WESTEND FESTIVAL

[Dajana] Reanimated for the 20th anniversary and the 200th issue of Germany’s Visions Magazine in 2010, the WESTEND FESTIVAL goes into its third edition, establishing itself as an annual festival for bands and newcomers beyond the mainstream. On four days selected bands of the Hardcore, Indie- and Post Rock genre with partly special shows (e.g. Therapy?’s Troublegum set) share stage at Dortmund’s first venue for concerts & festivals: the FZW. But it was the last festival day that made my heart beat much faster. Was I still pondering how to catch each of the bands singly on their current tours I now got the chance to see all of them in one night sharing the same stage one by one. How fucking great is that?

:: pics ::

[Dajana] In best company and with my new discovery SoCoLi and some gremlins running through my blood we joined in with :: LONG DISTANCE CALLING :: opening this evening with a 45 minutes set through their entire history. Once again their team play, interaction and performance generally was a real eye-catcher that will even enthuse fans some time later as German TV channel Rockpalast filmed the shows and will broadcast them later this month.
[Bert] Once again LONG DISTANCE CALLING could not convince me live. While their records offer an excellent soundtrack for your own imagination back home in your four walls, I think the music’s subtleties get killed during their live shows. And besides, for the bombastic instrumental metal attack a lá Pelican LONG DISTANCE CALLING still lack of compositional finesse and extravagance. They still sound too onesided at times.
Setlist: Into The Black Wide Open, Black Paper Planes, Arecibo, Metulsky Curse Revisited, Apparitions

[Dajana] Time has come for an one-of-a-kind performance :: BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE :: ! No way to take any photo this time since they added some smoke to the omnipresent darkness. The camera crew looked like driven mad… ;) So the best one can do is closing eyes and listening. Sound was not that good but luckily not that bad to get on nerves either. The few announcements made by Morten Grass were once again an absolute highlight, upstaging hordes of comedians and wannabe-ones. Also BOHREN played through their history beginning with their current EP Beileid back to the band’s masterpiece Black Earth.
[Bert] I can only agree. That was epic. Cinema at its most in a noir-style. I only missed Bogart at the bar ;) I just think that such kind of performances would be better off at an old cinema or theater, fully seated. At such big concert hall you unfortunately have loads of ignorant people talking bullshit loudly, when a quiet band such as BOHREN flows in slowness. Please shot them directly next time, retards!

[Dajana] I was even more looking forward to the master of guitar walls and loud-low-dynamics :: MOGWAI :: since I never have seen them live so far. And those who already did told amazing things about their shows. So, what to say now? It was awesome! Breathtaking. Gooseflesh causing and as intensive as anything. It was not that loud as I expected, at least my pant legs did not flutter ;) Instead one could perfectly dream off to lands no one else can reach. Of course, MOGWAI focused on their current record Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, which is - for my taste - a bit too playful. But thankfully Glasgow’s extraordinaire also pilgrimaged back to the good old and more spherical days till the beginning with the classic Mogwai Fear Satan of MOGWAI’s debut Mogwai Young Team. Do I have to mention that it was a grandiose show?
[Bert] Finally MOGWAI live! Sound was great and clear, but the expected decibel massacre was holding off. And there were no encores. Regarding the setlist MOGWAI offered a great mixture of new and old stuff as one might know from their live BBC sessions. So, no real surprises. As for that they dragged Luke Sutherland (ex-mainman ov great and unique Long Fin Killie) onto stage, who already contributed guest vocals and violins on several MOGWAI records. Stageacting was restrained and their notorious kind of humor left back home in Scotland. Never mind! Their show was epic, an excellent live performance! Yes, I want to come back!
Setlist: White Noise, Travel Is Dangerous, Death Rays, Rano Pano, I’m Jim Morrison I’m Dead, How To Be A Werewolf, Two Rights Make One Wrong, San Pedro, I Know You Are But What Am I?, Hunted By A Freak, Mogwai Fear Satan, Mexican Gran Prix

[Dajana] That’s the way a fantastic evening goes to an end at the same time marking one of the concert highlights in 2011. Top 5 I’d say. Altogether the WESTEND FESTIVAL was well attended, but none of the four days sold out. Air was bad in the big hall, but luckily there was the possibility to go out to the beer garden and the bar and for the first rows security hold a lot of cups with water. Yep, definitely a great evening!