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Wave Gotik Treffen 2007


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After we got to Leipzig and did all the organizational work we went to look around the festival area and get our ears off on the music and our eyes on extravagant people and the visual aspect of the concerts.

The first concert I saw at WGT at Werk II was the gig of Pzychobitch. It wasn't a spectacular beginning for the Festival as though the band sounds well on the CDs their live act wasn't stunning and the musicians didn't mange to ravish the audience. The songs we could hear were "Go pussy go", "Pussy gang" and "Electrolicious".

Next, In Strict Confidence entered the stage. their concert wasn't bad and the audience seemed satisfied. The artists played: "Promised land", "Closing eyes" and "Heal me". After the concert I decided to leave Werk II and wait for the greatest gig of that evening: " The Retrosic.

Just before 1 a.m the crowds started gathering in Agra Halle in order to wait for the first concert of The Retrosic: the first both at WGT and in the world. On the big screen a clock was counting time. At 1 o 'clock two figures wearing latex clothes that made me think of old-fashioned divers appeared on the stage and started waving the flags with the Retrosic logo. Then they left the place leaving it for the musicians of the band who presented highly energetic feast both for eyes and for ears.
It's hard not to say that it was the best concert of the whole WGT. Great visualizations (interesting effect using two screens mirroring the same scenes), the girls accompanying the band (Natasha de Viant and Miss Omega of Wicked Trinity), or even the man hanging on the hooks – it was all astonishing. We didn't bother the fact that the whole scenic part was counted on effect and so a bit exaggerated. We could hear: "Ground Zero", "Antichrist", "Desperate youth", "Revolution".

I started Saturday with Angels and Agony. As usual at WGT there was a group of people who enjoyed the gig, but I may only say the show was of an average quality and the only appealing part was when Darrin Huss of Psyche appeared on the stage during the song "Traveller".

Absurd Minds, who performed as the second band, played very poorly in my opinion. However, the songs such as "Essence" or "Dependence",warmed the people up. WGT definitely denied the cliché the Germans usually stand still at the gigs. For EMB is the kind of the music I can't stand you won't be surprised to hear that the gig of Orange Sector was hard thing for me. I survived it yet, for the next band to play was Rotersand. OS played "Dynamite", "Sick.sick.sick" and "Tanzbefehl".

The first of the two best concerts on Saturday was Rotersand. Though in comparison to what they presented in Cracow they did worse, they concert was splendid anyway. The musicians, charismatic as usual, ran on the stage till their breath was gone. They presented the material of their recent album "10Hz", but also some old ones like "Welcome to goodbye". "Exterminate, annihilate, destroy", "The last ship", "Merging oceans" " The concert couldn't have been a flop!

Psyclon Nine, gave a very good gig which surprised me a lot. Though the image of the gents, especially of Nero Bellum tattooed "Übermensch" on his chest, was a bit exaggerated, it doesn't change the fact that they are very good musicians and showmen. Their music combing black metal, electro industrial smashed the audience. The only thing I could criticize them about were the stupid babbling served by the vocalist (including, but not limited to offending the audience) What did they play? "Resurrect", "Rape this world" and the most popular"Divine Infekt" to name just a few.

I was very tired after the concert, but I decided to wait for the famous Front 242, which is said to please even the biggest EBM opponents while at the concert. Well, I didn't like it and I decided to leave Agra while it still lasted. Songs such as "Body to Body" or "Modern Angel" do not enchant: either played live or on the dance floor.

There were plenty of good concerts on Sundays so I had to make painful choices. On reaching UT Connewitz where the ambient concerts were supposed to take place, we faced a wall of hot air and of standing people. The venue was too small and deprived of any air-circulation whatsoever.

Facing all this, we moved to Werk II just in time to see the fantastic project Heimstatt Yipotash. It was a very good gig, both technically and musically: the musicians played high class noise and power noise.

Next, we had the (questionable) pleasure of seeing the gig of Muller of Death. Despite the fact that the band can't play any good music, at some point those, say, rather bland artists started kissing each other. In the meantime the audience got dispersed.

To dry our tears the band Architekt entered the stage. It's the project which reminds me of Haujobb, but at the same time I thought they played far better. And they were, but it all was destroyed by a very poor vocal.

The strangest concert of that day (and of the whole Festival) was the one of Warren Suicide. The musicians, who apparently got their inspiration for lyrics and image from the ideology of Flower Children, offered us a really joyful concert. Visualizations as if from 4FunTV plus a funny scenic manner – all this made me wonder what was this band doing among electro and industrial bands.

Finally, I saw the gig I'd been waiting for – the one of Soman. Actually, it's hard to call the DJ set a concert; Soman played the music from the computer sporadically accompanied by the vocalist's singing. Was it bad? Not at all, cause Soman really knows how to serve a disco to his audience. The madness by the stage exceeded all other concerts. The additional treat was the performance of four dancers, including Diva Izazella and Natasha de Viant of the duo from Cracow - DevilAngels.

After the gig of Soman, Werk II got a bit empty. In the meantime This Morn' Omina – which was fantastc - entered the stage. I hadn't seen such energetic musicians for long. It was obvious that playing concert was a good fun also for the artist themselves. Visualizations, drums and perfectly prepared show were really astounding! Of course they played "One Eyed Man", and also "Mainomai" and "Dublelionrouti"

The hard return to reality was offered to us by a rather poor concert of Grendel. Definitely, it was better than the one in Bolkow, but still it wasn't any good (and the vocal - it should be changed)
There were four gents on the stage, and surely the gig was well prepared, but not interesting anyway.
We heard such hits as "Zombie nation", "Soilbleed" and "Pax Psychosic" plus the material of the new album. I was so wore off after this concert that I resigned of the rest.

There wasn't much to watch on Monday. Getting to Kohlrabzirkus wasn't that easy as we'd thought, but finally we managed to reach the hall in half of Tamtrum gig. Musically it was really good, but the vocal was a bit 'out of order'. Still, gents were running mad on the scene while playing such songs as "Datura Dream", "Abort the pope" and "Paranoic".

The next bands were Proceed and Dive which I'm not going to comment upon, as these were the ones I didn't listen to as I didn't like them. Heimataerde did more than fine! It was marvellous to watch the musicians wearing the clothes of Medieval knights, playing strong electro and using strange wind- instruments. I'd risk and call their genre medieval-electro, to label them somehow. They played: "Endlos", "Gib Mir" and "Morituri Salutant".It was really worth seeing!

I'd been waiting for the concert of Dismantled, but I got hugely disappointed. They had some problems with sound which in a result was totally distorted. Additionally, the vocal didn't sound as nice as on the album and the atmosphere of particular songs was totally gone. Dismantled played a.o:
"Thanks for everything", "Exit" and "Get It Through".

That was the last concert of WGT (at least for me) as the song of Nitzer EBB scared me away from Fixmer &McCarthy gig.

The Festival Wave Gotik Treffen is really an exceptional experience. In spite of inconvenient conditions of camping it's worth going there for marvellous atmosphere and the music. Memories and impressions are indelible!

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Translator: Ultima
Add date: 2007-07-02 / Live reports


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