"Just Popping to Germany"

Last weekend I ignored the many deadlines and exams looming and traveled to Essen to see Faun play one of their extra Luna tour shows. It was a bit of an irresponsible idea but, having missed them at Castlefest because of being stupid and ill, I decided it was worth it. My big exam was today and I didn't feel totally out of my depth so all's well that ends well, right? ;-)

Anyway, back to Essen.

I'm a very happy scrapbooker right now!

Actually, if I'm going to see show that's touring round Germany, I'll try to see it in Essen. It's a lovely little city in many ways. For me, it's great that most people don't speak a lot of English but are patient and really keen to successfully communicate so I get to practice my crappy German without feeling that I'm inconveniencing anyone. I suppose that comes from it not being too much of a tourist hub. It's also comfortable because I've found a nice, affordable hotel about a block away from the theatre.

And now comes the really, really hard bit, attempting to tell you about Faun's concert. Sometimes, well most of the time, it's difficult to find the words to describe a concert. Sure, I've learned to do it academically and, I'm sure if I thought about it, I could tell you a lot of little theatre/literature style analyses but that's not the soul of a performance. 

To cut a very long story short, it was amazing. To be honest, even now, a few days on, it's all still a bit of a blur! There are moments, naturally, that stand out. The memory of the opening, with sudden loud drums making my mother, and most of the audience, jump sky high, still makes me laugh, for example. And I don't think I'll be able to listen to "Walpurgisnacht" without hearing an over enthusiastic audience singing along!

DANKE ESSEN / THANK YOU ESSENVielen Dank wir hatten einen wunderbaren Samstag Abend mit Euch und auch die anschließende...

Posted by FAUN on Sunday, 11 October 2015

Faun are one of my favourite bands; every member is actually quite special, and thoroughly talented, which leads to an all round strength that you don't see in a lot of groups. Rüdiger's drum solo has to stand out though - I mean, it's amazing to hear what can be done by, effectively, 'just' hitting a bit of stretched material. I'm still not quite sure how it was possible! Add to the already wonderful mix a couple of marvelous guest musicians, Efrén López and Maya Fridman, and you have a wonderful musical company.

Something else that I really did like about the show was the way in which it combined theatrics, assisted by the mesmerising dancers Yulya Ayuna Kholeva and  Masha Shushera, with just 'pure' music. There were some songs that were big and all encompassing and then there were other times, like the small set after the interval, when acoustic style music was allowed to shine. This ebb and flow meant that the show was effective in every moment.

To be honest, I could go on in this rambling fashion for quite some time but that's no fun for anyone and doesn't do it justice either so I shall stop.

Something else more than worth mentioning is the signing table moment after the show. It saved me waiting around in the cold to get my scrapbook painting signed - something that is more appreciated than you will ever know. Oh, and it has to be said that the members of the band were even kinder than they are talented, and that's one of the biggest compliments that I could pay.

Castlefest 2015

"I wasn't at the festival because I was very sick but, when I was there, I was trying to make Dafni dance" 

-Havanah's Castlefest according to Dafni 

From left to right, Heleen, Dafni, me.

This year's post isn't going to be quite the same size as those in previous years. I usually try and comment on every aspect of Castlefest and the bands I saw in order to satisfy my obsessive documentation needs. This year, there isn't so very much to say. I managed to get food poisoning (as did my poor mother) which meant that Castlefest was rather short for us both. We managed to go for part of Saturday although we left early and did little, and most of Sunday, although both of us were still pretty weak. We're not buying from that shop ever again!!!

I had planned to see quite a few different bands, with time to lurk around and look at the various things around and about. I had also planned to camp but, at 1 a.m. on the Thursday night it became quite clear that wasn't going to happen. After several hours feeling exceptionally trapped and sorry for myself with only twitter for company, I finally gave in and called a taxi. It was the right decision considering, as soon as I got to the hotel, I was really ill. It was the most expensive taxi ride of my life and also the one that I am most pleased I chose to take!

So, it was Saturday afternoon before I made it to the festival grounds and, to be honest, I only managed to catch a couple of bands that day and mainly sat around one of the stages. By the afternoon I was pretty dead and, much to my annoyance, I had to leave before the evening started. No wicker man, no Cesair main stage (although I did manage to see them the next day, indeed it was the only show I actually managed to stand for!), no Faun. I was pretty upset over missing Faun but I am pretty sure I'm going to see them in Essen to make up for it so all things balance out, I suppose. I can't make up for missing Dafni see her favourite band for the first time but there we go!

Cesair's Sunday set: The one show I actually managed to photograph properly!

I did manage to watch Rastaban with Dafni and attempted to force her to join in a bit... hey, someone needs to be that annoying friend who attempts to coerce participation. I attempted to continue my Dafni training at home when 'Arise' played on the CD to cries of "here we go again!"

The other highlight for me would have to be when I went to get my scrapbook painting signed by Finvarra and they were totally overwhelming in their kindness. Still can't get over how lovely they were, particularly when those paintings are, as far as I'm concerned, my little hobby for myself and nothing special at all. It was the last moment of the weekend for me and, quite frankly, it made it for me.

Photo taken from Finvarra's facebook page :-)

I didn't take many photos this year for obvious reasons but the few I did take can be found on my facebook page, as always!

Castlefest review: Saturday

For introduction post and Thursday round-up click here, for Friday click here.

Saturday

My plan for the morning was to go and catch the very start of Finvarra's set and then go to see Asynje
while my mother stayed at the former. I'd heard bits of Finvarra's music and wanted to listen to them live but as they clashed with Asynje I knew I was going to have to leave. Well, that didn't quite work out. In the end, I ended up so wrapped up in Finvarra that I ended up staying for the whole thing.

Finvarra, apparently play celtic folk with oriental aspects. However we catagorise their music it's really, really good! Gwen, their normal vocalist, was away on maternity leave and hence lead vocals were provided by Monique of Cesair but it didn't impact on the general performance at all.

The general performance was wonderful. The audience were up and dancing despite the heat - and it was boiling - and the combination of music and dance was the perfect way to start the day. Of course, I bought Finvarra's CD after this set and am currently listening to it. I would certainly go and see them in their own right at some point.

After Finvarra, and conveniently on the same stage, it was time for Zirp. Zirp are one of my favourite live bands because they are simply such good fun. Every time I see them I wish that I could get up and join in with the dance. Seriously, their music will drive me to dance again and that will be dangerous for anyone in the area! Anyway, I digress!

Their hurdy gurdy led folk music makes it impossible to stay still or, indeed, to be unhappy. Intricate melodies, driving tempos, there's something infectious about their music. Before their set, my mother commented on how empty the area in front of the stage was, questioning if Zirp weren't popular... her question was soon answered when they started playing and that space became the dance floor!

It's the only photo I have of all the band, okay! ;-)

My favourite piece that they play would probably be Bourrée Inkarnation and it's probably easy to just listen to them playing than me blathering on about them!

After their set I, once again, decided to try and get one of my scrapbook paintings signed and I was so so pleased that I did. The band were so appreciative of the drawing and it really gave me a chance to chat to them and I can certainly vouch that they are lovely guys! It was weird though as my little scrapbook sketch garnered more attention than I could have imagined with the band asking to have a photo with it. There's something strange about something that you created for yourself to show your respect for the artistry of another receiving so much attention in its own right but I was so pleased too, of course!!

The next band that I was lucky enough to catch was Cesair. Cesair are probably one of my complete

favourite bands. Their music has this magical quality to it and I love both their CD and the shows I have been lucky enough to catch. Although I only managed to see the one show this festival (there were too many clashes between good bands!), it certainly lived up to expectations. I won't go on too much about their show as previous posts have already said it all but once again, I can only say that I would highly recommend catching them live, if possible, and purchasing their CD.

Once again, after the set I went to get my scrapbook painting signed and had another rather large shock with how nice everyone was about the image, based on their CD cover. Fieke, in particular, was so sweet and that did mean so much to me. I also spent a bit of time, while hanging around the Cesair merchandise area, talking to a lovely lady from Amsterdam who was, similarly, lurking. Although I have no continuing contact with her, these little meetings, comings together of strangers, are what make Castlefest such a special festival.

Mother and I then planned to sit down at the back during Corvus Corax's set as there was a real shortfall of seats. I didn't know Corvus Corax particularly well but, having heard a few tracks and a lot of good things about their live show, had decided to attempt to see them but I wasn't that fussed about sitting and not prancing around (etc etc). However, a few tracks in it became clear that there was no way you could sit still, or stand still, during one of their sets. While the music wouldn't be my choice on my iPod, the live show was so loud, energetic, and engaging that it was thoroughly enjoyable. There is no doubt that they are skilled musicians, even if the style isn't quite to my taste, and, moreover, great performers. I may not go out of my way to see them again but I hope that our paths may cross, nevertheless!

Following their set came the burning of the Wicker Owl. Each year, there is some kind of wicker creature/figure with some symbolism that is, on the Saturday, burned with messages etc within it. I won't attempt to describe the whole process as you can see for yourself in the video below. However, what I will say is that it's a profound moment of unity. At that moment, everyone is joined and it is something quite special. 

Video from Castlefest's youtube channel

Following this was Faun. Now, Faun have been one of my favourite bands for many, many years now and I would say that every show of theirs is special. Okay, I'm a bit biased. However, there was something really special about this show. I don't know if it was because it followed the Wickerman ritual, if it was because it was the 10th anniversary of Castlefest, or if it was just an amazing crowd. The atmosphere, the energy of this show was much greater than I have seen before. Wonderful!

 

I was also lucky enough to meet Faun after the show, something that I have not managed to do before (although I've met Oliver when I've seen Folk Noir, previously, and Stephan with Zirp, obviously!). Pleased that I managed to meet them but even more pleased I was at that show. Looking forward to seeing them again soon!

I have a lot more photos on my facebook page, and Sunday's review will be up soon!

DVD Review - 'Von den Elben: deluxe edition' by Faun

This is a rather long, description of the contents of the DVD part of 'Von den Elben: Deluxe Edition', reviewed here. The aim of this is to help people to decide if it's worth buying the Deluxe Edition of the album when they already own the CD and therefore includes quite a lot of detail as to what is discussed in the documentary, although it doesn't tell the stories of contain a full explanation of events that are discussed.

Personally, I think it's well worth buying, even if you already own the CD and can be bought on their website.

The menu comes up basically all in English unsure if this is, at least partially because I’ve had English subs on or if it’s English for everyone. To set up subtitles, or to switch them off, go to ‘optionen’. From what I can tell, there’s only an option for English subs, not for German or other language subs. Also, just to annoy people, the subtitles don’t extend to the live clips of shows even though the introductions of the songs are included.

Main menu

The Acoustic Tour videos are Sao Roma, Subrali, NeAludj El, and Belle Dame Sans Merci. The Eden Tour videos are Lupercalia, Rosmarin, Da Que Deus. They include a lot more of the aesthetic of the Eden tour which is quite nice to experience although I think that the visual of the video does sometimes suffer because of the lighting/smoke/curtains etc., which are effective live, making a clear picture difficult. There are then two videos from the Festival Medieval, Andro and Jyansa, which, again, suffer visually because the lighting seems too strong for the camera. That said, the clips are lovely and are also of a high quality sound-wise. The Video Clip of Diese kalte Nacht explains itself really and is the music video of the song.

The documentary, 10 Years of Faun, is by far the highlight. The documentary ties together footage and photos of the band performing/traveling etc. with the members talking about their memories of the band’s life so far and their views on each other. I've split the sections into the chapters included in the DVD, written a few words as to what's included, and then written a more in detail summary of the things discussed. I've not said when you get every picture or live clip or whatever because that would be even more confusing. I've also lost all of the charm and humour that comes across when the band are talking but this is basically a list so here goes....

CD Review - 'Von den Elben: deluxe edition' by Faun

Genre: Medieval Folk

Review:

Faun has been one of my favourite bands for some years now so I’ll not beat about any bushes: I am incredibly biased.

This review is for the deluxe version of their gold-selling ‘Von den Elben’. The deluxe version comes with a couple of extra tracks and a D.V.D. but is otherwise the same in content to the plain C.D. which I also own. I do believe that it is worth getting the deluxe version if you’re a fan of the band as the D.V.D. is, in my mind, worth as much as the C.D. itself.

So, despite the fact I’ve had the music for a long while, what about the C.D.? It’s different to what you’re used to hearing with Faun but that was expected. It’s not different in a bad way either, but I do think that it’s something you have to bear in mind when listening.

As an overall listening experience, this C.D. is enjoyable. There is, as one comes to expect from Faun, a mixture of different styles of songs from percussion heavy, to dance songs, to softer ballads and, as always, they carry these styles off with musical aplomb. Listening through the C.D., the tracks work as an overall experience and there’s not one song that I would skip and therefore wish to actively avoid. This is a rarity as there tends to be at least one track per album (generally, not talking about Faun here) that bores me and gets skipped. There are, however, a few tracks on ‘Von den Elben’ that I wouldn’t choose to actively listen to because they’re simply not as strong or memorable in comparison to the others.

So what about the songs that I love on this album? I think that it was right to choose ‘Diese kalte Nacht’ as their music video single as it’s probably one of the strongest on the album. It has a strong rhythm, some lovely instrumentation, and a sweet storyline. ‘Tanz mit mir’ is a drinking type song, a raucous duet featuring Santiano and is a fantastic fun and catchy song. ‘Welche Sprache spricht dein herz’ is a slower song, with a slightly rhythm driven chorus, that has a really beautiful melody, in my opinion, and some wonderful vocals too. That said, my favourite song on the album has to be the stunning ‘Thymian &  Rosmarin’ which is simple, soft, and stunning. It’s a real clear cut favourite.

The two news songs on the album do rather stand out as ‘bonus tracks’ as they don’t seem to fit in with the style of the album itself but would probably fit right in on one of Faun’s older albums. ‘Sao Roma’ is a great track that starts off with a haunting melody and then somehow becomes a fast, driven piece of music(**)! ‘Lorelei’ is also quite wonderful and reminds me a bit of one of those dark children’s fairy-tale songs that you come across during the verse while the chorus lifts out of this a little.

The reason to get the deluxe version, however, is definitely the D.V.D. or, more importantly, the documentary. The documentary was really interesting to watch, made me smile a fair few times. it also comes with English subtitles which is great for those people who don’t speak German or who, like me, are lazy (*). It’s accessible, has enough details of interest for long term fans yet is presented in a light and general enough way to make it enjoyable for new fans too.

Overall, I do like the C.D. ‘Von den Elben’ a lot. It has enough positive points to keep the negative at bay and is worth the money spent. I also would hesitate to moan about it not sounding like Faun, as I have heard others do, although it is worth comment. Sure, it’s different to their other albums but each of their albums is different anyway and it’s still got some exceptional pieces on it. I would definitely recommend buying the deluxe edition of the album because, as I said, the D.V.D. is well made and worth the extra money. I don’t regret buying the album twice either.

(*) or have English as a second language but not German!

(**)My mother and I are both guilty of driving around the streets of Birmingham with this particular song blasting out the car windows!

Castlefest round up, 'new' house, and lack of internet

Tuesday, I returned from Castlefest to a house that is not suitable for human habitation. You’ll excuse me if I’m a little down about that. However, being someone who is generally optimistic, after an initial cry, I am looking forward to the future and am confident that I will get it sorted and will manage to regain some kind of normal life. While we’re on that note, I currently have no internet at home and therefore will only be able to access ‘things’ on my mobile or if I go to an internet café. Incidentally, I also have no mobile phone pick up at home.

I do plan on tweeting as often as normal as this is done from my phone, and will use internet tethering to blog. Sky will be round on the 23rd to set us up for real internet and, until then, my internet presence will probably be limited to twitter, blogging, and maybe facebook messaging.

Anyway, back to the interesting bit, Castlefest. What a wonderful, wonderful time I have had at this festival. Wild horses will not be able to stop me from returning next year. There were some wonderful bands and some wonderful people. I’ll probably do some proper write-up of the individual things once I have facility to upload photos and not just test but until then special thanks go to:

Cesair for putting on some of the most singularly amazing shows I have seen. You should also buy their new CD because it is beautiful in sound and in appearance.

Faun for making my dream of seeing you live come true and for being as awesome as I had hoped.

Folk Noir (and Matt Howden) for putting on a wonderful performance, and for being utterly lovely people, chatting with me for quite a while after the show.

Zirp for getting everyone dancing!

The people who attended for dressing up, being friendly, and generally making the whole thing atmospheric.

The volunteers. In particular those on traffic control at the campsite who spent each night with my mother and I while we waited for her taxi. Their kindness, good conversation, hugs, and pine mead was greatly appreciated.

Faun

The main attraction of today has got to be the band Faun.

I don’t really know where to start with Faun. I don’t know when I discovered their music or how but I do know that the instant I heard them I fell in love and I own most of their CDs. They were the band that opened up the door of this whole genre, the band that first made me want to go to this festival. Be warned, you will get a video spam here but it will be well worth the time to listen.

Firstly I should give a short bio of the band... Faun was founded in 2002 and has been going strong since even though it’s had a fair few line-up changes. They play beautiful acoustic music as well as some more technical influenced tunes. I don’t know what it is that makes Faun extra special. Their vocals are stunning, calming, inspiring, and powerful. The percussion is quite simply amazing. The other instruments, which I can’t list because there are so many different ones, are so exciting even if I get really annoyed working out all the instruments present in each song or tune! Certainly, I have never found anyone to replace or better the band Faun, in this genre, and they are one of my favourite bands cross genre.

Anyway, onto the music!

I genuinely don’t know what to show you so I guess I’ll start with their new-ish music video for their album “Von den Elben” (Of the Elves). Although this album is a bit of a different sound to their previous projects, it’s still amazing. The song is called “This Cold Night” and is the story of a man who travels to his beloved’s house and she won’t let him in. Eventually, because of how cold it is she opens up and they spend the night together and everyone’s happy. The lyrics make the story a lot more beautiful!

This next song is called Isis and, again, has really poetic lyrics. It’s also a special song for me as it holds a few special memories. It was the first song I learned to play on the guitar about two years ago and it’s also the tune that I played (intentionally badly) during my examined play. My playing transitioned into a section of this song and just hearing this melody, and Oliver’s voice was enough to calm me down… for about a minute!

However, I don’t think I should just go on about Oliver’s voice because, lovely as it is, to overlook the women of the group would be a sin! The female vocals are always exceptionally strong as shown in this song, “Loibere Risen” which is one of my favourites and can be found on their album Renaissance.

And this video is the first one I saw by Faun and, as it was uploaded in 2007, that suggests I discovered them at around that time. I’d been looking for something like this in music for a long time, something otherworldly and magical, and listening to this I knew that I had found it.

If you like what you've heard then you can visit Faun by clicking here (available in English and German). If you didn't then you're crazy.

The photo at the top was commandeered from Faun's facebook page.