König-Pilsener-Arena, Oberhausen, Germany20th January 2019
Snow Patrol - “Wildness 2019” - Support: Foy Vance, JC Stewart
For seven long years, the fans of SNOW PATROL had to wait for a sign of life from the band. After vocalist Gary Lightbody struggled not only with an artistic low but also with depression, he now radiates a strength and happiness that could infect the audience. Gary Lightbody communicated in a good mood with the audience and next to new songs, SNOW PATROL also played well-knownhits. The evening was just what the fans and the band deserved after all this time
JC Stewart
The evening opens with JC STEWART on guitar and keyboard with his two live musicians. Who likes the average singer / songwriter junk on the radio, where the songs reflect the life experience of a 14-year-old, songs consisting more of “Aaaah” and “Ohhh” than content and a guy who manages to say his own name more than 5 times in 25 minutes, is exactly right here. His drummer was wearing a flat-mouthed and chewing gum with his open mouth does not necessarily make his appearance any better. https://www.facebook.com/IAMJCSTEWART
Rating
Music: 2
Performance: 1
Light: 3
Sound: 5
Total: 2.7 / 10
Foy Vance
After the fall of the first band, two Irishmen enter the stage. Foy understands to combine stories with music. As if he wants to say, “JC, that’s the way it works.” The “folk-rock-gospel-songwriter” duo do their job brilliantly, bringing the whole hall into the mood for the first time. SNOW PATROL get the warm-up they deserve. https://www.facebook.com/foyvancemusic
Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 7
Light: 6
Sound: 6
Total: 6.5 / 10
Snow Patrol
After a break of seven years, SNOW PATROL return with their 7th album, ‘Wildness’, and to German stages for five concerts in January and February 2019. “There are different types of wildness”, explains vocalist Gary Lightbody, “but there are two areas that are crucial: on the one hand there are the wild states that the modern age has brought with it, general confusion, absurd logic and alienation, and on the other an age-old form of savagery. Living things and beauty, with which we feel a very different connection, which have to do with passion, with love, with the connection between us and nature, as well as the connection between us humans. It is this latter kind of ‘wildness’ that the album is all about and the loss and trying to restore the bonds, to remember it.” Lightbody goes on to say that it was not enough to just ask a series of questions on this album, but to find answers within it too. It was important to him to find out why he was unhappy, out of place and where the fears were coming from. The long break of the British rockers has turned out to be very important for the song-writing and led the band beyond to a new self-image. Musically, SNOW PATROL sound absolutely self-confident and remain true to the sound that has made them world-famous over the past decade. https://www.facebook.com/SnowPatrol
Music & Performance
The first song is ‘Take Back the City’, which is about the home town of SNOW PATROL: Belfast. In the video, the old city collapses and is replaced by futuristic new buildings. Considering the last years of the band’s history, maybe there is a bit of self-reflection in the song. The stage shines and is illuminated with many lights, the video screen does not distract from the band despite its size and the cameras, that are aimed at each musician, let appear live footage in the video background. An outstanding debut in the performance and a nice start into a new phase of life of the band. In addition, one of the musicians, Nathan, also had his birthday on this evening and a skillfully incorporated serenade in the first 10 minutes of the show brought SNOW PATROL the audience even a step closer.
The mixture of Rock and Pop provides for a wide range of fans. Pop songs are more in the body and rocking more in the ear. Everything is supported by videos or through a network of lights that is lowered repeatedly in front of the band. For ‘You Could be happy’, a curtain of starts is falling around the whole stage which is lifted up again after the song. On ‘Life on Earth’ the whole universe opens up behind Lightbody. For ‘Open Your Eyes’, the camera moves rapidly through the streets of Paris. A translucent gauze curtain creates three-dimensional projections on the canvas: ‘The Lightning Strike’, as always, overwhelmed with a swirling CGI storm - a visual bombardment that effectively pulls the eye. All together leads to a concert where you cannot look away.
SNOW PATROL prove that it does not matter how long you are absent, no matter what obstacles get in the way, you can use everything as inspiration. And if you always take a step forward, it’s where you want to be. At the end of the concert you can clearly say: SNOW PATROL are back!
Setlist
01. Take Back the City
02. Chocolate
03. Crack the Shutters
04. Empress
05. Don’t Give In
06. Open Your Eyes
07. Run
08. You Could Be Happy
09. Life on Earth
10. Make This Go On Forever
11. Shut Your Eyes
12. Heal Me
13. The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?)
14. Chasing Cars
15. You’re All I Have
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16. What If This Is All the Love You Ever Get?
17. Just Say Yes
Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 10
Light: 9
Sound: 8
Total: 9 / 10
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
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