Review: EMA + Ganglians

Ganglians and EMA is actually an odd pairing. Perfect for me though. I just love love love Ganglians and I've always wanted to see EMA live. So a ticket for this one was quickly purchased.

We arrived fairly early because playing times at Festsaal have lately been a little unpredictable and we certainly didn't want to miss Ganglians, who were the main reason for me to spend my evening at Festsaal. The venue was practically empty when we made our way in at 9:30pm. Hmmm. It was a bit of a déja-vu because last time Ganglians played a full set in Berlin nobody had bothered to show up (read about it here). Luckily for us and the band, by the time Ganglians came on stage, Festsaal wasn't super busy but had filled enough to create an atmosphere and show the group some appreciation. And just as well because the band always looks like they really enjoy playing their songs.

Ganglians had presented their new album in Berlin a few months ago in an accoustic session at Monarch, and we hadn't really been able to tell what the new songs sounded like (see review). I was therefore very curious to hear the new material live with a full band. And this was interesting, to start with, let's say during the first half of the set, the old songs seemed to please me more. The new material is overall a little less poppy and a little more surf and I was not really getting it. Yet. Because about half way through the set I was suddenly finding myself warming to those new tunes and by the end I was loving it. All of it, old and new. 

Ganglians have done it again for me. This troupe really hits my heart. 

After quite a long in-between break, in which Festsaal filled up nicely, EMA finally hit the stage. And now here was a surprise. I was thinking of dancy tunes with sort of dark female vocals and a grungy guitar influence. Don't ask me why. We were getting elaborate guitar sound scapes, low key drumming and a Violent Femmes cover. The most amazing part of the performance was by far the violine player, altering his play between guitar-like and classic voiline. Interesting. But not quite enough. While I did enjoy what I saw, it didn't live up to my, admittedly high, expectations. I lost interest halfway through the performance and went to hang out outside with friends. And to be honest, there was a bit of a crowd hanging out outside. I guess EMA and Ganglians just doesn't draw the same crowd and those that were there for Ganglians couldn't make it through a whole EMA set, like myself.

Nevermind though. It was a wonderful evening with amazing Ganglians and a likable EMA and friends. Many went to the aftershow at Monarch but I headed home. There are just too many gigs just now for me to make full nights out of each and every one of them.

Quick review: Zola Jesus

I admit, I didn't really know what would await me, I wasn't that familiar with Zola Jesus. Goth and Dance mixed together maybe? I knew, however, that Zola Jesus is big business.

Berghain's Panorama Bar was sold out and packed and we little people only got a spot right at the back. The pre-gig mood was lively and loud. The audience appeared to consist of students, students and some more people who were primarily bland. 

Zola Jesus came on with a bang, smoke, projections and a far out light show that matched her theatrical singing. At first, I was taken aback by a pretty full on start to the show. But after about two songs I got thoroughly bored. While her operatic singing is impressive and would enrich any great song, the actual songs were lacking something special. It was all very commercial, unintelligent light disco pop, not enough rhythm to get you dancing (in fact, nobody in the audience danced), but not melodic enough to catch your attention.

In addition, the sound was disappointing. I am a fan of Berghain as a venue because of it's amazing ambience. But what's that worth when you can only hear bass and drums and hardly any keyboards? 

I'm not sure what to make of it all. Disappointed and in wonder why this is receiving the amount of attention it is, I think there are a several artists who are doing a similar thing, albeit maybe not as professional, who deserve this attention more.

Review: Greg MacPherson

I almost missed this one and only found out that Greg MacPherson was playing at Roter Salon in the Volksbühne, because friends of mine asked if they could visit me on an extended weekend to see the show on Monday. I saw Greg before several (four, to be exact) years ago and I like a good deal of his records, so I went with them and didn't regret it.
We were quite early as I thought Volksbühne is more strict with their schedule. So we hung out in front of the building a bit and waited until the entry was open. Surprisingly there was nearly no one else attending, so everyone of the only about ten (!) people who came could get a nice comfy armchair directly in front of the stage. Roter Salon really lives up to its name with red curtains, red chairs and red light and I have never came so close to a real life Twin Peaks experience than in this room. The only things missing were the backwards dancing person of short stature and the Twin Peaks music...

There was no support act, so it was just Greg MacPherson with a microphone, guitar and amplifier. But this gig wasn't just reduced to the essentials, it was also very intense and good. Greg enjoyed the intimate atmosphere and chatted with the audience, from which he funnily knew most of the people. He filled several song requests and told some background stories behind the songs which was quite nice.

All in all this was a pleasantly relaxed concert. I heard all the songs I hoped to hear and had a good time so I didn't mind paying a relatively high entry price of 10€ for just one solo act. But despite Roter Salon being a seriously beautiful venue, I somehow wish he had played somewhere else. This didn't seem to be the right surrounding and I think in another venue there would have been a lot more people attending. I also think Roter Salon/Volksbühne isn't particularly great in promoting small concerts like this... As I said, if it wasn't by chance I would have certainly missed this. Hopefully next time he plays under better circumstances.

Quick review: The Specials

I was invited to see The Specials. Lots of my favourite songs are Specials songs, so it was indeed special to be able to see this group, these heroes live once.

What can I say? A quick positive / negative comparison does this the most justice:

Positive

• Played all the hits except "Ghost Town"
• The sound was good
• The singing was second to none
• 10 people on stage
• No local wanna-be Ska band supporting
• Lots of dancing and partying by the entire audience

Negative

• Terry Hall in a bad mood and not part of the encore (which was not really an encore anyway, thus growing anger in the crowd)
• Show way too professional for me - it was almost like watching a show on Broadway - it is the band's source of income, not their means for creativity
• Skinhead fans all have ADS and no sense of rhythm
• No "Ghost Town", hence angry fans (although the flying beer cups could count as a positive)
• Columbiahalle being Columbiahalle

We had a really good time, no doubt, but it wasn't like going to see your favourite band in concert. It was like going to a big event, with all the ins and outs, including brezels on sale outside after the gig (reminded me of the hot dog salesman who follows Homer around). 

Review: Einstürzende Neubauten, Wire, Caspar Brötzmann Massaker

J. spotted this one way before anyone and we were quick to respond. And so it happened that I was standing on Köpenicker Str. in the early hours of the evening, waiting to be let into Tresor. Einstürzende Neubauten, Wire, and the Caspar Brötzmann Massaker were going to play a free gig for the benefit of a TV recording.

The management of this part of the evening was atrocious. A large crowd of people had assembled on the pavement and only a few people at a time were let through the gates. This meant that a lot of pushing ensued and for a moment I felt like giving up and abandoning the concert as my evening entertainment. But it was too late. There was no getting back, with the crowd pushing from behind. By the time I was finally through the gate, having nearly been trampled, and my name had been checked off a list, I wasn't in the mood for a show.

But my mind changed quickly. The building with its bare industrial feel is quite magical. I'm not much of a techno club goer, you may have guessed by now, so I didn't know Tresor and its interior. Very nice indeed. We grabbed a drink and tried to position ourselves well in the gig area. Now this was an unusual set up: three stages facing each other in a triangle and the audience in the middle. For the purpose of filming, a camera was zooming back and forth above our heads, held by metal rods. We were told by an instructor that it had never dropped and wouldn't do so this evening either. Good to know.

The format was as follows: each band was to play two short sets (about 2-3 songs each), with some short interviews with the groups inbetween. The presenter was unexpectedly Silke Super, of MotorFM fame. I guess she must have left the station when they changed to FluxFM. 

Einstürzende Neubauten started. A word of caution: I am by no means a fan. I recognise the contribution Einstürzende Neubauten have made to music and I appreciate their aim to combine art, poetry and music. But I find their records pretty much unlistenable. And I know what I'm talking about; I used to live with someone who had an EN tattoo. No kidding. 

But I was sufficiently impressed this night. Blixa Bargeld looked old but still sang beautifully and overall, the group performed as if the 80s had never ended. Their self-made industrial instruments were amazing to watch and perfectly placed in the factory setting that we were in. And I guess they must have played their most digestible songs, because I enjoyed the music too, to my own surprise.

The interview Silke Super was attempting with Blixa Bargeld didn't go so well. In fact, Mr Bargeld was unnecessarily rude to the poor woman, who was just trying to do her job. I know it's his image but this was over the top and no fun to watch. I was glad when more music followed.

The next group, Caspar Brötzmann Massaker, seemed to have brought along some die-hard fans who were rocking out hard, but couldn't convince me. It was like combining hippie guitar solo stuff with industrial music. Sounds great? Well, it wasn't for me. But it could be good in the right setting for the right people. Presumably, it is. 

We made sure to position ourselves appropriately for Wire. At least for me, this was the highlight of the evening. I had missed them at Berlin Festival (and now I wish I hadn't) and I was going to make the most out of this one. And what can I say? They were really good. I'm assuming that you are either familiar with Wire or are going to research this right now. It's basic music lover's knowledge. But basically, Wire have set the precedence for so many bands that would follow after them. And I felt that they really lived up to that without being pretentious. I was ever so impressed by how good they were and how well they'd aged. A great performance.

To end the event, all three bands played a song together, originally by Einstürzende Neubauten. By that point, the format of the program really reminded me of Later with Jools Holland, a British live music TV show that I can recommend to any music fan. And fair enough, why should Germany not have its own Later with...

We were told that the program is going to be on TV (ZDFNeo) in early December. So watch out for that if you want to see it all for yourself.

Ben. Alright!

I've just found out that Ben Butler and Mousepad is finally playing in Berlin again on 7 October. Alright! This is exciting news for this little fan!!