Well now, this day couldn’t have turned out much crappier. First I got the plenteous dose of frustration, blah’s and anger at the “acquisition of food aid”, then my car key traceless disappeared, just right now when I wanted to head for the tonight’s show. After having scrutinized curbs for over an half hour I went back home even more angry, hysterical and feeling drained and got the stuff out of my bag and see… instead of being vanished never to be seen again in a municipal gully the key rested at the bottom of the bag between the photo equipment. Ok, took a deep breath, pushed the “forward” button again and was quickly off riding the highways by neck-breaking speed and getting shaken by what was left from the storm called Kirsten. Yep, the chaosphere has opened its gates...

Since the tonight’s show was actually the tour kick off for HOCICO and UNTERART, some usual delays pushed back the beginning and made me happy, because I didn’t miss ANYTHING and had even time to rub my cam to higher levels of temperature, since this thing distresses me for a short time with an unmotivated and uninspired “error 99”

:: pics ::

Meanwhile the huge KuFa hall in Krefeld restrainedly stayed empty letting me guess some bad. Looking into the face of organizer Karsten it seems that it doesn’t goes any better in the Electro scene regarding shows, not even when you can present such rare act as HOCICO is.
There is also a positive note: I have seen many metal fans around that just encourages me to combine Metal with Industrial more intensive ;)

Confusion And Technological Distortion Of The New Millennium

Half past eight, the light’s get dropped and the Hamburg-based trio :: UNTERART :: opens the show. Erm… shrunk to a duo, since sound wiz Thomas Stein can’t take part in this tour due to job-related issues. So it was up to Grigory Feil and singer Chris Harms to fill the huge stage with action what succeed conditionally and visibly worsened the singer’s mood. It definitely wasn’t due to the music, which surprisingly emerged as much diversified and manifold. Kicking off with – admittedly not entirely free of clichés – synth Pop smash hits such as Now Or Never or Pariah up to harsh and gruffly Industrial crusher like Exit or the instrumental parts of the Novalis trilogy (Ewig) UNTERART offer everything the not-so-softened Electro heart may desire. Most of the songs, except two, logically came from the just released sophomore Memento they right now support ;) Furthermore, with Chris UNTERART owns a much charismatic front-man who not only covers in a wide spectrum vocally but also has something to offer visually ;) He perfectly masters all big gestures and poses with a slight “fuck you”-attitude making girls giving shouts like “strange” up to “freaky” up to “hot” ;) However, I was much surprised and I think that this band isn’t named as one of the surprising newcomers for nothing. There’s still much to come!
Setlist: Memento, Calvary Campaign, Pariah, Hirntod, The Antagonist, Open End, Ewig, Exit, Now Or Never

The Gods Of Hardfloor Are Back With A Sonic Trip To Hell

An half hour break for back line change and a pint of beer follows, then the lights dropped again and with a impressive roar from the audience :: HOCICO :: take the stage, in its front it’s much more crowded now. This legendary Mexican duo also just released a new record entitled Memorias Atrás - the first regular one after the 2004 Wrack & Ruin, in its support they haunt across Europe now. HOCICO always leave scorched earth and so they did tonight again. While Racso Agroyam more or less was motionless banned behind his synths and keys, fronter Erk Aicrag didn’t stand still for any second. And he didn’t get out the best only of himself, but also out of the fans in front of the stage. Everybody was dancing. Slave away till you drop! Perfectly made to dance all the frustration off me body, while falling into a trance-like state. Heavy pounding harsh Industrial sounds and flashing strobes lash on the fans, fire up, let feelings run high and cause the first relationship crisis in the front row when a girl (bf next) flirts with Erk. Silly chicks… ;)
For almost two hours HOCICO cater the best musically as well as visually (on a screen in the background with parts of their latest DVD running) to the crowd, of course focusing on brand new tracks such as A Fatal Desire, The Shape Of Things To Come and About A Dead but also not forgetting classis such as Of Crime, Scars, Ruptura or Born To Be (Hated), and I’m sure there have been really old tracks too, well-balanced between past and present. Audience was frenetically rendering homage to the gents and couldn’t get enough, conjuring smiles on Erk’s face, placating everybody.
I anyway was happy, that I didn’t flake on this show, although the night was short and the next day not an bit better than the previous one ;)

story & pics © Dajana