Kulturpark, Deutzen, Germany6th to 8th September 2024
NCN 17 Day 3 with Tension Control, Stoneman, Trans-X, Klutæ, Northern Lite, Train to Spain, Merciful Nuns, Frozen Plasma, Zeraphine, CosmoBrigade, Klez.E, Aux Animaux, Ductape, NNHMN, Utopiae, ICD-10, The Devil’s Trade, Har Belex, C. Gina Riot, Jürgen Müller and Christian von Aster
Today we’re once again starting the festival day with a hearty breakfast. It seems like summer is making one last stand against the upcoming autumn. Temperatures around 30°C are expected again today. Thunderstorms are forecasted for the evening, so we better be prepared and pack our rain ponchos. Better to have them, than to need them. Throughout the day, we’ll be keeping a close eye on the rain radar. The forecast for the festival’s closing doesn’t look good in the morning. The performance by NORTHERN LITE might literally get rained out. So, for now, we just have to hope and be prepared.
While my travel companions won’t head home until early tomorrow morning, I’ll be making my way back tonight. It won’t be too late today, and with a 2.5-hour drive ahead of me, I’d rather sleep in my own bed. But for now, it’s lunchtime and the festival day is still ahead of us. So, first things first, but not necessarily in that order.
The program begins today at high noon on the Parkbühne. Originally, DISASTER FATIGUE from Berlin were scheduled to open the last day of the festival, but their performance had to be cancelled on 19th August. Instead, COSMOBRIGADE from Prague have the honour of being the first act of the festival Sunday, completely out of competition. Today’s schedule has far fewer overlaps compared to the other festival days. The performances on the other stages won’t start until half past twelve. The four-piece band from our neighbouring country, the Czech Republic, is rooted in Post-Punk, Coldwave, and Shoegaze. During the intro, drummer Faust takes his seat at the drum kit. Filip Hel (guitar), Colin Clay (bass), and Cigi (guitar, synth) spread out with their instruments at the front edge of the stage. There’s also a microphone between Colin and Cigi, and I hear singing. But where is it coming from? For a moment, I’m a bit confused. No one is standing at the mic - at least not at the moment. It takes me a moment to realize that the voice is coming from Faust, who keeps disappearing into a cloud of smoke.
So far, only a few people have managed to drag themselves out of bed. The audience is still quite small. Those who made it here this early are obviously in the mood for music, and the Czechs are being received quite well, even though there is very little interaction between the band and the audience. While more and more people are gathering in front of the stage, we slowly make our way to the Amphibühne. But first, we visit the nearby Klatt ice cream stand and grab our ice cream of the day - blackcurrant, pineapple, gooseberry. Simply delicious, and today we even get a discount.
Today, everyone is once again gathering in the shade in front of the Amphibühne, at least for now. “It’s really worth enjoying this gig”, as Eli van Vegas is playing his last TENSION CONTROL concert today with mastermind and singer Michael Schrader. As he announced on his Facebook page, he is now involved in too many actively touring bands. In addition to his own band ZWEITE JUGEND, Eli is a live musician for FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, ORANGE SECTOR, and until today, TENSION CONTROL. On top of that, he also has a job and a private life, and another band is already on the horizon. So, Eli is making way for someone who can better meet the needs of TENSION CONTROL in the future and contribute more than Eli can with his limited time. It seems they’ve found that person in Vadim Lugosi. As Eli writes: “I wanted to take my responsibility and to know that TC is in good hands, and now it came to this point. Also, I wanted to leave on a high - what better time and place than at a show at the NCN could that be?”
So, we’re ready to be hit with some good old-school EBM from Germany by Micha and Eli. The initially small crowd in front of the stage quickly grows. People are ready to dance, despite the early hour and the already high and oppressive temperatures. “The machinery is hungry, merciless and cruel. Keep the fire breathing, your distress is the fuel.” The duo kicks off with full energy, starting with ‘Pain’ and a lively “Good morning, Deutzen”. Micha is happy to see that everyone is already awake and calls for some “morning exercise”. There’s plenty of it, both on and in front of the stage. Micha uses the entire width of the stage, constantly running from one side to the other. In front of the stage, people are dancing themselves awake. The beat gets everyone moving, and the atmosphere is fantastic. “Together, through thick and thin, through moments of euphoria and total exhaustion”, Eli and Micha have journeyed together, and today they are sharing this one last time with their audience. “Eli, it was a great time with countless shared experiences that will forever connect us!” This is how Micha bids farewell to Eli on Facebook. “For all your exciting projects, I wish you all the best, and that you always find enough time for yourself and your loved ones.” We gladly join in these well wishes and look forward to many great live moments with one of Eli’s other projects. We also wish TENSION CONTROL all the best and many memorable future performances with the new line-up.
Meanwhile, on the Kulturbühne, Konrad Schubert, a Leipzig resident by choice, is telling the “eternal story of love, lust, and loss” with his own Dark Folk / Death Pop project UTOPIAE. A different story is being told by fantasy author C. Gina Riot at 1:00 pm on the Lesebühne. She lives with a cat and two ducks amidst the mountains, rivers, and forests of Lower Austria. In addition to her work as an author, she works as a freelance graphic designer, is a big fan of Gothic and Metal music, and plays the bass herself. Today, she’s reading from ‘The Adventures of the Bard Spikero.’ A minstrel, a criminal case, and an adventure - medieval fantasy meets crime fiction today.
While the Synth-Pop “for body and mind” by TRAIN TO SPAIN fits the hot summer weather perfectly and brings good vibes to the Waldbühne, KLEZ.E are still experiencing a few teething problems on the Parkbühne. Even if you’re unfamiliar with KLEZ.E, lead singer Tobias Siebert’s hairstyle makes it unmistakably clear where the band’s musical roots lie. And when it comes to sound, the influence of THE CURE is undeniable. Founded in 2002, the music of the Berlin-based band has grown increasingly darker over the years. “Today, in the present, they have reached the perfect German-language melancholy.” The band is really giving it their all, “but out there, it sounds like a portable radio.” Both band and audience take it with humour that singer Tobias was practically inaudible. “Great start. Glad you’re still here.” The band quickly grabs a beer and decides to start over. They take the opportunity to tweak a few things: a little less monitor keyboard for Daniel and a bit more vocals for Tobias. “So, that’s something positive.” Tobias gets back into position, and now the sound is right. The charming Berliners restart and prove that even without references, they’ve long since achieved cult status in their own right.
Half an hour later on the Kulturbühne, things get a bit more rhythmic and much louder. ICD-10, the “Rhythmic Noise, IDM, Industrial Techno project from Marburg, Germany”, hits hard with driving beats. The audience braves the sun and heat, dancing to the electrifying rhythms of Henning Hinck and Thorsten Felix. We head over to the Amphibühne, where STONEMAN from Switzerland are getting ready. Founded in 2004, the band underwent a style shift Dark Rock to Neue Deutsche Härte. STONEMAN just released their new album on Friday, marking their 25th band anniversary. It’s simply titled ‘Neu’ (new). The Swiss band had already performed at NCN in 2019 - back then on the Waldbühne. Today, the afternoon heat once again pushes most of the audience to the shaded spots on the sides and the back rows. Only a few spectators gather in the middle just before the show. The men of STONEMAN, however, seem to remain ‘Eiskalt’ (ice-cold) under the sun. True to the motto “style over comfort”, they sport leather jackets with large studded spikes - after all, the image has to be maintained. The heavy guitar riffs and driving beats eventually lure many out of the shade and into the light, where the crowd rocks out together with the band. With a new album out, of course, a few new tracks make their way into the setlist, and the Swiss band even shower their ‘Goldmarie’ with a “golden rain”. The glittering remnants in front of the stage shimmer in the blazing sun for the rest of the festival day. // Setlist: 01. He-Man Intro / 02. Eiskalt / 03. An die Geräte / 04. Ferrari Pferd / 05. Korrekt / 06. Wer ficken will / 07. Liebe Liebe / 08. Goldmarie / 09. Der rote Vorhang / 10. Mord ist Kunst
At 20 minutes past two we’re in for an extraordinary performance on the Parkbühne by the Turkish artist Gözde Düzer. Performing as AUX ANIMAUX, the artist living in Stockholm has been arranging dark synth tunes with dystopian sounds and haunting vocals since 2017. Her love for horror films is woven into her music and performance, featuring the distinctive sound of a theremin. Ethereal synth lines, whispered incantations, a pendulum, a chalice. Her performance feels almost like a ritual. The theremin produces atmospheric sounds, somewhat reminiscent of whale songs, as if they were taken straight from a sci-fi horror film. When the artist lifts the red veil, the performance takes on a surprisingly dynamic turn. She leaps across the stage, dances with and around the theremin, flirts with the cameras and the audience, and tosses her blonde hair wildly. The charming and incredibly charismatic woman captivates the audience not only with her music and performance but also with her cool voice. We’ll surely be seeing more of AUX ANIMAUX in the near future - hopefully!
Despite the gripping performance, we dare to venture for a brief moment to the Waldbühne, into the scorching heat. The sun is beating down mercilessly. The rain radar still forecasts severe weather. However, the wall of clouds seems to be moving in from the south more slowly than feared. Hope arises that we might stay dry after all. At the moment, we would even be grateful for a little bit of cooling from above. Definitely not “goth weather”. So, the audience of MERCIFUL NUNS makes the most of the little shade available. The MERCIFUL NUNS emerged from the remnants of the legendary GARDEN OF DELIGHT after their dissolution in 2008. Since 2010, they have released 11 albums, 6 EPs, and 2 live recordings. Two years after their last album, their latest work ‘Oneironauts’ was released in February, quickly followed by the split EP ‘ELYSENE / DEMONS’. How Artaud Seth, Jawa Seth, and Jacques Moch can endure this heat in their outfits and still look so good is beyond me. Jawa and Artaud wear long-sleeved jackets and are rather buttoned-up. Only Jacques is dressed a bit more lightly. While Jawa and Jacques stand in the blazing sun, singer Artaud prefers to stay further in the background, where there’s some shade. On the other hand, if the fans can handle the heat in front of the stage, why shouldn’t the artists? Together, they all sweat through the performance. We prefer to take it easy for now and pay a visit to the Lesebühne. At the moment, there’s a multimedia reading with Jürgen Werner Müller taking place.
The author is known for his extensive knowledge of DEPECHE MODE and provides his audience with fascinating insights into the band’s work and unique features. However, the reading is much more than just reading from a book. There are anecdotes, background stories, and frequent live recordings from concerts and interviews with and about DEPECHE MODE. Even though I wouldn’t consider myself a hardcore fan of the band from Basildon, I highly recommend the reading. It offers deep insights into the band’s environment and the music scene in general, all in an entertaining way. It’s an enjoyable pastime where you can even learn something. The only downside today is the author’s microphone, which is far too quiet. The music clips and recordings are loud enough, but when the author speaks, you really have to listen closely. At times, you can hear the MERCIFUL NUNS from the Waldbühne louder than the author, who is sitting right in front of you.
On the Kulturbühne, Hungarian musician Dávid Makó with his project THE DEVIL’S TRADE spreads a dark and doom-laden atmosphere. He describes his music as Dark Doom Folk. Something entirely different awaits the audience at the Amphibühne, where we take a journey into danceable pop music with TANS-X. The project of Canadian musician Pascal Languirand scored a worldwide hit in the mid-1980s with the track ‘Living On Video’, which stormed into the Top Ten of the charts in Germany, Switzerland, and the UK. Languirand was born in Paris in 1955 and is considered one of Canada’s most important avant-garde composers. His first album, ‘Minos’, was released in 1978, on which Languirand played all the instruments himself. On the follow-up album ‘De Harmonia Universalia’ (1980), he began to delve more deeply into New Age music. His greatest commercial success came with the album ‘Living On Video’, which he recorded in 1983 under the project name TRANS-X, together with singer Laurie Gill. After that, Languirand withdrew from the music business and lived in the United States. Only after a seven-year hiatus did he release another album, ‘Gregorian Waves’, which musically returned to the style of his first two productions.
At a quarter past three, the area in front of the Amphibühne is packed accordingly. Now it’s “up off the steps”, party time. “Guten Tag, willkommen, ich bin Pascal von der Disco-Gruppe TRANS-X.” (Good day, welcome, I am Pascal from the disco group TRANS-X.) “Are you ready for some high energy trance music?” Judging by the cheers, it seems so. The duo kicks things off with a banger. ‘Passion’ may be a cover of the 1982 release by the all-female trio THE FLIRTS, but it seems like almost everyone knows it and joins in right away. However, the joy doesn’t last long. The technical problems of this weekend, due to the heat, seem to continue. The computer gives up the ghost. “Just a minute. My computer is not working. It’s too hot. Sorry, guys.” The area in front of the stage is packed, and the fans are in a great mood. Someone in the audience starts singing ‘Living on Video’ and entertains the rest of the crowd for the next two minutes. Meanwhile, the photographers are joking around. “First group, please step into the sun! Into the sun, please!” But the first group prefers to wait until things really start again. Unlike some in the audience, they don’t have umbrellas. It wouldn’t make sense anyway; their hands are needed for work.
What the photographers are doing this weekend is something hardly anyone who looks at the final result can imagine. In scorching heat and with little space, it’s a really tough job, and few make any money from it. All of them here earn their living with regular jobs. And most of the work - sorting and editing - is still ahead of them. As soon as the show starts again, people dance wildly, practically with ‘Passion’. Next comes another cover. This time it’s ‘Silent Smiles’ by ANTHONY’S GAMES (1985). Vocally, the two are still doing pretty well. Despite their age, they definitely still cut a good figure and know how to captivate. To perfect the party atmosphere, blue balloons float through the air. They were blown up before the show and stored in the photographer’s pit, waiting for their moment. As previously mentioned, Languirand released his first album in 1978. That same year, the legendary KRAFTWERK released their album ‘Die Menschmaschine’. From this album, we now have ‘Das Model’, and for now, we bid farewell to the Amphibühne. Before diving into the heat battle with FROZEN PLASMA at the Waldbühne, we allow ourselves a quick bite to eat. We’re having quesadillas from the Mexican food stand.
We don’t have much time to enjoy our meal. By quarter past four, it’s already time to hear, “grab a cup and come to the stage”. I take the same approach as our host. The band coming up now speaks for itself. There’s no need to say much, and I don’t want to bore you with 20 years of band history. Boredom is not an option with FROZEN PLASMA anyway. So, we jump straight into the action. “The heat battle continues. Buckle up. Ready? Party, dance... Let’s make some noise!” The atmosphere in front of the stage seems to be fantastic. People come out of the shade and gather together. Felix is in especially good spirits today. The heat doesn’t seem to bother him at all, and he radiates an incredibly positive energy. For Vasi, these temperatures are just starting to warm him up. It’s a wonder he’s even skipped wearing a jacket. ‘Age After Age’ immediately gets the crowd going. The duo is welcomed with cheers and applause. Everyone is celebrating summer, life, and music. “Hello, everyone! I hope you’re all well-oiled and lathered up.” FROZEN PLASMA just always works. While the duo is really letting loose, I reluctantly say goodbye and head to the next stage. I’ve seen the guys quite often lately, and today I want to give a band a chance that I haven’t seen before. // Setlist: 01. Age After Age / 02. Condense / 03. Earthling / 04. Hypocrite / 05. Let It Rain Love / 06. Safe.Dead.Harm / 07. Stare At The Moon / 08. Speed Of Life / 09. Rain / 10. Crazy / 11. Tanz die Revolution / 12. Murderous Trap
So off we go to the Parkbühne, where DUCTAPE from Turkey “carries the Post-Punk torch, pushing boundaries and crafting a captivating sound”. At least, that’s what it says on their Bandcamp page, and now I want to form my own opinion. Çağla (vocals and synthesizer) and Furkan Güleray (guitars, bass, and drums) definitely deliver Post-Punk. On top of that, the duo captivates with gripping melodies and a fantastic female voice. Singer Çağla is brilliant at energizing the crowd. “Hello, beautiful NCN people.” With a lot of charm and charisma, she fires up the audience. She dances and jumps wildly across the stage, radiating tons of energy. That energy transfers to the audience, who celebrate wildly.
We take a short break. Around five, the sky starts to cloud over, but it becomes really muggy. The Lesebühne won’t resume for another two hours, when Christian von Aster will read from ‘Das Zweilichtkaleidoskop’. We take advantage of the empty benches in the shade to rest our tired feet and have a quick chat with colleagues from the photography and writing scene. Around half-past five, things start to get serious. The festival is entering its final round. On the Kulturbühne, we’re attending the last concert of NCN 2024, HAR BELEX. Simultaneously, KLUTÆ is causing a ruckus on the Amphibühne before heading into its final stretch. The Danish word “Klutæ” means something like “kick” or “push”. The industrial music project was founded by Claus Larsen, who is best known for his main project, LEÆTHER STRIP. Larsen describes KLUTÆ as louder and more fun. A one-man project on such a large stage might seem strange, but the Dane knows how to fill it. He’s delighted that clouds have rolled in just in time for his performance. This immediately reminds me to check the rain radar. As of now, it shouldn’t rain before 11 p.m., so everything should be fine. “Hello my friends. Let’s have some fun!” And just like that, we’re off. ‘Submission’ with its driving beats gets right into your legs, and the audience is instantly swept up by Larsen. He uses the entire stage and moves nonstop from one side to the other. More and more people are gathering in front of the stage, and there’s a lot of energy in the crowd. He continues with more songs from the 2017 album Black Piranha. The crowd dances enthusiastically to ‘The Wire & The Cuffs’, ‘Wake Up the Punks’, and ‘Insect King’.
We make our way to the Parkbühne, where at twenty past six we’ll say farewell to NCN 2024 with NNHMN from Berlin. The dark-electronic duo creates haunting music, filled with eerie synthesizer sounds and mysterious female vocals. Lee and Michal Laudarg, with NNHMN, embark on a sonic journey at the intersection of Neobrutalist theater, Experimental Electronic music, and Techno culture. Before we bid farewell to the Parkbühne for this year, now affectionately called “the Shady Stage”, there’s a heartfelt thank you and well-deserved applause for the technical crew of the Parkbühne. The NCN crew makes a lot possible. Not everything works perfectly, but a lot does. Moderator Manya tells us that the band doesn’t like to play in the sunshine. “Does anyone see the sun? No.” So that’s sorted. Additionally, the band wishes to exchange energy with the audience and celebrate this concert together. That’s clearly our job. The audience gets ready.
The start, however, is less than ideal. Wrapped in a cloud of fog, the duo takes the stage. From the speakers, there’s crackling and booming. The sound is somehow all wrong - sometimes louder, sometimes quieter, mostly quite muffled, and the vocals are barely audible. People look around, somewhat puzzled. It’s really unpleasant, and some even leave. Whether the band on stage realizes the sound is off, it’s hard to say. Regardless, the show goes on undeterred. Singer Lee alternates between kneeling on the ground and posing on the elevated platform in the background. Fortunately, the problem seems to have been identified and quickly fixed. By the end of the first song, the booming stops, and more guests gradually make their way to the front of the stage. Lee keeps disappearing into the fog, only to emerge again, extending her hands toward the audience. The energy, as hoped, seems to have finally clicked. The audience has done its part. Together, they bring this evening on the Parkbühne to a worthy close.
Now it’s the final round on the Waldbühne as well. And there’s not much that needs to be said about the next band. Though ZERAPHINE released their last album 14 years ago, the band - led by Sven Friedrich and Norman Selbig - has remained a constant presence on stages since their formation in 2000, performing more or less regularly. Before the two former DREADFUL SHADOWS members, together with Manuel Senger, Michael Nepp, and Marcellus Puhlemann, take over the Waldbühne for their last performance of the evening, there’s a bit of organizational news to announce. Two nice NCN visitors have been parked in and the owners of the respective vehicles are asked to move them. And so, the Waldbühne comes to a close for this year. The technical crew is thanked with a warm round of applause before, just before half-past seven, the music plays for the last time. It’s slowly getting dark, more clouds are gathering in the sky, and the area in front of the stage is filling up.
The intro begins. One by one, the musicians take the stage. Sven skips his usual coat this time and follows his bandmates in just a t-shirt. “Thank you! We’re happy to be here again. Our first time on the Waldbühne. Crazy.” Sven thinks it’s their third time at NCN and the band is thrilled that we’re here, too. “And let’s hope the storm holds off until later.” According to the rain radar, the storm has been delayed again. We just checked. That’s a good sign, and we’re hopeful that no concert will end in a downpour tonight. The band kicks things off with ‘Lieber Allein’, and Sven announces, “alright, now we’re going to play some older tracks”. Why he’s laughing, I can’t quite understand - the “newest” song is already 14 years old. The band’s last album, ‘Whiteout’, was released in 2010. We’re not counting the tribute album with various cover versions that they released exclusively for their fan club in 2019. Joking aside, calling the tracks from the last album “new” has become a running gag. It seems there won’t be any more new material from the band, as Sven’s new project (SOLAR FAKE) and Norman’s (THE MIND MIRROR) are now handling that front.
What follows is a well-balanced mix of tracks from different albums, jumping back and forth between the eras. Much like SOLAR FAKE, ZERAPHINE occasionally fulfils song requests. ‘Kaltes Herz’ is one such request. To fuel up for the rest of the evening, we quickly grab a portion of fries. That should give us enough energy to last. When we return just a few minutes later, to our horror, they’re playing ‘Be My Rain’. Don’t get me wrong - we love this song. But we all know who’s to blame if it starts raining earlier than expected. The song has been a sure sign of rain in the past. Let’s see if the curse will be broken tonight. The set continues with the “current” album and ‘Louisa’, followed by tracks from the first two albums, including ‘Ohne Dich’. I love this song, and I’m definitely not alone in that - the audience is singing along loudly. Then it picks up the pace again with ‘Fang Mich’. What’s this? The microphone is briefly silent. Sven doesn’t seem to notice. He continues singing, but we can’t hear him. Fortunately, his sound returns after a few seconds. ‘Sterne Sehen’ isn’t an option today - no stars to see. The sky is completely overcast now. The rain radar, however, predicts a storm won’t hit until around midnight. “Dear people, it’s so nice to look into your faces. This is truly wonderful. Thank you very much!” The band briefly shows what they could play, or is it going to be a medley? Something gets mixed up for a moment. So, from the top again, ‘Die Wirklichkeit’. “Thank you so much! You guys are amazing! Thank you!” Then comes the piece that had already been hinted at. With that, they shift the mood, as ‘Whiteout’ is officially the last song.
Normally, the band would now leave the stage and prepare for an encore. However, the gentlemen have slightly miscalculated. “We actually had two encores planned. But we won’t have time for that anymore. So we’re just going to do one encore, and we won’t even leave the stage. Let’s assume you can handle one more song.” The band decides on a cover version. “It’s actually totally silly; you don’t usually do this. But whatever, we’ve practiced it just for this occasion. So we have to play it now”, Sven remarks. They even brought an acoustic guitar for this. The evening on the Waldbühne ends with a wonderful version of ‘Lovesong’ (THE CURE). They had initially planned to play ‘Still’ as well, but unfortunately, there isn’t enough time for that tonight. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You were absolutely amazing. Until next time. Enjoy the rest of the festival. Make sure you get home safely. Until next time, ciao!” Many would have loved to hear more. The cheers and applause linger for a long time as I hurry to make it in time for the finale at the Amphibühne. // Setlist: 01. Lieber Allein / 02. Inside Your Arms / 03. Die Macht In Dir / 04. Kaltes Herz / 05. Be My Rain / 06. Out Of Sight / 07. Louisa / 08. Siamesische Einsamkeit / 09. United And Lost / 10. Ohne Dich / 11. Fang Mich / 12. No More Doubts / 13. No Tears / 14. Sterne Sehen / 15. Die Wirklichkeit / 16. Whiteout / 17. Lovesong
Now it’s finally time - finale! Founded in 1997 by Andreas Kubat and Sebastian Bohn in Thuringia, NORTHERN LITE has since released an impressive 22 albums. They are performing at the NCN for the first time today. As headliners, the trio bids farewell to the audience of the NCN from the Amphibühne. A proper and beautiful conclusion also includes thanking those who have worked hard all weekend to ensure everything runs smoothly and that the musicians can shine on stage. So, of course, there’s a big thank you and a hearty round of applause for the technical crew of the main stage. And then it’s finally time. “Let’s party one more time together.” The crowd erupts with cheers, and here they are - NORTHERN LITE. The first notes of ‘Some Time Soon’ ring out and the audience enthusiastically claps along. “Hey NCN! First time here. We’re very happy! NORTHERN LITE says ‘hello’ to you!” Things are heating up - ‘Do You Think of Me’ is sung loudly by the crowd. People are dancing wildly in front of the stage, raising their hands in the air and clapping in time. After ‘Take Me Baby’, we have to count, “1-2-3-4”. The counting begins. And how! ‘Go With the Flow’ - it’s clear we’re ending today with a big party.
After the somewhat rockier sounds (complete with guitar solo), it gets electronic again. ‘Girl With a Gun’ is celebrated enthusiastically, and the audience acts perfectly as a choir. NORTHERN LITE really lets loose and heats things up for the crowd with ‘I Don’t Remember’. The band’s joy over the fantastic atmosphere is clearly evident. “Yes, yes, yes, yes. Why have we never been here before? It’s really stupid!” It sounds like they’d love to come back again sometime. I think that’s a great idea. Even though my evening ends with ‘Cocain’, for NORTHERN LITE and the remaining NCN attendees, the night is far from over. The band seems to be just getting started. // Setlist: 01. Some Time Soon / 02. Do You Think of Me / 03. Take Me Baby / 04. 1-2-3-4 / 05. Go With the Flow / 06. Girl With a Gun / 07. I Don’t Remember / 08. Cocaine / 09. Treat me better / 10. Right Now / 11. one of my kind / 12. I See a Darkness / 13. Enemy / 14. Letters & Signs / 15. I walk alone / 16. Reach the Sun / 17. What You Want / 18. My Pain / 19. Wir reisen zusammen
It’s hard for me to say goodbye just yet. But with a 2.5-hour drive ahead and the storm looming, I think it’s best to head out a little early. I manage to cover half the distance before it starts to rain, and then it pours like crazy. It seems the weather was kind to the remaining festival-goers, waiting patiently until the last note faded on stage, the final photo was taken, and everyone happily headed home. Even the concluding fireworks display after the obligatory closing picture could still be enjoyed. I’m looking forward to next year’s NCN from 5th to 7th September in the Kulturpark, Deutzen. Tickets are already on sale, and the first price category is mostly sold out. I’ve booked my room for next year already. How about you?
All Pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
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