Predigerkeller, Erfurt, Germany21st January 2023
Alienare – “Emerald Tour” 2023 - Support: JanRevolution
ALIENARE just finished their tour with WELLE: ERDBALL and released their fourth album ‘Emerald’ on Friday. Now T.Green (Tim Schulschenk) and T.Imo (Timo Hanusch) dare to present the new work to the inclined audience on their first headliner tour. The North German Synth Poppers start with a release concert in Erfurt, to which they have invited JANREVOLUTION for support. From 11th February, the tour will bring them to Munich, Eisenhüttenstadt, Hanover and Wuppertal. They will be supported by SCHEUBER amongst others, for JANREVOLUTION will be on the road from 27th January with SHE HATES EMOTIONS.
But back to Erfurt and the release concert... Because this is always such a thing in Erfurt with the parking spaces and the Predigerkeller is only a good five minutes’ walk from the Domplatz, I decide today for the parking garage at the Domplatz. This costs me another 12 Euro for the evening, but at least I don’t have to search long and the car stands dry. It’s snow for tonight. Quarter to seven (at seven o´clock is admission) has already gathered a small group of party people in front of the small club in the cellar vault of the Predigerkirche.
The entrance area is illuminated in green to put the audience in the right mood. The small and very cosy club can accommodate up to 170 people. Today, around 100 guests are expected. The ambience is stylish, the staff friendly, the prices are moderate and I feel right at home. The only about fifteen centimetres high stage seems a bit strange. You are somehow not used to looking the artists directly in the eye at the concert. The vault has surprisingly good acoustics, as I find out later. And the existing lighting technology is also well coordinated and puts the artists in the limelight quite well. At the bar today there is even an ALIENARE drink, the Alienareo. In Green, of course.
JanRevolution
The Electro-Synth-Pop-Rock of JANREVOLUTION reflects the collected impressions and experiences of the individual members in the music. In 2016 the last album ‘Return To Sender’ was released. The release was followed by an extensive tour through Germany with L’ÂME IMMORTELLE as well as concerts with KIRLIAN CAMERA, NEO, !DISTAIN, SOLITARY EXPERIMENTS and CHROM. After a change in the band structure, Jan Borkowski (music and vocals) is now supported by Alex Noize (guitar) and Daniel Riedel (keyboards). After single releases in 2018 and 2019 and some festival participations (Stay@Home 2020 and In Darkness 2022), the musicians hope to finally release their new album this year. www.facebook.com/JanRevolution.Music
Music & Performance
When the fog machine is started shortly before eight, the small club has already filled up quite well. Punctually at eight it is time to turn off the lights and clear the stage for Alex and Daniel, who are already starting the intro. Jan follows shortly afterwards and with ‘Man Without Return’ JANREVOLUTION bring a real hit on stage. This is followed by ‘Freier Fall’ and ‘Reminiscence’ also from the last album ‘Return To Sender’. The powerful Synth-Pop of the album versions gets a slightly rockier touch with Alex on guitar, which suits the songs quite well. The Erfurt audience seems enthusiastic right from the start. So, Jan has to detect, that today they do not heat up the audience, but rather the other way around.
The 2018 released, somewhat more poppy single ‘1000 Worte’ brings the Predigerkeller in any case properly in motion. Beautiful song that makes us dance. With ‘Amnesia’ from 2020 it really gets down to business before the trio serves us a new song with ‘Chasing’. The track definitely makes you want more and curious about the upcoming release. Just like the last song ‘Lola Montez’, which really picks up the pace. There is still a small encore. The question of whether we are more in the mood for electro or rock, Jan could have saved himself today. The answer should be clear. With ‘Gratitude’ we get to hear a successful VNV NATION cover before JANREVOLUTION leave the stage after 45 minutes to the applause of the audience. A highly energetic performance of the trio. Gladly again.
Setlist
01. Man Without Return
02. Freier Fall
03. Reminiscence
04. 1000 Worte
05. Amnesia
06. Chasing
07. Lola Montez
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08. Gratitude (VNV NATION Cover)
Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 8
Light: 7
Sound: 9
Total: 7.8 / 10
Alienare
The Hamburg-based Electro Synth Band released their first album ‘Beyond Love’ in 2017 followed by several shows opening for scene bands like BLUTENGEL, EISFABRIK and STONEMAN. Since then, they released two more records ‘AtelophobiA’ and ‘Neverland’ and have built up a solid fan base over the last few years. Last year, the duo performed for the first time at the Amphi Festival. This year they will be making festival appearances at Dark Horizon and Black Lower Castle, which they are allowed to open. www.alienare.net / www.facebook.com/ALIENARE
Music & Performance
How could it be any different at a release party. Of course, today the new album ‘Emerald’ is on focus. And so, it is not surprising that all songs of the album are played tonight. The only exception is the rather dark ballad ‘Elegy’, which did not make it into the set. But the earlier albums should not be neglected too. The two-hour set also offers a wide selection of hits and classics from previous albums. But before it starts after a short conversion break, green light sticks are quickly brought to the people. At point nine, Timo enters the stage and the intro starts. When Tim opens ‘Diamonds’, coming through the audience, everyone is directly in party mode. Even more, than while listening to the album, I notice right from this song, how much Tim’s vocals have actually developed since the last albums. Live you can hear that again very clearly, respect. Of course, the stage is completely green during the opener. Somehow, I seem to be at war with the light at the moment. Like last Thursday at RROYCE unplugged in Oberhausen, a spot literally catches my eye today and dazzles me again and again.
Next are ‘Still Alive’ and ‘Won ́t Believe (also from the new album) and in between ‘Departure’ (from the predecessor ‘Neverland’), all celebrated wildly. Tim and Timo know how to take the audience on their journey. Tim whirls across the stage full of energy and I wonder how many kilometres he might have covered until the end of the show. He is obviously pleased with the warm welcome. But this is also a “special concert - ALIENARE performing. And we have a new album.” The evening already promises to be a never-ending party. With ‘Human’, ‘You And Me’ and ‘Never Be The Same Again’ more energetic songs with club hit character follow. Then comes ‘Incomparable’, a slightly quieter song. Since we are the first audience to experience the new songs live, we are also the first to have to “go along with all the shit”. Tim has always wanted a song where the whole audience really swayed. And with this song that fits well, so most hook in and off they go.
“Just beautiful” I think when Tim says “very beautiful” just a second later. That wrestles a small grin from me. On ‘The Book Of Life’ Tim gets vocal support from Jan. The guest appearance was decided at short notice, so that Jan had little time to prepare and reads the text from his mobile phone without further ado. Nevertheless, a successful duet. When you’ve released a new album, of course you want to play the new songs, but something old has to be. But ‘Area 51’ is already so old that Tim actually lost the lyrics. But it doesn’t matter. The audience is lyrically confident enough and Tim is back in the boat for the chorus. This is followed by ‘The End’, a song from the bonus CD of the ‘Emerald’ fan box and ‘Everything Will Be Alright’ from the album ‘Perception’ before Tim and Timo leave the stage.
The next part of the show requires a change of the attire. So quickly put on the glitter jackets and sprinted back onto the stage, because ‘Life (Is Too Short)’. And so that not only Tim and Timo "glitter so beautifully", the audience glitters a bit with their hands during the following ‘Crystalline’. While Timo brings the jackets back backstage, Tim switches to the keyboard and proves with ‘World Away’ and ‘Time’ once again that he has actually developed vocally. And then it gets “comedic” in a way. Timo, who is back on stage, has a keyboard battle with Tim. Possibly a bit fooling around, but still worth seeing. Then with ‘Fragile’ and ‘Wrong’ back to the current album and two of my album favourites. ‘Move’ is then not only the next song, but literally also program. Both the audience and Tim jump and dance and Timo runs behind the keyboard and puts almost acrobatic jumps on the boards. With ‘Mission Abort’, ‘Time Machine’ and ‘Emerald’, ALIENARE really turn up the heat before leaving the stage for a short break.
With ‘Perception’, ‘The Colour Of My Soul’, ‘#Neon’ and ‘Freedom’, the encore block really hits the ball again. The Erfurt public celebrates frenetically once again. Whereby very few actually come from Erfurt today. Some have taken a long journey to be part of the tour kick-off. Tim especially thanks his colleague Timo, "without whom it would be quite quiet here" and both say goodbye with tears in their eyes. Must have been a very emotional evening for both of them and it was also for the fans that came here. But it wasn’t quite that yet, because the two still have a bit of desire. For farewell and ‘Arrival’, Tim once again hugs many fans in the audience before the concert ends shortly after eleven. For some it was the first concert with ALIENARE but certainly not the last. Most of them stay a bit to stock up on merch, chat with the musicians, take a few photos and talk old and new friends.
When I finally make my way home at half past one, it has snowed properly. So, I’d rather take my foot off the gas and turn up the music again. My next reunion with ALIENARE will be on 15th July in Kranichfeld, where the guys will open the Black Lower Castle festival as mentioned before. So, I will certainly be there on time.
Setlist
01. Intro / Diamonds (Emerald)
02. Still Alive (Emerald)
03. Departure (Neverland)
04. Won’t Believe (Emerald)
05. Human (Neverland)
06. You And Me (Perception)
07. Never Be The Same Again (AtelophobiA)
08. Incomparable (Emerald)
09. The Book Of Life (Emerald)
10. Area 51
11. The End
12. Everything Will Be Alright (Perception)
13. Life (Is Too Short) (Emerald)
14. Crystalline (Emerald)
15. World Away (Neverland) + Time (Diamonds) + Keyboard battle
16. Fragile (Emerald)
17. Wrong (Emerald)
18. Move
19. Mission Abort
20. Time Machine (Neverland)
21. Emerald (Emerald)
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22. Perception (Perception)
23. The Colour Of My Soul
24. #Neon (Neverland)
25. Freedom (Emerald)
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26. Arrival (Neverland)
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 9
Light: 8
Sound: 9
Total: 8,5 / 10
All Pictures by Aileen Ritter
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