Amphi Theater, Gelsenkirchen, Germany4th to 6th July 2008
Blackfield Festival Day 2: Colony 5, Iris, Solar Fake, Diorama, Northern Lite, Catastrophe Ballet, Modcom, Samsas Traum, Subway to Sally, Nitzer Ebb
The second day of the festival started very warm and sunny. After a good night’s sleep we made our way back to Gelsenkirchen very early and so, we had quite some time to meet up friends before the concerts started. Saturday was my favourite festival day featuring NITZE EBB and DIORAMA - two bands I like a lot.
Colony 5 [CL]
2007 marked the return of one of the most successful Swedish exports, when it comes to electronic pop music with infectious dance beats. Terribly long after their most catchy album ‘Fixed’ in 2005, COLONY 5 came back with a new single, called ‘Knives’, which made one thing clear right from the start: The sound of that band has undergone a drastic change. Where once, fluffy rhythms had their place, heavy EBM beats were on the agenda now and the overall mood of the sound had become much darker than before On ‘Buried again’ their fourth and most recent album, they’re celebrating this style with perfection and presented the album on various gigs in Europe and for the first time in the US. ON Saturday 5th July it was up to them to start the second day of the Blackfield festival. COLONY 5 is: P-O Svensson (vocals, music) and Magnus Kalnins (keys, lyrics). http://www.colony5.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/weseekcolony5
Music & Performance
COLONY 5 opened the stage at Saturday and they did a good job. At sun and warm temperatures they entered the stage at 12 o'clock and entertained the already present audience. The danceable catchy sound and the pleasing voice of the singer satisfied the crowd and animate some legs to the first dance steps. The set ran about 30 minutes and consisted of 7 songs, starting with ‘Get off my Back’ and finishing with ‘Ghosts’.
Setlist
01. Get off my Back
02. Plastic World
03. Pills
04. Knives
05. End of Desperation
06. Absolute Religion
07. Ghosts
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Sound: 9
Light: - (daylight)
Total: 8.3
Iris [SH]
IRIS is one of the best bands the electro pop genre has to offer. Singer Reagan Jones and keyboardist Matt Morris joined forces in the late 90s to create uniquely melodic, synth-heavy pop tracks. Their first record ‘Disconnect’ included the song ‘Annie, would I lie to you’ which became a club-hit instantly and was one of the best selling releases in the history of record label “A Different Drum”. Three more singles should follow, but the tension between Matt and Reagan grew and grew and the band began to break apart. With the addition of Andrew Sega a few years later, the sound moved into a more experimental direction and guitars were added to the mix. In 2003, ‘Awakening’ followed and became incredibly successful. On the third album ‘Wrath’ released in 2005, they combined more rock-oriented songs with electronic beats and soundscapes. The fans still have to wait for a new full-length release of the two sympathetic guys, but to bridge the time until the new album will be finished IRIS released ‘Hydra’ in April 2008, a double release, consisting of a CD with three brand-new tracks as well as remixes from tracks of the last two albums and a DVD with some footage from behind the scenes and on tour. IRIS is: Reagan Jones (vocals, song writing) and Andrew Sega (programming, guitars, keyboards). http://www.irismusic.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/iris2
Music & Performance
Initially IRIS had to fight with some technical problems. Andrew just couldn’t get his equipment to work and for a couple of minutes nothing happened on the stage, but Reagan had a brilliant idea; why not surprise the crowd a little bit? And so he suddenly grabbed the microphone and we could experience an a cappella showcase of ‘Lands of Fire’ and ‘It Generates’ from the last album ‘Wrath’ supported by Ned Kirby on the bass, much to the likes of all the people in front of the stage, who rewarded this awesome performance with a thunderous and deserved applause. Not every band could have done such a thing, there has to be a really good singer to do this, but that was no problem at all.
Meanwhile Andrew had finally fixed the problems and was seemingly relieved and the show could continue as it was planned, mostly with tracks from the last two albums, ‘Awakening’ and ‘Wrath’ such as the brooding ‘Sentimental Scar’ or the faster-paced ‘Appetite’ but there was also time to play two tracks from ‘Hydra’ the recently released CD/DVD hybrid. After some time behind the microphone stand, it had to make way for a very agile and vivid Reagan Jones and the performance gained more momentum. Back to Andrew who was also playing the guitar and that very concentrated and with verve. Maybe the show was a bit shortened due to the difficulties at the beginning, but therefore had prepared a nice surprise. I think this won’t be the last time, we’ve seen an unplugged performance of IRIS.
Setlist
01. Lands of Fire (unplugged)
02. It Generates (unplugged)
03. Sentimental Scar
04. Appetite
05. Imposter
06. Stop Breaking Your Own Heart
07. New Invaders
08. Sorrow Expert
Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Sound: 9
Light: - (daylight)
Total: 9
Solar Fake [SH]
Sven Friedrich, well-known as the singer of the legendary DREADFUL SHADOWS and the band ZERAPHINE, is the man and the voice behind this purely electronic project. Dreaming of an electro project for quite some time but never finding the time for it, SOLAR FAKE finally came to life in 2007. The project name SOLAR FAKE is referring to both things, which are completely different than expected and also to the two faces every human has. The first musical output carries the title ‘Broken Grid’ and saw the light of day in February 2008. SOLAR FAKE is Sven Friedrich (production, vocals, lyrics) who was supported live by Frank on keyboard. http://www.solarfake.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/solarfake
Music & Performance
Sven Friedrich was a very busy man on this festival. The other day, he already performed with the DREADFUL SHADOWS, but now it was time for his solo project SOLAR FAKE. On stage he’s accompanied by Frank on the keyboards. Well, for starters it was a genuine Sven Friedrich performance, but with a diversion. If you were used to see Sven mostly moving forwards and backwards, he was now integrating almost the whole width of the stage into his performance which gave it a perceptibly higher dynamic yet I think most people were one again intrigued by Sven’s voice which, depending on the song, ranged from angry shouts to clean melancholic passages.
As SOLAR FAKE still is a relatively young project, all tracks in the setlist came from the debut album ‘Broken Grid’ starting with the balladry ‘Hiding Memories from the Sun’ and followed by the two-faced ‘Stigmata Rain’ with its alternating calm and angry parts. Other parts of the setlist included pretty beat-driven tunes like ‘The Shield’ or ‘Lies’ but also the felicitous interpretation of RADIOHEAD’s ‘Creep’ was presented and as concluding track the emotive ballad ‘Your Hell is here’. All in all we can say that it was a good if not necessarily an outstanding show.
Setlist
01. Hiding Memories from the Sun
02. Stigmata Rain
03. Sometimes
04. The Shield
05. Creep (RADIOHEAD-Cover)
06. Here I stand
07. Hero & Conqueror
08. Lies
09. Your Hell is here
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 7
Sound: 8
Light: - (daylight)
Total: 7.7
Diorama [CL]
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. Some time 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 and newest album ‘A Different Life’, preceded by the single ‘Synthesize me’. Unfortunately, there was no tour, accompanying the album release, but the band played some powerful and very intense shows at festival to present the album. And now we’re already impatiently waiting for new material, planned for a release in 2009. The current line-up consists of: Torben Wendt (words and music, vocals, keys, percussion), Felix Marc (co-production, keys, vocals), Sash Fiddler (guitars) and Marquess (drums). http://www.diorama-music.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/dioramamusic
Music & Performance
It was my second live experience with DIORAMA and again I was very impressed by the pushing and vital show of the band. The set ran about 40 minutes, starting wit the hit ‘Advance’. The whole show consisted of only seven songs, taken from the last album ‘A Different Live’ - like ‘Erase me’, ‘Kein Mord’ or ‘Synthesize me’ - and was completed by some older songs like the energetic ‘The Girls’ or ‘Why’ which finished the set. The place in front of the stage meanwhile was well-filled - better filled than during the following bands what might be a sign for DIORAMA deserving a better place in the line-up - and quickly the crowd was infected by the pleasing and powerful show as well as the soulful strong sound of DIORAMA. The band impressed with a dedicated powerful performance and the whole crowd was dancing and singing along.
Setlist
01. Advance
02. Howland Road
03. Erase me
04. Kein Mord
05. The Girls
06. Synthesize me
07. Why
Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 8
Sound: 9
Light: - (daylight)
Total: 9.7
Northern Lite [JU]
In 2007, the 6th year of NORTHERN LITE as record releasing artist, the guys just made a big step concerning popularity. With their attendance at the “Bundesvision Song Contest” in that year they not only gained a much wider audience, they also attracted the attention of music television the venues at their shows especially in their home base Erfurt were sold-out. They were never a pure club act but with their album ‘Unisex’ they opened their sonic world even more to other genres and thus to whole new audiences, and the pop appeal they always had came to full effect, but now it’s time to celebrate the next highly anticipated release going by the name of ‘Super Black’. NORTHERN LITE is Andreas Kubat (vocals, producer), Sebastian Bohn (co-producer), Frithjof Rödel (keys, guitars) and Valerian Herdam (guitar). http://www.northernlite.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/northernlite
Music & Performance
After the very well received gig of DIORAMA the place in front of the stage cleared quite quickly, and not too many people walked to the front to wait for NORTHERN LITE. The band from Erfurt already performed a couple of times at events of the ‘Goth’ scene and their music surely has many elements that appeal to people from this scene as well. But it was somehow a pity to see only a relatively small crowd turning up to see NORTHERN LITE at the Blackfield festival. Maybe the running order of the bands was a little awkward (DIORAMA deserve a better position in the line-up anyway) and many people probably decided to have a beer, a meal or to go back to their tents during NORTHERN LITE’s gig.
However, NORTHERN LITE have a reputation for creating a nice danceable party mood live and they certainly know how to rock a club, but at the Blackfield fest they were only half effective on a big stage during sunlight. A few odd decisions regarding their set list added to this – maybe the band thought a Goth crowd would be happier with NORTHERN LITE’s rather balladry and mid mid-tempo stuff? Hey guys, we just waited for our chance to dance like crazy! Unfortunately it was only enough to swing the hips a little. It was a good performance, sure, and I did enjoy the music. But on this day NORTHERN LITE were a little below their potential. Lesson learned: Go and see them at a club and get all sweaty! :-)
Setlist
01. In Control
02. Alien Girl
03. Enough
04. Thousand Year old song
05. Nowhere
06. Girl with a gun
07. Reach the sun
08. Different
Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 6
Sound: 7
Light: - (daylight)
Total: 7.3
Catastrophe Ballet [JU]
Eric Burton gave birth to CATASTROPHE BALLET in 1989 in the city of Bitburg with the intention to create music, sounds and messages aside from the happy face of pop music. Influences at that time were bands such as KILLING JOKE, SISTERS OF MERCY, THE CURE etc. Through first gigs they had build up a remarkable live reputation and the 100 copies of their first album, only available at concerts were sold-out very fast. But it was the second album ‘Pandemonium’ including the hit ‘House of Hate’ that made the press prick up their ears. Impressed by the band’s sound Rodney Orpheus 1993 marked a turning point as the typical Goth Rock was enriched with new electronic elements on the album ‘Transition’. The following two years are full of touring; at first through America, then through 100 European cities. With all following releases the band persistently changed, their sound never stood still. The 1996 release ‘New Values’ was heavily inspired by industrial rock and the following ‘Menschenfeind’ was a wild mixture, reaching from Goth Rock to industrial-like sounds. It took the band six years to release the long-anticipated successor of the guitar driven ‘Modern Primitives’ from 2000, going by the name of ‘All beauty dies.’ CATASTROPHE BALLET is: Eric Burton (vocals), Matt E. (bass), T.Homas (guitars) and Al X. (drums). http://www.catastropheballet.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/catastropheballet1
Music & Performance
Like NORTHERN LITE before them, CATASTROPHE BALLET performed in front of a rather small crowd at the Blackfield festival, with many people sitting on the upper tiers of the amphitheatre. But it has to be said that CATASTROPHE BALLET’s gothic-rock-rooted sound was in the end much more appreciated than the mid-tempo Electro sounds prior to them. The band around Eric Burton are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a series of selected gigs (which obviously will lead into 2009, as I assume for numerical reasons *g*), so in front of the stage was a number of long-time fans to witness this spectacle. And as someone who knows only a fistful of CATASTROPHE BALLET songs (I have to admit that) I felt quite well entertained. This was not only up to the great variety in the band’s material but also because of front man Eric Burton, who has true entertainer qualities and who took things with a pinch of salt. After performing a row of classic Goth Rock songs, he introduced a song from the band’s later years with “Ten years ago we tried to be Ministry!” Yes, indeed! *g* But I have to say that they did a quite nice impersonation of the Industrial Metal legend.
The song ‘Licht’ catered for another contrast, when Oswald Henke, head of GOETHES ERBEN, made a guest appearance with his trademark spoken words performance. A few songs, a few styles, and a few jokes between songs later CATASTROPHE BALLET surprised us with a cover version of SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK’s ‘21st Century Boy’. This piece of electronic Trash Pop was much debated in the late 1980s but Eric Burton and his boys made clear why this particular track is still loved by many. Quite aptly the last song of the set was ‘Goodbye’; it finished a pretty solid and entertaining performance. Considering that there were not more than 11 gigs by CATASTROPHE BALLET in the last two years it is rather stunning in what a good shape the band is performance-wise.
Setlist
01. House of hate
02. M-other
03. Consequently inconsequential
04. Eyelid
05. Love is dead
06. Licht (feat. Oswald Henke)
07. I lost the key to your world
08. Nothing
09. Garden of decay
10. 21st Century Boy (SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK Cover)
11. Goodbye
Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 8
Sound: 7
Light: - (daylight)
Total: 7.3
Modcom [JU]
MODCOM is the solo-project of Ronan Harris well known for VNV NATION. The project made its debut on the Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig in 2006.The sound of this project is created with modular synthesizers and analogue sequencers for live sound creation. All the manipulation and processing to the sound is done live which is rather unusual today but was very common in the 70s. http://www.modcom.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/modcom
Music & Performance
Another stark contrast to the band before! After the guitar-driven sound of CATASTROPHE BALLET, Ronan Harris entered the stage to perform under the label MODCOM. Frankly, there was not much to look at on stage, just our favourite Irishman behind a pile of gear. Keeping in mind that Harris intends to re-introduce electronic sound equipment from the 1970s with MODCOM, the music sounds surprisingly modern and pretty techno-ish. The beats were just like the dance beats in any club just around the corner but on top of them Harris played around with numerous knobs, keys, switches and controllers. Yes, Mr. Harris had a lot of fun, as his big grin gave away (and which got only bigger when someone served him a beer on stage)! Ronan Harris was like a happy kid playing with his favourite toys! The performance itself is a little boring to watch, unless you are a nerd with a dedicated interest in vintage synthesizers, but hey, you can dance to the music like nuts!
The young folks on the floor didn’t need any extra invitation for this, so there was quite some dancing in front of the stage. As I was sitting on one of the upper tiers one might think I was one of the above mentioned nerds - and I have to admit that I quite like the concept of MODCOM! You always get something unique at a MODCOM gig as Harris plays, mixes and modulates everything live, and the performance is like one extended track, in which he sometimes he uses samples from his main project VNV NATION, like a vocal line from the hit ‘Chrome’, but also bits and pieces from old heroes like KRAFTWERK and FRONT 242 (like the intro of the classic ‘Operating Tracks’). A very interesting concept, no show, perhaps too many straight 4/4 beats for my taste, but pretty enjoyable gig. Next time I will dance! Probably.
Rating
Music: 6
Performance: 8
Sound: 8
Light: - (daylight)
Total: 7.2
Samsas Traum [JU]
Many of you will probably know SAMSAS TRAUM due to the often very provocative and direct statements of its eccentric creator Alexander Kaschte, who founded SAMSAS TRAUM in 1996. He produced some demos and exactly three years after its foundation, the band signs a record deal with the Trisol Music Group through which the three albums ‘Oh Luna Mein’, ‘Die Liebe Gottes’ and ‘Utopia’ were released in the years to come. The quite uncommon style of the band caused some; let’s call it fights with the music press; especially with the Rock Hard magazine. After a tour as support for ATROCITY and PAIN in 2000, Kaschte took a creative break to return with a new album ‘Tineoidea oder: Die Folgen einer Nacht’ in 2003 on which he collaborated with several well-known artist like ASP and BLUTENGEL. Only one year later, the double album ‘a.Ura und das Schneckenhaus’ was released, followed by the first headliner tour. For 2007, Kaschte prepared a double strike and released two albums ‘Heiliges Herz’, an uncompromising metal manifest and ‘Wenn schwarzer Regen fällt’ a reduced and calm acoustic album. SAMSAS TRAUM live is: Alexander Kaschte (vocals, agitation), Michael "Cain" Beck (drums), Andrew Ongley (guitars), Paul Wilkinson (guitars) and Tilman Wolff-Moore (bass). http://www.samsas-traum.info/ / http://www.myspace.com/samsastraum
Music & Performance
Next were CRADLE OF FILTH - no, wait, it’s just SAMSAS TRAUM who exclusively performed songs from their latest release ‘Heiliges Herz’! I’m not sure if all fans of the band were happy with this decision, and it has to be said that SAMSA’S TRAUM deliberately abdicated much of the variety of their back catalogue, which ranges from Symphonic Metal to (at times unintentionally comical) Goth Pop. The volume of the music was incredibly loud so that some people took fright there could be damage to their hearing. Well - I managed to fall asleep during the gig! Maybe because 15 years of deejaying made me half deaf, perhaps I was simply not too impressed, perhaps the long night before took its toll finally. *g*
Setlist
01. Das Zeitalter der Bäume
02. Auf den Spiralnebeln
03. Durch springende Lippen
04. Schlaf in den Flammen
05. Liebeslied
06. Hirte der Meere
07. Im Auge des Sturms
08. Heiliges Herz
09. Das Schwert deiner Sonne
Rating
Music: 5
Performance: 6
Sound: 5
Light: - (daylight)
Total: 5.3
Subway to Sally [JU]
The band was founded in 1992 and through various performances; they quickly build up a strong reputation and a devoted fan base. Their distinct sound - Harsh Metal and Rock, complemented with instruments like violin, bagpipe, flute, lute etc - attracted the attention of the Major label BMG in Munich and in 1996, the band signed a contract with the label and released their third album ‘Foppt den Dämon’ in the same year. Also the two following albums, the live release ‘Schrei’ and the Best-of collection have been released there, before they switch over to Universal in 2000 and release the new album ‘Herzblut’, which climbed the 15th position in the Media Control Charts. From 2003 -2007, the band released three more albums with ‘Bastard’ being the latest, released in last year’s October. SUBWAY TO SALLY is: Eric Fish (vocals, bagpipes, flute, shawm, oboe, wind-controller), Bodenski (vocals, acoustic guitar, symphonia), Simon (vocals, acoustic guitar, trumscheid), Frau Schmitt (violin), Ingo Hampf (E-guitar, lute, ud, mandolin), Sugar Ray (bass) and Simon Michael (drums, percussions). http://www.subwaytosally.com / http://www.myspace.com/subwaytosally
Music & Performance
Okay, after no show at all (MODCOM) and not too much of a show (SAMSAS TRAUM) here came a band which delivers something which truly deserves the label *show*! All six members of SUBWAY TO SALLY entered the stage and taught us a lesson regarding crowd participation. It would be false to claim that SUBWAY TO SALLY would avoid clichés, quite the opposite - they know how to use them to deliver a very entertaining performance! With lots of pyro effects and little tweaks (like roses on stage during the song ‘Kleid Aus Rosen’ – a bit too obvious but effective) the band showed that they know how to amuse an audience. The fans were very appreciative and very happy to song along to hits like ‘Falscher Heiland’, ‘Sieben’ or ‘Julia Und Die Räuber’. The medieval Metal of SUBWAY TO SALLY is perhaps not exactly my pigeon but live it simply works and doesn’t fail to entertain.
In terms of atmosphere the highlight so far, admittedly. Not that it would make me listen to more SUBWAY TO SALLY at home, but next time they are on the bill of a festival I will go and see them again (instead of having a beer in front of my tent – as happened in the past ;-) ).
Setlist
01. Die Trommel
02. Eisblumen
03. Falscher Heiland
04. Sabbat
05. Feuerland
06. Die Ratten
07. Henkersbraut
08. Kleid aus Rosen
09. Sag dem Teufel
10. Veitstanz
11. Ohne Liebe
12. Sieben
13. Julia und die Räuber
Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 9
Sound: 8
Light: 7
Total: 8.8
Nitzer Ebb [JU]
Do I really have to introduce this band to anyone, who’s into electronic music? Well for those, who don’t know them yet I can give a short breakdown of their history I guess. Bon Harris, Douglas McCarthy und David Gooday, who were school friends, founded the band in 1982. None of them could play an instrument, so they decided to buy a sequencer to see what happens. Inspired by pioneers like DAF and DIE KRUPPS, they developed an aggressive, rhythmic and highly danceable style, matured to perfection on the first album ‘That Total Age’ in 1987, released on Mute Records. The breakthrough in Germany came in 1988, when NE played as support for DEPECHE MODE. Their aggressive performance in combination with their appearance with shaved hair and dressed with shirts of the German armed forces brought them the unjustified blame to be right-wingers. The following album ‘Belief’ became a true masterpiece, minimalist as before, but more moderate and refined than before. In 1990, the album ‘Showtime’ was released and initially was not well-received by the fans, because of its use of Jazz and Ragtime samples. End of 1991, ‘Ebbhead’ was unleashed and showed the band more diverse than ever.
Some of the old fans were not really satisfied with it. They wanted them to return to the old days, but a band needs its progression. Some of the tracks on the album were prototypes of recipes band like NINE INCH NAILS and THE PRODIGY became famous with. Then the fateful year 1995 came, when the band released the album ‘Big Hit’. The chemistry among the band members wasn’t like it used to be anymore. After the tour the band just called it quits without any explanation of the why. What no one would have believed at that time became reality. In 2006, Doug McCarthy and Bon Harris re-united for some exclusive shows and now the unbelievable… There’ll actually be a new NITZER EBB album this year and some of the songs could be heard, when the two headlined the Saturday on the first Blackfield Festival. NITZER EBB is: Douglas McCarthy (vocals, lyrics), Bon Harris (synths). http://www.nitzer-ebb.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/nitzerebbofficial
Music & Performance
Before 2006, no one would have dared to comment a NITZER EBB gig with “business as usual” – in fact no one even dared to hope there’d ever be future NITZER EBB gigs! Since their glorious ‘Body Of Work” reunion tour the legendary UK duo is back on the scene, as vital and energetic as they always have been. There was just a little 10-year break, y’know? But NITZER EBB’s gig was a little like “business as usual” for those who saw the boys a couple of times live since their reunion two years back - however, they surely offered a very punchy and exciting performance. And there were also some fresh elements - quite visibly in the shape of Jason Payne, who stepped in as a drummer for Kourtney Klein, who quit her job as a live drummer for NE a while ago (something many male fans regret, I may add ;-)). And quite audible in the shape of a couple of brand-new, yet unreleased NITZER EBB-songs. Yes, Bon Harris and Doug McCarthy were back to the studios to record new material together, which will hopefully see the light of day by the end of this year!
After a piece of orchestral music as an intro, the first sounds of ‘Getting Closer’ droned through the PA and the band entered the stage. As usual, Bon Harris joined Doug McCarthy at the front of the stage for some additional vocals. Or shall I say *shouts*? Harris positioned behind his drum kit (with a laptop and controllers next to him) for the next few songs: the massive ‘Let Your Body Learn’, and the two singles ‘Shame’ and ‘Hearts & Minds’ from NE’s 1989 album ‘Belief’. So far no setlist variations compared to the “Body Of Work” tour program – but the four stompers surely did not fail to have an impact on the crowd - Pogo in the middle and lots of dancing all around. McCarthy, again in black military clothing, marched from one corner to the other and commanded the crowd. This man has a stage presence and an energy which are simply phenomenal. Jason Payne, who already played drums on Nitzer Ebb’s “Big Hit” tour in 1995, stood on the left behind his kit with a much focussed (bored?) face expression, while Bon Harris on the right never stood still and heated up the fans in front of him.
With the seventh song things calmed a little down - in NITZER EBB terms, that is - and the band presented the first out of three brand-new songs. It’s a mid-tempo song, though pretty intense - it reminded me a little on old tracks like ‘My Heart’ (from ‘Showtime’, 1991) or ‘For Fun’ (from ‘Belief’, 1991). The latter appeared later in the set at the Blackfield Festival, and McCarthy got rid of his shirt during this song. As usual, I’m tempted to say! *g* There were two more new songs during the show, both of them already known to NE addicts as they were performed before frequently - the smashing ‘Once You Say’, which seemed to be reworked a little since the last time I heard it live, and the stomping ‘Payroll’ - already a crowd pleaser! The rest of the setlist was full of classics, although I was surprised (in the most positive sense!) that the band still included the album track ‘Blood Money’ in their set. Unfortunately a large part of the audience left the venue halfway through the gig - not because NITZER EBB were boring or something (how could they??) but because it started to rain pretty heavily. Yes, this is a lame excuse, but this is cheap talking as I was so upfront that I still stood under the stage’s roof (which covered the first twenty meters of the auditorium as well). It’s a pity that all people who left missed a glorious end of the gig with ‘Control I’m Here’, ‘Murderous’ and the indestructible and magnificent ‘Join in the Chant’! Unfortunately the strict curfew meant that NITZER EBB could not perform any encore. They planned to perform ‘Fun to be Had’ and ‘I Give To You’ but time simply didn’t allow to do so.
Minimal but effective and very impressive - this sums up NITZER EBB’s appearance at the Blackfield Festival. Some of the weekend’s bands could learn a lesson or two that passion and energy is more important than image or show effects. I for one would have appreciated a few more setlist variations in relation to the “Body Of Work” tour but with three new songs and a show like that there’s truly no reason to complain! All the fans left the venue happy, some heading to the after show party to dance some more, some heading for home to be back at the amphitheatre the next day.
Setlist
00. Intro
01. Getting Closer
02. Let your Body Learn
03. Shame
04. Hearts and Minds
05- Lightning Man
06. Godhead
07. Hit you Back
08. For Fun
09. Once you say
10. Blood Money
11. Ascend
12. Payroll
13. Murderous
14. Control I’m here
15. Join in the Chant
Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Sound: 9
Light: 8
Total: 8.8
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com/ / http://www.black-cat-net.de/ / www.myspace.com/vorndranphotography)
Written by Daniela Vorndran [DV] and overall editor, Sebastian Huhn [SH] and all band intros, J. “Niggels” Uhlenbruch [JU] and Carsten Leopold [CL]
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