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Devon Graves
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2008-09-30
DE – Oberhausen - Helvete |
| Yes, I think it took some time till I got into DORNENREICH. Better late than never I’d say ;) For that the Austrians downright enthralled me over the last years. Unforgotten the acoustic shows at the Prophecy night and ZwischenWelten Festival that turned out be very intensive, emotional and intriguing, sending gooseflesh up and down the body. In support of their new, and again captivating album In Luft Geritzt, the duo started with the second leg of their European acoustic tour. DORNENREICH gets accompanied by former Psychotic Waltz and current Deadsoul Tribe frontman DEVON GRAVES, who also like to do it alone… acoustically… perfectly suiting to the Tyrolean, since DEVON GRAVES’ adopted country is Austria too. :: pics :: Liverpool-based band LEAFBLADE has been announced as the third part of this tour, but had to cancel due to injury. On the other hand I had suddenly to face a local opening act I didn’t have on me bill ;) Before I dove headlong into this nights adventure I first had to find the Helvete club, located downtown Oberhausen next to the shopping malls. In other words, I had to find a free parking lot. Done in two circles ;) Then I finally could discover this new club maintained by the organizers of the Ultima Ratio festival. It’s a great and lovingly designed metal club I tell ya. I felt sooo well and welcomed there :)
The evening’s
kick off was a long time coming. The car of the Austrians broke
down, make them arriving the venue quarter to 8. One hour later
:: ANGSTTRIEB
:: entered the stage, armed with notebooks and computers,
making the audience looking at questioningly. Wrapped in apocalyptic
blue lights and waft of mist the two young cats behind the knobs
offered a half-hour-longing trip into Ambient-like Industrial
sounds. Not only the computers were used for the claustrophobic
sounds, also a violin, bass, a telephone, cymbals, plates and
whatever they had there. And I liked it a lot ;) Ok, I have a
penchant for this kind of music. The guys should get in touch
with the Thonar Records ;) However, audience was seemingly scared
and response ranging from being restrained up to uncomprehending.
:: DEVON GRAVES :: lovingly strained ourselves afterwards with a lengthy soundcheck, they couldn’t do before. Always up for a joke he found the perfect settings at 9pm and begun his performance. A man and his guitar, nothing else. And he so rocked the Helvete club! He played a couple of own songs, besides I Remember from the very first Psychotic Waltz album, a song he wrote when he was 18; Black Smoke And Mirrors and Into The Spiral Cathedral from Deadsoil Tribe and cover versions of Bowies Space Oddity and Elton Johns Rocket Man, two songs that belong together in his opinion, as well as Tenacicous D’s Tribute (to the Greatest Song In The World), the only song that caused some drive among the crowd. Well, most people were Black Metal fans and aren’t familiar with Graves’ music. Anyway, since no one gave a time limit or wanted to stop DEVON GRAVES he played one more song after another, slightly bemused, but with cumulative applause ;) Over an hour. Didn’t help, he had to play encore too ;) Great show, really!
When ::
DORNENREICH
:: started to enchant audience, one hour of delay in
time schedule was already reached. Luckily there is no curfew
at Helvete club and no one cared ;) Besides DORNENREICH
much benefit from the lengthy soundcheck Devon did and had a well-balanced
sound. Only the lights gave up. Except for 2 songs the entire
In Luft Geritzt album was played, plus classics
from Hexenwind, Her Von Welken Nächten,
and during the encore from Bitter Ist's Dem Tod Zu Dienen
and an additional to date unreleased songs they love to perform
live. The Helvete club was filled till the backside and the fans
hanging on Eviga’s lips and Inve’s violin respectively.
It was again just marvelous, amazing. You know, the music of DORNENREICH
live unfolds likewise intensive as you might know it from their
CD’s back home in your living room. Outstanding! Upshot:
As already mentioned, the Helvete club gets mostly frequented
by black and death metal fans and so tonight’s show turned
out to be quite unusual, especially since it was the very first
show taking place on a working day. Though, the club was crowed
and the music received well. Ok, some stupid blabber and blackouts
in behavior was to observe, well, something one has to live with
I think… |
| story & pics © Dajana |
