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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

meet me at baggage claim: Berlin Festival 2012

mainstage

good use of the adjective "fucktastic"

Fresh from the front and two previous nights of Berlin Music Week (Nordic by Nature review coming soon yes it was good), yours truly was mildly haggard getting to the festival grounds today, must be noted that as soon as you get off at Tempelhof and start to see the big banners welcoming you, all sort of week-related cares melt away. This year the entrance it through the old airport, so you come out on a staircase overlooking the art village, backgrounded by the hazy and gray afternoon sun.

Of Monsters and Men

Ahh, these Icelanders, my love affair with Scandinavia continues. The set included lots of hand claps and "ooh aahhs" if you can visualize that.  They played a decent set, including "Mountain Sound" (about flying over the ocean on the back of a witch, only people from Bjork's country can do this kind of thing) "Lakehouse" "Six Weeks" and their hit, "Little Talks."  Highlight was "Skeletons" a cover of a Yeah Yeah Yeahs song, always admirable that in a short set a band chooses to honor an infuence. All in all though I found it pretty standard and watered down indie-folk, but a nice calm way to start an epic two days of music.

Clock Opera

This band....this band is ...huh? wait I can't hear you the set was so loud the cloth skirt on the stage was shaking.  Even with earplugs, you feel this set in your sternum.  This four piece band from England loves, I mean LOVES, their percussion.  The mildly spastic frontman also helps keep your attention.  Clock Opera recorded is to Clock Opera live as turning on the light switch is to being electrocuted.  They ended with a rousing "Once and For All" and, to quote the frontman, "Pretty good for a Friday at 4 pm."  Be sure to see them at Bii Nuu this September if you are in Berlin.

Friends

Jasmine took some uppers

weighs the same as her guitar

You know sometimes I think they need to rename this Festival the Brooklyn festival, New York is annoyingly well represented.  Lead singer Samantha Urbani comes out looking like Jasmine from Aladdin had she been kidnapped and brainwashed by hipsters, with flowing white pants, a huge belt, a black and white harlequin pattern top and hair in a top ponytail that is perfect for belly dancing and whipping around in all sorts of lewd dance moves that throwback to early, and I mean early, Madonna.  Their set of danceable, disco glitter pop was rounded out nicely by a Urbani walking out into the crowd, to the utter delight of the grim faced security guards. She put her hand on his shoulder and told him "It's okay, you can have fun." 

security guards do not like

Grimes

let me just fix this one...thing

Okay much hype has been blasted through the universe about this Canadian musician/artist, and video director.   The show consisted of her before a table of various mixing elements, and a sunglassed gentlemen on an electric drum.  Add four mildly frightening dancers dressed like hallucinogenic jellyfish, with lights and all, and you have the setting: a sort of trippy, smoke filled nightmare that blends perfectly with Grimes breathy vocals and electronic jams.  And there was a surprise visit from our favorite exhibitionist from Friends. 

Samantha Urbani keeps it tame and modest

Miike Snow

Sweden's darlings in black and white

Well, to my surprise this Swedish electronic indie pop rescued me from the Jaar induced coma.  The lead singer looks like some strung out version of Andrew WK, dressed entirely in black.  Their set included "Bavarian #1 (Say You Will)," "The Wave," and an excellent version of "Paddling Out."  Like Clock Opera, this is a band that is about 9,000 times better  live.  And, please, musicians, this is what we go to shows for, to see songs done differently! Or else we would just stay home and listen to your album in the comfort of our own homes!

Major Lazer

Now, here is way to end the show of shows. Yeah, we could have seen Orbital, but I it's not 1998, and we could have seen the Killers, but I haven't liked them since Twain and I made out to them before my Cotillion ball (this is a heavily laced American reference sorry.)  So, Major Lazer! And we chose well.  In one hour, this group included (but no limited to): confetti cannons, glow sticks, pool toys, sexy dancers, a group of women from the audience dancing onstage (to "Bubble Butt"), a guy getting on stage and dry humped by two of the sexy dancers, a blow up ball so Diplo could crowd surf, and dance instructions ("To the left! to the right!").  High energy is a bit of an understatement.  Samples included, but not limited to, Paul Simon's "You Can Call me All," Belafonte's "Day-O," Prodigy's "Smack my Bitch Up," Azelia Banks "212" and dancehall classics like "Jump Up."  Showmanship people, it counts.

Bubble Butt dancers

the boy in the bubble

best bombs are confetti bombs

looking out into the crowd

The Disappointments

No, they weren't in the lineup, I am just going to title this section about the sets I gave up on.  We Have Band began with "Where are your People?"  It reminded me a little, one millionth of a bit of Gang Gang Dance, but GGD does it better.  Barbara and I got way up in front for Nicolas Jaar, who I did not realize is the son of Alfredo Jaar, who's (tragic and depressing) art show was enjoyed by me at the Berlinische Galerie this summer.  I left the barricade after ten minutes because I was falling asleep.  What is so off putting about just guy behind a laptop?  The music was long and pointless, and just at point when you thought it would crescendo or at least change it just kept going.  Thankfully Miike Snow brought me out of the coma.