Die Krupps - Apoptygma Berzerk - Hocico - Agonoize - Aesthetic Perfection - Faderhead - [X]-RX - Chrom

Suicide Commando - Rotersand - Pouppeé Fabrikk - Dive - Tyske Ludder - XotoX - Steinkind

„Darker - Harder - Louder“ than the rest… that’s the slogan the E-TROPOLIS FESTIVAL stands for since 2010, bringing excellent Electro sounds on stage. And the organizers remain true to themselves. The 4th edition on February 22 sees 15 bands playing on 2 stages, with 6 DJs and a party floor as well as a shopping mall and program around the festival. Unfortunately the organizers also follow the bad habit of booking the same bands. 6 of the 15 bands already have played the E-TROPOLIS FESTIVAL (and one appears even for the third time). But: The festival has moved. From the capitol to the Ruhr area, from Berlin to Oberhausen. For the first time the • Turbinenhalle • hosts the E-TROPOLIS FESTIVAL and it won’t be the last time. With more than 4000 fans the festival reached new heights and thus was a full success the organizers want to repeat in 2015. As already announced, the Turbinenhalle will also host the 5th edition on March 28…

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…what let many fans shaking their heads. As it is so typical for the Turbinenhalle, such big event once again caused some chaos, faults and flaws you have to blame the owner for. Once again food was a disaster, only one stall, two ladies (the fridge full of sausage but not boiling and selling them); the thing with the tokens, the cloak room, lockers and the stream of visitors between the halls. Furthermore the replacement work in the hall with the second stage was entirely done and offered many traps for accidents.

At least there have been more people behind the bars and thus the queues were not too long. All in all I already have experienced bigger organizational disasters in this location, for the first E-TROPOLIS FESTIVAL it was quite ok. But there was one thing that definitely was NOT ok: the sound! As already mentioned, the slogan is „Darker - Harder - Louder“ but I’m absolutely sure it can’t be meant that way! The sound was really terrible, totally pulpy and overamplified. On both stages, at every single band. And so was the light…

Due to the all Saturday like chaos around the huge shopping mall CentrO I was caught in a traffic jam and arrived too late. I only got the last tunes of :: CHROM :: and a quick shot from the press area. Ok, time to taking a deep breath and getting used to the festival area. It took quite some time till I found the way to the second stage ;)

There Leipzig-based act :: STEINKIND :: kicked off. I never heard of this band before but liked their naughty style, delivering harsh Electro Punk. Later I learnt that STEINKIND polarize although they don’t want to and that’s more in the lyrics than the first taste reveals. You like or you hate.
Setlist: Gottkomplex, Kindgott, Trink Mich, Deutschland brennt, Arsch rein, Hallo und schönen Tag, Es wird Zeit

Back to the mainstage where Cologne duo :: [X]-RX :: are going to get the crowd dancing with heavy pounding EBM tunes. No time to stay, rushing on me way towards the second stage again.

Time for some Industrial. Industrial for hyperactive people. That is what :: XOTOX :: is about. Uncompromising and martial, a bit more Techno-like. Sun is shining through the windows, competing with the visuals, means, a bit more light this time.

Just for the case that the first fans get tired :: FADERHEAD :: made it easy to sing along with simple key words such as „Yes, we got the groove, got the beats, got the bass, baby“ and “Destroy, Improve, Rebuild” just repeating as a refrain. Yep, works fine. The hall is packed and the audience dancing.
Setlist: When The Freaks Come Out, Destroy Improve Rebuild, Dancers, Stand Up, Join Us, Champagne And Real Pain, Fistful Of Fuck You, Take Your Meds, Tanz zwo drei vier

:: TYSKE LUDDER :: right after are somewhat of the antiheroes, the grumpy cats of the scene, and that maybe makes them the real heroes, always delivering excellent beats and sounds. Brutal, angry, old school EBM, that’s the way it has to be. The atmosphere is quite aggro right from the beginning. TYSKE LUDDER hardly started to play as the first rambunctious circle/pogo pits brought some action among the crowd. Ralf Homann jumped from the stage and onto the barrier to shout encouragement. Also the live drummer can’t be nailed behind his kit, jumps onto it or goes wild on stage. Awesome performance!

Different kind of Electro on the main stage. I really like :: AESTHETIC PERFECTION :: and was looking forward to see them playing live again. It’s also a very photogenic band, with the charismatic singer Daniel Graves in the middle, and they crazily acting Tim Van Horn to the left and Elliot Berlin to the right. If you have lights… AESTHETIC PERFECTION presented two brand new songs (Antibody and Big Bad Wolf) from their just released new album ‘Til Death.
Setlist: Intro, Antibody, Inhuman, The Siren, Big Bad Wolf, The Great Depression, Spit It Out

The rad opposite :: DIVE :: is musically. An extreme loud and extreme harsh Industrial one man show (Dirk Ivens of Absolute Body Control for example). No lights, only stroboscopes. It was a hell of a performance. Kinda the Grindcore act of the Electro scene, so to say ;) Definitely a challenge and probably not everybody’s cup of tea.
Setlist: Snakedressed, Sidewalk, Sinner, This Is Me, Bloodmoney, Power Of Passion, Waiting And Burning, Machinegun Baby, Pain And Pleasure, Back To Nature // There’s No Hope, Blindness

Same goes for :: AGONOIZE :: That’s not everybody’s business I mean. Musically they are quite unspectacular. It’s the huge mess with blood that makes them famous. It kills clothes and equipment. I dare, cause I never saw them live so far. And I got away without being splattered with blood ;)
Setlist: A King Returns, I Am, I Against Me, Staatsfeind, Opus Die, Bis das Blut gefriert, Vollrauschfetischist, Kind der Nacht, Glaubenskrieger, Femme Fatale, Schaufensterpuppenarsch, Paradox, Pornomagcenterfold, Koprolalie

Now anticipation raises. Next up is :: POUPPEÉ FABRIKK :: and they got warmly recommended. They play old school EBM the Nitzer Ebb style. Wins. Besides, the Swedish duo is much likeable, especially front-giant Henrik Björkk, who always tries to get close to the audience. POUPPEÉ FABRIKK is known for disbanding and reuniting themselves quite often. After more than e decade they have released a new album, The Dirt, and it seems the mode got permanently switched on.

You can’t stop dancing? In need of more EBM? No problem… Erm… well, a little problem maybe ;) Some difficulties caused a short delay but finally :: HOCICO :: are able to enter the stage and have a fling. Dark, atmospheric EBM, with a really bad sound. But Erk can’t be stopped, whirling like the devil over the stage and flirting with the fans ;) Have I ever seen a bad HOCICO show? Nope.
Setlist: Entra en el Fuego, Tales From The Third World, T.O.S. Of Reality, It Doesn't Exist, Forgotten Tears, Bite Me!, Bloodshed, Dead Trust, Dog Eat Dog, Polarity, Tiempos de Furia, Poltergeist

Same kind of a furious show :: ROTERSAND :: deliver too. Giant Rascal perfectly know how to master his fans and let them… dance. Too bad that we (writer and photographers) have so little time and never can watch one band entirely without missing the next. ROTERSAND would have been worth to stay.

The E-TROPOLIS FESTIVAL slowly draws to an end seeing the first main act entering the stage :: APOPTYGMA BERZERK :: Again a little delay but we got compensation with many old classics such as Non-Stop Violence, Love Never Dies and Kathy’s Song. Only the cover version of Major Tom I did not like. The guys looked tired, and I have seen them much more lively already, but it did not really narrow the show itself. Fans were left with happy faces.
Setlist: Unicorn, Starsign, Non-Stop Violence, Something I Should Know, Eclipse, Love Never Dies, Kathy's Song, Major Tom, Until The End Of The World, Burning Heretics, Shadow, Paranoia

:: SUICIDE COMMANDO :: is the first headlining band that finishes the evening on the second stage. It’s an easy task for Johan Van Roy to get the crowd once again up and rocking. That’s not only the classics, SUICIDE COMMANDO itself never failed to deliver a high energy show, uniting many, many fans. Also Roy jumps into the photo pit and onto the barrier to say hello to friends and fans.

While the roof in the second hall still gets raised and the DJs started on the party floor I take my last walk back to the main stage, where technicians prepare everything for :: DIE KRUPPS :: The show will be recorded for a later DVD release. I unfortunately can only stay for the first three songs in the photo pit and then have to leave as my alarm clock will get me up at 4.30am for my next early shift. God dam it! So I leave when everybody is still partying. So that was the 4th E-TROPOLIS FESTIVAL in its new home. There are things to improve, of course, though it was a great festival. See ya 2015!
Setlist: Ein Blick zurück im Zorn, The Dawning Of Doom, Risikofaktor, Im falschen Land, Essenbeck, Der Amboss, The Machinist Of Joy, Part Of The Machine, Industrie-Mädchen, Schmutzfabrik, Robo Sapien, Metal Machine Music, To The Hilt, Nazis Auf Speed, Fatherland // Machineries Of Joy

story & pics © Dajana