InExtremo - Am goldenen Rhein (DVD)

Artist: InExtremo
Genre: Rock
Release Date: 15 May 2009

Van Lange / Sebastian Lange: Guitar, Cister

Dr. Pymonte / André Strugala: Bagpipes, Harp, Dulcimer-

Flex der Biegsame / Marco Zygorsky: Bagpipes, Uillian Pipes, Tin Whistle; Hurdy Gurdy, Shawn

Yellow Pfeiffer / Boris Pfeiffer: Bagpipes, Shawn; Nyckelharpa

I covered this gig live and I wasn’t at all sure that anyone could capture the sheer energy of the performance. However as the camera moves to the fantastic animated Saengerkrieg horse logo that served as a backdrop to the gig, you could almost taste the adrenalin running through the crowd. A blinding flash of light and the loudest bang I’ve ever heard and the band are on stage drenched in golden light and launching into ‘Sieben Köche’ (Seven Cooks). IN EXTREMO know their craft well and whilst the first song was greeted with huge delight the second ‘Frei zu sein’ (To be free) had the whole audience with them word for word as the golden hue was replaced by atmospheric blue.

From that we were straight into ‘Liam’, their 2006 offering from the Bundesvision Song Contest and although sung in Gaelic a firm favourite with the fans with a truly awe inspiring introduction on pipes from Flex. ‘Hiemali Tempore’ followed that, another old favourite and then it was ‘Saengerkrieg’, title track of their latest no1 album and another one which had the fans going wild as huge bursts of flame shot from the front of the stage in perfect sync to the music. IN EXTREMO are renowned for their pyrotechnics and light shows and the intensity of this work came over really well on the DVD. Banter was friendly and the band looked happy and relaxed as they always do. Special mention here should be made of Micha Rhein, lead singer, whose whole arm and shoulder was bandaged from a pyrotechnics accident earlier in the tour and who must have been in some considerable pain with it, although to see his performance you would never know, as it was as enthusiastic and slick as ever, a true professional.

‘Nymphenzeit’ and ‘Ave Maria’ followed with much arm waving and singing from the crowd as the huge video screens that added a tech feel to this tour changed pattern and colour and yet more pyrotechnics went off seamlessly. Then it was the rousing ‘Spielmannsfluch’, performed with such energy and enthusiasm that when I was watching this DVD to review it some non German speaking friends of mine said “God that’s amazing what’s he saying?” Living proof that music as good as this is a universal language, that can capture everyone. My personal favourite ‘Poc Vecem’ followed complete with a comic Dr Pymonte on his one stringed bass and then the beautiful and ever popular ‘Vollmond’ where he switched to Harp and was showered with red petals as he played the intro. ‘En Este Noche’ came next with the whole audience bellowing those Spanish words for all they were worth.

IN EXTREMO were actually founded in 1995 by Micha Rhein and Connie Fuchs who left shortly afterwards owing to becoming a mother, and so it was a great thing that she appeared as a special guest on ‘Ai vis lo lop’. This song held still more great things, Boris picked up a fire wand and twirled it in time to the music as the video screens raged fire and flames and the audience went absolutely crazy as Micha fed them the first line and they replied with the second. Everything calmed after that with the evocative ‘Zaubersprüche’ and then ‘In diesem Licht’. ‘Flaschenpost’ soon livened everyone up again with its life celebration feel. ‘Mein rasend Herz’, another old favourite, followed and then the beautifully written ‘Mein Sehnen’, another personal favourite. ‘Omni sol temporat’ edged in to represent old favourites again and then we were onto another high point of the night.

The band had been supported that night by the excellent Cologne all girl quartet THE BLACK SHEEP, and now for ‘Auf’s leben’, Charly lead singer of the band, joined the IN EXTREMO on stage to duet with Das Letzte Einhorn. They clearly had a lot of fun, sitting at a bar table and singing to each other and the audience really appreciated the little show within a show. ‘Küss mich’ (kiss me) raged in next, another one that had the audience enthralled and then the gig was winding down with only ‘Krummavisur’ and ‘Wind’ left, aside from the song that everyone waits for, that they always end their gigs with, ‘Villemann og Manghild’. This is a chance for the very talented Morgenstern to really make his presence felt. It’s easy to forget drummers, hidden away at the back of the stage, but he is really key to the whole very big IN EXTREMO sound and in this he spreads his wings a little a plays with flaming drumsticks.

The crowd was by now beside themselves and thanks were given by Das lezte Einhorn to his fellow band members during the track and also to the audience itself, who it has to be said had the time of their lives. The sound was good, the light show spectacular and pyrotechnic work breathtaking. The band themselves were as tight and energetic as I have seen them, giving great performances of old and new work alike. It was a great gig all round and the video team captured it perfectly. Running time: 112 minutes.


Extras

There are some great extras on the DVD, including an informative and amusing section “On tour with InExtremo” which includes a interviews and a guided tour of the night liner, as well as amusing anecdotes and reminiscences which runs for some 23 minutes and all of their official videos so far, This Corrosion, Vollmond, Wind, Küss mich, Erdbeermund, Nur ihr allein, Horizont and Frei Zu Sein.

All in all a great DVD, one of the higher end offerings that I have heard lately and certainly one to recommend buying.


Cover Picture




Tracklist

01. Des Sängers Einzug