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2009-07-18-19
DE – Cologne - Tanzbrunnen |
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| [Dajana] Well rested but with a grey sky above raining cats and dogs and with a little breakfast we got back to the Tanzbrunnen. An official announcement was meanwhile hung out to explain the situation during the Feindflug gig and that all today’s indoor shows were moved from the Rheinparkhalle to the Theater. The Theater is actually a really nice venue, but made for approx. 2000 people and so supposedly too small for the audience that was ranging around 13.000 during both days. Let’s wait and see… ;) Weather played the same game as the day before. Oh, what again stroke me was the fact that a couple of fans had their kids and babies at AMPHI FESTIVAL, which is generally a good thing. But the kids often did not have any ear protection, which is definitely a bad thing and absolutely irresponsible! Front 242 - Unheilig - Hocico - Saltatio Mortis - Diorama - Delain - Panzer AG - Mono Inc. Camouflage - The Gathering - KMFDM - Henke - Qntal - Omina - Jesus On Extasy - The Other - Rosa Crvx :: photos :: [Leo] Sunday noon, the rain had stopped and the sun came out, :: MONO INC. :: entered the mainstage and opened the second day of the festival. Some people who already were in the venue filled the space front of the stage and enjoyed the show. The Hamburg-based act did a dedicated performance, powerful and pushing, sometimes the sound and the voice remembered me to the legendary Sisters Of Mercy. Altogether a good start for this Sunday and I think MONO INC. had found some new fans after this show.
[Dajana]
I have to confess I never heard of ::
ROSA
CRVX :: before. Entering the Tanzbrunnen Theater
I was downright amazed by the sumptuous stage scenery. Wow! A
huge bell mechanism to the left, next a very old piano, mechanical
tambours around the stage and a timbal added by a three women’s
choir on the right. In the middle singer Oliver Tarabo stood playing
guitars and singing, accompanied by a cellist and Claude Feeny
for the piano and bells. The music is mystical, downright mesmerizing,
lyrics all sung in Latin. A huge screen behind with some visualization
even amplified this unbelievable atmosphere. I was truly captivated,
couldn’t get enough of the music and scenery. I felt like
pushed back ages in time, in a medieval France, where dark and
sinister rituals fathom the depths of human spirits. Too bad that
lights were so rare and time so short to take photos. I guess
I have to catch them next time on a regular show ;) AWESOME! ROSA
CRVX got a new fan here ;)
[Niggels] Andy LaPleagua’s Combichrist is among the most popular acts of the scene these days but LaPleagua has a lot more to offer than the Techno Body Music of his most successful project. :: PANZER AG :: is somewhere between standard EBM and Industrial Rock - and a surprisingly good live act! The guitar elements and the fact that PANZER AG does not simply rely on four-to-the-flour rhythms make them musically more interesting than certain other Electro projects including some of LaPleagua’s own ones actually! Add to this the fact that he’s indeed a great performer with a lot of energy and the right aggressive attitude, there’s a reason why he’s so popular no matter under which moniker he performs, and you get a hell of a show. Only downside: The daylight and the rather static audience. The gig really made you wanna see PANZER AG at a dark sweaty club!
[Dajana]
:: THE
OTHER :: - The horror Punks are back in town ;)
It took some time till the guys got their scary make-up ready
but then they rocked da house. Dark blue and red lights in the
background, white spots focused on the faces and some glowing
gravestone imitations or whatever created a spooky Halloween atmosphere
;) Yep, perfect background for an entertaining and asskicking
live show! Listening to THE OTHER on CD it is clear where
from the guys got of the grid. Live however, musical leanings
blur and THE OTHER develop much of an own identity. It’s
fun to watch them performing live. And now it’s upon time
for a new record. The Place To Bleed dates back
to May 2008 and already attracts some dust. Next time I wanna
hear a new song ;)
[Dajana]
And again a female-fronted Gothic Metal band. Huuuuh. But, hailing
from Holland and being somewhat of a little musical sister of
Within Temptation, :: DELAIN
:: at least deliver great and epic music, powerful
and driving with awesome guitar work and some growls in-between
to set accents. Only the voice I cannot stand… However,
I already saw DELAIN last weekend at Forta Rock and so
I was prepared of what has to come ;) Not that much has changed;
setlist was the same, except for one song, and the performance
as great and lively as always. They know how to enthuse their
fans. DELAIN took the audience by storm. This time Charlotte
was dressed in pure black (instead of pure white last weekend)
and gained sympathies with German announcements. Generally speaking
this girl is absolutely lovely and it is a real pleasure to take
photos of her and her band mates ;) Just the singing… Well,
other ones love it. It was for sure a great show and the Dutch
released the audience with happy faces ;)
[Niggels]
Two years back :: JESUS
ON EXTASY :: were rated as the hottest newcomers
of the dark music scene. Combining Industrial Metal, Pop and a
good portion of Glam Rock, JESUS ON EXTASY has proved that
they are not just fashion victims but actually pretty solid musicians
who know what they are doing – and absolutely determined
ones. Two years after having released the debut album, the hype
around this band has faded away a bit, and despite constant touring
they are still candidates for the second stage of a festival.
However, the touring earned them a die-hard following as a quick
glance at the first few rows of the well attended theatre stage
gave away. Young Goth girls, often with an obvious addiction to
Manga style clothing, and long-haired guys who ere there for the
*Rock* element of JESUS ON EXTASY packed the area in front
of stage. The gig opened with the club hit Beloved Enemy
and band and fans were into it from the start. The small stature
of frontman Dorian Deveraux is the focus of the show, and while
he truly loves his Rock star poses he takes it with a pinch of
salt. JESUS ON EXTASY love the dark side of glamour, and
while they are determined enough in regard to their music they
know that especially at a live show you shouldn’t take things
too seriously. And they also know how to please their fans, as
the last-minute inclusion of the fan fave Dead Presidents
proved. Add to the set their biggest hit Assassinate Me
and a storming cover version of the 80s classic Nowhere Girl
and you’ll have a crowd with a lot of happy people.
[Leo] ::
DIORAMA
:: entered the stage in the afternoon and started their
show. The drum set and the keyboard were arranged in a kind of
metal boxes in the background, the foreground was dominated by
the guitar player and the dynamic, oratorical singer. The show
was started by Kein Mord and right from the start the crowd
was dancing, clapping hands and singing along. The melodic sound
and the charismatic performance pleased the meanwhile well-filled
crowd. The set list all in all consisted of eight songs, highlighted
by a new unreleased song – called Apocalypse Later.
After about 45 minutes finished the show too early and DIORAMA
left the stage.
[Niggels]
The nice thing about festivals is when their line ups are diverse.
The AMPHI did not only have a lot of EBM und Goth bands
on its bill but also something more obscure like ::
OMINA
:: with their neo-pagan Celtic folk music. Anyone who
hears “Celtic folk” and thinks of Enya couldn’t
be more wrong. OMNIA do not perform ethereal Pop but a
much more authentically mix of ancient European styles with modern
influences. The band transported this authenticity also with their
stage clothing, with gowns made of leather, metal or furs, and
their bodies and faces were body painted with in traditional Celtic
symbols. Thus the music and appearance of OMNIA is much
more genuine and historically correct, so to speak, as many other
so-called “Mediaeval Rock” bands who actually just
offer Rock music with some bagpipes added on top of screeching
guitars. OMNIA present themselves with less party attitude
and more graveness - and the result is pretty impressive! It took
a while but then the audience was really into it, everyone was
clapping and dancing to the music. Dance Until We Die as
one of their songs is titled – ironically one of OMNIA’s
who is most evidently influenced by modern day music as some of
the lyrics are actually rapped! A slight antagonism, to say the
least, but it worked fine! Excellent performance which I loved
because it was a bit out of the ordinary at the AMPHI.
[Niggels]
Bagpipes instead of synths and keyboards! Placed between bunches
of electronic bands :: SALTATIO
MORTIS :: surely stuck out on this afternoon. Drawing
a good crowd to the main stage, SALTATIO MORTIS did not
lose time and kicked off their show with the heavy Tritt ein.
Blaring bagpipes, crunchy guitar riffs and a singer with an almost
aggressive in-yer-face attitude also dominated the rest of SALTATIO
MORTIS’ set. Crowd participation is always an important
thing when a medieval Rock band plays, so no surprise that the
audience was in high spirits soon. One may argue that many bands
from this genre, which seems to be an exclusively German phenomenon,
sound all the same after a while, but on the other hand they are
all excellent musicians who know what they’re doing. SALTATIO
MORTIS are probably more on the Metal side of things compared
to some of their fellow bands, in the second part of the song
Varulfen there are even classic Black Metal growls.
[Leo]
Announced by the anchor man as the most bizarre band of the festival
:: HOCICO
:: entered the stage and ran their crazy show. The
additional dancers with their big feather-costumes like Incas
or sachems were very pleasing for the eyes. The pushing and powerful
rhythm, perfected by the characteristic voice of the singer satisfied
the crowd and quickly the spirit went over to the crowd who was
dancing and clapping hands. The set ran about one hour inclusive
one encore. At the end the singer destroyed the keyboard on stage
and HOCICO left. Altogether a great show and surely one
of the highlights of the second festival day. I don't like the
music of HOCICO at home, but the crazy performance at their
live shows every time is a great experience and that's why I like
to enjoy their shows.
[Dajana]
:: QNTAL
:: also taxed patience of both audience and organizers
and made me missing Saltatio Mortis. Two Berlin-based live members
got stuck in jams and didn’t arrive on time, increasing
the delay up to a three-quarter hour. Finally everything was ready,
more or less, and with a short explanation and apology Syrah started
with the Palästinalied. It was a hectic beginning
with kind of a stressful atmosphere but already with Departir,
things calmed down and Syrah found back to her special vibes celebrating
the music of QNTAL in her very own way. Time was limited,
the set shortened and Syrah did waste no words but when it came
to Name der Rose she told a little bit about the poem
that gave its name to the legendary book. A wonderful and dreamy
performance. Too bad I had to leave short after for the mainstage…
[Leo]
:: UNHEILIG
:: is one of those bands who polarize the people, one
part love them and the other part hates them, anyway over the
last years UNHEILIG had got a lot success with their releases
and their emotional live shows and this time again the space front
of stage was filled complete and the crowd welcomed “The
Count” and his band with cheers. The stage was decorated
with the obligatory church candles and the show was performed
dedicated with much soul and emotions. The audience followed the
animation prompt and were clapping hands and singing along at
the most songs. The set list consisted of some calmer soulful
songs like Astronaut or Mein Stern, alternated with
up tempo songs like Maschine or Sage Ja. The emotional
performance made a romantic atmosphere in the venue, particularly
at the calmer songs and the swinging arms of the crowd were nice
to been seen. After 55 minutes finished the show by Freiheit,
but the crowd requested an encore and UNHEILIG had to play
two more songs before they left the stage finally.
[Niggels] So :: HENKE :: is Oswald Henke’s latest project – his solo project so to speak although he gathered some experienced musicians around him to form his backing band. I have to admit that I’ve never been a huge fan of any of Henke’s projects but I have to give him credit for pursuing his ambitions determinedly and putting a lot of effort in anything he does. The theatre was quite packed with fans of his former projects, most of all Goethes Erben, to see the new HENKE band performing a best of his three past bands Goethes Erben, Artwork and Erblast. The performance was as expected very theatrical, intense and surprisingly energetic, and the response from the audience was particularly well during old hits like Zinnsoldaten or Die Brut. Fans absolutely loved it. I was happy to hear at least one Artwork song too but I had to leave early, I’m afraid.
[Niggels]
:: KMFDM
:: are doing it again! Sascha Konietzko’s home
country neglected KMFDM for a long time, so gigs by this
band used to be a rare thing in Germany while KMFDM were
stars of the Industrial Rock genre in the United States. Things
have changed, fortunately, and KMFDM appear relatively
often at European festivals, at least more often than they once
used to. But still there’s a sense of mystery and cult around
their gigs, and KMFDM truly have a die-hard cult following.
So the theatre was pretty packed and sweaty when Konietzko &
Co entered the stage. Due to the delay at the second stage KMFDM’s
gig was parallel to the headline gig of Front 242 at the main
stage – quite a pity as both bands share some of their audiences
but on the other hand forgivable as the organizers of the AMPHI
did their best to reschedule the bands of the second stage from
the closed down Ruhrparkhalle to the smaller theatre stage. However,
many people opted for KMFDM and the first sounds from Konietzko,
his wife Lucia Cifarelli and their band mates turned the audience
into a bouncing mass. It got pretty wild in front of the stage
so I was happy that I managed to get a safer spot at the side
of the stage. Unfortunately the sound was not optimal, and if
I’m not mistaken KMFDM had a couple of technical
problems during the first few songs of their performance. Celebrating
25 years of KMFDM, the band started with their classic
D.I.Y. – a perfect opener, and not just because of
its orchestral prelude. The title track of their latest album
Tohuvabohu followed and KMFDM continued to go back
and forth through their vast back-catalogue of pounding Industrial
Metal anthems. KMFDM do love weird German phrases as song
titles like Hau Ruck, Saft & Kraft and Potz Blitz
will show you. All songs were loud, powerful, noisy, straight
in your face and with no mercy, and the fans just loved it this
way. With the signature sounds of the sharp and groovy Megalomaniac,
arguably KMFDM’s biggest hit to date, and fans turned
mental and more damageable people probably decided to hide for
shelter. I left to catch a few bits of Front 242 – by this
I missed a rare performance of Godlike, unfortunately.
But I witnessed a mad and powerful show by KMFDM which
couldn’t be ruined at all by the less-than-optimal sound
and the few technical glitches.
[Leo]
Sunday evening 8:30 o'clock – time for the headliner at
the main stage. Like Saturday, Honey again conferred the announcement
for the headliner to a fan who was picked up from the crowd. ::
FRONT
242 ::, who entered the stage during the intro,
were welcome with “242” shouts and started their show
hidden behind a wall of fog. The stage still was hidden for the
most time in dark and fog, only during the cleared moments the
drums and the keyboards in the background came visible. The show
ran about 75 minutes and included all in all 17 songs. Right from
the start the temper in the crowd was great and the powerful rhythmic
performance was responded with a jumping and dancing crowd who
enjoyed the rousing show.
[Niggels]
Due to the delays and problems at the second stage :: THE
GATHERING :: started considerably late. The theatre was
not as full as at some shows before but after a short soundcheck
THE GATHERING finally started their set with an instrumental
track. Often labeled as Gothic Metal, THE GATHERING are
musically and especially visually less “gothic” than
most of other bands which performed at the AMPHI. Their
music has a Progressive Rock vibe, and the band members certainly
prefer casual wear to fancy Goth fashion. Actually it was the
first German show of THE GATHERING with their new vocalist
Silje Wergeland, so for many fans it was a first to see and hear
old THE GATHERING songs like Leaves or Great
Ocean Road being performed with Wergeland at the microphone.
And she did her job well! A little shy still, perhaps, but the
range of her voice is quite stunning and her soft voice was a
nice contrast to the Metal guitars of THE GATHERING. A
late but pretty relaxed gig.
[Leo]
Midnight special at the second stage, delayed at 11:30 o'clock
:: CAMOUFLAGE
:: entered the indoor stage to close the festival.
Maybe some people already were going to home, but the Theatre
still was well-filled and the crowd welcomed CAMOUFLAGE
with cheers and celebrated a nice party together with them. The
temper was great the whole time but later in the set when they
played their older and most successful songs like The Great
Commandment the temper exploded and the whole crowd were jumping
and singing along. CAMOUFLAGE did a dedicated performance
and satisfied the crowd with their soulful and rousing performance.
The main set finished after about one hour with Suspicious
Love but of course the crowd requested an encore which was
given with two more songs and after about 75 minutes the show
and as well the AMPHI FESTIVAL 2009 finished finally by
Love Is A Shield. Altogether a great finish for a great
festival.
[Dajana]
Ah yesss. And again no aftershow party. We almost collectively
were falling asleep standing up and so we went back to the hotel
for some sleep. We had to be up very early on Monday morning,
going back and delivering Leo at his work. I had the day off but
didn’t do any better than to fall down on me sofa for some
additional sleep ;) |
| stories
© Dajana Winkel, Carsten Leopold, J. “Niggels”
Uhlenbruch & Sebastian Huhn |
