GRAND MAGUS ~ AUDREY HORNE ~ ZODIAC ~ THE VINTAGE CARAVAN

[Dajana] Aaaaaahhhh, how fucking great is that? GRAND MAGUS, AUDREY HORNE and ZODIAC and together on tour, sharing one stage. What a marvelous package! The opener, THE VINTAGE CARAVAN, I did not know so far, all other participating bands are not only great musically but also outstanding live bands. It goes without saying that this show was a Must-Be-There event, once again in our “second home” called • Turock • :) With the onset of the show the Turock was sold out and really, really packed.

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[Dajana] Doors opened a bit later than announced but it did not do any harm. It is a beautiful and warm Saturday evening and I even expected an open beer garden with the fans hanging around there. However, :: THE VINTAGE CARAVAN :: enters the stage on time and downright burst into a highly energetic eruption. Hailing from the greater Reykjavík area, those boys are very young, with hardly peach fuzz grown and definitely crazy. Singer and guitarist Óskar Logi Ágústsson rocks over the stage as if there is no tomorrow. What a (red-haired) wild child. His bass-playing buddy Alexander Örn Númason does not fall any short. Musically the cats deliver classic (Hard) Rock with all those known influences from the 60s and 70s, but with a quite modern touch and already with an own note. But most striking is their delight in playing live around the globe. All songs tonight were taken from the Icelander’s sophomore Voyage, with whom they already caused some furor when it got released in January.
[BRT] Yes, THE VINTAGE CARAVAN get highly acclaimed by fans and media and had now to prove them right. No doubt, it was a highly energetic show and the band brimming over with delight. And it is for sure great to witness such band opening a concert evening, but it did not belie the randomness in the band’s Retro-Rock style and songwriting. Great show, average music.
Setlist: Craving, M.A.R.S.W.A.T.T., Expand Your Mind, Let Me Be, Cocaine Sally

[Dajana] Recently seen supporting Blues Pills/Orchid, exactly here at the Turock (and soon to be experienced on the big Rock Hard Festival stage) :: ZODIAC :: once again honor us with their presence. The crowd is pushing closer to the stage and listens attentively as the band’s music is much more Blues influenced and thus the show just as halfway energetic as the previous one. At first it seemed the spark did not want to jump over. It was the Neil Young cover Cortez The Killer that finally ignited the enthusiasm of the audience and could not be stopped till the last tone of the 10 minutes closer Coming Home. Frenetic encore calls unfortunately could not be considered.
[BRT] To be honest, I was not that that thrilled this time. ZODIAC acted quite sedated. Compared with the mentioned show a half year ago charisma and musical depth (the guys definitely own) could not be conveyed. And this was especially striking during the cover version which I have heard and seen presented much fresher and livelier in the past.
Setlist: Intro, A Bit Of Devil, Free, Blue Jean Blues, Moonshine, Cortez The Killer, Coming Home

[Dajana] Short break and then it gets really cuddly. :: AUDREY HORNE ::, also seen live a half year ago (but at a different place ;)) kicked of their set familiar with the Muppet intro and got into their set with the powerful Redemption Blues. The crowd freaked out. From the first second on there was no holding them back anymore. The audience was bubbling, jumping, dancing and singing along every song (as Toschie stated: the loudest crowd on this tour”). Most of the time singer Toschie was very close to the audience, rather within than before, while his mates rocked the stage and posed as hell. Only the sound was pretty much overdriven. Who cares. The Norwegians are visibly delighted by the crowd’s response and reward us with two brand new tracks: Gravity and A Wolf In My Heart, whereas I liked the latter one more. As I have read afterwards AUDREY HORNE have either played different new songs or the track titles got changed at every show as kind of a joke ;) However, at this first glimpse I would say that the new tracks just pick up the thread where Youngblood was left off. AUDREY HORNE truly play a stage-burning show, so totally intoxicating, mind blowing. Those who never have seen the Norwegians playing live before are thrilled to the bone. During the last song Straight Into Your Grave AUDREY HORNE once again jump among the audience and play within and with them and deliver an overwhelming finale. Once more a stunning show. Damn… I love those guys ♥
[BRT] There is not much more to say about this show. AUDREY HORNE once again offered and proved how an awesomely energetic live show has to be. Charisma, delight in playing and catchy tunes that is what it needs. The only thing really annoying were the hooligan-dumbasses next to me with their non-stopping blabber, mobile phone games and lashing out arms. Next time fucking piss off!
Setlist: Muppets-Intro, Redemption Blues, Bridges And Anchors, Youngblood, There Goes A Lady, Pretty Little Sunshine, Cards With The Devil, Gravity (neu), This Ends Here, A Wolf In My Heart (neu), Show And Tell, Blaze Of Ashes, Straight Into Your Grave

[Dajana] I now had some doubts if :: GRAND MAGUS :: could keep up that energetic level. In fact they did! Amazingly great. The show had a different atmosphere, was not that lively - of course - but filled with epic melodies, grooving riffwork and catchy refrains everybody was singing along, once again. The crowd was headbanging unanimously. The song selection considered that last four records, in equal parts. I had expected many more new songs from the just released Triumph And Power album. But hey, I will not nag when I get tracks from the grandiose Hammer Of The North too :) It goes without saying that the crowd was freaking out again, cheering and adoring the band to the max. Says JB: „Feels like coming back home“. Yep, he’s so right! Fabulous night at the Turock. Thank you guys!
[BRT] Had those doubts too but it just took a twinkling of an eye till GRAND MAGUS made clear that they would not leave anything but scorched earth. Hell yeah! With those epic hymns there could not go anything wrong. I just think the show was way too short and I missed a lot of songs that really had to be played. Anyway, the pack was ready and GRAND MAGUS gave everything they could. Yes, it was a breathtakingly stunning show! I lost my voice but had a big grin on my face the whole night.
Setlist: Conan Intro, I, The Jury, Sword Of The Ocean, On Hooves Of Gold, Ravens Guide Our Way, Like The Oar Strikes The Water, (drum solo), Steel Versus Steel, Valhalla Rising, Iron Will // Triumph And Power, Hammer Of The North

story © BRT & Dajana • pics © Dajana