival sharps turns with as much zest in hearts as Great Goth Samurai are supposed to :)
Main Stage
This time the opening was up to Medieval Babes - the Ladies of a family which I tend to call "the Bacchus entourage" - the lasses wearing long dresses were standing by the mikes wound in ivy, we could hear drums, flues, interwoven female voices and see some 'ritual' dances - all that looked rather charming, but as I'm not a kinda fan of the type, I'll end u reporting here.
http://www.mediaevalbaebes.com
http://www.myspace.com/mediaevalbaebes
I skipped the two subsequent bands (The Lovecrave i Letzte Instanz) for the sake of the mass action in the Theater to appear atDas Ich show.
Let me put it this way: as for Das Ich is was a classic show, but in general - controversial. However, since for Das Ich controversy is like classic, then in the end it was 'classic show :-)
Which basically means: Bruno with his 'horns' hairstyle , wearing kinda gowns and a stole, no 2 keyboarder in white gumboots plus Stefan Ackermann painted all red. Surely the gents weren't saving their energy for something better to come, running and dancing all over the stage, making the audience involve in the show, serving refined sonic torture in a form of pieces such as "Kein und Abel", "Schrei" , "Schwarzes Gift", "Gottes Tod", or "Destillat". The overflow of fantastic music was guaranteed.
http://www.dasich.de
http://www.myspace.com/dasich
L'Âme Immortelle
– that is T. Rainer bis and the gentler nature of the artist (though
completely so...). For the start Sonja Kraushofer and the band showed up
onstage; Thomas joined the action a bit later. Sonja was like a softer,
ephemeral a bit neurotic sonic element, while Thomas balanced the music
with the power and might of harsher version. Alike with vocal: lyrical,
a bit rock clashed with aggressive one (though also no fully so – at
times I could hear Rainer is able not only to roar in a wild and
distorted way, but also to sing very well:-)
Generally, it was a fine show basing on contrasts, decently expressive and vivid.
http://www.lameimmortelle.com
http://www.myspace.com/lameimmortelle
In case of Suicide Commando
it's enough to say the company hadn't changed much, which means they
still make a good use of nauseating visuals, Johan keeps running all
over the stage poking his tongue at the audience and making them dance
presenting the well-known pieces such as: "Bind Torture and Kill",
"Torment Me", "Fuck you bitch" czy "Conspiracy With The Devil". All
these techniques and songs are, as I said, renowned for their kicking
power, still they are nothing new All in all the only thing I find a
disadvantage of SC is the lack of novelty and new stage solutions. Well,
they introduced themselves "We're Tokio Hotel", so perhaps one should
forgive them getting in a monotonous, though catchy rut?:) It may be
that for me it's too much rehashed, but I wasn't moved buy their
performance.
http://www.suicidecommando.be
http://www.myspace.com/suicidecommando
The entry of Project Pitchfork
was highly spectacular: the gents appeared wearing their 'fluorescent'
make-ups and they played a powerful, overwhelming gig with hits such as
"Carnival", "Timekiller", "Alpha Omega", "Existence", "Fire & Ice"
or "Steelrose". Unfortunately I had to make a break while the concert
lasted, so I didn't see the whole of it.
http://www.pitchfork.de
http://www.myspace.com/projectpitchfork
The
greatest display of mass audience movement, the overflow of energy and
the wave of incredibly dancy sounds was presented b my unquestioned
faves specialized in disco -And One. Must say that in Germany
there are several bands which are, so called, "fail-safe atmosphere
heaters” which make the audience (no matter how large) react
enthusiastically and as obediently as if it was up to some spell; the
vocalist says: let's sing, the people sing, s/he says dance - the ppl
dance, s/he starts waving hands - and there you go - the sea of hands in
the air... think of a situation when there are several thousands people
in the house and you'll know it really looks fabulous. So it more or
less goes for And One: the brisk, energetic pieces like "Stand the
Pain", "Military Fashion show", "Technoman", "So kling liebe",
"Fernsehapparat" or "Timkiller" (sang together with the team of Project
Pitchfork - cool view, no to mention the perfection of the song itself
and the performance :-), Steve chatting wit the listeners, masses of
power and incredible, fantastic atmosphere - indeed, perfect chance to
ruin your shoe soles a bit:)
As I mentioned – the reaction was so enthusiastic that it was really nice to look at. Nothing new with AO :-)
http://www.andone.de
http://www.myspace.com/andoneofficial
Theater Stage
Must say I'd been impatiently waiting for the entrance of Spiritual Front - I'd heard the legends concerning the band's concerts (also in Poland, or even above all in Poland; happy Poznan inhabitants :-). The first impression I had about them was with Kerouac („Dharma Bums” in particular) with prattlers, songsters, the orchestra of vagabonds from choice (also, nomen omen 'spiritual'), brigands and lyrical fiddlers (especially when they greeted the audience "Thanx for coming at breakfast time" - let me just say it was 12.30...:-).
As to the music: it was lyrical and the same time coarse enough to make the grip they were keeping the audiences hearts in throughout the whole show painful. The presented pieces had something of a passionate tango, lyricism of a ballad, western, strong whiskey and a bit of unplanned wood to them. Generally speaking it was like a collective hypnosis session that released emotions combining classic and vivid elements without redundant estrangements. The band played, a o: "Walk the Deadline", "Bastard Angel", "Slave", "Jesus died in Las Vegas", "Darkroom Friendship", or "Song for the old Man". The applause was gigantic.
http://www.spiritualfront.com
http://www.myspace.com/spiritualfront
My love to Spectra * Paris
hasn't changed a bit: Elena Alice Fossi's music enchants and captivates
as ever. The motto? "Sometimes Girls Aren't that Sweet". Indeed, the
songs "Mad World", "Glittering Bullet", "Cheeky Alien Dream" or "Spectra
Murder Show" combined with the visuals making us of fashion shows,
photo studios, Barbie dolls, "Shimotsuma Monogatari" ("Kamikadze Girls")
and "clockwork Orange" prooved that fully and passed a rather clear.
Beautiful sound and electrifying, pervading vocal made the people dance. Great concert!
http://www.myspace.com/spectraparis
The greatest shock and revelation of the Fest was Cinema Strange.
Shame to say, but before I saw them in Cologne I'd been only aware
their fans being folks with backombed hairdos and I'd known the name
itself, and that's it. So whatever it'd been that I'd expected it
definitely was not what I saw: the androgenic man (hmm, actually I spent
half the concert thinking if was a 'male' in fact, may Lukas Lanthier
forgive me that :-) with an 'army of lovers style' goatee, his hair
bouffant, wearing white shirt, tights and stilettos, singing subsequent
pieces in an a terrific (and head-) voice that I was unable to say
whether it was archangel, spoiled opera diva or a next corner child who
landed on Tanzbrunnen theater stage. Stupefying effect! I like
extravagance that has some point, form and aim to it and here the music
and the image were perfectly harmonized.
The music: bit insane, irregular, surprising and, so the say, 'Japanese' in style jumped into a neurotic dimension at some point, but as a certain 'nonchalance' was added to the whole is was more than fine. The pieces presented were, a o: "En Hiver", "One time, one summer", "Mr. Quilt", "Aboriginal anemia", "Greensward grey" and "Unlovely baby".
Fantastic gig, bravo!
http://www.nightmarezone.de/cinemastrange
http://www.myspace.com/cinemastrange
The next positive surprise was the show of Soko Friedhof.
I used to listen to the project, but it was so long time ago i almost
forgot :) whereas their recent album "Klingeltöne Satans“ somehow didn't
manage to win heart
(well, the truth is after Amphi show I changed m mind :-) so the greater shock it was to see the band playing live. Energetic, dancy, incredibly good performance! Strong, dynamic beats, free flow of invigorating, electrifying melodies plus fine rhythm and cute, sexy vocalist
(what's unique - with great vocal as well :-) - knockout, but how desirable! The show as such was as follows: two ladies at both sides dancing in a more or less refined way and in the center David A.Line and the said Greta Csatlós dancing and singing - altogether one of the best concerts of the Fest.
http://www.sokofriedhof.com
http://www.myspace.com/sokofriedhof
The fact that Clan of Xymox
are brilliant band is no news for anybody, so I suppose it won't be a
surprise when I say their played marvelous concert. Beautiful lights,
fantastic vocals and electrifying guitars running from cold to hot and
back plus invigorating, extremely stimulating melodies were like a
strike of a lightening. The applause was gigantic and the atmosphere of
the whole show - great. The pieces presented were a. o: "Farewell",
"Weak in my knees", "Jasmine and Rose", "This World", "Louise" or
"There's no tomorrow" - so they were well-known, always-working hits
introducing the spirit of magic, power and irresistible energy.
http://www.clanofxymox.com
http://www.myspace.com/clanofxymox
Eisbrecher
concert made me realize (once again) what great power is good vocal.
Dealing with distortions, overdrives and the like on regular basis I'm
on my knees when I hear the to voice which simply needs no such
tricks, cuz its quality, timbre and range work so strongly the
listeners fall for them. Alex Lead definitely has such voice and though
till Amphi gig I had had no chance of hearing it fully when it finally
happened I experienced something what is commonly called 'jaw-dropping'
;-) Fantastic effect!
True, Alex also plays metal music where, as I assume, the vocalist really need to have plenty of energy and indeed: his voice may crush alls: hard and yet warm, plus quite an extras: charisma and style – all that taken together adds to Eisbrecher power worth the name they carry.
The set presented included such songsas "Antikörper", "Schwarze Witwe", "Leider", "Zeichen der Venus", "Ohne Dich" as as an encores "Mein Blut" (brilliant one!), "Willkommen im Nichts" and "Miststück"
http://www.eis-brecher.com
http://www.myspace.com/eisbrecherkommando
The last concert I watched at Amphi Festival was the one of Diary of Dreams. And finally I had a chance of seeing the whole
show of "Nekrolog 43" tour, including the initial scenes with four
hooded figures reciting various verses simultaneously wreathed in smoke
and dim lights. The associations with Poe and Elliot came almost
immediately and the aesthetic dimension of the scene worked really
strongly.
There are various DoD shows, better, worse, more melancholic or energetic, vivid or nostalgic (sometimes there are 'no' concerts even, like the one in Klodzko... sorry for this personal trip :-).. :-); the one in Cologne was a somewhat mixture of the mentioned. There were atmospheric and lyrical moments (Traumtänzer or "She and her Darkness" sang by Adrian accompanied merely by Taste's keys - I suppose I don't need to mention the fantastic effect it gave, huh?), but the overall set was rather energetic, featuring nice nice scenic movement and plenty of dramatic, theatrical elements.
Setlist:
01. Intro
02. Nekrolog 43
03. The Plague
04. Chemicals
05. She
06. Butter-Fly: Dance! (upgrade 02)
07. Hypo)crypticK(al
08. MenschFeind
09. AmoK
10. Traumtänzer
11. Soul Stripper
12. Kindrom
13. The Curse
---
14. Giftraum
15. PaniK?
---
15. She and her darkness
http://www.diaryofdreams.de
http://www.myspace.com/diaryofdreams
And so the Festival came to an end.
It was beautiful.
There was lace for old and new.
Discoveries and revelations. The proofs of talent and arrogance.. that is bitter and sweet:-) The sun and rain The music and dance
Energy and ultimate worn-out:-)
It was as it was supposed to - diversely.
Thank you!!!
To finish with let me just sat that the details of 2009 edition are already given: The Fest will take place on 18-19 July, and the first confirmed bands are: Front 242, Unheilig, Feindflug, Saltatio Mortis, Scnady, Panzer AG, Absolute body Control, Jaeger 90, Xotox...
Saturday part translated by Łukasz Buchalski
Last year I half-joked about wanting a better line-up in 2008. It didn’t really seem possible back then, but the organisers proved it is possible.
The festival’s line-up, which you might call a review of what’s best of new and old (though this is, of course, a matter of taste), was really stunning and it was probably the reason why so many people came this year. All the tickets were sold out several days before the event, which does not happen very often (if it happens at all in the case of open air festivals). Let this be proof of the Amphi's growing class and renown.
Apart from the concerts, which I will discuss below, there was also an “R&R treatment,” including the Amphi Cup (where artists, organisers, sponsors and journalists played), meetings with the bands, afterparties and some quality time in pubs and cafeterias (among these was the Beach Bar, where you could see a lovely view of the Rhine and where you could even take a nap:-).
The weather was okay, though there was some rainfall and it was rather windy. One way or another, there was nothing that could have spoiled the mood; especially that everything was going according to plan, with no delays or programme changes.
http://www.myspace.com/amphifestival
http://www.amphi-festival.de
SATURDAY
The festival opened with a screening of Welle:Erdball’s film Operation:Zeitsturm, which we were unfortunately late for on both days (ah, there’s nothing like a stroll down that good old cornfield, nothing like the Umweltzone for people with cars as old as ours:-). However, we did make it in time for the official opening by Jens (Funker Vogt) and Honey (Welle:Erdball), who were traditionally employed as hosts:-).
Main Stage
The first band to present itself was Mina Harker. The lovely vocalist, Mina, focused more on singing than interacting with the audience, but her strong, warm voice combined with guitars and drums sounded real fine; especially when Alexander Gorodetzki's kick-ass solo’s mixed with the lyrical vocals.
The track list included: "Letzter Kuss," "Tiefer," "Wie im Traum," "Engel," "Tränen," "Nacht," and was closed by "Fühlst Du mich."
http://www.myspace.com/minaharkerband
Visually: silk, suede, latex, flowers (from right to left and to the back), long dresses and curly hair - classical and feminine to the core.
Summing up: the songs were definitely different, full of romance and fantasy, with charming female voices... but it’s just didn’t work for me.
http://www.cinderella-effect.de
http://www.myspace.com/cinderellaeffect
They started with a longish intro on guitars, while the scene was being covered with clouds of smoke, and then came the "concert proper."
Just the first notes of "Need You Like a Drug" were enough to send the audience clapping and screaming, and when Alex Møkelbust finally appeared there was an explosion of energy in the crowd. That’s just the effect this band has on people; and this track’s intro is just so characteristic, the way the guitars come in, I think everybody knows it :-). Opening – SUPERB as always.
What followed was equally energetic: "Doppelganger I Love You," with Alex moving in a very tempting, erotic way (someone should have given him a pole to dance around:-), virtually stunning the audience; then came "Clone Your Lover," "My Little Tragedy," "I’m Yours to Lose" (off went the shirt and, ladies and gentlemen, I can’t stress that enough - Alex looks as good as ever:-), my beloved "Cupola," sparkling with emotions, which played in a sudden gust of wind, as if Alex’s low, dark voice wasn’t enough to create a spine-chilling atmosphere. "Fade to Smack" and "Doctor Online" were there as well. A fantastic, dynamic, thrilling show – bravo!
http://www.zeromancer.com
http://www.myspace.com/erotic_saints
This time Fraulein Venus and Soraya appeared in sexy latex outfits, glasses and short, blonde wigs; and their dance nearly caused heart attacks in some of the folks (:-D). The girls did give away some heart-shaped lollipops to appease the audience, though. Meanwhile, Honey and A.L.F produced their usual hymns in praise of the glorious Commodore 64 (and not just that...). While the band played stuff like "Funkbereit," "Plastik," "Starfighter" (this time they threw paper aeroplanes at the audience :-), "Wir woollen keine Menschen sein," or "0179-1923954,” a graffiti was being painted in the background (using Cellophane as canvas) of some kind of spaceship flying towards a littered Earth and its neighbourhood. The folks applauded C-64, which unfortunately ended its existence being thrown frivolously away:-).
We reached the peak of fun with "Arbeit Adelt" – an extremely vigorous track, during which Honey banged on a barrel (that, by the way, was red and white; I hope it had nothing to do with negative feelings for Poland, ‘cause he was really brutal with it...:-).
The concert closed with "Monoton + Minimal."
http://welle-erdball.de
The music is totally guitars with the characteristic harsh, nasal singing by Sven (dressed black head to toe), at times accompanied by the other musicians. The effect was quite thrilling, especially if you take into account the somewhat "dramatic," emotional manner in which individual tracks were presented.
Among the songs played were: "Die Macht in Dir," "Jede Wahrheit," "Nichts aus Liebe," "Still," "Be My Rain," "Traumaworld," "Inside Your Arms," "Ohne Dich."
My impressions are this: Sven has got to be one of the most likeable vocalists I have ever seen; a friendly smile, great contact with the audience, being really one with the band (not like some other projects where everybody plays his tune regardless of what the others are doing). And he sings like he’s giving the whole of himself to his listeners, sings to the audience and not to himself; he's extremely expressive and engaged.
As for the sound: the rocking guitars, piercing your unsuspecting ears with their sharp teeth, the percussion and the leading vocals all cooperate in a perfectly tuned, spiritual machine. A slight taste of metal, some folkish backgrounds, but mostly just gothic rock combined with that voice, sometimes dramatic, always lyrical, at times touching you so deep it makes you shiver, and the music resounds within your whole body; all this makes a very interesting and catchy combination.
http://www.zeraphine.de
http://www.myspace.com/zeraphine
The gents were dressed real fancy, in suits: the usual white for Eskil, beige for Joakim and black for Daniel. I must admit, they were extremely chic:-).
On top of that, Eskil seemed to be in good mood: relaxed, smiling, chatting with the audience, joyously moving around - the effect was very good. They played songs like "Figurehead" (can’t help to feel it was an opera-like performance), "Invisible and Silent," "The Men," "Stalker," my favourite "20Hz," by which time it was difficult not to dance, especially that it was followed by "Dead Stars" (given a noise-ish tint by D. Myer’s exclamations between each phrase:-).
Generally, this was a very good, you might say classical Covenant performance.
http://www.covenant.se
http://www.myspace.com/covenant
DL didn’t have an orchestra with them this time, just the standard band: guitar player, female vocalists/violinists, cellist (and Ernst’s enormous grand piano in the middle of the stage:-). They’re in their usual good shape, although I must admit that at first (and in general) I had mixed feelings, because it all seemed to lack a certain zest, the sounds were too nostalgic, perhaps even monotonous. I don’t know why, but DL sometimes enthral, illuminate, make you worship them in silence for over an hour... just to give you a flat and colourless soundscape on another occasion. I’m inclined this was that other occasion; they did play the hits: "Colourize," "Over and Done," "Into My Arms," "Where You Are," "Overpaid," "Return," "Follow Me," "Generators," "Reincarnation," and the standard finisher "Love Me to the End," but I can’t say it was divine, sorry. Or maybe it was, just my ear and heart didn’t notice.
Of course it was not a complete disaster, Veljanov’s voice would not allow it (especially when singing "Overpaid" in the manner of an underage hooker:-) and neither would the double bass, which almost seemed to speak, the many instrumental ornaments enhancing original songs, lyrical outburst (thanks to the violins), the raging piano – it’s all high class and very charming. Nevertheless, I was not swept away this time.
This might be a temporary state, though.
http://www.deine-lakaien.com
http://www.myspace.com/deinelakaien
http://www.oomph.de
http://www.myspace.com/oomph
At the same time, the Theatre was naturally also under siege and the short intervals between the individual shows on the main stage and “under the roof” forced the more ardent fans to do some serious jogging if they wanted to make it to all the good stuff.
And this is what I think was the only flaw of the Festival: because of the limited space in the Theatre, some of the people were forced to stay outside and didn't really get to see the concerts (which must have happened all the time at the major concerts and, I suppose, was rather irritating!).
I'll begin by explaining that on Saturday the Theatre hosted mostly bands serving highly dynamic, electronic sounds – virtually every team kept that convention more or less successfully, which created a fine grounding to the coming afterparty – for it was some discotheque indeed:-).
Noisuf-X was the first to hit the stage with the shout: "OK, let’s go!" (well, they tried more of that, like "make some noise," "let me hear you," etc. throughout the concert, but - whether it was the early hour or something else - the public was unmoved).
My eyes saw nasty bug visuals, glow sticks and lights, while my ears were attacked by an electronic beat (I think this concert would have been great to make you tired, like a DJ set at a disco); but all this was a bit dull in the long run, monotonous because of the repetitiveness... too much of it for my simple needs...
For fans of trance mental trips – nothing better. But I didn’t make it to the end.
http://www.noisuf-x.com
http://www.myspace.com/noisufx
At the start: again four ladies in sexy uniforms went to the back of the stage (and again they were motionless all the time – what nice continuity!:-), the net to the equipment, the visuals to the screen, Thomas Rainer in his storm coat to the edge of the stage, and off we go! A powerful start - "Schwarzflug," then some other tasty tunes: "Deus Ex Machina," "Boomboomboom," "Einhundertacht," "Ein Spiel," or "Feuer frei!" Great beat, music, vigour; what’s more, Rainer seems made for the stage: his charisma, his motivating the audience, his slight exhibitionism, his great sense of humour – that's how you keep a show going. The applause was quite decent, as was the concert. Bravo! A military cantina disco that deserves a medal! :-)
http://www.myspace.com/nachmahrprojekt
I've never been a fan, but I must honestly admit they played a good, energetic, high-class concert. A strong kick to the brains from the very beginning, thanks to "Soilbleed," "Pax Psichosis," "Remnants," "One.Eight.Zero," "Dirty," and "Hate This." Sharp light attacks, harsh vocals and extremely vigorous music; the blue and pink lights, smoke and an aggressive overflow of noises and samples seemed to mix like some devil stew.
The vocals did remind me at times of cutting metal and other types of screeching, but this didn’t spoil the overall effect - it even improved it. So if they wanted a show sparkling with hellfire – 100% success.
http://www.myspace.com/grendel
I’ve seen them at WGT, where I decided I'd give them a second chance, 'cause I believed anyone can have a bad hair day. But what they displayed at Amphi you can only call one word - "embarrassing." Or maybe also "sloppy." Maybe it wouldn’t have bothered me that much with other bands (there’s a lot of them who "know not what they do"), but with AH it’s a crime. I just can't understand how such good music (Three Cheers... or the new Morningstar in a Black Car EP) can be screwed up by such a messy performance.
What do I mean? First track: the band staggers onto the stage, greets the audience ("Are you alright?" - "Yes/No" - "OK, let’s take it."), and "Illusion" begins. Anders is swaying by his equipment (he forgot to sing the chorus once, well, it happens...), while Yaz is performing a "somewhat" inept erotic dance with - as she said - her friend (oh, sweet, clumsy improvisation!!!). Okay, I’m not saying everyone should have a PhD in lapdancing, but if you want it in your show, some quality would be in order!
Right, let’s go on (and some struggle we’re in for). I spent "Morningstar in a Black Car," "Bare Your Teeth," "Cry Havoc," "Smaller," "Die by Numbers," "Stormbringer," and "Spiders" just waiting to see what more they could come up with. Some incomprehensible stage manoeuvres, stating that they don't like to push themselves (and replacing part of the lyrics with "la-la-las" or just yelling instead of singing), forgetting the lyrics, and general sluggishness were the only elements of "giving a show." Only by the last song, "World Coming Down," did the vocalist snap out of his drowsiness, and even became animated (I wanted to scream out the famous "He's alive! Alive!!!")... but still the act as a whole was awkward and unconvincing, to say the least. So they claim you need to have fun when playing? You can have fun and still stand for something, or else why don’t you just pay 3 euro to realise your fantasies at some disco.
The positive side was definitely the music, which tried bravely to be something on its own: great lyrics, melodies and beat, a bit of pop, some melodic accents and electronica... but the way it was served just breaks my heart. I don’t know if that’s their way of being or if they were drunk (it sure looked like it), but it was pathetic. There's a third option, of course: it’s the Swedish sense of humour. In that case, excuse me.
On the other hand, judging by the length of my review, it sure looks like arrogance and stage ineptness pay, and all you need to do is cause a scandal... but does it work in the long run? Good luck!
http://www.myspace.com/ashburyheightsmusic
The applause was amazingly big, the audience cheered, danced and sang; everyone was having so much fun, they didn’t want let the band off stage :-).
Haujobb played (among other tracks): "Anti/Matter," "Yearning," "Eye over You," "Penetration," "Unseeing," "World Window," and my beloved "Noise Institute."
http://planetmyer.de
http://www.myspace,com/haujobbmusic
http://www.tactical-sekt.com
http://www.myspace.com/uktacticalsekt
http://www.rotersand/net
http://www.myspace.com/rotersand
The view of almost everyone in the hall moving, waving, screaming, chanting, howling is, I admit, one of my favourites :-).
I can honestly say the uncontrolled madness in this living melting pot reached its peak at this very show.
Andy, seeming glad himself, radiated extraordinary energy, which spread to his fans. I appears that the fate of the newest Frost EP is sealed: imminent success:-).
Great concert!
http://www.combichrist.com
http://www.myspace.com/combichrist
SUNDAY
The second day of Amphi Festival was running smoothly as well, though the weather seemed bit worse: it was raining more often, the wind became stronger and it got colder. Still both stages were occupied b the bands who could make the mouth of more sensitive connoisseurs of 'dark independent' music water. We were a bit tired, true, but as we were wading through festival sharps turns with as much zest in hearts as Great Goth Samurai are supposed to :)
Main Stage
This time the opening was up to Medieval Babes - the Ladies of a family which I tend to call "the Bacchus entourage" - the lasses wearing long dresses were standing by the mikes wound in ivy, we could hear drums, flues, interwoven female voices and see some 'ritual' dances - all that looked rather charming, but as I'm not a kinda fan of the type, I'll end u reporting here.
http://www.mediaevalbaebes.com
http://www.myspace.com/mediaevalbaebes
Let me put it this way: as for Das Ich is was a classic show, but in general - controversial. However, since for Das Ich controversy is like classic, then in the end it was 'classic show :-)
Which basically means: Bruno with his 'horns' hairstyle , wearing kinda gowns and a stole, no 2 keyboarder in white gumboots plus Stefan Ackermann painted all red. Surely the gents weren't saving their energy for something better to come, running and dancing all over the stage, making the audience involve in the show, serving refined sonic torture in a form of pieces such as "Kein und Abel", "Schrei" , "Schwarzes Gift", "Gottes Tod", or "Destillat". The overflow of fantastic music was guaranteed.
http://www.dasich.de
http://www.myspace.com/dasich
Generally, it was a fine show basing on contrasts, decently expressive and vivid.
http://www.lameimmortelle.com
http://www.myspace.com/lameimmortelle
http://www.suicidecommando.be
http://www.myspace.com/suicidecommando
http://www.pitchfork.de
http://www.myspace.com/projectpitchfork
As I mentioned – the reaction was so enthusiastic that it was really nice to look at. Nothing new with AO :-)
http://www.andone.de
http://www.myspace.com/andoneofficial
Must say I'd been impatiently waiting for the entrance of Spiritual Front - I'd heard the legends concerning the band's concerts (also in Poland, or even above all in Poland; happy Poznan inhabitants :-). The first impression I had about them was with Kerouac („Dharma Bums” in particular) with prattlers, songsters, the orchestra of vagabonds from choice (also, nomen omen 'spiritual'), brigands and lyrical fiddlers (especially when they greeted the audience "Thanx for coming at breakfast time" - let me just say it was 12.30...:-).
As to the music: it was lyrical and the same time coarse enough to make the grip they were keeping the audiences hearts in throughout the whole show painful. The presented pieces had something of a passionate tango, lyricism of a ballad, western, strong whiskey and a bit of unplanned wood to them. Generally speaking it was like a collective hypnosis session that released emotions combining classic and vivid elements without redundant estrangements. The band played, a o: "Walk the Deadline", "Bastard Angel", "Slave", "Jesus died in Las Vegas", "Darkroom Friendship", or "Song for the old Man". The applause was gigantic.
http://www.spiritualfront.com
http://www.myspace.com/spiritualfront
Beautiful sound and electrifying, pervading vocal made the people dance. Great concert!
http://www.myspace.com/spectraparis
The music: bit insane, irregular, surprising and, so the say, 'Japanese' in style jumped into a neurotic dimension at some point, but as a certain 'nonchalance' was added to the whole is was more than fine. The pieces presented were, a o: "En Hiver", "One time, one summer", "Mr. Quilt", "Aboriginal anemia", "Greensward grey" and "Unlovely baby".
Fantastic gig, bravo!
http://www.nightmarezone.de/cinemastrange
http://www.myspace.com/cinemastrange
(well, the truth is after Amphi show I changed m mind :-) so the greater shock it was to see the band playing live. Energetic, dancy, incredibly good performance! Strong, dynamic beats, free flow of invigorating, electrifying melodies plus fine rhythm and cute, sexy vocalist
(what's unique - with great vocal as well :-) - knockout, but how desirable! The show as such was as follows: two ladies at both sides dancing in a more or less refined way and in the center David A.Line and the said Greta Csatlós dancing and singing - altogether one of the best concerts of the Fest.
http://www.sokofriedhof.com
http://www.myspace.com/sokofriedhof
http://www.clanofxymox.com
http://www.myspace.com/clanofxymox
True, Alex also plays metal music where, as I assume, the vocalist really need to have plenty of energy and indeed: his voice may crush alls: hard and yet warm, plus quite an extras: charisma and style – all that taken together adds to Eisbrecher power worth the name they carry.
The set presented included such songsas "Antikörper", "Schwarze Witwe", "Leider", "Zeichen der Venus", "Ohne Dich" as as an encores "Mein Blut" (brilliant one!), "Willkommen im Nichts" and "Miststück"
http://www.eis-brecher.com
http://www.myspace.com/eisbrecherkommando
There are various DoD shows, better, worse, more melancholic or energetic, vivid or nostalgic (sometimes there are 'no' concerts even, like the one in Klodzko... sorry for this personal trip :-).. :-); the one in Cologne was a somewhat mixture of the mentioned. There were atmospheric and lyrical moments (Traumtänzer or "She and her Darkness" sang by Adrian accompanied merely by Taste's keys - I suppose I don't need to mention the fantastic effect it gave, huh?), but the overall set was rather energetic, featuring nice nice scenic movement and plenty of dramatic, theatrical elements.
Setlist:
01. Intro
02. Nekrolog 43
03. The Plague
04. Chemicals
05. She
06. Butter-Fly: Dance! (upgrade 02)
07. Hypo)crypticK(al
08. MenschFeind
09. AmoK
10. Traumtänzer
11. Soul Stripper
12. Kindrom
13. The Curse
---
14. Giftraum
15. PaniK?
---
15. She and her darkness
http://www.diaryofdreams.de
http://www.myspace.com/diaryofdreams
It was beautiful.
There was lace for old and new.
Discoveries and revelations. The proofs of talent and arrogance.. that is bitter and sweet:-) The sun and rain The music and dance
Energy and ultimate worn-out:-)
It was as it was supposed to - diversely.
Thank you!!!
To finish with let me just sat that the details of 2009 edition are already given: The Fest will take place on 18-19 July, and the first confirmed bands are: Front 242, Unheilig, Feindflug, Saltatio Mortis, Scnady, Panzer AG, Absolute body Control, Jaeger 90, Xotox...
Saturday part translated by Łukasz Buchalski
