KuFa, Krefeld, Germany21st January 2019
Monster Magnet - “Mindfucker” European Tour 2019 - Special guests: Puppy
The Space Rock legends MONSTER MAGNET from New Jersey have decided to extend their tour throughout Europe into the new year with their latest album, aptly titled ‘Mindfucker’. This album, hailed by critics as one of the band’s best, only underscores the impression of their last live appearance in this region in Bochum last spring: Singer Dave Wyndorf is bursting with energy as if he had just started his three decade-long career, and the band as a whole have got their groove on.
Puppy
Alternative Metal band PUPPY from London has been around since 2014. The trio has released two EPs so far, and their debut album, ‘The Goat’, is about to be released end of January this year. https://www.facebook.com/puppyvybes / https://puppyvybes.bandcamp.com
Music & Performance
At 8pm, the three members of PUPPY entered the stage and started to perform their opener ‘Black Hole’, which is also the first single of their debut album. Their music style turned out to be an interesting mix of guitar shredding (HELMET) with laid-back - rather edgy - vocals (DINOSAUR JR) and big melodies (WEEZER), served with a solid foundation of rather protracted rhythm patterns. All in all, it was not the easiest and catchiest combination, but over the course of the 40 minutes of playtime, PUPPY managed to catch and keep the attention of audience in the solidly filled Kulturfabrik. Even though singer/ guitarist Jock Norton cynically commented on the reaction (or lack of thereof) of the crowd to the announcement of the last song with “I can hear how disappointed you are”, I am sure many of the people present made a mental note to check out the band, which is basically everything you can hope for as a support band, right?
Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 8
Sound: 7
Light: 6
Total: 7 / 10
Monster Magnet
It is fair to say that Space (or Stoner) Rock would not be the genre it is today if it were not for MONSTER MAGNET and the master mind behind it, Dave Wyndorf, and his three-decade long devotion to their genre-defining music. For more about the band check out www.monstermagnet.net / https://www.facebook.com/monstermagnet.
Music & Performance
Around a quarter past 9pm the room lights went out, a psychedelic projection appeared at the back of the stage, and the four band members entered the stage. Dave Wyndorf - clad in his iconic jeans vest and seemingly ageless - was the last to join, and the band opened their set with the classic ‘Dopes to Infinity’ from the 1995 album with the same name.
Accompanied by the enthusiastic cheering of approx. 800 fans in the well-filled Kulturfabrik, the band continued with the single ‘Rocket Freak’ from their most recent album ‘Mindfucker’, after which it was time for ‘Crop Circle’ from the 1998 album ‘Powertrip’, and the energy levels in the crowd reached a first pitch. Maybe it was a little too much for one particular fan, who felt inclined to climb onto the stage, running into Dave in the process. Despite his age, the singer pulled no punches and pushed the intruder back into the crowd, threatening to hit him with his guitar, screaming “Stay away from me, motherfucker”. But what is a Rock’n’Roll concert without a little action, right? Music wise, MONSTER MAGNET unleashed the kind of 70ies-infused Rock’n’Roll mayhem their fans love them for: the heavy riffing of the two guitarists, the psychedelic lava lamp-like projections in the background, and Dave’s trippy, delay-fuelled voice led the crowd to embrace each song with frenetic cheers.
The gig steamed on with another gem from the band’s extensive song portfolio, the epic ‘Look to Your Orb for the Warning’, which sent the people in the mosh pit into frenzy. The upward trajectory was kept intact by two more songs (one of them the iconic ‘Negasonic Teenage Warhead’), and, after an hour of playtime, it all culminated in the whole room screaming ‘Space Lord, Motherfucker’ in unison during THE MONSTER MAGNET song of all: ‘Space Lord’. After this, the band left the stage. Steady clapping and whistling for a few minutes brought the band back onto the stage for a three-song encore, and after the last feedbacks of the last song ‘Powertrip’ had vanished, it was time to head home. For fans of the band, this concert definitely underscored the relevance of the band, as MONSTER MAGNET seem to have grown as a band during the last two years of touring, which bodes well for any future new material.
Setlist
01. Dopes to Infinity
02. Rocket Freak
03. Crop Circle
04. Radiation Day
05. Melt
06. Look to Your Orb for the Warning
07. Ego, the Living Planet
08. When the Hammer Comes Down
09. Negasonic Teenage Warhead
10. Space Lord
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11. CNN War Theme
12. Dinosaur Vacume
13. Powertrip
Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 8
Sound: 8
Light: 9
Total: 8.5 / 10
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
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