I Survived Castlefest

As I write this, I'm sat in my parents' house in England where I'm spending a few days before I jet off back to Poland. Yep, the Castlefest blues have set in quite thoroughly by now! In short, the weekend was quite fantastic, there's no doubt about that, and waiting a year until next time - well that's simply too long.

So, before I get into details, the general good news... I broke the curse! For the past three years I have missed part (or a lot) of Castlefest due to illness but this year I made it from start to finish without a blip. Hurrah! Now, onto the detailed post...

I actually enjoyed camping. There, you have it in writing. I get super cold at night even in a house so camping tends to be tantamount to torture for me. I was lucky this year in that Heleen has a super insulating tent and her brother kindly drove us to the grounds meaning that I could bring enough fluff to create a veritable nest. The atmosphere on the campsite is always delightful so I was pleased that I could enjoy it in all aspects this year. I mean, having people of all ages sat around at all hours chatting, playing instruments etc... it's wonderful.

As for the festival proper, I actually got to look around a bit more than in previous years as I planned to see less in terms of music. It did mean that I had a bit more flexibility with going to extra shows (eg seeing Coppelius twice). It also meant that I managed to look around the traders a bit more. My bank account may not thank me for that! In all fairness, I only bought myself a couple of things and I am very pleased with them. I could, however, have bought a lot more. There are some unique things to be found and if you're into anything fantasy/reenactment/alternative then Castlefest is always a very dangerous place for your wallet!

And now, onto the musical aspects...

Opening Concert

I knew Coppelius' music and knew that they were supposed to have a good live show so I wanted to see them. That was how I went into the opening concert. I didn't realise quite how much I was going to enjoy them. In fact, Heleen (who didn't know them at all before) and I rearranged our plan for the weekend in order to see them again on the Friday. Both shows were absolutely awesome. Seriously, it feels that the band are having so much fun on stage and it is quite simply contagious. I also have a new respect for just how skilled these gentlemen are as musicians. Also cello. This weekend had a lot of cello. I'm a bit sad that they're taking a break now, to the best of my understanding, because I really do want to see them again soon.

We had planned on seeing Metusa and Prima Nocta during the opening concert but that didn't work out quite so well. We sat back a bit for Metusa but did listen. We decided to see Prima Nocta on the Saturday because we wanted a good spot for Saltatio Mortis. Okay, I wanted a good spot for them. They're a band I've listened to for quite some years and wanted to watch their concert from a good spot as it was to be the first time I saw them. Anyway, we ended up missing Prima Nocta on the Saturday too which was kinda sad but it was just too crowded.

I did, however, manage to see Saltatio Mortis and it was a great concert. As I discovered when asked by Heleen's mother, I don't really know how to describe their music if you don't already know them... bagpipe folk rock, I guess. Anyway, their show was great fun with enforced audience participation. That was a little less fun as I felt like my arms were going to fall off from clapping by the end of the evening! Oh, and the fire use was lovely. I mean it was effective, I guess, but it was certainly a good way of warming up before crawling to the tent! For all I'm describing this set in a rather tongue in cheek fashion, it was awesome and well worth the years of waiting. I was also increadibly lucky as I managed to get my scrapbook page signed by the band. I only painted about five pages this year due to time constraints (focusing on favourites I'd not done pages for before) and really didn't expect to get the Saltatio Mortis one signed but it worked out so yay. 

Friday

Friday opened, for me, with Adam Hurst's set. Adam Hurst is a cellist who I've listened to for a little while now and I really like his music. It's quite exceptional and really great to study or paint to. Seriously, he's one of only three artists that I (regularly and successfully) listen to while doing my university reading. So, as you can guess, I was quite excited for this set and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was nice to sit in the shade and just listen. I would have loved to lie back with my eyes closed and just listen (it's that kind of music) but I was so tired that I was afraid I might fall asleep and that simply would not do! Both Heleen and Winnie bought a CD so, as neither of them knew his music before, I think that's a great sign as to his talent and the quality of this performance!

After that we gravitated towards SeeD who Heleen and I have seen together before, a couple of times, in fact. We knew what to expect this time and we got it with a high energy performance. We didn't really expend much energy, truth be told, as the sun was intense and us ghosts had to hide in the shade. That didn't mean that we couldn't appreciate the music, however. The highlights of SeeD's performances will always be the crazy fast whistle passages and the song "Gathering Mushrooms". This set contained both.

Closing of the Friday was Faun's set. I decided not to take photos during the concert as, while they are lovely to photograph, I just wanted to enjoy the music (I actually felt this way quite a bit this weekend, which is odd for me). Anyway, enjoy the music I did. I think that we all know that Faun's shows are consistantly high quality and this one was no exception. They played basically all of the 'fan favourites' as well as treating us to a preview of their new album, coming out on the 19th of this month.... why not in time for Castlefest? I think one of the highlights for my group was the hilarity that ensued as part of the audience participation before Walpurgisnacht. My quote of the weekend comes from Oliver at this point: "Just the look of [Niel's finger] will make you sing like you are a very fertile elk". Of course, the other main highlight for us, as always, was Hymn to Pan which is just so powerful - and emotional - when you get a huge audience singing along. Faun also did a signing after the show and, as always, were charming.

Saturday

Saturday 'morning' started with a bit more energy than the previous morning with Pyrolysis' set. It was actually not in the morning but we'll ignore that fact. I've seen Pyrolysis play a few times now and, each time, they only increase in quality and in energy. I guess I'll write more about them later as I also saw them on the Sunday evening, late. However, it does bear mentioning that they very kindly signed my scrapbook after the show and were thoroughly lovely.

Having started the day with a bit more energy, it only stood to reason that we should have a bit of a chilled moment and this was courtesy of Kaunan. While they do play songs for dancing and the like we decided to sit in the shade and just listen and relax a bit. I have to admit that, as I was listening, I couldn't help but feeling that the music would go a lot better with a cold winter night and a roaring fire... I guess that's just a side effect of all this Nordic music! All joking aside, I do really like Kaunan's music and I'm looking forward to when they release a CD. I'm also hoping to see them again when they come back to the Netherlands in a few months.

Next up was one of my favourite bands, Cesair. I have actually lost count of how many times I've seen them since moving to the Netherlands - seriously, being able to easily access good music is one of my favourite things about studying in Amsterdam - but I always look forward to seeing them and have not been disappointed to date! This show was particularly interesting as, not only was it an enjoyable mixture of newer and older pieces but with quite a few guest musicians  which meant we had some different arrangements too.

After Cesair's set it was time for the burning of the wicker creation which, this year, was a dragon. I actually think this was one of my favourite designs for a few years! As always, it's a powerful moment and something around which the whole weekend centres. During the weekend people can make offerings and/or leave notes with things they want to leave in the past or focus on in the future. On the Saturday evening, the creature is burned and the offerings with it. This year we were closer than I have been since my first Castlefest (I was much too close that year, it was way too hot!!) which meant it was a different experience. I realised as the ash fell down like snow that I was literally being covered by people's unread secrets and wishes for the year ahead. That was actually very profound for me.

In the evening, Heleen and I decided we would go and check out Woodland as Adam Hurst had mentioned them to us the day before. We were joined by Winnie. None of us knew what to expect at all but at the end of the set we were all pretty sold. Quite literally, as CDs were purchased. Their music, inspired by the world of faerie, manages to escape the lyrical clichés that many other groups in that vein fall into while the music is simply lovely. As Winnie said, there is something quite inspiring about the sound and we both feel listening to the CDs may well inspire our own creative processes. It's great when you find music that has that effect. Oh, and I liked the light tech for this set too! We also briefly met the band after the show to get the CDs signed and they were absolutely lovely - you all know how highly I rate manners so it had to get a mention!

Sunday

Getting up early enough for The Moon and the Nightspirit was slightly painful, I have to confess and we might have been a little bit late to their set. It was definitely a good way to wake up though. There's something really quite peaceful about their music that resonates on a deep level. It was even worth standing in the rain to watch.

Next up was Shireen. I don't know quite how to classify Shireen in terms of genre. Their facebook page says Witchpop... whatever it is, there's a certain drama to the sound that is quite enjoyable and also quite different from most of the other Castlefest bands which still being similar in some way. I don't even think I'm making sense right now so if you understand me then you're doing very well! As well as their usual dramatic sound they looked striking on stage this year with large amounts of dark makeup. I finally bought their EP and am looking forward to, hopefully, a full CD some time soon.

After Shireen it was Irfan. Now, Irfan is another part of the Castlefest curse for me as I've wanted to see them the last two years but was ill during their set. Well, this year I finally made it. I started standing up the front but soon moved to sit back in the shade and just listen. I don't think I need to tell you how lovely their music is and the quality was just as high in the live performance as in their recorded CDs. Truly wonderful. I'm so pleased that they lived up to my rather high expectations and I will see them again soon, for sure. Something that is also really worth comment is how lovely the band members are both on stage and off; they are incredibly talented but come across as humble too. They also signed one my scrapbook pages and, to be completely honest, they were so kind about it that I was thoroughly overwhelmed.

The final act of the festival proper was Feuerschwanz. I was looking forward to seeing them too, as I had listened to their music a bit and was aware, like with Coppelius, that they had a good live show. However, I was so tired that I almost went back to the tent. Luckily, my talking about them had made Heleen curious and she wanted to stay for a couple of songs at least. Grateful to her because I soon perked back up and enjoyed their set so much. They are great performers who really get the audience involved. From having audience members on stage to act out the song to coordinating dance moves for the whole audience... it was a lot of fun. I didn't really expect to be on the wall of a mosh pit at a folk festival but it made me realise how long it's been since a real metal gig! Oh, and then there was the crowd surfing fruit (and sailor in a dingy)... 

However, even if Feuerschwanz closed the festival itself, it was Pyrolysis who played the final set, over on the camping. This was seriously an awesome way to finish the weekend as it was quite simply so much fun. Even the little blip whereby the amplification cut out didn't cause an issue. Everyone sat down on the floor for a while as the band played acoustically. It came back on mid song and everyone got straight back up and back to dancing. By this stage, a fair few people were on the tipsy scale but in the good fun, friendly way and that also assisted the evening to have an awesome atmosphere. Even I had a bit of a dance.... and I am aware that there is a video where this can be seen but don't think I'm linking you!



So, this was an exceptionally long post and I'm sure it ended up with a bit of verbal diarrhea but, long story short, Castlefest was awesome. Bring on next year!!



As always, I have some more photos on my facebook page here

Easter in England

It's been a while so, as you can imagine, this post is likely to be a bit of a mixed bundle. In short, I've been super busy with deadlines and, therefore, have been avoiding anything unrelated. I've actually been in England for the last week too so every moment that isn't university related has been spent with family or friends. Or sleeping. Or in the bath. I really hate showers. Anyway, that aside!

The other day I managed to go to another gig. I'd wanted to catch Tracer when they played in the Netherlands but, sadly, the venue was really tricky to get back from (and Thijs was boring and wouldn't go with me!) so I figured I'd have to give them a miss. Then I saw they were playing Exeter - the area I grew up in - on Good Friday when I would just so happen to be in the country. I somehow bullied my best friend into coming with me despite not knowing them.

I had planned on meeting up with Aimee a fair bit before hand and we had both planned individually (although we never discussed it!) to get cocktails before the show. Annoyingly, I spent the entire day stuck in traffic and was super, super late. Seriously, you fly over from Amsterdam and it's the journey through Bristol that causes issues! That aside, I think we had an awesome evening!

So, my usual ramblings about the music...

The first warm up was actually a band that I'd stumbled across a couple of weeks ago (max) and been pretty much chain listening to since, Everyday Circus. They're quite a new band from Germany and their music has a really beautiful rock sound. It's got that edge that makes it stand out. I found out that they were supporting Tracer early on Thursday morning - coincidences do happen! They didn't let down with their live performance either and I will certainly be keeping an eye on further concerts. I will talk more about them in a moment.

#Exeter! You guys were awesome ❤️now #offto #aufnach #southampton #talkingheads #wftdtour it's gonna be the last show of...
Posted by Everyday Circus on Saturday, 26 March 2016

The second warm up - the band that I thought was the only warm up until a couple of days before - was Federal Charm. I'd had a quick listen to their music before seeing them, as I always try to, and I'd liked it well enough but I was generally underwhelmed. There was nothing that really caught my attention. However, live... oh my goodness what a show! There was a great energy, the music was great the musicians super talented and it was generally good fun... I've yet to try re-listening to the CDs - maybe I just wasn't in the right mindset when I tried before. Either way, I loved their set and would see them again without a moment's doubt.

Exeter thanks for making our 3rd visit to your kind city amazing. You were unbelievable tonight. We hope to see all you...
Posted by Federal Charm on Friday, 25 March 2016

And then on to Tracer - the reason I went to the show. Unsurprisingly, they were quite wonderful. You know a band is high energy when the front row moves several feet back from the front of the stage during the first song in order to ensure they don't get hit over the head with a bass guitar neck! I'm pretty sure I've already commented on the fact that Tracer is made up of very talented musicians who also happen to be lovely people, from the little I've spoken to them, so I won't go into that here. It was, as I've mentioned, Aimee's first time seeing the band and she was singing along by the end so I think that went pretty well. 

http://www.bjwok.com

Posted by Tracer on Saturday, 26 March 2016

As you can probably tell from the above, I didn't take photos myself but if you go onto the band facebooks (links below) there are photos... I look bored in most of them which I assure you was not the case!!

Meeting Tracer after the Show

After the show I went to get my scrapbook paintings signed. To start with, as usual, I only did one for the band I had booked to see (i.e. Tracer) but, after finding out that they were doing warm up, I had stayed up late to do one for Everyday Circus. Lucky I realised they were playing before turning up really! Anyway, it was so worth it because they were so sweet about the painting and, aside from that, they were lovely to talk with, polite as well as great musicians. It was a bit overwhelming for me though because, as I seem to say quite a lot nowadays, my scrapbook paintings are just little things I do for myself and when they get attention it's bizarre (in a lovely way).

Meeting Everyday Circus after the show

Yesterday, I was supposed to be at the Glastonbury Medieval Fayre but, with the weather being blooming miserable, I gave it a miss. It's a shame because I go each year but oh well. Instead I went out for a super meal. If you happen to be in the Exeter area then try The Blue Ball Inn - their food is so good, locally sourced and fresh. It's also a very reasonably priced for the quality.

After that it was the long drive back to Birmingham (where my parents live). We decided to do a bit of a scenic route through Cheddar Gorge. Seriously, that place amazes me no matter how often I see it. It's a shame how commercial it is around there though. Burrington Combe is just a bit further along and seems a little less touristy, although it is still popular.

And today I'm at my parent's house in Birmingham. I've booked flights for my next trip - this time to Venice - and I've drunk a fair amount of mead. The latter will account for any strangeness in this post! I'm now waiting for what promises to be a glorious meal to cook! Sadly, tomorrow it's back to The Netherlands and back to work.... that is, if Storm Katie doesn't cause my flight to be canceled!

And before someone comments on the above: I do really like The Netherlands, I just like my family, friends, not having to work/cook etc too ;-)


Oh and, before I forget, Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it! And to those who don't, happy Sunday anyway <3



Information on the bands:
Everyday Circus: Website, Facebook, YouTube
Federal Charm: Website, Facebook, YouTube
Tracer: Website, Facebook, YouTube

Celtic Woman: Destiny World Tour

To say that I was looking forward to this evening is a bit of an understatement.  I've listened to Celtic Woman for some time now and have tried to see them live a few times. However, as you may be aware, I seem to be jinxed with regard to certain bands and never get to see them. One day I will manage to see Dikanda live but I digress! The point is, it's not all that surprising that my string of bad luck continued as I woke up this morning with the cold that had been pretty annoying all weekend much worse... seriously, how are sinuses capable of causing so much pain?

But nothing was going to stop Wendy and me from getting to the centre of town to see Celtic Woman perform in the rather stunning Carré!

Celtic Woman is an Irish music group who play a kind of fusion folk music. Their style really seems to change from album to album, the latest album Destiny, seems rather poppy compared to some of the earlier recordings and this transferred to the stage. They also have a rotating line up of vocalists who, despite being all female, don't really have anything in common with each other vocally meaning that you get quite a different sound depending on the current line up.

At the moment, the group consists of vocalists Máiréad Carlin, Susan McFadden and Éabha McMahon as well as fiddle player Máiréad Nesbitt who is the only one who has, I think, been with the group since it formed. They are, of course, joined on stage by a group of wonderful musicians, who I am unable to name, as well as, for this tour, a four voice male choir.

From what I've seen, admittedly only on DVD, Celtic Woman concerts are always a bit theatrical. In this case we had a projection screen which was used quite nicely with images of countryside or subtle effects. The staging was quite simple with multiple levels which was also quite nice. That said, I do have to question some of the choreography and there were moments, quite a few moment, when the dancing reminded me of a cheesy boy band or when the movements seemed completely random, without purpose or effect.

But the important bit was the music, of course. As I said, the album Destiny breaks from some of the more folk led albums and this did translate into the show. That's not a bad thing at all but was quite interesting. While there were a few songs off of different albums (Amazing Grace, Danny Boy etc.) these were the minority.

The three female vocalists have lovely voices and, they have been really carefully balanced so that each voice brings something different to the group (*). This leads to a great balance as well as a diversity of interesting tone. That said, I could write quite the tome about Éabha's voice, in particular. At times it was aspirate and gentle, certainly full of character. However, especially when she was singing solo pieces, we were treated to what may well be one of the most beautiful voices... I cannot find a way to describe it without using such clichés as "molten" and "haunting" but you know something's special when the cliché's are true!

And I really cannot forget the musicians who are not included in the "Celtic Woman" name... I always find it a bit strange that the name refers to the vocalists and Máiréad but not the others but anyway! The band in general are pretty awesome. Ray Fean deserves a special mention as a wonderful percussionist and a skilled showman as does Anthony Byrne for his bagpipe playing. Okay, I might be a bit partial to the sound of bagpipes!

So, after several years of attempting to see them I finally managed and, I think it's fair to say that it was worth the wait. Now hopefully I won't have as long a wait until next time!


(*) The male vocalists also had great voices and they sounded wonderful but as a backing choir they did get less chance to shine!

Flying home for Apocalyptica and Vamps

It's got to be said, last night was probably one of the best gigs I've ever been to. It's most certainly up there. Wow.

It was really strange, a few weeks back I was talking with the wonderful Gemma about Apocalyptica and I was half joking about flying to England to see them again with her. Somehow that joke ended up becoming real!

With Eicca

The show itself was in Wolverhampton's Wulfrun Hall, a  venue I'd never been to before but has hosted quite a good variation of musicians over the years. I have to say, I didn't really rate the venue itself. It was okay but the security staff were a bit, well, acerbic. I mean, understandably, in the wake of the tragedy in France they had to search us all thoroughly but, to give you some idea, the woman who was supposed to be searching me got so confused by the fact I had a little camera and was so busy telling me off for having it that she actually forgot to search beyond the camera that was on top of my handbag. She then went to check, after telling me off, and turns out that my little baby camera was allowed anyway. This seemed to be the basic interaction between security and visitors - if in doubt be strident. Actually, when meeting the band a couple of other girls and I were joking that the whole process was how we'd imagine it if we were convicts going into prison. It's a shame because there are plenty of venues that have brilliant security who are able to be friendly along with it!

Right, that's enough moaning for me!

Before the show, I met Apocalyptica which was completely and utterly surreal. These gentlemen were incredibly important to Tiny Me, just starting to play the cello herself and really into the rock and metal genres. They were one of my earliest inspirations and have therefore been rather significant over many years. Of course, I didn't manage to tell them that, and nor did I plan to! Instead I stood awkwardly and lost all social skills. Seriously, I know I'm generally shy but I think this is the closest I've ever been to "Starstruck". That aside, they were all complete and utter gentlemen, in the truest sense of the word. They were happy to just generally converse and actually spent quite a lot of time talking both about the band and random other things. I mean, Perttu asked me to tell him the vague geography of where we were in England.... for someone who just flew over herself, that was hard!

With Paavo

The rest of the audience slowly filtered in and I was joined by my darling Gemma and Dan, a lovely chap who had come out to Amsterdam the week before. And it was time for the music.

Did I mention that the band supporting Apocalyptica, Vamps, was a band I used to listen to a lot when I was a bit younger and fronted by one of my favourite singers from my early teens? No? Well, you can imagine how surreal this entire line up was then!

I get the feeling that, other than the large Japanese group who had come over to see them, I was one of the only people in the audience who knew Vamps at all and I think the band were aware of their inability to get the audience on side which is a real shame. They're a great group but just not what people were used to, I think. Anyway, I'm over the moon that I got to see them and would really like to see them again, actually. Considering I never thought I'd get to see them at all, last night was really wonderful. I also have to mention how Dan (assisted by the gorgeous Gemma, of course) helped to make my night by not only catching  Ju-ken's pick but by actually giving it to me. Seriously, it seemed that everything was lined up to make Teenage Me exceptionally happy.

In-Denial-About-The-Fact-She's-An-Adult Me was pretty much pleased as punch too.

With Mikko

And then was the main act, in the shape of Apocalyptica. I really do not know how to describe their shows and especially not having attempted to do it already just a few short weeks ago when I was lucky enough to see them in Amsterdam.

This band has such an energy on stage. They are all amazing, amazing musicians but all of whom bring something totally different to the stage experience. Paavo is probably the one who interacts most directly with the audience and does not fail to get them to interact with the music. Mikko also tends to take on this role but, I have to admit, I dislike the stage/drum riser set up as I quite often just didn't watch Mikko as he faded into the background too much. Perttu is, well, 'energetic' on stage, shall we say, diplomatically. I mean, the hole in the back of his cello probably sums up the way he tends to behave, as did the moment when he started to play in an exceptionally suggestive fashion. I've said it before but I still feel it, Eicca grounds the group on stage and is one of the key figures for creating the atmospheric (and probably musical!) harmony.

With Perttu

Of course, there's also the touring vocalist, Franky Perez who has completely won me over. His vocals are strong but sensitive and his stage performance is high impact, full of energy. He balances interacting with the crowd with interacting with the band and, or so it seems, thoroughly enjoys his time on stage. I get the feeling that he's just around for the Shadowmaker tour but I really do hope he stays.

There were some technical difficulties but they didn't really detract from the show and were dealt with in such a professional manner. Apparently they were caused by the UK plug system being different from the European one: "We're used to putting our things into different holes". Oops.

Anyway, with the evening over, Gemma, Dan and I escaped the press of people. They bought themselves shirts and I realised that I had only brought euros because I'm a prat and couldn't. I headed home and spent the entire night super ill (yay) and had to rearrange today's flight to tomorrow. Not sure if I'm going to be up to it tomorrow but no choice. On second thoughts, now I'm having to pay a lot for flight changes, maybe it's a good thing I couldn't spend all my money  on merchandise!!



The photos included in this post were kindly taken by a couple of people, Zoe and Jenny, as the whole camera confusion caused a few issues and they had a camera phone (which caused no confusion because there is no logic in this world) and hence they saved me!

Not for facebook

"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!

Celt-n-Folk

I've been rather spoiled when it comes to good music, recently. 

Last weekend saw the usual group of Thijs, Hester and myself joined by Leonoor, Dania and Hester's boyfriend heading off to Almere once more for one of the Celt-N-Folk events. The sound was a bit off for most of the evening which was a shame but says nothing about the musicians involved and their skill, combined with an energetic (to say the least!) crowd made for a delightful evening.

First up was Sowulo. It was quite funny to watch Leonoor during this set as she looked around her like a rabbit caught in headlights at times. However, luckily, this was apparently because she was "fascinated" both by the band and the general atmosphere. And, of course, atmosphere is something that Sowulo do incredibly well. Their set doesn't play through as a group of songs but rather as a singular progressive entity which encompasses all the senses. Dania and Leonoor were thoroughly impressed with one song which was accompanied by a storm complete with thunder, lightening, and wind (thanks to some conveniently placed fans). It was pretty impressive.

We then relocated to the small stage and sat on the floor to listen to Tipsy Gypsy who plays, to quote his facebook, "ambient ethnic world fusion" using multiple instruments, the most predominant being handpans in various forms. I think Thijs was the only one who had heard Tipsy Gypsy before and I have a feeling that was only because he googled prior to the event (I'm sure he'll correct me if not). Anyway, we were all rather pleasantly surprised, to say the least. It's quite amazing how one gentleman can sit on stage and create such intricate layered sounds that hold an audience entranced but he managed it. I would hazard a guess that this was Dania's favourite part of the evening if her cry of "that was so cool!" when asked about it later was anything to go by! Certainly, we were all left wanting to hear more and, if we're completely honest, wanting to have a go!

Back to the main stage for Rastaban who I've not seen since last year's Castlefest but who always manage to deliver a high energy set. They played a mixture of older and newer tunes and, performed a rather rounded set. Add to this the fact that they're a group of really talented people with a "crazy awesome violinist", to quote Thijs directly, and you can be sure that you're going to watch something quite special each time you see them, even if external conditions aren't quite favourable. I'm sure I've said this before but Rastaban manage to transfer energy to the audience via their stage performance and, if anything, this is their greatest talent. It was means that there was the opportunity for some rather vigorous dancing - although, personally, I stuck to my usual bobbing along - despite the heat in the venue which was quite intense. Indeed, Dania and Leonoor had to withdraw from the front, in search of cooler areas (and ice-cream) before the end of the set.

In fact, it was only Hester and Christiaan who braved the small room for Robert den Hartigh with the rest of us choosing to sit out in the main hall where it seemed a bit cooler and where we could kinda hear, partially. I believe the music went down well with Hester, at least, because, unless I'm mistaken, she decided to purchase one of his CDs. I can't really comment for myself. I've heard Robert den Hartigh from a distance and partially a few times now and keep meaning to catch one of his sets properly. One day!

Finally it was time for Cesair and they really did go down well with everyone, no surprise. Both Dania and Leonoor said that their set was "really fun" and agreed that they would like to see the band again. I even think they kinda danced along a little bit. You know, as much as they do! 

When I asked Dania if my plans to convert her to this kind of music had finally worked she replied with her trade mark "I'm not sure" which simply means I'll have to arrange for her to go to another show with me to continue the process ;-)



This post was finished quite a while after seeing the show hence why it gets a bit more rushed towards the end - I cannot remember vividly enough to write properly and did not take enough notes straight after the event.

Not for facebook

Taking The Mother to see Rapalje "Met de billen bloot"

It's Mother's Day on Sunday the 14th and I decided to use it as a complete and utter excuse to take my mother to various things etc etc. I know that using such (now) commercialised days may not be the best way to show genuine appreciation for someone but if you're trying to find an excuse to 'force' them to come to a foreign country when you want to do things then such days are pretty darn useful!

Anyway, our week of adventures (*) started yesterday with a Rapalje concert in Rotterdam. I had planned to book this one anyway due its date, and to book a hotel, but I realised, relatively late, that it was a lunchtime concert meaning the hotel wasn't needed. Saved a bit  of time and money! One of the many joys of the Netherlands is that, as long as timings are okayish you can get from one side of the country and back with relative ease, at least if one's comparing to back home.

It was actually my first time visiting Rotterdam although I can't really say I saw much of it. We were highly conscious of my need to study for exams and therefore only really went to the show and back. First impressions seem to say that the city is a fair bit more modern than Amsterdam but that's based solely on the area around the station. I'll just have to go back to judge it properly ;-)

I'm not sure if the venue is also a theatre or solely a concert hall (although the layout suggests the latter to me). I'm too lazy to google it. Either way, it was a very easy to access place with a rather good hall layout which meant you could have a pretty good view from anyway, I'd wager. Can you tell I keep lists of decent places to sit in each place I visit? 

The show opened with a performance based person by person introduction to the band which was something I'd not seen before, and I assume it's new to this show although I cannot be sure on that front. Either way it was a lovely added touch. Maceal came on as a one man band and played a rather speedy piece that did get us clapping although there were multiple rhythms going on throughout the audience; William sung a song with guitar and harmonica... well, almost without the harmonica as it got left offstage until the last minute; Dieb and Maceal played "Into Folk" while wearing some stunning embroidered jackets (yep, no kilts!); David played a short bagpipe medley which was really cool for want of a better way of describing it! We were reminded, once again, of how (multi) talented the members of this band are. 

After that followed a more 'normal' set during which the band played songs off of their albums as well as some new songs (I forget how many so if there was just one please adjust grammar to match). It was a good fun show that saw the usual mix of fast tunes and slower pieces. I think this may have been the first time my mother's seen Rapalje play with dancers too so that was a nice bonus for her. Meanwhile, David playing bagpipes and leading the three dancers (and Maceal playing a drum) around the hall certainly impressed the audience. The final number was the "Wild Rover" which clearly lives up to the show's name. And all that, as my mother said, before lunchtime!

Of course, after that we did get lunch and then made our way home for me to fight with multiple assignments and a tonne of revision. Yuck. Just to clarify that the 'yuck' refers to work... the food was good ;-)

So yes, all in all, I think that the first day of the Mother's Day Week went rather well. I just have to survive a physics exam, for which I am poorly prepared, before the next treat in the form of seeing the musical Elisabeth in Essen. I've even managed to start a painting for that one... gone are the days when I used to paint something before every and any event!

Right, less blogging, more studying, right?

(*) I know, I know, I have the cheese factor turned right up again!

Also, apologies for the crappy post title. I've been up since forever and studying has stolen the little imagination I had... may also explain the repetitive nature of description throughout the post!!

More music time: Cesair and The Moon and the Nightspirit

Firstly I should probably apologise for the delay once again. This refers to last Saturday so I guess I'm under a week late which is good with my recent track record. Deadlines, exams, and illness have decided to destroy any semblance of organisation in my life, as usual! I did actually take my camera to this show and it was the first time I've attempted to take photos in low light conditions. Not the best results ever, as one might expect for a first attempt, but there are a few photos that might work out okay and I'll upload those onto facebook in the coming days... if they do exist ;-)

Anyway, I haven't said what I'm rambling on about yet, although the title has probably given it away. Saturday saw Thijs, Hester and I make our way to Leiden for a show of Cesair and The Moon and the Nightspirit. It's actually really nice to have Thijs who is basically into exactly the same eclectic mix of music as I am as we get to accompany each other to shows (well, he babysits me really, if we're honest!!) and Hester, who's just getting into the genre, is so so over-excitable. It's actually quite adorable. So we both babysit her ;-)

I have the most stunning friends.

Anyway, we managed to find our way to the venue which is tucked away a bit and probably would be quite unnoticeable unless you know it's there. As always, we were early. Yes, you can probably blame the paranoid about being late British person for that! Anyway, the venue itself was absolutely lovely. The staff members were polite and friendly. The layout of the venue was great with a stepped back area which served as a seating place and also would allow for people to see from the back quite nicely. Couple of annoyingly placed pillars but I guess you can't moan about structural necessity. The sad thing is that the venue faces closure at the moment which would really suck, to put it plainly. There is a petition on the go to save it which you should go and sign here.

So, after lurking at the back, at the top of the stepped area, and taking the obligatory pre-show selfies the lights lowered and my friends went down to the main area for the show. Of course, my delightful friends forgot that I have the whole vision disability, no night vision at all, and was therefore quite as blind as a kitten. I managed to get down the first step... misjudged the rest and somehow landed on my feet, propelling myself across the room and straight into aforementioned friends. That's karma for you! I'm hoping it looked like an elegant jump as opposed to the flailing reality!!

Anyway, a brief comment on the music is in order, I think. As always, I don't need to tell you that Cesair were great. They are a highly skilled set of people playing some wonderful pieces and it makes for a consistently marvelous show. Again, the set was a mixture of older pieces and the newer songs. It's also getting to the stage where Thijs keeps leaning over and going "oooh I like this one" after practically every next-song announcement. I'm not sure if he realised quite how often he was saying that but I guess he does now he's read this!! And it can only be a compliment to the music, of course. Also have to commend the lighting design this time, I think. Not the best for my first attempt at photographing this type of show but certainly atmospheric and fitting, of course, that's what really matters.

Following Cesair was The Moon and the Nightspirit, a group from Hungary who have a perhaps more atmospheric sound. This is the second time I've seen them and, if I'm totally honest, I think this set was a lot stronger than the other one I saw. Despite liking their recorded music, I felt the first show I saw was good but not great. However, this time, I felt they did perform well so I suppose I managed to catch them on an off day last time... or my own mind wasn't in the mood for it, who knows. The audience was really dynamic for their set too, a lot of movement and dance. I know that isn't a comment on the music so much as the atmosphere but the combination of the two matters when it's a live show. In fact, I wonder if that was the difference here compared to the previous show, the audience seemed much more engaged and that has to increase the overall energy. Anyway, I'm rambling on again, as usual!

After the show we attempted to get a photo with the bands which has become rather our habit and is actually really nice for me as a scrapbooker. Seriously, the fact that my friends are into getting photos and taking selfies and whatever makes my life so much easier because heck, I'm too shy to ask so I'd leave without. Also got to test my Dutch skills while Hester and Thijs socialised a bit. The diagnosis: I understand it pretty well now but still can't actually speak a word. Urgh, I need to get classes. Didn't even speak any Hungarian ;-) Mind you, I'm losing the minimal amount I had anyway through lack of practice!

Photo very kindly taken by Kees who also photographed the event.

I'm not quite sure how this developed from a blog post about a gig into a rant about my failings as a linguist but there we go. That's how my mind's working tonight!

Oh, and I have a wonderful weekend to look forward to as some of my music-y friends from the UK are coming over to adventure in Amsterdam. Very excited. 

Now to get healthy before tomorrow!

The imaginatively titled SeeD and Omnia post

This is one of those posts that is quite simply going to make no sense... something to do with the time of night. However, it's either that or it won't get written with the way life is going so there we go. It's also going to be hardly any writing and a couple of pictures... not so interesting ;-)

The support act of the evening, SeeD (*), were great. I'd heard a bit by them but this was the first time seeing them live and it was certainly worthwhile. I'd really like to see them again and will certainly be buying their album when it's launched. 

With SeeD after the show

Omnia's show was high energy, as always, and the crowd seemed rather into it which always helps to build a good atmosphere. There were a group behind us, who I believe were from Italy, who were just having so much fun! While I don't agree with everything that Omnia says - and it kinda matters because they're rather outspoken - it was great to dance along to music that I really know and with friends, once again. I was also pleased that they played the tracks I had managed to get into off the new-ish album Earth Warrior. All in all, an enjoyable show!

Thijs got cut out and the photo's poor but with Omnia.

It was also lovely to hang around afterwards a bit and soak up the open atmosphere that seems to come hand in hand with folk music. Special shout out to the girl who complimented my hair so kindly when we were queuing together! That said, apologies to anyone and everyone who spoke with Thijs and/or Hester and who had to suffer my seemingly antisocialness... my Dutch comprehension may be improving but I am quite incapable of conversing!

Almere selfie time!

So yeah. Great time. Going to collapse in bed now as I have an essay to fight with and several exams to revise for tomorrow :-(

(*) I still don't know how to format the band name... oops.

This post is not for facebook because even through my exhaustion I know it makes no sense!!!

The things I do for Reckless Love

I guess that flying to England for a show is one of the more extravagant things I've done in my time. That said, the fact I got to eat curry from the restaurant I've visited since I was three, got to have a bath, oh, and see old friends made it all worth it. Wednesday day was dedicated to dress shopping with my mother and The Best Friend, while the evening was set aside for a bit of music!

Me, Jessica, Aimee, Kim. Waiting to go in, trying not to freeze!
From Jessica's camera,

Queuing in the cold and the rain is always one aspect of the gig experience that I dread but then ultimately love. It's a complete social experience and before this show, in particular, it was a riot. It meant, in reality, that once we got inside there was a rather good fun little group formed of old friends, people I vaguely knew from other shows, and totally new faces. 

Kim, Jessica, Me, Aimee. Entertaining ourselves before the set began.

There was only one opening band this time, The First, a melodic rock band from Cambridgeshire. I will admit that their sound tech was not great but, from what I could hear, I think they were rather good. Certainly, I plan to look up some of their music and give it a proper try (and buy a CD if I do indeed like it). In addition, there is no way I can fault their live set. All members were engaged and energetic without seeming silly or OTT. It was a very strong performance. There was one moment when the vocalist decided to put a microphone in my face to get me to sing along which didn't work on two counts (recovering from a phobia of singing and I don't know their music) but, other than that, they really knew how to perform to a crowd.

The main act was, of course, Reckless Love. The Finnish glam rock-ish band who attempt, and succeed, in making every show a party. This night was no exception. If anything, Olli was more chatty with the crowd and I enjoyed watching Olli and Pepe, in particular, play to Jessica's camera.

One of Jessica's many photos from the show.

The set was great, as always. Although it was cut a little because of illness (not mine for once!) it was full of some great tracks and to just dance away was rather liberating. It really did help that both Jessica and Aimee are little party animals, albeit in different ways, so I simply could not help but dance, jump and bounce along.

However, Hessu, bless his heart, was quite clearly ill. Seriously, that man should not have been on the stage at all yet he soldiered on until all but the end. Ultimately the set was cut by a couple of songs but I feel incredibly lucky that we got a set at all. It would have been annoying as anything, of course, but completely understandable.

After the show we had a bit of a chat with Jalle, Olli and Pepe; Hessu quite rightly escaped to the bus and hopefully put himself to bed! We then had the joy of walking back to Aimee's house (and beyond for some of us) in the rain and wind of Wales. Wasn't the highlight of the evening but was worth it all the same.

One day, Pepe will forget about the pen incident. This was not that day.

A quick goodbye to The Best Friend and Kim kindly drove me to my hotel. We said goodnight but with the knowledge that the day after we would meet once again but this time in Amsterdam!

Midwinter Fair

So, I have decided that festivals and I simply do not mix. Seriously, right before this festival, having had nothing for months, I had a major flair up that meant I slept not a wink the night before and felt like utter crap for the Saturday (and not so great on the Sunday but there we go). That aside, I had a wonderful time but my photos were a bit lacking and the descriptions, no doubt, will be similarly so.

The Saturday was the long day of the Midwinter Fair so, in order to ensure we could get home again afterwards, Thijs, Zoë and I cycled to the central station. That's normally a really easy ride but with me in my stupid no sleep and no food state it took us a heckishly long time and I am so grateful to my companions for not getting really annoyed with me! Anyway, that adventure over we caught a couple of trains and arrived in Alphen aan den Rijn which is where the thing was held.

I can't say that I got to look around Alphen aan den Rijn much at all but the bits I saw were very sweet and rather pretty. When it starts to get a bit warmer, and with my newly purchased travel card, I may visit again to chill a bit in the sun. Definite bonus as the streets (etc) were named after continents, countries, and cities. The only place where, if you get lost, you literally go round the whole world in order to find your way ;-)

At the event

The Midwinter Fair itself was lovely. It's quite small which is actually really nice because, to be quite honest, there's only so many places you can be at once and only so many things you can do in a short period of time. On the Saturday and the Sunday we took things rather slowly and just enjoyed looking around and taking things in a bit.

The fact that it's held in a living museum (I think that's an accurate description) means that it's rather atmospheric. With old fashioned buildings from multiple time periods, tree lined winding paths and little streams with simple plank bridges it really does allow you to take a step back from the rush of modernity for just a little while. There were also some lovely food stands and a little market selling a mix of stuff from statues to clothes to drinking horns. Talking of which, I managed to buy some mead to take to England for Christmas so that's a definite bonus!

AmmA

As for the music, the first full set we caught was that of AmmA. I keep managing to catch a few songs by them but never a full performance so it was a bit unusual to sit at the side of the stage and watch from beginning to end. Really do love their sound though!

After a fair bit of exploring and lurking, which involved sitting round outside fires pretending that we were keeping warm and not simply getting a face full of smoke, we went to catch the evening shows of LEAF, Shireen, Harmony Glenn, and The Dolmen.

Poor LEAF had some technical issues setting up and so on which must have been so annoying for them. Kept the audience in suspense mind ;-)

Shireen are a group that I've had a very limited awareness of, hearing their EP when it was featured on Wyldwood radio, I think. I was really impressed by their sound, however, which is quite an open, somewhat jazzy and rocky one... I've not really described that well but yeah, they have their own sound, do it well, and stand out for it. 

Thijs and I have discussed our wish to see Harmony Glenn live at some point and this was our day. Oh my goodness, what performers. I think I can speak for both of us, and probably Zoë too, when I say that they were worth seeing. And I guess I'll be hoping to catch them again too! In fact, I can't help but think that my mother would love them so lets see if I can book tickets for one of their shows when she comes to visit.

My stunning friends enjoying the evening entertainment ;-)

Finally, The Dolmen closed up the evening with their loud rocky music. Actually, a gentleman asked Thijs is they were the "noise band" so I think that pretty much sums up The Dolmen!! This would be my fourth time, I think, seeing them in the Netherlands yet they are from just down the road of my old home in the UK so I'm still not sure how this has worked out. That aside, it felt wonderful just to let down my hair and dance/bob to the music with no care in the world. It always feels good to just let go but when you're listening to good music, with friends, and in the midst of a flurry of finals it is pure bliss, I tell you!

On the downside, I did have "Dead Cats Don't Meow" stuck in my head all night... I also fell asleep on Zoë on the way home but shhh, that's our secret!

Day two was just Zoë and me as Thijs was being sensible and working on the paper we both had to hand in on the Monday. His absence did mean I was suddenly the Zoë-translator of the onstage banter and explanations which was a rather scary position to be in with my beginners Dutch! We did quickly develop a series of shorthand between us for the most common concepts such as which could see speeches of a minute reduced to the concise version: "Buy our stuff" ;-)

During Sowulo's set

Anyway, the first act we saw on Saturday was Sowulo, another group whose music I knew but whom I had not yet managed to catch live. Their show is quite clearly a real experience and it was great to be in the audience. I mean, their music is something special in its own right but the energy that you get when you're in a room hearing it live... that gives it a whole new dimension. Thijs did insist that we saw them for a very good reason!

Zoë and I followed up by watching the full set of Kaunan as we'd only managed to see part of the set on Saturday. There was something lovely about the lack of pretense to their set. Everyone sat down on the floor (or a couple danced) and just listened to three men playing tunes with the odd bit of explanation and banter in between. It wasn't a performance per se, as much as I enjoy performances, and it was refreshing to see something so stripped back. The fact that we went to see them twice, and both wanted to, probably says something about the quality of the music here.

During Rapalje's set

Finally, it was Rapalje time! More dancing and singing along and generally enjoying myself. It seems they went down well with Zoë too so I'm classing that as an all round success. Wasn't quite so strange to see them without my family this time, possibly because I had a friend from home and possibly because I'm getting used to it... who knows!

It was certainly a good way to spend the weekend and I'm pleased that Zoë was there to share it with me, and Thijs too. 

This post is not for facebook because it is long, rambling, and late. Oops.

Wow, wow, and wow once again!

I don't normally write blog posts straight after shows - I'm incoherent even when I'm mentally at my best - but this one time I feel an exception must be made. I've just come back from seeing Apocalyptica with Maria and I simply have to write.

I don't normally feel both as exhausted and exhilarated as this after a gig. I guess the cycling home burned off the post gig adrenaline while my mind is still on fire from the experience. 

I didn't expect the band to be quite that amazing. I expected brilliance but they surpassed it. Wow.

Everything ready to go!

Apocalyptica are one of my childhood bands. I first discovered them back when I was first developing my own music taste. As I started to play the cello myself they became an inspiration. Seriously, one the first proper pieces I learned to play was one the parts of 'Cortege'. They could have been pretty disappointing and it still would have been an amazing night but, trust me, they were anything but disappointing.

Waiting for the show to begin, I tormented Maria with my excited bouncing. Poor girl, she kindly agreed to accompany me even though she wasn't a fan herself and then was subjected to an excited me! We decided to sit on the balcony which is not my usual style but was actually an excellent choice. The view was brilliant of both the stage and of the band. It was really interesting to watch the crowd dynamic from this angle - you don't see the patterns when you're a part of it even if you're aware they exist. It would have also been a great place to take photos but I gave up in the end because the lighting was not nice to my little compact and, with the number of pro photographers there, there will be plenty of images floating around in a few days :-)

Anyway, you'll notice I'm avoiding talking about the show itself. It's really hard to work out what to say, how to put it into words. The music was great. They're talented live musicians not just talented recording artists so that was not surprise. I guess the tech was a bit odd to start with as the drums were too prominent but that was quickly resolved and then everything was great.

What did surprise me was the dynamic on stage. Something that's to Apocalyptica's credit is the way in which each member has their own role within the band's sound. They're not just several cellists, and drummer, attempting to play coherent music but they're a band with defined roles melody, rhythm, bass... drums. While they make stray from this format from time to time it gives their music a real structure. But this wasn't what I was wanting to say... oh what was it? Yes, the fact that, on stage, there is also a clear structure. Eicca seems to be cool and in control, Paavo really interacted with the crowd and got them involved, Perttu was 100% full of beans and all over the place, and Mikko drew it all together with the drumming. In this sense, you have a really rounded stage atmosphere. There was a real feeling of fraternity amongst the band and that was lovely to see as an audience member. It felt like they were loving being on stage and that simply transferred. Yeah, it was great.

Not only was the potential of the important bits of music and performance fully realised but the design of the performance, both visually and set-list wise was also on form. I will admit that there were times when the strobe lighting was simply to flashy for me but then there were also moments of beautiful lighting design that really set up an atmosphere to compliment the piece in question. The louder, faster pieces saw the stage divided with beams of light and colour while the quiet, peaceful numbers received a more harmonious treatment. And the balance between those fast and slow pieces was just right. While the majority of the set was centred around, as one would expect, Apocalyptica's heavier pieces, it was interjected with two moments of calm. Not only were the tunes played in those moments stunning but this division of the set ensured that the heavier tunes did not fall into a monotony, allowing the audience to appreciate every moment.

So, a wonderful night? Undoubtedly. Did Maria enjoy it in the end? Well, from her grin at points during the show and from the brief discussion we had afterwards... I think she might be a convert ;-) Sadly, we didn't manage to meet the band afterwards (and I couldn't get my scrap-book signed!) but as I'll be seeing them next year I think I'll survive! Truly cannot wait to see them again - they've set themselves up at near top of my 'best live bands list' and exceeded the already high expectations I held. Wow.

Sorry for lack of decent images. I only took about 20 as I thought they were coming out even worse than they were. Of course, that means the semi-decent ones, and I use that term very loosely, are limited to no more than a few!