SO36 Club, Berlin, Germany17th October 2009
Saltatio Mortis, Feuerschwanz
Just occasionally the Gods of Chaos take an unhealthy interest in one of the gigs I'm attending. Since both SALTATIO MORTIS and FEUERSCHWANZ are two of my favourite bands, I should have known this would be one of them. From delayed flights, to venue changes, from broken cameras to lost setlists, this was a truly hexed affair... except, that is, for the great music and electrifying performance to which I was treated at the gig. The venue had been changed from the Kesselhaus to the SO36 in Kreuzberg.
This turned out to be no bad thing, for the box office was much organised, the security staff friendly and helpful and the venue itself had a shabby authenticity that's so rare to find these days, with graffiti strewn walls and a feeling that anyone knows now anyone who has once played here. It’s really got a nice feel to it and I'd be very happy to attend there again.
Feuerschwanz
The Captain and his merry men (and women) took to the stage in superb form with their new album title track 'Metvernichter' The club is a small intimate affair and the audience were right against the front of the stage, which for a band that includes the audience so much in its performance is an excellent thing. They struck up with a plethora of old favourites, as well as a host of tracks from their recent album 'Metvernichter'.
I've seen FEUERSCHWANZ several times and considering that they bill themselves as a 'medieval comedy' band, it never ceases to amaze me what good musicians they actually are. They play with style, flair and passion, but that's unfortunately forgotten when you see them live because they are just so damned entertaining and exhilarating to watch, their sheer ability goes right out of the window. By the third song in, the audience might well have forgotten they were not the top bill they were having such a blast, and by the time their excellent set was over, having dived into the audience, waved flags and otherwise misbehaved and caroused around, they had the crowd baying for more like half starved hounds who have had a fine meal taken away from them.
Lighting it has to be said was lacklustre, but the venue is small and limited in that regard, but sound was excellent in such a flat tunnel like room, and was balanced from wherever I stood. A great performance from a great band ('Hurra hurra der Pest is da' was my personal favourite, not a little because how often do you get to yell that at the top of your lungs?) and I hope they continue to rise in success and notoriety.
Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Sound: 9
Light: 7
Total: 8.7 / 10
Saltatio Mortis
I love this band. For me they fuse the medieval, fantasy, rock, folk and metal genres together in a flawless blend to create a style which is unique in its perfection amongst the “Medieval” bands, and so, when they came onstage I was filled with anticipation for the set to come. From the moment the first note rang out, the audience knew they were in for a very special concert indeed. With the excited energy still ringing in the air from FEUERSCHWANZ, they began and the crowd was right there with them.
Alea, the lead singer, was in excellent form and regaled the assembled audience between songs with tales about the band themselves and their future plans. For me 'Salome', taken from their recent top ten album 'Wer Wind saet', was the highlight of the night. Originally a duet with Doro Pesch, it lost nothing with her absence as Alea has a unique voice and a unique stage presence, being at once commanding musically, warm and friendly in his repartee. Excellent musical work came predictably from the rest of the band, and a special mention to Falk for his boundless passion and enthusiasm as a musician, as they coursed through pretty much every track on their recent album from the awesome ‘Ebenbild’ (Check out the excellent video to this song if you get the chance) to ‘Vergessenne Götter’, a personal favourite of mine.
Throughout this set, they played as one would expect a band of such renown, but with a warmth and enthusiasm that is so often missing from live performances by other performers. All too soon we realised that they were about to exit the stage but were brought back by the howling of the mob for more. 'Falsche Freunde' began their encore, an old favourite with the crowd. One thing I like about this band is how grounded and nice they are as people and this faith in them was not misplaced, for Alea spent a good deal of the encore thanking all those who had made their success possible, not least the producer of their latest album Thomas Heimann-Trosiens.
As far as their performance goes, the band was absolutely second to none, the setlist a great mix of old and new, their energy and enthusiasm boundless and as I've said before, if you haven't already seen them, then you really have missed something special. Sound was exemplary as with the previous band, and whilst I was unhappy with the lighting, being a small venue, one can't work miracles with that, and it wasn't sufficiently bad to detract from what was a great performance. SALTATIO MORTIS continue into the New Year with their “Wer Wind Saet Tour”, and if you possibly can I suggest you try to catch one for their shows, for if their Berlin gig was anything to go by, you'll be in for a really great experience.
Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Sound: 9
Light: 7
Total: 8.7 / 10
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