Reflections of Darkness - Music Magazine - DAF

Details: Written by: Sebastian Huhn; Published: 23 March 2010

Pulp, Duisburg, Germany
18th March 2010
DAF & No More

The Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft haunted German grounds again. The only show in North-Rhine-Westphalia in the course of that was to take place at the event castle Pulp in Duisburg this time. It was still quite empty when I arrived at the venue and for the time being it wouldn't become what you'd call packed.

No More

This band, formed in 1979 in Kiel (North Germany), is responsible for the 1981 minimal wave hit ‘Suicide Commando’ after which Johan van Roy named his project. Their first release was the 7” EP ‘Too Late’ and the first mini album came out with ‘A Rose is a Rose’ in 1982 after which the band went for a change in its musical style. The band called it quits in 1986 after finishing the album ‘Hysteria’. In the course of working on an album with updated song versions ‘Remake/Remodel’ it was announced that a new album is in the making. That album, titled 'Midnight People & Lo-Life Stars' has been released on 12th March 2010. NO MORE is Andy A. Schwarz and Tina Sanudakura. http://www.no-more-remake-remodel.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/nomoreremakeremodel

Music & Performance
People kept quite a distance to the stage as NO MORE entered the stage sharp at 7:30 to start the set unexpectedly calm with the ambient-tinged 'The Kores of Stockholm'. It's a song from their new album 'Midnight People & Lo-Life Stars' featuring disconcerting sounds of the guitar and the spectral timbre of the Theremin. Up next was the primarily gloomy and minimalist 'Dim the Lights' that had Andy dancing more vividly with his guitar. He'd switch to gesture play with the title track of the aforementioned album. Slowly the crowd, who apparently knew just THAT one song of them, got into it as well and applause followed after a song's ending. For 'Il Tempo Reale', NO MORE chose for a rather exhilarating, brighter song to continue, whose groove made a few people dance as well. But not as many as with 'Suicide Commando', their most known song, causing bursting cheers from the crowd and heavy dancing as it started through. They should get even more chance to do so with one of my favourites 'Sunday Mitternacht'.

The mood got better and better the longer the show lasted, which after 10 songs came to an end with the instrumental 'Schwarzen Mann gesehn', an intriguing collage and showcase of musical craftsmanship. Last time I saw them, they're on a big open air stage, this time in the environment they belong in and which works best for them. Apart from the booming sound there was nothing to complain about.

Setlist
01. The Kores of Stockholm
02. Dim the Lights
03. Midnight People & Lo-Life Stars
04. Il Tempo Reale
05. A Rose is a Rose
06. Waiting for the Man
07. Suicide Commando
08. Sunday Mitternacht
09. Teenage Years
10. Schwarzen Mann Geseh'n

Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 8
Sound: 5
Light: 6
Total: 7.7 / 10

DAF

DAF (Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft) is a band that can be counted amongst the pioneers and influences for such genres as Electro Punk, Techno or the so called “Neue Deutsche Härte”. The unpolished, raw sound they’ve developed should as well be defining for the emerging EBM genre. The album ‘Die Kleinen und die Bösen’ from 1980 can be named as prime example for this and was and is a milestone for the EBM movement, released by Daniel Miller’s Mute label. Shrank to the duo Robert Görl / Gabi Delgado-López, the band continued working on new material which found its way on the two albums ‘Alles ist gut’ (1981) and ‘Für Immer’ (1982) with which they finally made their breakthrough. Some of the songs like ‘Der Mussolini’, ‘Die Götter sind Weiß’ or ‘Ein bisschen Krieg’ cause controversies with their provoking lyrics and more than once the two were exposed to hostilities of being fascists. When ‘Für Immer’ was released in 1982, DAF had already called it quits and every member pursued solo activities.

However an album called ‘1st Step to Heaven’ was released under the DAF moniker, it was only intended for the US market and should be the only musical sign of that band until 2003 when they reunited and released ‘15 neue DAF Lieder’ as well as went on world tour after which they broke up again. www.myspace.com/deutschamerikanischefreundschaft / http://www.myspace.com/delgadogoerl

Music & Performance
Now it was DAF for the boys and girls who were exposed this time to a Gabi Delgado-Lopez who had to cope with his shattered voice several times during the show that started with 'Verschwende deine Jugend'. Simultaneously, the rampage of the fans began with wildly moshing around to the song. 'Ich und die Wirklichkeit' continued from there with its noise reminiscences and down-tempo rhythm. What however really set the crowd on fire was 'Der Mussolini', as expected boosting the adrenaline cast into everybody's system. After all I can't hold back a grin listening to the lyrics and simultaneously looking at the sweating audience.

One big surprise for us all this time was 'Der Scheriff' being completely different than usual with the vocals out of tune. Close to the end of the track, Gabi explained that the song was mixed with the build of 'Osten Währt Am Längsten'. 'Mein Herz Macht Bum' then returned back to some up-tempo stuff before 'Liebeszimmer' slowed everybody down again, just to rile them up with 'Sato Sato' and 'Alle gegen Alle' afterwards. An extreme kind of rollercoaster ride the guys were sending their audience on. 'Als wärs das letzte Mal' ended the main set. But as you might have expected already, the people wanted more and so the guys came back came back two times for 'Der Räuber und der Prinz' and 'Kebapträume'. Even though Gabi wasn't in his best shape that evening due to his voice problems, he managed to bring out the shouts with the same intensity as ever. There's however one flaw to be mentioned and that's the sound. A part of the sound equipment packed out unfortunately in-between the show and caused the problems. It's very likely however that most people didn't even notice that anyway being busy with dancing. Regardless of that little bug it was a great show as always.

Setlist
01. Verschwende deine Jugend
02. Ich und die Wirklichkeit
03. Verlier nicht den Kopf
04. Der Mussolini
05. Ich Will
06. Muskel
07. Rote Lippen
08. Der Scherriff (Osten Währt am Längsten Mix)
09. Mein Herz macht Bum
10. Liebeszimmer (Opium Mix)
11. Sato Sato
12. Alle gegen Alle
13. Nachtarbeit
14. Moshino, Heckler & Koch
15. Die Lüge
16. Als wär's das letzte Mal
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17. Der Räuber und der Prinz
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18. Was Ihr Wollt
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19. Kebapträume

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 9
Sound: 6
Light: 7
Total: 8 / 10