Amphitheater, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
28th to 30th June 2013
Blackfield Festival 2013 Day 3: Godex, Ost+Front, Die Kammer, Rabia Sorda, Neuroticfish, Fixmer/ McCarthy, Rotersand, Staubkind, Mono Inc., Eisbrecher
Although some clouds appeared every now and then, the weather was perfect for festivals. Not too hot or cold and more important it was dry. Not also could you admire some fancy costumes but also several sun burnt people like me. Hopefully one day I will learn it to be prepared for rain and sun at one festival.
Godex
The band who opened the last day of the festival was GODEX, a Goth Rock band from Bochum formed in 2009. The few people who made it to appear this early of the third day enjoyed the performance. I was reminded a bit of HIM but nevertheless they didn’t try to copy them but did a good job so that at the end of the show the people even asked for an encore. // http://www.godex-music.de/ / https://www.facebook.com/godexmusic // Setlist: 1. Lovesick / 2. For you / 3. Million Flashlights / 4. The best / 5. Dragonrider / 6. Love salvation // Rating: 6 / 10
Ost+Front
Second band was OST+FRONT. This band helped definitely to wake the audience up. Founded in 2011 in Berlin, the band belongs to the genre “Neue Deutsche Härte”. The band members seem to have a liking for bizarre names like Hermann Ostfront (singer), Gernhardt von Brüh (guitar), Siegfried Helm (guitar), Wilhelm Rotlauf (bass), Eva Edelweiß (keyboards, drums) and Fritz Knacker (drums). Just in case that there aren’t enough people listening to their show they provided themselves with their own applause from the notebook. And they had some special appearances: a man of short statue with a toy guitar and a choir all in blood stained white dresses. The band members themselves were wearing a smeared make- up of dirt and (hopefully) fake blood. The performance was solid for sure but a bit too close to RAMMSTEIN if you ask me. And personally my friend and I definitely didn’t appreciate it when the munchkin threw pieces of sausages in the audience during the song ‘Fleisch’. // http://www.ostfront.tv/ / https://www.facebook.com/ostfrontberlin // Setlist: 1. 911 / 2. Heimaterde / 3. Denkelied / 4. Fleisch / 5. Schlag mich / 6. Ganbang / 7. Ich liebe es // Ratings: 6 / 10
Die Kammer
I have to admit I was more than sceptical when I read the advertising of DIE KAMMER. Singer / songwriter music at such a festival? I was even more unsure that this will work after the experience of the day before with MERCIFUL NUNS where more than half of the audience left the venue during their show. But to my surprise it worked and not only I enjoyed this concert but the whole audience, too. Founded at the end of 2011, the German duo consisting of Mathias Ambré and Marcus Testory convinced us that they are able to entertain the people not only in venues with candlelight atmosphere or medieval festivals but also here with all these Goth Rock, EBM, Synth Pop, etc. bands. 
Additionally to their acoustic set they were supported by a chamber orchestra with Dirk Klinkhammer on tuba, Oliver Himmighoffen on minimal drums, Tabea Müller on cello, Aline Deinert on violin and finally Matthias Raue on violin and viola. . I have to say the music was really beautiful bringing people in a relaxed mood. But of course this is more music to sit and listen than to dance. Nevertheless the audience liked it. // http://www.die-kammer.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/diekammer // Setlist: 1. The Orphanage / 2. Fate/Illusion / 3.Labyrinths of Despair/ 4. The Seeming and the Real / 5. Hither and Thither (new video at the band's website) / 6. Final Days // Rating: 8 / 10
Rabia Sorda
With RABIA SORDA the time for relaxing was definitely over. With Hardcore/ Electronic- Rock- Punk music the Mexican trio gave their best to animate the people to dance and asked them to clap their hands and sing with them. And they were successful with their show as lots of people were dancing to their music. // http://www.rabiasorda.com / https://www.facebook.com/rabiasordaofficial // Setlist: 1. Eye M the Blacksheep / 2. Out of Control / 3. Radio Paranoia / 4. Deaf / 5. A World on Fire / 6. Save me from my Curse / 7. Heart eating Crows / 8. Turbulence (new version) / 9. Somewhere along the Road // Rating: 7 / 10
Neuroticfish
With NEUROTICFISH we have another band from the Ruhr area. Founded at the beginning of 1990’s the duo of Sascha Mario Klein (vocals) and Henning Verlage (keyboard) they animate people to dance to their music that can be described as Future Pop/ Electronic/ Synth- Pop. As they entered the stage, the venue was almost full and due to their good interaction with the audience and a bunch of danceable songs they made it that most of them danced and/or clapped their hands. They also presented their new song that was just finished on Thursday to the crowd. But of course they finished their set with ‘Velocity’ that is well known from the dance floors. // http://www.ebmisdead.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/OfficialNeuroticfish // Setlist: 1. Former me / 2. Bomb / 3. Behaviour / 4. Wake me up / 5. Suffocating right / 6. They’re coming to take me away / 7. Music for a Paranormal Life / 8. Illusion of Home (new) / 9. Velocity // Rating: 8 / 10
Fixmer / McCarthy
What followed now was the impatiently by the fans awaited EBM duo FIXMER/ MCCARTHY. Douglas McCarthy was THE voice and mastermind of the EBM band NITZER EBB that split in 1995 (and re-formed a few years ago) and Terence Fixmer is a techno producer well known for his remixes as well as his live shows. In 2002 they met and decided to work together and this collaboration led to the release of two albums and some touring. With hammering beats and the unmistakably voice of Douglas they invited the audience to dance to their sound and they happily did especially the hardcore fans and there were quite a lot, I have even seen a big banner. // http://www.fixmermccarthy.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/pages/FixmerMcCarthy/42966951729 // Setlist: 1. Intro / 2. Got plenty / 3. And then finally / 4. Destroy / 5. Freefall / 6. New FM 02 / 7. Banging down the Door / 8. By any other Name / 9. Look to me / 10. You want it // Rating: 8 / 10
Rotersand
Another German band from the genre of Electro- Industrial / Future Pop music entered now the stage. Founded in 2002 they made a name for themselves by touring with ASSEMBLAGE 23 and COVENANT as well as performing at the main festivals like the Dark City Festival, Infest, M’era Luna, WGT and Blackfield Festival of course. Actually the band is a trio but on this day only Rascal and Krishan showed up. Due to the sickness of the singer Rascal, they had to cancel their show short term at the Blackfield Festival two years ago. But now they invited the audience with their opener ‘Merging Oceans’ to dance and party with them and the people did with pleasure. They presented a nice bunch of songs that are working great to make the crowd dancing and enjoying themselves. And of course the Doctor Who fans didn’t have to miss ‘Exterminate annihilate destroy’. // http://rotersand.net/ / https://www.facebook.com/rotersand // Setlist: 1. Merging Oceans / 2. Lost /3. Waiting to be born / 4. Electronic World Transmission / 5. I cry / 6. War on Error / 7. Exterminate Annihilate Destroy / 8. Undone // Rating: 8 / 10
Staubkind
With this band originated from Berlin the genre changed into Deutsch Rock. The audience now watched and listened more attentively but did not dance so much as before. They surely performed in a solid way and there were some people quite fond of it but I found their music quite insignificantly, trivial and for me it was a kind of gothic “Schlager”. But maybe it is just because the lyrics were in German. It is so much easier to ignore trivial lyrics in English when you are not a native speaker and just focus on the music. Anyway, the audience’s response was great. // http://staubkind.de / https://www.facebook.com/Staubkind.Music // Setlist: 1. Gnadenlos / 2. Rette mich / 3. Nur ein Tag / 4. Dein Engel / 5. Fühlst Du / 6. Kannst du mich seh’n / 7. Paradies / 8. Schlaflied / 9. Königin / 10. Ein Traum / 11. So nah bei mir / 12. Angekommen // Rating: 6 / 10
Mono Inc.
With MONO INC. we have another old stager. Formed in 2000 in Hamburg the music can be described as Alternative/ Rock. And with lots of concert and festival experiences they gathered a great fan base and know how to enthuse the people with a solid performance. Thus they were welcomed by a cheerful audience. Worth mentioning is the talented and cute drummer Katha Mia who is singing the backing vocals as well while drumming. Definitely an eye- catcher. At ‘After the War’ she had her awesome drum solo where she asked the people to shout ‘Hey’ when she gave her sign and so they did. The show was great and the people had much fun. But to top it all they had a very special guest appearance: JOACHIM WITT – the icon of the scene and the hero of my youth. Although the record company was not sure at all if this is a good idea the band decided to perform with him the new song - ‘Kein Weg zu weit’ - of the upcoming album ( release date 9th of August). 
And it was a good decision indeed. The venue was packed and the audience cheered enthusiastically about this special guest and celebrated him. And of course they mixed one of their songs with ‘Der Goldene Reiter’ when JOACHIM WITT has left the stage. For those who have missed this show MONO INC. will be on tour soon together with JOACHIM WITT. All in all it was an energetic show with definitely some special highlights so that one could forget that they also performed the quite silly song ‘Heile, heile Segen’. // http://www.mono-inc.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/monoinc // Setlist: 1. My worst Enemy / 2. Symphony of Pain / 3. Heile, heile Segen / 4. Arabia / 5. Temple of the Torn / 6. Kein Weg zu weit (with JOACHIM WITT) / 7. Acoustic part / 8. Revenge / 9. After the War (including drum solo) / 10. Voices of Doom / 11. Get some Sleep // Rating: 8.5 / 10
Eisbrecher
Headliner of the last day of the Blackfield Festival was no less than EISBRECHER. Founded in 2002 in Germany with Alexander ‘Alexx’ Wesselsky, former member of MEGAHERZ, the band fit in the genre Neue Deutsche Härte without being a copy of RAMMSTEIN by finding their own sound. Alexx appeared on stage with a rose between his teeth which he offered nonchalantly to a lady in the audience and then the show started immediately with their powerful sound. Worth mentioning was the amazing light show with some fireworks and as special effects there were paper ribbons shot into the audience to some songs. At ‘Amok’ they used four oil barrels as additional percussion instruments. With ‘Heilig’, 10 nuns carrying torches entered the stage and standing on the platform in the background during the whole song. For this special appearance there was an appeal in the social media that the band was searching for some young ladies to do this job at their show. 
Of course the band would not leave the stage without performing ‘Miststück’ as final song as they always invite the audience to sing “Miststück” and “Ein Stück Mist”. And it always works well but this time we all had a good laugh as one female fan instead of singing the above mentioned into the microphone said that she so wants of photo with Alexx. Anyway it was a fantastic concert and the audience of the crowded venue sang and danced during the whole show. There was another group of people who obviously danced to their own sound despite the actual rhythm in a kind of formation dance. But oh well, you always have these dorks at festivals seeking desperately for the attention of others. // http://www.eis-brecher.com/de / https://www.facebook.com/eisbrecher // Setlist: 1. Tango Intro / 2. Exzess Express / 3. Willkommen im Nichts / 4. Antikörper / 5. Leider / 6. Augen unter Null / 7. Amok / 8. Metall/ 9. Prototyp / 10. Engel / 11. Schwarze Witwe / 12. Heilig / 13. Vergissmeinnicht / 14. Die Hölle muss warten / 15. This is Deutsch / 16. Verrückt / 17. Miststück // Rating: 8.5 / 10
In summary I can say it was a great festival. The weather was not that bad for a festival. For me it was the first time I have seen so many bands/ musicians at one festival most of them were really good only a few beyond my taste. It’s always great to meet people there and the location is just awesome. The date for next year’s edition is already set. The Festival will take place from 20th to 22nd June 2014. Pre-Sale will start at 12th August 2013. With that date, also first bands will be announced.
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.black-cat-net.de/ / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
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