Die
Krupps • Diary Of Dreams • Qntal • Soko Friedhof
• Rozenkrantz
Grendel • Xotox • Noisuf-X • Sam
•
pics •
This
year’s third edition of DARK AREA FESTIVAL had to be
my debut there, while the festival itself blossoms into an essential
indoor event. I didn’t really know what to expect and so I
was much looking forward and was very excited about the things to
come ;) The trip to Kassel was an easy task and after a little break
and some good food in an Italian restaurant we got driven to the
Nachthallen. And this location downright blew me away! Wow, what
a great venue! I was totally enthused, really. The Nachthallen
is a huge hall system with many nooks and crannies, giving room
for bars and corners to meet, 2 event halls and a dancefloor, and
an own bistro, really open till the end and serving delicious food
;) Ok, at 3.30am, when we descend on the bistro hungry like wolves,
we were not the only ones and had to wait 15 minutes. Time to fool
around… hehehe… “I am a chicken meal”…
I tell ya… ;)
After
an extended exploration I paid attention to the mainstage, where
:: ROZENCRANTZ
:: opened the festival evening. The Gothic rockers from
Osnabrueck didn’t have an easy start since the main hall was
still empty and the few attendees quite reserved. The band was seemingly
nervous and still less experienced but played their show with much
heart and soul :) All four tracks from the upcoming EP Romancer
were played (to be released on Nov 11), plus three other ones, whereas
Dissolve got stuck in my ears.
Setlist: Forsaken, Right From The Start, Bound To You,
Dissolve, The Price We Pay, Skin On Skin, Into My Heart
Time
to switch to the Industrial stage, where ::
S.A.M.
:: (Synthetic Adrenaline Music)
got in with harsh and technoid beats. This smaller venue was all
the time very crowded, with a stage wrapped in much smoke and stroboscope
battering on a lively dancing audience. This stage became immediately
magic to me, SAM just started to hypnotize me ;)
Setlist: Arm Of Justice, Catatonic Dreams, Hard Technology,
World Of Shit, 24 Stunden, Burn, Buzz Chamber, Enemy List, Bull
Fucking Shit
Back
to the mainstage I had to experience the most embarrassing and ridiculous
show of the evening. :: SOKO
FRIEDHOF :: consisting of David A. Line and Greta
Csatlós, came up with three dancers that tried to move lascivious
and erotic while looking deadly bored. Frontwoman shined with infantile
lyrics and an absolutely no-go in fashion. Everybody knows her panties
now, but you definitely don’t want. Her partner in crimes
appeared likewise bored; even worse, he noticed her fashion disaster
and didn’t give her a hint. Not my cup of tea.
I
left early, got armed with beers and strolled back to the Industrial
stage to check out :: NOISUF-X
:: I haven’t seen any of the bands on here before,
what made me very curious about every act. More smoke, less light
and once again visuals on a huge screen behind. Mastermind Jan,
also known as X-Fusion, got accompanied by a live drummer. I put
the cam aside and joined the dancing mob.
A
hyper jump into a completely different world ::
QNTAL
:: brought, when singer Syrah was angelic floating over
the stage and enchanted every romantic soul in the hall with electronically
touched mediaeval tunes. Michael Popp was picking different kind
of instruments the band normally creates on their own from medieval
instructions. Also QNTAL have a new record up their sleeves
entitled Transcludia that wants to be supported, with
another tour in the near future ;) Just wonderful!
Setlist: Translucida, Palästinalied, Dulcis Amor,
Departir, Ecce Gratum, Entre Moi Et Mon Amin, Glacies, Mayden In
The Moor, Veni, Sumer // Ad Mortem Festinamus
While
the mainstage offered a much varied program, nothing did on the
Industrial stage. A crowded place, smoke, strobos, a screen and
another duo entering the stage :: XOTOX
:: Ok, one single difference was to made out: one part
of the duo was female. Took some time to realize that under these
huge Mickey-mouse-headphones and the black mask ;) Quite whimsical
a lighted plush drum was, which got fed with smoke and sent out
rays while drumming.
Now
it was upon time to adore one of my all time fave ::
DIARY
OF DREAMS :: Just back from a short UK stint the
guys around mastermind Adrian Hates were in best mood and rocked
down the mainstage as thrilling and captivating as always ;) Ok,
no surprises so far in performance or setlist, on the other hand,
DIARY OF DREAM were on the way to Australia the next day,
so when and where to rehearsal for something new? ;) Traumtänzer
was sung again by the audience and Soulstripper was the cue
for Adrian’s to open his mane. Both parts burnt out themselves:
the crowd while dancing, singing and frenetically celebrating, the
band while rocking. Only faster songs were played keeping up the
high level of energy from the first till the last second of this
show. Again an awesome show! DIARY OF DREAMS make you addicted!
Setlist: Nekrolog 43, The Plague, Chemicals, She, Butterfly:
Dance!, Hypo)crypticK(al, MenschFeind, AmoK, UnWanted, Traumtänzer,
Soul Stripper, The Curse // Kindrom
Finally
:: GRENDEL
:: were up to finish the Industrial turn. Owning their
CD’s I though haven’t seen them playing live yet. Singer
Jos aka [VLRK] got supported by one drummer and one guy behind the
knobs. Jos himself didn’t stand still any second, causing
much movement on this tiny stage ;) It goes without saying that
the hall was much crowded again, and of course smoke, strobos, screen…
ya know ;) Best show on the Industrial stage, although I was begging
for more light…
After
1pm, the main hall draining and people becoming tired and exhausted
:: DIE
KRUPPS :: made it to pump energy into audience, getting
it up and partying again. Singer Jürgen Engler got seemingly
inspired by Grendel’s Jos and was running over the stage all
the time, stopped every now and then to maltreat his “steelophon”
or to pose menacingly. The classics of course made the crowd freakin’
out, egging on the band for an explosive show. Ok, I had to listen
twice when they played a cover version of Propaganda’s Dr.
Mabuse, but hey, it was late… ;) A great finish for a
great festival evening and an even greater location ;)
Setlist: Crossfire, Isolation, The Great Divide, 5 Millionen,
Germaniac, Der Amboss, Dr. Mabuse, Zwei Herzen, ein Rhythmus, Tod
und Teufel, Alive, Dawning Of Doom, High Tech, Low Life, Metal Machine
Music, To The Hilt, Fatherland // Machineries Of Joy, Bloodsuckers
No
one wanted to leave afterwards, but the employees were merciless
sweeping the people out from one corner after the next with us ending
up at the bistro hungry like wolves. And here the circle closes.
Mission complete! ;)
Upshot: Great festival! I had a lot of fun, got surprised
and I’m… coming back next year! For sure! Only little
downer was the badly smoked Industrial stage and the fact, that
I had to switch between both stages, covering this festival all
alone for the mag.
Next
day me and the dreamer girls started for some sight-seeing to the
Wilhelmshoehe, with the Hercules monument on it, the castles, fountains
and grottos. Once down and up again. Really strenuous I tell ya,
but worth it ;)
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