Its Sunday…. After only getting back to the hotel that morning and 8:45am, due to going to some amazing afterparties, and only 2 hours kip before lunch and shower, I’m ready to start it all over again. Very sleep deprived by this point as since the Friday I’ve only had about 8 hours sleep -- if that!
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| Nachtmahr |
Getting to the venue you could see the toll the copious drinking and parties are taking on people as they slowly fill in questionnaires about Infest and who’d they’d like to see next year for charity and to win some very awesome prizes.
As Paralox couldn’t play yesterday because the singer collapsed due to severe chest infection, they managed to make it today playing first; again they were another band I wasn’t overly bothered about seeing. Like the others though I thought id give them a chance seeing as I was there and, hey, I might have liked them… if they could sing. I know they were in hospital and the such for chest infection but the keyboard player couldn’t harmonize properly and she was singing flat. Don’t get me wrong, fair play to them for making it and playing, but they would have been better for our ears and the such if they were able to sing properly. Everyone showed their appreciation and support however for them being able to make it after the trip to hospital as well as flying over from Australia -- even if some weren’t as enthusiastic as others.
The next band, Concrete Lung, I had heard of but wasn’t sure if I particularly liked them or not; I was quick to discover they weren’t to my taste. ‘Noise’ is right. They looked enthusiastic about what they were doing which was good, using the stage space they had, and some people in the crowd clearly liked them -- but for me it sounded like someone was vomiting in a mic while playing the same 3 chords on guitar with distortion. If you like Pitchshifter there’s a good chance you’ll like these guys, but like I said not to my taste.
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| A very sleep deprived me with Jen parkin from Ayria |
The next act how ever I LOVE! I patiently waited at the front while they set up. This act are known as the construction boys: It was only freaking Patenbrigade:Wolff! They were FANTASTIC!! in ‘true’ construction bloke style they were casually drinking cans on stage while making there sweet sweet sounds of an electronic construction symphony Beethoven would have been proud of. Being a big fan of theirs I had to record a video of the start of there performance!
Not soon after that song the lovely Antje Deickmann graced the stage as the ‘foreman’(or woman in this case) and performed ‘Voyage’, ‘Gestoffah’ and ‘Sun After Rain’ with them. Afterwards Mark Benniche sung a few songs with them which was very awesome. A combination of the construction lights, 2 of their albums guest singers, the background videos and images they put on a fantastic performance and I would happily go and see them again (even if i have to travel to Berlin).
Next up was Ayria, and I love them so it was a real treat for me to see them live, with guest keys player Guilliume from Memmaker who had performed Monday. Jen parking loved playing at Infest as everyone went crazy dancing and cheering, singing along to the songs with all their hearts content. Jen was jumping around on stage interacting with other band members and members of the crowd, and I can honestly say it was a privilege to see the Candian-born EBM queen live infront of me, and to meet her afterward!
I must admit I was a bit star struck (and oh so sleep deprived), but she was a very awesome lady, so well grounded and she definately appreciated her fans. And she said she liked the skirt i was wearing… Bonus!!
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| Thomas Rainer with my glow stick down his trousers |
Nachtmahr I wasn’t overly worried about seeing, however I did catch the last few songs of their set and I’m really glad i did. I had listened to them before infest and wasn’t too sure about them, how ever seeing them they were really good! I was pleasantly surprised infact and now I love listening to them, so much so ive pre-ordered there newest album(review will be done when i get it)! They seem to have gotten the combo of harsh vocals with high energy ebm synths and beat just right. I also got to meet Thomas Rainer later on when he decided to shove my glow stick down his trousers.
The time had come for me to wiggle my way to the front again as Project Pitchfork were about to come on and boy was I excited! What a performance they put on! it was fantastic! I was snapping away with my camera dancing singing along. They were better live than they are on recordings and I was loving every minute of it. He even got on the step on barrier to interact with the crowd he was holding fans hands giving them what they wanted.
They were truely a privilege to see live, and even though they’re veterans of the scene they can still definately put on a performance with the best of them!
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| Project Pitchfork |
Afterwards the DJs finished the night off with there sets and Ayria’s Jen Parkin, her drummer, Thomas Rainer and Peter Spilles of Project Pitchfork joined everyone in the partying (which is how I met Thomas Rainer and Peter Spilles). Jen’s drummer had obviously spotted I had an Ayria top on and by this point had had a few asked me what was on my top (making an excuse to stare, aha!), not long after a bit of banter Jen asked my for my glow sticks which I was more then happily to lend to them, at which point one of them got ‘Nachtmahr’d’ (see picture). One of my friends kindly managed to get a picture of me with Peter Spilles before my camera managed to die for good after all the video and photo taking that had happened over the course of the weekend.
Not long afterwards at around 1am how ever the fire alarm went off which everyone continued to dance to thinking it was all part of the music.. until the DJ stopped and everyone got ushered out. People however made there own EBM using their voices and continued to rave outside, partly to keep warm -- partly because they wanted to keep dancing. It was only afterwards we found out it had been set off by someone spraying hairspray in the toilets… The DJs picked up where they got interrupted however and the party continued until the venue closed and everyone headed their separate ways.
All in all it was an amazing weekend and I don’t think these reviews have done it justice given exactly how good it was. I would highly recommended anyone going even if you havent heard of all the bands, you meet some amazing people and some of the bands turn out to be pleasant surprises!
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| Me and Peter Spilles from Project Pitchfork |
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