6th - 9th June 2014
Wave Gotik Treffen 2014 Day 1: Heimataerde, Christian Death, The Eternal Afflict, The Fair Sex, Apoptygma Berzerk & White Lies
The first festival day for us mainly took place at the Agra area and the closely situated Pagan Village (Heidnisches Dorf). But before we enjoyed the concerts at the area, we had a short visit at Clara-Zerkin-Park and the Victorian picnic. There was something new at the picnic: the picnic area was separated by a red barrier tape where no photographs were allowed. The reason most likely was that many attendee dos the picnic felt more and more stalked by the photographers during past years. Anyway around that area you had the chance for some nice photo motifs. [Just visit our gallery].
Heimataerde – Heidnisches Dorf [BP & DV]
After our visit at the picnic, we travelled back to Agra and visited the Pagan Village with its great medieval stalls offering craftsmanship, cherry beer and hemp bread. At the village, also concerts were taking place. We attended the shows of INKUBUS SUKKUBUS and HEIMATAERDE. Latter ones started their show in time at 20:00. Brother Ansgar v. Hucretha and Brother Jacques de Périgord entered the stage accompanied by a heavily armed stage guard before short afterwards Ashlar von Megalon joined them. The band played of course older songs, like ‘Der Verfall’, but also new ones like from the current EP ‘Bruderschaft’ that is limited to 666 pieces. As always, HEIMATAERDE delivered a good show. Some fans in the first rows were splashed with artificial blood though when Ansgar slashed the body of a (plush)rat with his teeth and afterwards threw it into the audience. Really a good show and HEIMATAERDE entertained the audience very well. // https://www.facebook.com/HeimataerdeOffiziell / http://www.heimataerde.de/
Christian Death – Agra [DV]
Legendary CHRISTIAN DEATH were opening the day at the Agra hall. The American band was formed in 1979 by Rozz Williams. With their debut album ‘Only Theatre of Pain’ (1982), they became a highly influential act, heralding the American Gothic Rock and Deathrock movements. In 1985, Williams left the band and Valor Kand took over leadership, serving as lead vocalist and songwriter. With Valor Kand, Maitri and Jason Frantz, the band’s line-up for the WGT show was set. Having cult status, I really wanted to see the band. But sadly, their live show did not convince me at all. The band tried to imitate the original show of the first line-up for the 30th anniversary of the ‘Catastrophe Ballet’, whereof many songs were played. But since they could not convince me at all, I preferred to have a walk over the shopping mall instead and meet some friends. // https://www.facebook.com/christiandeath / http://www.christiandeath.com/
The Eternal Afflict – Agra [DV]
Back at the hall I was hoping THE ETERNAL AFFLICT would do it better than the band before and especially do it better than at Nocturnal Culture Night last year, where they were not really succeeding. THE ETERNAL AFFLICT are already around since the early nineties and are best known for their Electro club smasher ‘San Diego’. When the band reached its climax in the mid-nineties with the album ‘War’, the band members decided to concentrate more on their solo projects. After a best of album in 1998 it took them another five years until they finally got back with the album ‘Katharsis’ in 2003. THE ETERNAL AFFLICT tried to deliver a good show but also this time, I found the vocal performance not really convincing. The only high in the show was probably the hit ‘San Diego’, anyone was waiting for. // https://www.facebook.com/theeternalafflict / http://www.the-eternal-afflict.net/
The Fair Sex – Agra [BP & DV]
After our visit at the Pagan Village we changed venues and moved over to Agra where THE FAIR SEX were celebrating their 30th band anniversary on stage with several guests. In autumn 2013, the band released the DVD ‘1. Night Of Darkness’ with live recordings from the year 1991 as well as the album ‘Unreleased & Rarities’, a collection of unreleased and rare recordings from the years 1984 to 2004. ‘Unreleased & Rarities’ reached position one in German Alternative Charts. As mentioned, the band invited several guests for their anniversary show. During the second song, ‘Cyberbite’, Peter Spilles from PROJECT PITCHFORK joined the band. Later on, also Darrin Huss (PSYCHE) and Oswald Henke (GOETHE’S ERBEN) joined the band. Sadly, the two-meter-man (Rascal from ROTERSAND), who was an original member of THE FAIR SEX, could not join them today since he was playing with ROTERSAND at the same time at Kohlrabizirkus. With their mix of guitar-based Goth-Rock and electronic elements, the band entertained me a lot and became one of my personal WGT highlights. // Setlist: 1. Intro / 2. Alaska / 3. Cyberbite (Peter Spilles) / 4. The House Of Unkinds / 5. Not Now, Not Here / 6. No Excuse / 7. ATR / 8. Never Ever Unreached Aim / 9. Shelter (Darrin Huss) / 10. The Far Side / 11. In The Dessert (Oswald Henke) / 12. Soulspirit / 13. The Pain That No One Knows / 14. Helpless Fall (all) // https://www.facebook.com/thefairsex / http://www.thefairsex.de/
Apoptygma Berzerk– Agra [BP & DV]
When APOPTYGMA BERZERK started their show at 23:10, the hall was extremely packed. They surely delivered a good show, but sadly the lights were so bad that you could not really see the band very well. But they made people move. Starting quite rocking with electric guitar they then continued with more Synth- ock/ Pop sounds. They performed mainly older songs that really work, much to the pleasure of their fans, but they performed ‘Major Tom’ as well. In the eighties it was a German hit single of PETER SCHILLING. APOPTYGMA BERZERK translated the lyrics in English. // Setlist: 1. Intro / 2. Unicorn / 3. Eclipse / 4. Burnin' Heretic / 5. In This Together / 6. Dead Air Einz / 7. Shadow / 8. The Sentinel / 9. Love Never Dies / 10. Something I Should Know / 11. Kathy's Song (Come Lie Next To Me) / 12. Major Tom (Coming Home) (Peter Schilling cover) / 13. Until The End Of The World / 14. Starsign / 15. Paranoia / 16. Non-Stop Violence // https://www.facebook.com/ApoptygmaBerzerk / http://www.theapboffice.com/
White Lies– Agra [DV]
WHITE LIES were closing Friday night at the Agra as midnight special, starting their show at 1:20. The hall was not as packed as for APOP, but there were many people eager to see their show since they were quite a strange bird at WGT. Since the release of their debut album in 2009, British press calls this band the “successor of JOY DIVISION or THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN” and puts them on the same level as EDITORS or INTERPOL. Also the band’s international success was steadily growing. Having a new album, ‘Big TV’, released in summer, WHITE LIES were on tour in spring, entertaining an excited crowd. At their WGT show, they had first some sound problems, but during the show, it got better. Especially singer Harry McVeigh seemed to be really happy about the positive response from the WGT crowd. // https://www.facebook.com/WhiteLies / http://whitelies.com/
The evening at the Agra was closed at the smaller hall, Agra 4.2, with a party where DJ Steve Weeks and DJ Peddy were spinning their records.
Full Gallery
Pictures by Bettina Pietschmann & Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
Witten by Bettina Pietschmann [BP] & Daniela Vorndran [DV]
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