VNV, Melotron, Diorama in Athens! Yipee!!!

[Dizzyduck]

This weekend, 25-26/10. there is a big electro festival in Athens (it's called Seelenschmerz Festival) and I'm going to see VNV Nation, Melotron, Diorama, Blut Engel+ many more ALL IN ONE DAY!!!Yayyyyy! Soooo excited! At last!

[~angel_hocico]

Lucky you, dizzyduck... I tried to convince my guy that we should fly out there to Athens, but for some reason, he didn't want to. Strange... Hope you have a great time. I envy you!!!!!!!!!!

[Dizzyduck]

Thank you angel...I'm so excited about this! The last few years there has been a blooming of the electro scene over here, but this is the best event so far!
Then again I'm so envious of you as well...you have the chance to see Wolfsheim in concert! They've never played here. Now that is a dream yet to come true!

[~Tal`liyne]

I really wanted to go...in fact..that was my intention, but I've got this little thing in the way called **work**! Have a brilliant time and party on my behalf as well! Crikey....I wish I was there this weekend! You are truly lucky...those are some of my favourite's, specifically Diorama and Melotron! Let us know how it turned out! :D

[Dizzyduck]

Roger, Tal! Message received! The official EGN correspondent in Athens will be on stand-by to bring all the latest news!

[Dizzyduck]

Only 3 hours to go.....:woohoo: :D :D :D !!!!!

[~melibita]

Make sure you post pics and tell us how it went, Dizzy. Hope you had a good time. :D

[Dizzyduck]

Hello again! I can't believe I wrote so many things about the festival and then my computer crashes and it's gone! :mad: So I'll rewrite it. It's going to take me some time...umph...
Unfortunately I didn't take any pics, 'cause the security guards took my camera at the entrance...I'm always the unlucky one, this happened everytime I was one of the first to get into the venue (same thing at Depeche Mode and PSB :mad: ) But friends of mine got pics, so I'll post them or a link as soon as I'll be able to.

The festival was overall very successful, the crowd enthusiastic and the sound excellent, except when VNV played, when it was a bit too loud and thus a bit blurred at some songs. But the crowd's response was so warm that it was soon forgotten. VNV went on last, as they were headlining, and we were all cheering and screaming for them even before they appeared. Ronan was amazingly energetic, dancing and running all over the stage, he was full of energy like a young boy and his interaction with the audience was great. Everyone was singing along to the words from most of their songs and they were really surprised with that. Their best moment was when they played "Beloved", as this song is hugely popular over here, and throughout the show they wouldn't stop smiling! They even did a second encore, and even then we were asking for more...After the show Ronan was DJing at a club with the singer from Melotron, but unfortunately I didn't go as I had to wake up early this morning.

As for the other bands, I have to say that the best performance was Melotron's. Pure energy, they played their best songs (but no slower ones :( ), and their singer was amazing! He was all over the stage dancing very sexy (and he's veeery good at it!), shaking our hands, and his voice is great live! Melotron were also the friendliest and coolest guys, after the festival they were signing autographs and chatting with everyone (I was lucky to chat with them for a little while :D), always with a smile on their faces.

Diorama were pretty good as well, and even though I'm not that much into their music, they impressed me and did a good show. The best moment was when they sang "Into her liquid arms" with the singer from Diary of Dreams, the crowd went crazy then.

Psyche, on the other hand...well, I didn't like them. I hadn't heard much of their stuff, but it seemed like monotonous, uninspired EBM. Imagine that they got the warmest response when they played a song that wasn't even their own (they did a cover of Goodbye Horses). Also their singer seemed to me that he was trying a bit too much.

Decode were the first to play, that's a Greek band that is very Mode-esque (Their singer even looks and sounds like Dave Gahan) Their songs were pretty good, and if they start to sound less like DM they'll be much better.

And finally, Blutengel...my, what a laugh...I don't like that kind of music at all, it's way too gothic and vampiric, but I must say...what a show...The male singer got on stage in full vampiric attire (he even had fangs on :laugh: ), but to me he looked more like Keanu/Matrix with makeup...The female singers were similarly dressed, or wait...I should probably say undressed, since halfway through their performance they were singing with their bras and G-strings (what a treat for the guys in the audience :laugh: ). The show was -naturally- dipped in fake blood, whips and chains, and one of the female members of the band was chained, pushed and shoved around at every chance (ouch...that must have been really painful...we could even hear the noise she made when she was hitting the floor :D :D). Well, I'm sure that their fans liked their show, but to me it was just a good laugh (I had to hide it though, since I was at the front).

The festival is also on today, but the lineup is too gothic and I'm not going. But in general we had a great time, everyone left happy and worn-off from dancing (I can barely move my butt around the house and my voice is messed up :D), and by the time it finished almost everyone-including the bands- was pretty much drunk.
What a party! Come again soon, guys!
Now I'm planning to fly to Belgium on March 2004 where there's another festival, to see Wolfsheim, boy, am I looking forward to that.
XXX !

[~stark427]

Reviews for the first day of the fest also here :

http://www.synthpopavenue.gr/forum/showthread.php?threadid=3950

Most reviews are in Greek, but you will also find one in English.

There is also a poll running for the best performance of the first day.

stark

[Dizzyduck]

True, all the fan reviews at the above link (the Concerts forum at www.synthpopavenue.gr )are in Greek, but the comments are more or less the same. I'm translating some parts of it as we speak and I'll add them a.s.a.p.
A very small poll at that forum (so far only 10 people have voted) votes Melotron as the best act of the evening, by some 63%, and VNV second by 37%.
I forgot to mention another detail at the Blutengel show...oh, yes...there was also an antic where one of their girls had a chastity belt on, and another one tried to :laugh: drill it open :laugh:
There was also a DJ set from Adrian Hates of D.o.D., which was terrible...He was probably bored or already drunk, otherwise I cannot explain his choice of songs (Smack my b**ch up, The Bitter End, Manson's Tainted Love, and his own Panic...there can never be too much singing of someone's own praises, it seems. The crowd liked that, though).

[~angel_hocico]

Great to hear you guyz liked mega-babe melo-Andy so much, hehehe!!!

Oh boy, I hope on of my friends won't read what you wrote about Blutengel.... he looooovese Constance.... all day and night long during M'Era Luna she was his only topic... but I absolutely agree with you!!!!

[~melibita]

That is hilarious abiut Blutengel. I have two or 3 of their videos live and they were pretty funny, like you described them. Too corny for me.

Melotron is a great band! I saw them play with Covenant in May and they converted me into a fan. :D