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Berlin Festival, September 8, 2012

Oh, when did twentysomethings get so pushy?

Second day of the festival, fourth straight day of shows and bands, and I enjoyed some displays in the Art Village section. These pictures were taken inside the emotion maker, which was a refreshing space to slip into while gearing up for more standing.

Edo and Paul getting emotional

touching the membrane

I walked out on The Crocodiles set, it was nothing original. 

Laing 

On to Laing, a girl group that distinguished itself by being the ONLY band to address the crowd in German. Seriously, the only band!  3 beautiful women in front of a drummer singing about how they are “So Verliebt” ("so in loooove") .  They have coordinated outfits and dance moves, and even blew some closed minds with some air cello.  While I appreciated the feel good German pop and robot dance moves, the were essentially singing over a pre-recorded track which in my mind detracts a little (no wait A LOT) from the whole point of a live show. Either way, Marisa the dancer was additional eye candy while Atina, Johana and Nicola sang about getting up in the morning, falling in and out of love, and other sundry topics over drumbeats laid down by their Schlagzeuger (see you now know how to say drummer in German) Ketan Bhatti.  Standard stuff, but done with great style.

I Heart Sharks

ohmygodwewerethat close! not really

An indie rock band that quotes itself as being from the U.K. and Germany, this three piece came out in matching blue shirts and black slacks, and what can I say I love a band in uniform.  The heartbreakingly pretty frontman is Pierre Bee, and singing in a distinctly British way that echoes back to all your UK favorites like The Wedding Present. I was reminded of early Arctic Monkeys, these guys owe a lot a Brit Pop.  They played “Monogamy,” “Summer,” “Suburbia,” and, wittily introduced a track this way “This song is called Lies. It’s about lying.” (Oh, that German tendency for over-clarification). Why are these young and beautiful boys so heartbroken?  Check out their album Summer, and you’ll get over the break up, she’ll call soon, I promise.

WhoMadeWho

 Now, I was initially skeptical of WhoMadeWho, one tends to be wary of bands that appropriate another band's album titles.  The festival guide in the front the newly launched Greatest Berlin magazine mentioned they were from Denmark. (As an critical editorial aside, the guide was one of the worst written things in the whole magazine, literally WhoMadeWho was described as "They are from Denmark, which is were Lego comes from, and we used to play with Lego."  WHO WROTE THAT SHIT?)

so classy they have to be in black and white

Again, we have another band in uniform, except these men are dapper gents in grey tweed suits, period hats, well trimmed beards, and a drummer with a bow tie. You have to be so rock n roll to pull that off.  With musical chops to match the fashionable attire, guitarist Jeppe Kjellberg executed a brilliant slide with a champagne glass while bassist Tomas Hoffding walked on the monitors and danced out into the crowd for a bit.  Enjoy a Spleen United remix of "Every Minute Alone."  Let's call it progressive electro disco rock, if Aphex Twin cut an album with Captain Beefheart in the Safe as Milk era.  Most notable are the strong bass lines and musical skill, which could be found lacking in other bands at the festival (in  other bands in Berlin, in a lot of new music in general...I could go on.)

Franz Ferdinand

I won't waste my energy reviewing this band since they all probably drive Bentleys now but enjoy this photo.

Soundtrack of Our Lives

Okay, my notes get kinda hazy at this point, I would say this is what a band looks like when fat Jesus in a tunic and scarf and Frank Zappa's bastard son form a band. Looking like a band of outlaws from the Wild West, the guitarist even had a sherrif's badge.  This band of misfits from Sweden follows all kinds of hazy, pseudo-new age philosophies which I can't be bothered to read, I'll confess my mind wandered a lot even as the front man wandered out on stage. Sounds like pretty run-of-mill post-prog rock.  

In conclusion

Do we buy the club ticket next year? Do we just buy a music week ticket? Or do we say "no more corporate!" and only stick to small, local festivals or the ones that showcase real up and coming talent? So many decisions to be made...and whole year to do it.  Thanks to all the people who said "Excuse me" before they shoved us.

Edo, Paul, Barbara & Kika