Klub Lykend, Wroclaw, Poland21st September 2006
NFD and Deathcamp Project
The concert of the Londoners NFD and the Polish formation Deathcamp Project had been the one plenty of people had been waiting for. Actually the news that NFD is coming to play live in Poland had electrified people to the utmost degree. The agitation proved to be justified as what we experienced on 21st September in Wroclaw could be shortly called sonic attack on our souls, senses and minds as well.
Deathcamp Project
Deathcamp Project is a duo which was formed in October 2001 by Betrayal - responsible for the bass, programming, keyboard production, and Void - vocalist, guitar player and lyric writer. The band has already recorded four demos: "End"(2001), "Wired" (2002), "Away From You" (2003) and "Laxa(C)tivE" EP (2004). The music that is created by the band is something of a classic Goth rock influenced by some elements of post punk, death-rock and dark wave sounds. http://www.deathcampproject.com/
Music
When it comes to Deathcamp Project I always wonder how these guys manage to improve their workshop from concert to concert. I first saw them playing live two years ago and the progress they've made since then is astonishing! I'm not talking only about the quality of the music, which is now more polished and appealing, but also their behavior on the stage which is now self-confident and relaxed. Anyway, the music they play is some of death rock, though I'd say their present-day tracks allude to this particular genre rather faintly. It's more a combination of loud, energetic, dynamic stuff and melodic arpeggios that are decently diversified and passionate. My impression is they're heading for a more vital and danceable direction, still their music is not deprived of a necessary dose of depth and complexity, crucial in building up the atmosphere of the concerts.
Performance
The show of Deathcamp Project in Wroclaw was very good – the audience reacted enthusiastically and after the first moments of uncertainty when the people were standing kinda five meters from the bars they started dancing, clapping and even singing at times. This time only Void and Betrayal were on the stage and well, the thought that appears every time is: “Betrayal, why the hell don't you get out of the shadow you stand in and come closer to the audience?!” :) Of course it is Void that is a front man, but as I've been mentioning numerous times, for me the music and vocals are playing equal parts in this particular formation so why not reflect this musical structure on the stage? The performance of DP is a sort of a “guitarologue” where two instruments chat (or I should say yell madly) to each other and Void accompanies them with his characteristic voice, so it's not diversified as far as the choreography is concerned, but it's not that static to bore you to death. The mimicry and the contact Void establishes with the audience seem to compensate the lack of the scenic movement. Generally spoken, it was a fair dose of powerful beats and quite a nice energy exchange between the band and the audience.
Setlist
1. Intro
2. Mirrors of Pain
3. Away From You
4. Divine Words
5. Behind
6. Fuckin' Deathrock
7. Rule & Control
8. Another
9. Dead Hours
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 6
Light: 6
Sound: 7
General: 7
NFD
NFD was established in 2002 in London as a result of the failure in reactivation of Fields of the Nephilim in the original form. NFD are: Tony Pettit - bass (co-founder of Fields Of The Nephilim, The Nephilim and Rubicon), Peter Bob White - vocal, guitar (ex- Sensorium), Simon Rippin - drums (ex-The Nephilim). During the concerts the band is supported by two additional musicians: Chris Milden and Steve Carey. Their debut album "No Love Lost" released in 2005 by Jungle met the enthusiastic reaction of the European press. The German magazine Sonic Seducer set the album to be the best gothic album of 2005. The other reviews were alike. The second album “NFD Dead Pool Rising” was released on 30th May 2006. The CD was promoted by the single and video clip to of the track "Light My Way". There are many reminiscences of the best albums of FOTN on the newest publishing: “The Nephilim” and “Elizium”. At the moment NFD is the most promising band of the gothic scene in Great Britain. http://www.nfd.web.com/
Music
The music of NFD is a living one – that's the first thought that comes to my mind when I think of what they presented in Wroclaw. It was like a battle when the deep, strong vocal vie for spotlight with overpowering, energy driven guitars and drums. I'm not much of an expert as far as such kind of music is concerned, but it definitely moved me. The story the vocalist enfolded in front of our eyes was very enchanting and picturesque, so I believe even those who are not familiar with NFD were attracted. As to the music itself – the guitars have that something that make some people stand still hypnotized and the others run wild: I could see both reactions among the people. So that was the quality of the music there: of a large, hard-hitting force with a tint of melancholia that managed to find its way straight to the hearts and minds of the listeners.
Performance
Five gentlemen on the stage filled the space completely (well, yeah, the stage was small, but I rather mean their charisma and inner strength that showed during the gig). An extremely interesting and expressive face of the vocalist that revealed various emotional shades was a spectacle of itself, the dance of the guitarists' fingers with the strings was another one. The musicians wreathed in smoke (also of their cigarettes) and dim light played the music which was predominant there. The performance part was rather moderate and was oscillating mostly on the eye contact and the said “theater of face expressions and gestures” the audience could observe if attentive enough - splendid concert during which the emotions were juxtaposed to ravishing energy of sound. As some people claimed they were particularly fond of the encores and the way the vocalist behaved after the concert – he came up to the bars and shook hands with those who stood close enough. No artificial pose, they all behaved naturally and very kindly - a detail, but important one.
Setlist
01. Omen
02. Light my way
03. My possession
04. Turbine
05. Stronger
06. Unleashed
07. Darkness Falls
08. One Moment
09. Decent
10. Caged
11. Dead Pool Rising
---
12. Psychonaut
13. Preacher Man
14. Moonchild
Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 7
Light: 7
Sound: 6
General: 8 (7.7.)
Pictures by http://yesternight.pl/
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