Gothic Hall, Wroclaw, Poland20th November 2021
Clan of Xymox
CLAN OF XYMOX has a long history of playing in Poland. The first concert was back in 1988 in Warsaw; they keep returning to play either club events or at Castle Party, always attracting a huge and faithful audience. It was not different in 2021 - CLAN OF XYMOX played in Poland four times with the grand finale in Wroclaw. It was not only the last concert this year in Poland but the last one for the band to play this year in general, so it simply must have been spectacular. And it was. Three encores, a walk down the memory lane plus new songs, happy people enjoying the fantastic atmosphere CLAN OF XYMOX are famous for building - I could not wish for a better energy recharge than that.
Music & Performance
Gothic Hall is a venue with a peculiar atmosphere: a former monastery with huge, iron chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, enormous windows, open-brick walls, and a double gallery for the audience build a particular ambience - perfect for gothic rock bands if I’m to be honest. Great lights only enhance the concert vibe; no wonder the music CLAN OF XYMOX are masters at worked so well in that particular place. The band showed up on stage 15 minutes after the scheduled time. Still, they were definitely worth the wait. They kicked off their set with ‘Strangers’ from the album ‘Subsequent Pleasures’ from 1983 to smoothly pass on to ‘Your Kiss’ of 2017 and go back to the one of the most beloved songs ever: ‘No Tomorrow’ of 2003. Already the first songs gave us the foretaste of what we will be offered through the entire concert.
The set prepared consisted of both old - one could say COX flagships like ‘Louise’, ‘Jasmine and Rose’ or ‘Muscoviet Mosquito’ that made the audience run totally crazy - but also new songs like ‘Spider on the Wall’, ‘She’ or ‘Lockdown’. Actually, lockdown and its effects were a pretty reoccurring topic during the concert - in breaks in between the songs, Ronny chatted with the audience - also about the pandemic restrictions that made some shows impossible. Needless to say, the happier we were then that COX played in Poland and in such a grand style. The atmosphere during the entire show was absolutely stunning and exquisite. Beautiful music being the combination of dark wave melancholy, nostalgia and energetic vibes plus the lights and incredible energy given from the stage, plus stood for the very essence the music of COX carries. All of it gave us all we need so much - emotional and energetic recharge.
The band was called upon the stage three times - the applause was, by all means, an expression of great affection of the audience towards the artists - some fans travelled a long distance to see them once again, the others - as I’ve been told - attended every concert since 1988. A truly devoted fan base. After the concert, there was a chance to chat with the band for a while which was a kind gesture towards the fans who definitely missed the contact with their favourite artists. All in all, it was a beautiful night and a perfect close-up of the concert year, definitely for the fans. Fantastic music, venue and the aura of normalcy were like a breath of fresh air and something we all need very much, especially given the restrictions being made stricter every day. Thank you CLAN OF XYMOX; come back soon!
Setlist
01. Strangers
02. Your Kiss
03. No Tomorrow
04. Emily
05. All I Ever Know
06. Lovers
07. Loneliness
08. Spider on the Wall
09. Louise
10. She
11. A Day
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12. Hail Mary
13. Jasmine & Rose
14. Lockdown
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15. This World
16. In Love We Trust
17. Going Round
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18. Musoviet Mosquito
19. Obsession
20. Backdoor
Rating
Music: 10
Performance: 9.5
Light: 9.5
Sound: 9.5
Total: 9.5 / 10
All pictures by Karo Kratochwil
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