Freilichtbühne Niederburg, Kranichfeld, Germany12th & 13th June 2024
Black Lower Castle Festival Day 2 with Gulvøss, Zoodrake, Rroyce, Melotron, Solar Fake and Diary of Dreams
We kick off Saturday with a hearty breakfast at our chosen café for the weekend and take a leisurely stroll through the nearby “Park an der Ilm” (also known as Ilm Park or Goethe Park). In the late afternoon, we head to Kranichfeld, parking our carriage at quarter past four and heading back towards the entrance. There seems to be quite a buzz at the merch stand already. I also pay a visit to the merch stand right away.
GULVØSS have just released their second album ‘The Perfect Symphony’, which I promptly snag. Good decision, as I won’t have much time for shopping later and might have missed out otherwise. Armed with drinks, we find a cosy spot for ourselves. There’s still some time before things get started, and there are hugs, brief chats, and friendly hellos here and there. Many lovely people have made their way here today, although some have come just for F2M yesterday. So, it’s great that there’s a good turnout as Moderator Casi kicks off the festival Saturday promptly at five and warmly recommends Blind Early Bird tickets to today’s guests.
Gulvøss
Since the introverted artist Sven Wittmiß, aka GULVØSS, dropped his debut album ‘Sinners vs. Saints’ nearly three years ago, the project has gone from an insider tip to a favourite live act, often a festival-highlight for me. Sven, alongside guitarist Ralph Ehlert-Fiedler and Jens Mauermann on e-drums, has supported acts like FORCED TO MODE, BLIND PASSENGER, MELOTRON, and COVENANT, and rocked various scene festivals like NCN, Dark East, and Dark Christmas Brawl. They’ve built a loyal fanbase, just released a new album, and are already deep into crafting their third LP, with a sneak peek dropping today. I was hooked from my first encounter with this Berlin based project at the Synthpop Festival in Kulttempel Oberhausen 2023, where GULVØSS shared the stage with BEYOND BORDER, BEBORN BETON, and M.I.N.E. Voice, charisma, and sound - it all blew me away, and since then, I’ve had several chances to enjoy their performances. I’m not lounging comfortably in my seat - I’ve long taken my spot up front by the stage before the intro even starts.
This afternoon, quite a few dark souls have already found their way to Niederburg, more than at this time yesterday. But as host Casi rightly points out, the first band today “deserves a lot, lot, lot more audience” than what’s here so far. The crowd is still spreading out across the festival grounds, and not everyone has made it to the stage yet. However, as the intro transitions into the first song ‘WDYLTPS’ and Sven’s music works its magic, more and more people flock to the front of the stage. There’s dancing already happening on the stands and in front of the stage. Good vibes quickly spread among the attendees, and there’s loud singing along to ‘Running With The Light’. Sven effortlessly manages to thrill the crowd. Even though GULVØSS have to do without a drummer and backing vocals today (at this point, all our best wishes and a speedy recovery to Jens), and it’s “just Siegfried and Roy” today, GULVØSS likely managed to grow their fanbase a bit more. Many of the current songs have been played live multiple times already, and the lyrics are familiar to many, even though the new album was freshly released just yesterday.
But of course, we also get to hear familiar songs from the previous album, and we’re treated to a preview of what’s coming next. ‘Welcome To The Sun’ and the earlier heard ‘WDYLTPS’ certainly make me curious about what GULVØSS will bring us in the future. ‘Apple Of Eden’ gives Sven goosebumps, and the closing ‘Freelove’ is just awesome. A wonderful start to the second day of the festival. We’re warmed up, in great spirits, and ready for more. More from GULVØSS, who unfortunately can’t play an encore (the next act is already poised to start in 10 minutes), more bands and more music.
Setlist
01. Intro
02. WDYLTPS
03. Running With The Light
04. Highs And Lows
05. Welcome To The Sun
06. Walking On Water (Remix)
07. My Salvation
08. Apple Of Eden
09. Freelove
Zoodrake
Far removed from all musical and political trends and currents, the project of mastermind Hilton Theissen focuses on the experience of human emotion and interaction. While deeply rooted in electronic music, it also embraces a variety of further influences from Alternative Rock to Indie Pop. For today’s festival performance, Hilton has chosen a highly energetic mix of electronically influenced songs and harder guitar sounds. I get the impression that not everyone is warming up to the harder guitar sounds today. ‘Success of the Snake’ and ‘Blackout Day’ don’t seem to quite capture most of the audience. The more electronic, poppier tunes seem to be going over much better. ‘Sent to You,’ ‘Fighter,’ and ‘Nothing’s Wrong’ are more inviting for dancing today and are stirring up movement in front of the stage and applause from the stands.
While Silvveil on the keyboard provides the right electro vibes, Hilton whirls across the stage full of energy, sometimes with, sometimes without one of his guitars. A true bundle of energy. ‘Right Back’ and the furious ‘Hit the Ground’ manage to get even those who were previously sitting idly on their benches involved, making for a successful end to the set at twenty to seven.
Setlist
01. Success of the Snake
02. Blackout day
03. Sent to you
04. Upgrade
05. Fighter
06. Nothing’s wrong
07. G.O.D.
08. Death Bloom
09. Jackal Parade
10. Right Back
11. Hit the Ground
Rroyce
In 2024, RROYCE seems to be all about the big festivals. E-Tropolis, Wave-Gotik-Treffen, and M’era Luna are setting the stage for the trio from Dortmund. And since singer Casi is already working as a moderator this weekend, why not bring along Kay and Al to make music together? After all, it would be a shame if the man spent two days just talking instead of doing what he does best - playing the triangle. Sorry for the little insider joke, couldn’t resist. What Casi really excels at, of course, is singing. And since Casi can’t very well introduce himself, Jens Domgörgen will handle that. It’s convenient that Jens, known from various scene festivals and as the keyboardist of WIEGAND, is a guest this weekend. Jens keeps it brief and, at ten to seven, hands the stage over to RROYCE, who kick things off with a bang. ‘Paranoiac SL’ immediately gets things heated up, ensuring packed ranks and a certain cosy factor in front of the stage.
The numerous RROYCE shirts show that the fanbase is well represented, and there’s a lot of loud singing along, clapping, and dancing. ‘Whipping Boy’, ‘Parallel Worlds’, ‘Over And Over’, ‘My Dearest Enemy’ - the crowd is really going wild. Some fans wished for ‘Run Run Run’, to which Casi responded by quoting the great Michael Stipe (R.E.M.): “We are not a fucking jukebox!” So, no workout with RROYCE today. But Casi has an announcement to make. It might happen that RROYCE will be playing through Germany in spring 2025 together with ZOODRAKE. Since RROYCE is busy working on new songs, I’ll go out on a limb and guess that there will be a new album in the spring, and RROYCE will finally go on a (little) headliner tour. So, keep your eyes and ears open.
There’s also a little excursion into the audience. During ‘Another’ Casi leaves the stage, walks across the stands, and gives out hugs. With ‘I Like It When You Lie’, RROYCE says goodbye to the stage for today. At least for Al and Kay, the workday ends just before eight, and they can enjoy the rest of the festival as guests, just like yesterday.
Setlist
01. Paranoiac SL
02. Whipping Boy
03. Parallel Worlds
04. Over And Over
05. My Dearest Enemy
06. Answers & Questions
07. Someone Elses Life
08. Something Natural
09. Another
10. Too Little
11. Rebuilt. Reborn
12. The Principle of Grace
13. I Like It When You Lie
Before the next band takes the stage, Casi has something to address. The festival banner from last year, which has been signed by all the artists, is to be auctioned off for a good purpose. Casi takes on the role of the auctioneer. The banner goes to a new owner for the highest bid of 200€. But that’s not the end of it. After the auction and throughout the entire evening, people keep handing money to Casi. In the end, the team is able to report a total of 1,080€ in donations, which are rounded up by the festival team to 1,300€. The money goes to the “Pausi Pausenbrot” initiative by the Erfurt-based organization “Die bunten Schafe e.V.” The funds will be used to provide healthy school breakfast for children who can’t afford it. The amount raised ensures that two children will receive breakfast every day for an entire school year. A really wonderful initiative. After a quick photo with the highest bidder and co-organizer Spinne, Casi is back on stage. MELOTRON are already waiting in the wings, ready for their performance.
Melotron
Since the early 90s, the Neubrandenburg-based band has been known for their charmingly quirky electronic anthems about everyday life, blending catchiness, danceability, and emotion. Their music is spiced up with clever observations and a truly unique energy. With their distinctive take on modern electronic Pop music, Andy Krüger (vocals), Edgar Slatnow (synthesizer), and Kay Hildebrandt (synthesizer) continue to captivate audience today. The three musicians are greeted with loud cheers and applause. MELOTRON kick things off with ‘Null’ delivering an electrifying performance. Andy whirls around the stage as the crowd sings and claps along. During ‘Gib mir alles’ Andy reaches out to the audience, shaking hands, while I can no longer ignore the big hole in my stomach. Breakfast was a long time ago, so I decide to quickly grab something to eat. But first, there’s a new song from their upcoming album, set to release in autumn. ‘Wer wenn nicht wir’ spreads good vibes, and everyone dances.
Back with a cup of soup, I find a seat and watch the spectacle from further back. MELOTRON clearly have everything under control, and I head off to quickly take care of another human need. However, there’s a line in front of the bathroom, so I can only listen to ‘Maschinen aus Stahl’ from a distance. On my way back, I stop briefly at the merch stand, where part of our group has gathered for a chat, and Casi is still receiving money for “Pausi”. Back in the action, MELOTRON start their final stretch with ‘Blauer Planet’ and ‘Kindertraum’. After an hour, the trio wraps up their performance with ‘Brüder’ and leaves the stage. The calls for an encore go unanswered, with Andy promising there’ll be an encore in the autumn or next year, and wishing everyone a great time with SOLAR FAKE.
Setlist
01. Auferstehung
02. Null
03. Du bist es nicht wert
04. Gib mir alles
05. Wer wenn nicht wir
06. Sleep well
07. Rosa
08. Maschinen aus Stahl
09. Der Anfang
10. Tanz mit dem Teufel
11. Der blaue Planet
12. Kindertraum
13. Brüder
Solar Fake
The Synthpop / Industrial / Indie-Electro act by Sven Friedrich (ZERAPHINE, DREADFUL SHADOWS) recently released its seventh studio album. Sven has always been the sole songwriter of SOLAR FAKE and produces all albums in his Rosa Falke studio. The multi-instrumentalist also plays all instruments on the albums himself, except on live albums. For the new album ‘Don’t Push This Button!’, Sven has launched his own label Pointless Music and released the album independently. Alongside the usual electronic tracks, this album features amplified versions for the first time. The drum parts for these were recorded by SOLAR FAKE’s live drummer Jens (Jeans) Halbauer. Tonight, the trio is focused on their familiar electro setup. However, on their upcoming tour in November / December, audiences can expect to hear some amplified versions as well.
25 minutes past nine, moderator Casi appears to thank everyone for their generous donations. The next band needs no introduction. So, Casi keeps it brief and clears the stage for SOLAR FAKE, who are greeted with frenetic cheers and applause. They kick off immediately with a new song, ‘Hurts so bad’, igniting a lively response from the audience. The open-air stage quickly transforms into a sea of swaying, clapping, and singing fans. The lyrics to the new songs are already memorized, and everyone knows the older songs by heart. SOLAR FAKE “play songs, several of them”. However, something odd happens during the second song of the set. Sven can’t hear the keyboards for ‘This pretty life’. Half of the keyboards are missing. They were accidentally deleted. In his unmistakably charming manner, Sven explains that these things happen in the rush, especially when you’re playing on the computer half-blind without your glasses on.
Sven and Jeans quickly reload while keyboardist and bassist André Feller entertains the audience. So, they start again from the beginning, and this time everything goes well. And that’s it for mishaps and misfortunes. The rest of the set goes smoothly, and SOLAR FAKE really get the audience going with both new and old songs. Following the motto “rejoice and be glad, clap and sing, jump and dance” everyone celebrates together for the next hour and a half. Alongside some fan wishes (‘Arrive Somewhere’, ‘Nothing’s Wrong’), SOLAR FAKE also has a world premiere in store. ‘It’s Never Been You’ from their new album has never been performed live before. Black balloons float overhead and occasionally there’s a bang when one bursts. With ‘Ghosts Again’, SOLAR FAKE brings the evening full circle. (“A song that a very well-known band has covered by them. what happens often.”) Then it’s already time for the final song.
SOLAR FAKE bid farewell to the stage just before eleven o’clock with ‘Observer’ - not without taking the obligatory boastful photo. Jeans hands out a few of his drumsticks, and today I manage to snag one of these popular mementos. After a brief intermission, it’s time for the last band of the evening.
Setlist
01. Hurts so bad
02. This pretty life
03. Under control
04. Not so important
05. All The Things You Say
06. More Than This
07. Disagree
08. Not What I Wanted
09. This generation ends
10. Nothing’s wrong
11. Sick of you
12. Arrive somewhere
13. It’s who you are
14. the pain that kills...
15. It’s never been you
16. Ghosts Again
17. Observer
Diary of Dreams
There really isn’t much to say about DIARY OF DREAMS. After all, the band led by mastermind Adrian Hates has been captivating fans of darker, more melancholic sounds for over three decades. Adrian (music, vocals, guitar), Hilger Tintel (guitar), Felix Wunderer (keyboard, piano), and Dejan Nikolic (drums) open their diary of dreams today at a quarter past eleven, sending the audience into ecstasy one last time. Before that, moderator Casi and co-organizer Spinne provide a program note about the fourth Black Lower Castle Festival, taking place on 27th and 28th June 2025, here at Niederburg in Kranichfeld. Both express their gratitude to the guests, bands, and many helpers for a wonderful weekend, receiving a well-deserved round of applause. Then, for one last time today, they step aside. “Give it your all once more. Dance! Live! Be happy and enjoy! DIARY OF DREAMS!”
Shortly after, ‘Viva la bestia’ starts playing and the crowd bursts into enthusiastic cheers. “Say my name, say my name, say my name”, Adrian holds the microphone out to the audience, who loudly sing along with the line. Adrian wishes everyone a wonderful evening, and someone from the crowd shouts “I love you” to him. “We love you too!” Adrian and Hilger bring action to the stage. Adrian (sometimes with, sometimes without his guitar) switches sides with him. Both frequently come forward to engage the audience in the action. ‘Epicon’, ‘Menschfeind’, ‘Listen and Scream’ - the audience sings and shouts along, knowing the lyrics by heart. “It’s gotten late. At our age, we’re usually starting to feel ready for bed.” Not entirely agreeing with that sentiment and DIARY OF DREAMS “have something beautiful left” for us, ‘the Secret’ is next.
For the second half of the set, I give up my spot right in front of the stage to watch the rest of the show from above. I find a spot on the bench in the last row at the very top. What a sight! ‘Butterfly:Dance!’, ‘The Fatalist’, ‘Endless Nights’ - hundreds of hands reaching towards the sky, in front of me a surging, jumping crowd. So beautiful. With ‘Decipher Me’, DIARY OF DREAMS bid farewell to the stage just before half past twelve amidst loud cheers from the audience. The calls for an encore don’t go unanswered for long, and soon Felix and Adrian return, followed shortly by Hilger and Dejan. “This is how it should be. Thank you very, very much!” The gentlemen have a little more prepared. The encore block begins with ‘Kindrom’ and ends after ‘Undevidable’ with a lullaby. The decision is determined by the audience vote, “officially measured by a notary”. To Adrian’s dismay, the choice goes against ‘She And Her Darkness’, although some would have liked to hear both songs.
However, the evening concludes with the piano version of ‘Traumtänzer’. Then Hilger and Dejan join Adrian and Felix on stage to bid farewell. Adrian expresses gratitude for a wonderful evening, also thanking the crew behind the scenes. A bow, a wave goodbye, and then the rows start to clear. A few insatiable fans continue to call for an encore - in vain.
Setlist
01. Viva la bestia
02. Epicon
03. Menschfeind
04. Listen and Scream
05. the Secret
06. Malum
07. The Plague
08. Sinferno
09. the Curse
10. King of Nowhere
11. Butterfly:Dance!
12. The Fatalist
13. Endless Nights
14. Decipher Me
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15. Kindrom
16. Undividable
17. Traumtänzer (piano version)
Our group gathers together at the refreshment stands. Now it’s time to finish our drinks, say goodbye to this beautiful place and look forward to 2025 when hopefully we’ll meet again in Kranichfeld for the fourth Black Lower Castle Festival. So, mark the 27th & 28th June 2025 on your calendar, circle the date boldly and most importantly, buy tickets.
All pictures by Helge Roewer
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