C-Hall & C-Club, Berlin, Germany
23rd March 2013
Etropolis Festival (Main Stage only): Solar Fake, Leather Strip, Nachtmahr, Welle Erdball, DAF, Diorama and Covenant
Arriving a few minutes before SOLAR FAKE started their show, I ran to the left side of Berlin’s C-Hall to watch the band perform. Not many people were there at this moment but this should change soon. The C-Hall filled more and more with people the later the evening got. Not surprising by so many great bands on the main stage such as AUTODAFEH, SOLAR FAKE, LEÆTHER STRIP, NACHTMAHR, WELLE:ERDBALL, DAF and COVENANT. But also the bands at C-Club were attracting many people: CENTHRON, WINTERKÄLTE, X-RX, NOISUF-X, MELOTRON, GRENDEL and DIORAMA gave their best to entertain the audience.
Solar Fake
Being not my favourite band of all times, SOLAR FAKE delivered an interesting performance this evening. As we all know, they are a German Electronic Wave band founded by ZERAPHINE singer Sven Friedrich. Last year, Sven and his keyboarder Frank supported COVENANT on their Tour. SOLAR FAKE played their typical dark wave music with lyrics to make people thoughtful. As always, there were hardcore fans to support their favourite band by applauding, dancing and singing along with Sven. The song ‘Where are you?’ was dedicated to a beloved person by Sven Friedrich. During this performance he had to fight with his own tears, which was really emotional. // www.solarfake.de / https://www.facebook.com/SolarFake
Leaether Strip
Claus Larsen is one of the nicest persons in EBM business. He first released music under the name of LEÆTHER STRIP in 1989, produced several EPs and albums. His latest work ‘Serenade For The Dead II’ is a good work to listen to while driving your car around the landscape. Also his cover of DEPECHE MODE’s single ‘Heaven’ is way better than the original one in my opinion. The fact that he started to sing a bit of it and then didn’t continue was a really sad moment to me, because I really like his version. Quite as usual he and his keyboarder Kurt Hansen delivered a collection of aggressive and calm songs making people freak out. Especially by ‘Japanese Bodies’ people went crazy and shouted the lyrics along with him. Finishing his show with “Happy Birthday, Kurt” by the support of the audience he congratulated him in a special way. http://www.myspace.com/leaetherstrip / https://www.facebook.com/LeaetherStrip // Setlist: 01. Kiss my Deutschland / 02. I am your conscience / 03. Power trip / 04. Antius / 05. Torment me / 06. Japanese bodies / 07. Strap me down / 08. Evil speaks / 09. Adrenalin rush / 10. Crash flight 232 / 11. Desert storm
Nachtmahr
“I don't care whether you live or die. I only want to see you dance”, so the Industrial bands motto, was really lived on stage this evening. Thomas Rainer, known as a member of L’AME IMMORTELLE, made the C-Hall go ‘Boom Boom Boom’ and entertained with beats in industrial manner. Having some pretty girls in uniform on stage, the band performed their songs precisely. Surprising with water guns by ‘Feuer Frei’ or some weird piercing performance when playing ‘I believe in blood’, the band entertained, shocked and celebrated itself. Please Thomas, don’t pierce the pretty boobs of this pretty girl again! // http://www.myspace.com/nachtmahrprojekt / https://www.facebook.com/nachtmahrprojekt // Setlist: 01. Tradition / 02. Tanzdiktator / 03. Weil ich's kann / 04. Kriegserklärung / 05. Feuer frei! / 06. Mädchen in Uniform / 07. Mütterchen Russland / 08. Rise and Fall / 09. Ich bin / 10. Boom Boom Boom / 11. Can you feel the beat? / 12. Deus Ex Machina / 13. I believe in Blood / 14. Katharsis
Welle:Erdball
Pretty girls, Fifties Look and minimal Electro is the mix WELLE:ERDBALL delivered on stage. Plastique, Fräulein Venus, Honey and A.L.F. entered the stage with a good mood. Got A.L.F. younger? He seemed really tall this evening… Something must be wrong… Well, A.L.F didn’t get taller or something he just wasn’t there in fact of being sick. He was replaced for the show by Andy, a handsome-looking guy playing at his place on the stage. The band played some well-known songs and the premiere of ‘Des Wahnsinns fette Beute’, as always the girls looked gorgeous in their dresses and proved that the band is not just only monotone and minimal. // http://www.welle-erdball.de / https://www.facebook.com/WelleErdball // Setlist: 01. Funkbereit / 02. Des Wahnsinns fette Beute / 03. Wir wollen keine Menschen sein / 04. Computerklang / 05. Der Telegraph / 06. Ich bin aus Plastik / 07. 23 / 08. VW-Käfer / 09. Hoch die Fahnen / 10. Arbeit Adelt / 11. Die Liebe der 3.Art / 12. Starfighter F104G / 13. Deine Augen / 14. Ich bin nicht von dieser Welt / 15. Feuerwerk / 16. Monoton & Minimal
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft ( DAF)
When DAF entered the stage, all around old-school EBM fans appeared to celebrate their heroes. I must confirm, I cannot find anything great about their lyrics or behaviour, but the music and beats are quite danceable. If you’re able to not listen to their lyrics and only concentrate on the simple music arrangements and hard beats, you can surely have your fun watching Robert Görl (drums, programming) and Gabi Delgado-Lopez (vocals, programming). Playing songs like ‘Lippe’, ‘Der Mussolini’ or ‘Der Sherrif’, the band really caught the audience attention, as usual drunk EBM fans started to “dance” in front of stage and nearly fell down on the floor in fact of being really tipsy. All in all the band made a good show, maybe a great one to all old-school and minimal fans. // https://www.facebook.com/daf.deutschamerikanischefreundschaft
Diorama
DIORAMA was founded by Torben Wendt between 1994 and 1996. His long-time friend Felix Marc soon joined him as a co-producer and keyboard player. Sometime later, bass player Bernard le Sigue and guitarist Sash Fiddler, who were fellow students of Torben and Felix, gradually grew into the line-up and last but not least drummer Marquess became a member of the band. Unfortunately, Bernard le Sigue left the Band in October 2006. In 2007, the band released their fifth album ‘A Different Life’, preceded by the single ‘Synthesize me’. Eventually in February 2010 the silence was broken with the release of the single 'Child of Entertainment', being the offspring of the long-awaited album 'Cubed', released in March 2010. ‘Even The Devil Doesn't Care' (released in January 2013) is the newest album's title and a big progression for the band. The E-Tropolis gig of DIORAMA was taking place at the second stage and started with some delay since with “real” instruments, rebuilding took a bit longer. The show then started quite calm and slow but already with the second song, the band increased speed. With their catchy sound and rousing lyrics, they immediately had the audience on their side who celebrated the songs, danced and had a wonderful time with the band. After about one hour, the set was already over and the band said goodbye under thundering applause. // http://www.diorama-music.com / http://de-de.facebook.com/pages/Diorama/20921056622
Covenant
I don’t think I’ll need to introduce the Swedish synth-band anymore, do I? As always, they brought great sounds and an Eskil Simonson with great mood. The band just always works when playing live and it is always great to see them play. On their Etropolis show, they also introduced their new band member Andreas Catjar and also presented their new single ‘Last Dance’. This time I missed ‘Stalker’ on their setlist and again have a bit to complain about Eskil not being able to sing the lyrics of ‘Leiermann’, as so often. I’ve never heard him sing the lyrics of the second verse. But this is a fact to forgive and to laugh about somehow, because the band is live absolutely great with Eskil being a great moderator and singer. The new song ‘Last Dance’ is, as you may presume, a really danceable one. // http://www.covenant.se / https://www.facebook.com/pages/Covenant-OFFICIAL/156626197713557
Full Gallery
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All pictures by Simon Hönscheid except Solar Fake by Mandy Privenau
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