Postbahnhof, Berlin, Germany17th May 2014
Wovenhand, Christine Owman
WOVENHAND just released a new album and in the course of the release, the band is now presenting it live on stage. On 17th May they sopped in Berlin where they entertained their fans at the Postbahnhof. As support, CHRISTINE OWMAN was opening the evening.
Christine Owman
CHRISTINE OWMAN was support for WOVENHAND today. She is a Swedish girl who lives in Liverpool and her first album ‘Open doors’ was released in 2003. On her second album, ‘Throwing knives’ from 2010, she was working four years. The third album ‘Little Beast’ from 2013 is (like the second one) produced by her own label Revolving Records. She describes herself as a mixture of NICK CAVE and BJÖRK. In her music, she is swinging in-between folk pop and distorted industrial sounds. Besides her solo projects, she is singing and playing the guitar at DUMDUM: A band with Magnus Sveningsson and Lasse Johansson (CARDIGANS). Her short support slot in Berlin was very well received. https://www.facebook.com/christineowman
Wovenhand
WOVENHAND is an American band from Denver which is founded as a side project of David Eugene Edwards, singer of 16 HORSEPOWER. The music is similar: A kind of Alternative Country, Americana, Roots Music or Low Folk. But there is no fixed pattern in the music and that’s why it’s very special. In the beginning the idea of WOVENHAND was to create a solo project which should have different guest musicians. In the meantime are they a band in a classical way. Now they are David, Ordy Garrison, Pascal Humbert, the Belgian Peter van Laerhoven and the newest member Neil Keener on bass. They published seven albums in twelve years. The latest ‘Refractory Obdurate’ was released on 25th of April. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wovenhand-official/189495264425563
Music & Performance
WOVENHAND entered the stage, calmly and concentrated, and started with the song ‘Hiss’ from their actual album ‘Refractory Obdurate’. The mix of folk and alternative as well as the preaching lyrics of the charismatic frontman David Eugene Edwards drew the audience immediately under his spell, which devotes himself from song to song more. All band members look like old American Indians - from an old lumberjack shirt up to jeans jacket and cowboy boots, especially Edwards with his hat, his bracelets and rings. It seemed like the sand of the wasteland was still in their shoes. The whole atmosphere and the music were very much Indian like. The lyrics are a lot about biblical topics. In the centre is the human with his search for god or the turning away from him. Narratives of apocalyptic damnation and the redeeming grace of god keep the level into the songs. In-between there are stories about legendary American outlaws, rebels and renegades. One of the highlights was definitely among the crashing end of ‘Masonic Youth’. The charismatic voice of Edwards is bedded in manic canto.
Conjuring like a crazy itinerant preacher and with the flickering power of a shaman hammers and howls and screams the singer to his audience the doomsday around the ears. Around that, two guitars, one bass and a drum set with a big gong. In the meantime, Edwards exchanged his guitar for a banjo and there are quieter moments, but also some with full sound and power. After 1.5 hours, and an addition WOVENHAND left the stage, as they come - with a silent bang.
Setlist
01. Hiss
02. Closer
03. Maize
04. Horse Head Fiddle
05. King O King
06. Masonic Youth
07. El-Bow
08. Corsican A Clip
09. The Refractory
10. Long Horn
11. Field of Hedon
12. Salome
13. Good Shepherd
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14. Obdurate Obscura
15. Glistening Black
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 7
Sound: 8
Light: 7
Total: 7.5 / 10
All pictures by Nadine Ginzel (www.ginzel-photography.com)
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