Nemesis To Go - Live: WGT

15th Wave Gotik Treffen - Part 2

Bands in order of appearance:
Hatesex
Accessory
Witt
Charlotte's Shadow
Zeitgeist Zero
Culture Kultur
Schattenschlag

Werk II and Moritzbastei, Leipzig
Friday June 2 2006

Here we go: The Wave Gotik Treffen, day one of the main event. Traditionally, and officially, the WGT starts on the Friday of its long weekend, regardless of what warm up events might have taken place earlier. So, this is where it really begins, and here we are in Werk II, a former industrial building now given over to the dark forces of rock 'n' roll, waiting for some of those forces to be shoved out at us.

Holding down that daunting opening slot we have Hatesex, who have amassed a fair few friends and well-wishers down the front to speed them on their way. Hatesex might be new to the WGT stage - and, in fact, new to any stage, since it appears this is their first-ever gig - but the band is built around guitarist Benn Ra, who has stints in Diva Destruction and Scarlet's Remains under his belt. That drops a hint that this is no collection of wide-eyed novices. Sure enough, the band have a certain air of no-shit confidence, and a big, rolling, dense-as-fog sound which expands effortlessly to fill this old industrial hall. I suppose, if you wanted to grab a quick comparison, you could say 'early Banshees', Accessory and yes, there's certainly something Siouxsie-esque about the singer's robust caterwaul.

But Hatesex carve out their own niche, with those sharply-honed shards of guitar, and that big, sandpaper sound. Good stuff, and certainly one for the 'keep an eye on 'em' list.

The WGT is full of odd juxtapositions, and here comes the first one of this year's festival. Rather than follow Hatesex with another post-punk-ish guitar band, our next act is the stripped-down EBM slammers Accessory. Two blokes up front brandish microphones and holler fearsomely over a beat that sounds like freight trains colliding, while, right at the back, the obligatory bloke behind the keyboard...well, stands behind the keyboard. The music is minimalist but loud, relentlessly fast and furious, and the total effect is undeniably impressive. But I can't help thinking that we've already got one Nitzer Ebb. I don't know if there's a vacancy for another one.
XXXXXXXXXXXX

Third band in, and things get wrenched in yet another musical direction. The name of the next band is Witt, although on closer inspection it seems like it's one of those solo-artist-who-gives-his-name-to-the-band deals. Joachim Witt, main man and Witt vocalist with the band, is, apparently, a well-known figure on the German rock scene, with a hefty career history behind him and - it immediately becomes obvious - plenty of fans in the crowd.

I can't tell you anything about Herr Witt's history, alas, because in spite of his doubtless towering fame in Germany I've never heard of him before, but I can tell you that these days he plays a kind of avuncular AOR. The band chug through a selection of mid-tempo rock workouts, throwing shapes and getting down like good 'uns (nice to see Derek Smalls from Spinal Tap guesting on bass, by the way), and the crowd - or at least the AOR contingent of it - appreciates them wildly.

But it's a curiously stop-start set. Just when things look like they're hitting some sort of stride, Herr Witt brings the proceedings to a halt by indulging in extended, low-key conversations with people in the crowd, apparently forgetting that he's supposed to be in the middle of a gig. As a result of these bizarrely extended chat-to-the-fans intervals, the band runs out of time, and are hustled away by the stage manager without any kind of climax or finale. Herr Witt just shruggingly walks off, apparently unconcerned. I'm left with the distinct impression that whatever the man's rock star past, he's just coasting now.

Charlotte's Shadow Next band on are Catastrophe Ballet, but much as I'd like to stick around for them, I fear I must peel myself away from Werk II and get a tram down to another venue for yet more bands. This kind of venue-hopping is part and parcel of the WGT experience: if you want to catch everyone on your 'must see' list, the chances are you'll find yourself scudding around town on a variety of trams - travel on which, incidentally, comes free with your WGT ticket. How's that for civilized?

On this occasion I'm heading to the Moritzbastei, a subterranean warren of vaults and chambers dug into the earth of Old Saxony. This bizarre but charming venue effectively amounts to the cellars of Leipzig's medieval fortifications, now long demolished above ground, but still seething with life below.

The particular form of life that's on stage as I walk in is Charlotte's Shadow, a band who have multinational origins. They come from Spain, via Germany and Ireland, and do a kind of Robert-Smith-sings-the-Sisters take on what we in the UK woulkd call trad-goth. You can figure out their influences without too much difficulty - the usual vintage goth suspects, basically - but the singer's voice, pitched at an angsty yelp, as if he's suddenly discovered his new dog has chewed up the living room carpet, gives the band their own identity. The songs are uptempo workouts, rattling along with a verve that's almost cheery, and, somewhat surprisingly, because I seldom get into the trad-goth zone with any enthusiasm, I find myself quite liking the band.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

But then it's time for the band I've specifically hauled myself in to see. Zeitgeist Zero might have a German-sounding name, but in fact they're one of ours. They come from Leeds, and even on the UK circuit they're still a relatively new and unknown combo. That makes their WGT appearance quite something. Few UK bands tend to play the WGT at the best of times, and those that do usually boast some sort of worldwide 80s-scene profile, or a record label with useful connections in Germany.

Many UK bands would insist that without being able to draw upon such advantages the WGT door is forever firmly closed, but Zeitgeist Zero prove that it ain't necessarily so. They're an up-and-coming UK band, pure and simple - and yet they've wangled themselves a WGT slot. It just goes to show: it can be done.

So, let's see 'em do it. Zeitgeist Zero are a three-piece. Two blokes loom in the background on guitar and electronix, while the band is fronted by a feistly young miss in fearsome boots. This is Teresa Dead, who has clearly put herself into Maximum Stomp mode for this show. The music is a pell-mell racket of thunderous beats and roaring guitar - very English, in a way, in its mash-up of goth, industrial, techno and the kitchen sink. Teresa stomps and shrieks and tantrums her way through every song, as if she's a naughty child who's just been sent to bed without any tea. Her performance is a bizarre amalgam of Diamanda Galas and Violet Elizabeth Bott, and that's the beauty if it. Nobody else at the WGT is going to do it like this, so I think Zeitgeist Zero can be sure they've made an impact. You see? It can be done!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Time for another style-shift, and now we're in the EBM zone courtesy of Spanish beatbashers Culture Kultur. The band's sound, and, indeed, on-stage arrangement, is pretty much the norm for EBM combos everywhere. A vocalist out front who shouts out the lyrics in an emotional holler, while, in the background, a red-haired girl prods cautiously at a keyboard.

As ever with this sort of band, I'm not quite sure if the keyboard player is actually doing anything, or if she's just for show, to disguise the fact that the performance is a backing track jobbie. At any rate, when a sudden glitch occurs, and the sound entirely cuts out, the keyboard player just stands there, bemused, while the singer and a techie bloke who suddenly emerges from the shadows try to fix the problem, which kind of drops a hint that she's not really hands-on. When the sound suddenly bursts back into life, the vocalist casts his eyes heavenwards in gratitude and says, 'I promise I won't write so many songs about God!' That little fragment of wit is, incongruously, the best thing about Culture Kultur's show. In other respects, it's all a standard beats-on-backing workout. Competently done, mind...but standard.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Schattenschlag Schattenslag have a name which, although I'm sure it's entirely sensible in German, sounds amusingly rude if you're English. This might explain why, although the band seem to have plenty of profile on the German scene, they haven't yet made much headway in the English speaking world. Or maybe that's because, again, we find ourselves confronted by a band which does the standard-issue EBM thing, ringing the changes only insofar as they have two people standing behind the keyboards, and a singer who favours aggressive, distorted vocals. So far, so regular.

For extra excitement, Schattenslag also feature two hawt elektro chyk dancers, who, unfortunately, don't seem to have worked out any real routines. They just jiggle about a bit. The nearest we get to choreographed moves is when they walk in to the centre of the stage, stand there grinning at each other, and then walk back to the sides again, where they...jiggle about a bit.

Even the most enthusiastic fans of hawt elektro chyks must surely regard all this as a bit half-arsed. I mean, nice boots and all, but this is the Wave Gotik Treffen. Everyone in town is wearing nice boots. If you're going to get on stage and dance, you've got to do it properly!

Meanwhile, the vocalist gesticulates and rasps away out front, and the slammin' beats continue to slam. The EBM heads down the front clearly think it's all rather wonderful, but I'm underwhelmed. I think it's time to stage a graceful exit, and come out again tomorrow for some spiky-top shennanigans with some deathrock bands. Does that sound like a plan? OK, we're outta here.

This way for the Wave Gotik Treffen - part three

Back to the Wave Gotik Treffen - part one

Essential links:

Wave Gotik Treffen: Website | Myspace | Livejournal

For more photos from the WGT, find the bands by name here.


Home \| About \| Live \| CDs / Vinyl / Downloads \| Interviews \| Photos \| Archive \| Links Email \| LiveJournal \| MySpace \| Last FM
15th Wave Gotik Treffen - Part 2 Bands in order of appearance: Hatesex Accessory Witt Charlotte's Shadow Zeitgeist Zero Culture Kultur Schattenschlag Werk II and Moritzbastei, Leipzig Friday June 2 2006 Here we go: The Wave Gotik Treffen, day one of the main event. Traditionally, and officially, the WGT starts on the Friday of its long weekend, regardless of what warm up events might have taken place earlier. So, this is where it really begins, and here we are in Werk II, a former industrial building now given over to the dark forces of rock 'n' roll, waiting for some of those forces to be shoved out at us. Holding down that daunting opening slot we have Hatesex, who have amassed a fair few friends and well-wishers down the front to speed them on their way. Hatesex might be new to the WGT stage - and, in fact, new to any stage, since it appears this is their first-ever gig - but the band is built around guitarist Benn Ra, who has stints in Diva Destruction and Scarlet's Remains under his belt. That drops a hint that this is no collection of wide-eyed novices. Sure enough, the band have a certain air of no-shit confidence, and a big, rolling, dense-as-fog sound which expands effortlessly to fill this old industrial hall. I suppose, if you wanted to grab a quick comparison, you could say 'early Banshees', and yes, there's certainly something Siouxsie-esque about the singer's robust caterwaul. But Hatesex carve out their own niche, with those sharply-honed shards of guitar, and that big, sandpaper sound. Good stuff, and certainly one for the 'keep an eye on 'em' list. The WGT is full of odd juxtapositions, and here comes the first one of this year's festival. Rather than follow Hatesex with another post-punk-ish guitar band, our next act is the stripped-down EBM slammers Accessory. Two blokes up front brandish microphones and holler fearsomely over a beat that sounds like freight trains colliding, while, right at the back, the obligatory bloke behind the keyboard...well, stands behind the keyboard. The music is minimalist but loud, relentlessly fast and furious, and the total effect is undeniably impressive. But I can't help thinking that we've already got one Nitzer Ebb. I don't know if there's a vacancy for another one. XXXXXXXXXXXX Third band in, and things get wrenched in yet another musical direction. The name of the next band is Witt, although on closer inspection it seems like it's one of those solo-artist-who-gives-his-name-to-the-band deals. Joachim Witt, main man and vocalist with the band, is, apparently, a well-known figure on the German rock scene, with a hefty career history behind him and - it immediately becomes obvious - plenty of fans in the crowd. I can't tell you anything about Herr Witt's history, alas, because in spite of his doubtless towering fame in Germany I've never heard of him before, but I can tell you that these days he plays a kind of avuncular AOR. The band chug through a selection of mid-tempo rock workouts, throwing shapes and getting down like good 'uns (nice to see Derek Smalls from Spinal Tap guesting on bass, by the way), and the crowd - or at least the AOR contingent of it - appreciates them wildly. But it's a curiously stop-start set. Just when things look like they're hitting some sort of stride, Herr Witt brings the proceedings to a halt by indulging in extended, low-key conversations with people in the crowd, apparently forgetting that he's supposed to be in the middle of a gig. As a result of these bizarrely extended chat-to-the-fans intervals, the band runs out of time, and are hustled away by the stage manager without any kind of climax or finale. Herr Witt just shruggingly walks off, apparently unconcerned. I'm left with the distinct impression that whatever the man's rock star past, he's just coasting now. Next band on are Catastrophe Ballet, but much as I'd like to stick around for them, I fear I must peel myself away from Werk II and get a tram down to another venue for yet more bands. This kind of venue-hopping is part and parcel of the WGT experience: if you want to catch everyone on your 'must see' list, the chances are you'll find yourself scudding around town on a variety of trams - travel on which, incidentally, comes free with your WGT ticket. How's that for civilized? On this occasion I'm heading to the Moritzbastei, a subterranean warren of vaults and chambers dug into the earth of Old Saxony. This bizarre but charming venue effectively amounts to the cellars of Leipzig's medieval fortifications, now long demolished above ground, but still seething with life below. The particular form of life that's on stage as I walk in is Charlotte's Shadow, a band who have multinational origins. They come from Spain, via Germany and Ireland, and do a kind of Robert-Smith-sings-the-Sisters take on what we in the UK woulkd call trad-goth. You can figure out their influences without too much difficulty - the usual vintage goth suspects, basically - but the singer's voice, pitched at an angsty yelp, as if he's suddenly discovered his new dog has chewed up the living room carpet, gives the band their own identity. The songs are uptempo workouts, rattling along with a verve that's almost cheery, and, somewhat surprisingly, because I seldom get into the trad-goth zone with any enthusiasm, I find myself quite liking the band. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX But then it's time for the band I've specifically hauled myself in to see. Zeitgeist Zero might have a German-sounding name, but in fact they're one of ours. They come from Leeds, and even on the UK circuit they're still a relatively new and unknown combo. That makes their WGT appearance quite something. Few UK bands tend to play the WGT at the best of times, and those that do usually boast some sort of worldwide 80s-scene profile, or a record label with useful connections in Germany. Many UK bands would insist that without being able to draw upon such advantages the WGT door is forever firmly closed, but Zeitgeist Zero prove that it ain't necessarily so. They're an up-and-coming UK band, pure and simple - and yet they've wangled themselves a WGT slot. It just goes to show: it can be done. So, let's see 'em do it. Zeitgeist Zero are a three-piece. Two blokes loom in the background on guitar and electronix, while the band is fronted by a feistly young miss in fearsome boots. This is Teresa Dead, who has clearly put herself into Maximum Stomp mode for this show. The music is a pell-mell racket of thunderous beats and roaring guitar - very English, in a way, in its mash-up of goth, industrial, techno and the kitchen sink. Teresa stomps and shrieks and tantrums her way through every song, as if she's a naughty child who's just been sent to bed without any tea. Her performance is a bizarre amalgam of Diamanda Galas and Violet Elizabeth Bott, and that's the beauty if it. Nobody else at the WGT is going to do it like this, so I think Zeitgeist Zero can be sure they've made an impact. You see? It can be done! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Time for another style-shift, and now we're in the EBM zone courtesy of Spanish beatbashers Culture Kultur. The band's sound, and, indeed, on-stage arrangement, is pretty much the norm for EBM combos everywhere. A vocalist out front who shouts out the lyrics in an emotional holler, while, in the background, a red-haired girl prods cautiously at a keyboard. As ever with this sort of band, I'm not quite sure if the keyboard player is actually doing anything, or if she's just for show, to disguise the fact that the performance is a backing track jobbie. At any rate, when a sudden glitch occurs, and the sound entirely cuts out, the keyboard player just stands there, bemused, while the singer and a techie bloke who suddenly emerges from the shadows try to fix the problem, which kind of drops a hint that she's not really hands-on. When the sound suddenly bursts back into life, the vocalist casts his eyes heavenwards in gratitude and says, 'I promise I won't write so many songs about God!' That little fragment of wit is, incongruously, the best thing about Culture Kultur's show. In other respects, it's all a standard beats-on-backing workout. Competently done, mind...but standard. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Schattenslag have a name which, although I'm sure it's entirely sensible in German, sounds amusingly rude if you're English. This might explain why, although the band seem to have plenty of profile on the German scene, they haven't yet made much headway in the English speaking world. Or maybe that's because, again, we find ourselves confronted by a band which does the standard-issue EBM thing, ringing the changes only insofar as they have two people standing behind the keyboards, and a singer who favours aggressive, distorted vocals. So far, so regular. For extra excitement, Schattenslag also feature two hawt elektro chyk dancers, who, unfortunately, don't seem to have worked out any real routines. They just jiggle about a bit. The nearest we get to choreographed moves is when they walk in to the centre of the stage, stand there grinning at each other, and then walk back to the sides again, where they...jiggle about a bit. Even the most enthusiastic fans of hawt elektro chyks must surely regard all this as a bit half-arsed. I mean, nice boots and all, but this is the Wave Gotik Treffen. Everyone in town is wearing nice boots. If you're going to get on stage and dance, you've got to do it properly! Meanwhile, the vocalist gesticulates and rasps away out front, and the slammin' beats continue to slam. The EBM heads down the front clearly think it's all rather wonderful, but I'm underwhelmed. I think it's time to stage a graceful exit, and come out again tomorrow for some spiky-top shennanigans with some deathrock bands. Does that sound like a plan? OK, we're outta here. This way for the Wave Gotik Treffen - part three Back to the Wave Gotik Treffen - part one Essential links: Hatesex: Website \| Myspace Accessory: Website \| Myspace Witt: Website \| Myspace Charlotte's Shadow: Website \| Myspace Zeitgeist Zero: Website \| Myspace Culture Kultur: Website \| Myspace Schattenschlag: Website \| Myspace Wave Gotik Treffen: Website \| Myspace \| Livejournal For more photos from the WGT, find the bands by name here.
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Back to top	Page credits: Review, photos and construction by Michael Johnson. Nemesis logo by Antony Johnston, Red N version by Mark Rimmell.