| Doors: 7 pm | Show: 8 pm | Tickets: 14.00 Euro + fees | At door: 18 Euro |

I of course know The (International) Noise Conspiracy and Refused with Dennis Lyxzén in their ranks. Still, I never heard of INVSN before, his solo project that meanwhile turned into a full-fletched band, featuring Sara Almgren again, next to other illustrious musicians from the Swedish Hardcore/Punk/Indie scene. That I got aware of them right on time to their second leg of the Beautiful Stories tour happened by pure coincidence. It were descriptions such as Postpunk and New Wave that triggered and attracted my attention. They always do. And this time they got me. So let’s discover a band new to me ;)

Last year INVSN played in my hometown (not for the first time it seems yet always passed me by completely unnoticed), tonight I headed towards the :: Bastard Club :: in Osnabrueck, I actually visited the last time in 2007. That means, I knocked on the door of the “new” Bastard Club downtown Osnabrueck (where the club is located since 2010 ;)). The club was super easy to find and since the highways were empty too, I arrived super early. So I had the choice between the heat in my car (ok, with air condition on), the heat outside and the heat in the club, as it was declared to be the hottest day of the year. No matter where you stayed, you liquefied with the speed of light.

:: pics :: PRADA MEINHOFF ::

Brain cell withering heat and researches focused on INVSN made me blind to the fact that there was also a support band on this tour. Heat takes its toll I tell ya ;) Shortly after eight :: PRADA MEINHOFF :: got on stage. I immediately got connected to singer Chrissi (Christin) Nichols, mainly an actress, who performed like a sassy Berlin brat. I just missed the typical dialect. Lo and behold, PRADA MEINHOFF is an Electro Punk duo from Berlin, with Chrissi originating from the Osnabrueck area, as she told between the songs. But she can do the Berlin dialect, if she wants (or needs to do so while acting). What a charismatic personality, what a great voice, changeable like a chameleon.
Her partner in crime for three years now is René Riewer, the master of beasty beats and going wild while creating powerful and filthy bass lines. He was like the devil himself whirling around. Side note: Three fans in the front row were so lost with stuff on their mobiles that they did not notice René doing neck-breaking exercises on the monitor speakers directly in front of them. Such fucking smombies…
In April PRADA MEINHOFF have released their self-titled debut they presented here on this tour in a compact 30 minutes set. Only one song was a cover version, The Model, the duo challenged the crowd to recognize and promised a beer in reward. It was an easy task, perhaps too easy, because no one said anything. Tststs… By the way, it really was an interesting version.
PRADA MEINHOFF quickly mastered the audience and rocked the club. I saw botties shaking everywhere, sometimes even whole bodies ;) Great show, great band! I like :) If you would like to check them out… watch their videos on the band's YouTube!
I say thank you for the beer & cheers!

Setlist: Brand, Schluss, Express, Dilemma, Model, Komplizen, Sieben

:: pics :: INVSN ::

Short break, gasping for some fresh air and a beer later time has come for :: INVSN ::. Dennis Lyxzén and his urge to move now probably overwhelmed all those, who already gave up on the activities Prada Meinhoff demanded. „Come on dance with me, until the end of time“, he sang. INVSN turned the Bastard Club into a dancing battlefield. Dennis danced and whirled around like a madman, did jittery and groovy moves, and jumped into the crowd during Our Blood. He used speakers and an onstage-pillar for all kind of contorted maneuvers. He was constantly moving. During the entire show, except for the parts were the girls took over. 38°C? 100% humidity? Who the fuck cares? He mastered the crowd like a puppeteer. He danced, people danced too. No matter what. And no one passed out ;)
I expected to see pure water (better said: sweat and condenser water) running down the walls. It was hot inside, yes, but there was no water dripping down. The basement club seemed to be well vented.
Of course, it did not take long before Dennis started his political speeches and offered thought-provoking impulses. He talked about what his past has taught him, talked about feminism and how to treat women, talked about how to make this planet a better place and how to take action and better yourself. It made my heart melting. And he thanked the audience wholeheartedly for supporting them over all the years, coming to the shows in those small clubs, buying the band’s music and merchandise. INVSN do not take it for granted. Much more, they always play their asses off, fully dedicated, at every show.
Guitarist Anders Sternberg could not take part in this tour and was replaced by a girl, what made the band girl-dominated ;) Apropos… Before the show I read anywhere that drummer André Sandström was called a “human-drum-machine”. Now I know why. Fucking hell, he played with such a power and vehemence. Magic rhythms. Especially in combination with those hard hitting bass lines. The sound was awesome. From the first till the last note the show was exceptional, mind-blowing. Although I did not know the songs, melodies and refrains immediately got me and I was singing along or humming the songs for days afterwards.
This was a hell of a show, hot, highly energetic, intensive and infectious for the body and with inspiring words for the mind. And INVSN continued their awesomeness right after the show and immediately appeared at the merch. All of them, to talk to the fans, sell merch, sign vinyl, take photos and write down the setlist for me :) Such a likeable band! Highly recommended.
I got me a shirt. Now I have to buy the CDs. Thank you INVSN and thank you Bastard Club for these good times tonight!

Band: Dennis Lyxzén (vox), Sara Almgren (bass), Christina Karlsson (keys), Anders Sternberg (git) und André Sandström (Drums)

Setlist: Deconstruct Hits, I Dreamt Music, Immer Zu, Our Blood, Love, Forever Rejected, A Minute Of Magick, This Constant War, Down in the Shadows, Love's Like a Drug // Valentines Day, #61

story & pics © Dajana & Dajana Winkel • Photography