Gründelpark, Glauchau, Germany16th to 17th June 2007
Woodstage Festival Day 2: Krieger, Jesus on Extasy, Fiddlers Green, Die Krupps, Project Pitchfork, Lacrimosa, Marilyn Manson
Also Sunday began with beaming sunshine. Many visitors found a comfortable place on the meadow or under the trees. With a tasty ice or cold beer, they let the first appearance come up to themselves. The whole day was relaxing. With a total of 8,000 guests a really well organised and well co-ordinated festival came to an end. Merely the absence of a final after show party led to light sullenness. Just after the last appearance many guests were still in best mood and would have partied on with pleasure. All in all this was truly one of the nicest festivals we ever visited.
Four guys from Dresden / Germany founded KRIEGER. Their first album was first announced for August, but now it was moved to the end of September. They don’t have a label yet. http://www.krieger.eu/
Music & Performance
Two months before publication of their first regular album the band can already look back at many results. They were already on tour as openers for IN EXTREMO and at last STONE SOUR. This time in spite of the early hour they also did their best and their rock songs full of pressure persuaded quite a lot for the waiting people in front of the stage. There were not less head-banging rockers seen.
Rating
Music: 6
Performance: 7
Sound: 6
Light: daylight
Total: 6.4
Jesus on Extasy
The German band was formed in 2005 by the American Dorian Deveraux (vocals, synths, samples) and Chai (guitar, backing vocals, synths, programming). After their first bass player Ivy left them, they found Alicia Vayne (former member of PAIN) and Ophelia Dax (former member of RYA - keyboard, synthesizer) to complete the line-up. For live concerts they added BJ at the drums. Their first album ‘Holy Beauty’ came out in March 2007 and even contained a special remix of their song ‘Assassinate me’, which was made by KMFDM. http://www.jesusonextasy.com
Music & Performance
Already during the concert of KRIEGER brightly dressed ladies glided over the area and distributed remarkable black aerial balloons. These were advertising banners for JESUS ON EXTASY. Right from the beginning they proved that electronic music had not only to be made from computer-controlled devices. Thanks to the application of a drummer and E-guitars their sound was alive and persuasive. Because Ophelia Dax got sick a nice deputy took her place on stage. Merely singer Dorian was too quiet against the dominant instruments. Chai and Alicia at the guitars already proved their talents. Their hit ‘Assassinate me’ was celebrated by the audience. They danced and sang. We discovered another good song. ‘Alone’ reminded us of old wave songs, with its catchy melody and astonishing guitar-solo. It became our festival earwig.
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Sound: 6
Light: daylight
Total: 7.7
Fiddlers Green
In 1990, the two friends and musicians Rainer Schulz and Peter Pathos formed FIDDLERS GREEN. They started playing concerts the same summer. Since then, they released nine albums, two live-albums and two DVDs full of “Irish Independent Speedfolk”. Their last album ‘Drive me mad!’ came out in January 2007. http://www.fiddlers.de/
Music & Performance
They were the other contrast point of the festival, but they knew so. The Frankish folk rockers could still score by the audience. The concert prelude with a dead sheep’s head met the morbid nerve of the people. After much more than thousand concerts there was no need to fear an appearance any more. Even if not every listener liked Irish Folk, here qualitatively there was nothing to discuss. Then for the band themselves the festival also offered a reunion with their former singer Peter, who is now singing with LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE.
Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 8
Sound: 6
Light: daylight
Total: 7.2
Die Krupps
As one of the pioneers of German electronic and industrial music, the band stands like nearly no other band for alternative success and also for the faith of fans. The band was founded in 1980 and since then they are having a solid fan base not only in Germany. The band released their last regular album in 1997. In 2005, DIE KRUPPS returned to celebrate their 25 anniversary with exclusive shows at some festivals. The next year they released a special CD just for the anniversary. At this album there was also a special version of ‘Machineries of Joy’, which contained the vocals of Douglas McCarthy (NITZER EBB). http://www.die-krupps.de/
Music & Performance
As already in the past observed several times, a change of generations took place once more in front of the stage. Who has already celebrated its 25-year-old band jubilee, may just trust in its audience. Indeed, there were just a few innovations to their last appearance, but they offered a joy for the music and joy of life par excellence.
Unfortunately, the beloved "Steelophone" of singer Jürgen Engler lost its extensive sound because of the wide forest area, nevertheless it did optically its service. Musically it was a party for the ears. All fan wishes were fulfilled by ‘Metal Machine Music’, ‘Wahre Arbeit, wahrer Lohn / Work hard’, as well as ‘To the Hilt’ and ‘Fatherland’. They have shown again, how to rock the stage!
Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 10
Sound: 6
Light: daylight
Total: 8.8
Project Pitchfork
In 1989, Peter Spilles and Dirk Scheuber met in Hamburg and soon they formed PROJECT PITCHFORK. Until now their debut-EP ‘K.N.K.A.’ (1990) is one of their greatest hits and will still being played in clubs. After uncountable releases and concerts they brought out their last regular album ‘Kaskade’ in 2005. http://www.pitchfork.de/
Music & Performance
They seemed to have a very good afternoon. In a good mood and even with communication to the audience, they excelled many expectations. Astonishing the big results of the ‘Eon:Eon’ were completely missed and they concentrated rather upon slower pieces. On the other side they played some very old songs like ‘I am’, ‘Alpha Omega’ and the super hit ‘K.N.K.A.’. They also played ‘Timekiller’ with a special comment to the laughing Steve Naghavi, who watched the concert (see the review of AND ONE at the first day).
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Sound: 6
Light: daylight
Total: 7.7
Lacrimosa
The German Tilo Wolff formed LACRIMOSA in 1990. Four years later the Finish Anne Nurmi joined him and so the band was finished. Already for the first album ‘Angst’, Tilo Wolff founded his own label “Hall of Sermon”. Until now they released eleven albums, the last one ‘Lichtjahre’ in 2007, which was some kind of Best-Collection. The last regular album ‘Lichtgestalt’ came out in 2005. After touring extensively they brought out the Live-DVD also in 2007. http://www.lacrimosa.ch/
Music & Performance
Watching LACRIMOSA at daytime was a special experience and it took away a little from the well-known atmosphere, but Tilo Wolff still led expertly by his program. This contained some of their biggest hits and with ‘Stolzes Herz’, ‘Brennender Komet’, ‘Alles Lüge’, ‘Lichtgestalt’ and ‘Letzte Ausfahrt:Leben’ it offered many special songs for the fans. Especially the live guitarist Joachim Küstner been convincing with excellent solos. After seeing LACRIMOSA several times in the past this was a very good audition. Tilo Wolff was in a very good mood and together with the glooming sunset it all matched together.
Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 9
Sound: 6
Light: rests of daylight
Total 7.5
Marilyn Manson
Do we have to say anything about him? In 1989 Brian Warner created his alter ego MARILYN MANSON and together with Twiggy Ramirez (now member of NINE INCH NAILS, former member of A PERFECT CIRCLE) he founded “MARILYN MANSON AND THE SPOOKY KIDS. They shortened the name in 1992 and after meeting Trent Reznor (NINE INCH NAILS) they released their debut album ‘Portrait of an American family’ in 1994. Since then MARILYN MANSON became the synonym for the American Anti-Lifestyle. He personally is known as a “shock-rocker” and for some Christian organisations the Antichrist himself. After the school-massacre in Columbine / America, he was blamed to be responsible for. He answered these reproaches in the movie “Bowling for Columbine” (Michael Moore).
Until now he released seven regular albums with his band although the line-up changed during the years. He is also known as an artist (writings, paintings) and now working at his first movie, which will show the life of Lewis Carroll (“Alice in Wonderland”). He is the actor of the main character and also the director of the movie. He got lots of attention in the worldwide media after his marriage (2005) and divorce from Dita Von Teese (2006). http://www.marilynmanson.com/
Music & Performance
He was announced with a new live program and entered the wrapped stage almost on time in fog and candle light. His new album ‘Eat me, drink me’ appeared just two weeks before the festival show and was already hotly discussed in the approach. It should be more quietly than any other album in the past. There all persons present waited tensely for the live conversion. Suitably he opened with the album-opener ‘If I was your vampire’, which came along astonishingly slowly.
Luckily he broke up the new songs in with older hits. So, songs like ‘mOBSCENE’, ‘Sweet Dreams’, ‘Tainted love’ and ‘The fight song’ rose up the mood in the audience noticeably. From the new album the title song fitted, on this occasion, best of all in the set. Then as a dynamic addition there was ‘The beautiful people’ which ended with a huge bang. Manson himself changed to nearly every song and the well co-ordinated light show took its part to make the concert the worthy headliner of the festival.
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 10
Sound: 6
Light: 8
Total: 8.3
All pictures by Thomas Köhn
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