karohemd | Infest band review - Saturday

Where to start and how to write it so as not to sound like a complete fanboy? Let's start from the beginning.
I will never be able to understand why it took the UK so long (two years) to really catch on to this superb (for wont of a better word because their music is so much more) EBM band from Germany but they are finally here properly and as the Saturday headliner to boot, at the top where they belong. I wasn't at Infest last year but I'm sure they made a suitable impression on everyone there so that the organisers booked them as headliners.
Their more recent success is undoubtedly at least partly due to the superb track Exterminate Annihilate Destroy with the Dalek sample. The funny thing is that they actually didn't know the source of the sample (Dr Who is virtually unknown in Germany, I only heard about it when I moved over here) - as came to light in an interview on the MissJinny show where they were asked who their favourite Doctor was and they didn't understand the question. ;o)

I'm also glad they were headliner because the sound was perfectly mixed and there were no technical glitches except for the odd feedback or two when Rascal stepped in front of a speaker. I was standing right in front in the center so didn't get the brunt of the main speakers. In fact,

psychokatuk's screeches and screams were harder on the ears than anything from the stage. ;oÞ
As with Unter Null, I wasn't sure how exciting the show would be as it's just three people: Rasc on vocals, Gun on keyboards/guitars and Krischan on decks/sequencers and other black boxes as well as backing vocals but they delivered everything I could possibly hope for and more.

Right, the gig: I'm really crap and can't actually remember what song they started with but it took off right away and the audience was up for it from the start, too. I didn't see much of the audience because I was in the front row but there were some serious vibes coming from behind me and much applause and screaming. I do remember they played a nice hard version of Almost Violent (one of my favourites) very early on and there was a really good mix of old and new. Many of the tracks had a remix quality to them so sounded quite different from the CD, even if it was just Rasc changing his singing style.
The frontman is a bit of an animal, anyway, jumping and running across the stage, throwing his furry microphone stand (*shudder*) about, stepping in front the stage and jumping from speaker to speaker (almost kicking

kneeshooter in the head at one point) or jumping onto the step on the other side of the security barrier and even jumping the barrier altogether and wander around the audience during one track (argh, which one was it?). Rasc can sing and really connects with the audience and that's exactly what an electronic band needs to distract from the lack of "real musicians" on stage.
If someone asked me which song was the best, I couldn't really tell because they were all performed well indeed but I guess it has to be Storm as the live drumming by Rasc and Krischan added an entire level to the song. They had two electronic drum kits facing away from each other (so the drummers would face each other) and drummed away like mad, Koto style. That worked really well and was a bit reminiscent of Feindflug, although they use real drums. Hm, I wonder what Rotersand would sound like if they added a real drummer like FLA did on the Sunday? Would be cool, no doubt.

Another fine moment was this:
Rasc: "Do you like harsh, industrial music?"
Audience: YAY! *screams* *stomps*
Rasc: "Then this one isn't for you."
Rotersand: *play One Level Down*
which is one of the slow pieces I really like. :o)

Just two photos came out but then again, I didn't really try hard, I was far too busy singing along (literally at one point during Last Ship, when Rasc shoved his microphone into my face and I shouted a "Fiery Skies" for everone to hear - mine was the second as

psychokatuk refused ;oÞ):

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I was very worried about my head...

*nods*

How did your shots come out? The lighting must have been really tricky.

No idea yet - I've had a busy day at work. I'll try and get a teaser of one from each band done tonight.

I don't think it has taken 2 years for the UK to get them as we have been playing tracks by them since the first album. Maybe two years to get to be headliners, but that is to be expected.

Not to get them as such but for them to get widely accepted. I know a few DJs have been playing them but not really widespread.

I think it probably takes at least two years for ANY band to get widely accepted. I think you probably need two or three good club tracks to really break a band through to that kind of level, which they have had now.

Considering the general apathy of the UK goth scene to accept new things, that's most likely true. :o)

Well, it is a small scene and outside of a small number of 'big' clubs, quite provincial. From my experience provincial clubs tend to be quite small (100 people or so) and with that size crowd they tend to play the most popular/well known/accesible music.

There is very little communial media in the UK. I don't know of a single magazine covering the uk industrial/ebm scene, very few radio shows and next to no television. As such it is only really the clubs, gigs and festivals that could introduce a new band to a large audience.

I think Infest is great in that respect for introducing a lot of lesser known artists to the audience.

Yeah, the Calling is like that. Fortunately, they have a guest DJ each time who more often than not tend to play something new or different.
I always frustrate the guy who runs it because he's got to make at least ten new entries into his setlist database. ;o)

*nods* Which is a big shame. There are a few underground mags (like Unscene) but nothing you could buy at your newsagent's around the corner.

I wish Whitby would do something similar for the more generic/trad goth genre but in all these years I've been here I'd never been interested in going. I don't know if it's budget restraints or poor promotion which is the cause for the rather poor band selection so feel free to enlighten me in that regard. The tickets seem to be expensive enough...
I'm in the goth scene mostly for the music, not for the socialising, fashion etc. although in the meantime I'd know enough people to warrant going socially, too. At the same time quite a few friends of mine who wouldn't miss a Whitby for anything in the world a few years ago and now simply don't care anymore.

And now I realise that I forgot to put Modulate on the survey for next year. Sorry...

I think that is the point nearly everyone makes about Whitby. It used to matter about the bands, now they seem to be background music to the foyer fashion parade. :/

I know there is a difficulty in getting bands to play there simply because it says "Goth" in Whitby Goth Weekend. Some bands really hate to be called Goth or associated with it. I have no idea what goes on with it financially, but yeah, I think people expect more for £35+ tickets. Esp when you can see most of the bands on the bill for £5-7 in London. The Damned are playing again this time despite only headlining it 2 years ago. Good that XPQ are playing, but they are on tour...so it's not like there is anything exclusive about them playing Whitby. I have to agree with you, it pales in comparison to other festivals. I think a lot has to be said for Whitby as a place though, it is a fantastic little town and it couldn't be any more suited.

I think I've been to about 5-6 Whitbys and it isn't the same as it used to be. Maybe netgoth has something to do with that? It had a pretty hardcore following a few years back and all the members of the irc channel would pretty much go to Whitby en masse. That doesn't seem to happen any more.

Hehe. I think a few other people did ut Modulate down on the survey. I heard that they closed the festival with Skullfuck! :)

I know Saint said he was going to play it as well, so it might have gotten played a few times over the weekend. We'll see what next year brings.

Everybody seems to want to play at WGT/Leipzig, though and linguistically, there's little difference between goth and gothic...

Well, here's to you getting on the bill!

To be honest, I heard very little of the DJ sets as between the bands I wanted a drink and be outside to give my ears a bit of a rest and with exception of the Friday night, the headliners were just too good for their music to be watered down by canned stuff afterwards.

Apologies for my extreme screams! I am Rotersand fangirl to the max... I'm sure in legal circles it would be referred to as stalking!

The intro song was Truth is Fanatic btw!

Your contribution to Last Ship is vastly superior to the squeaky "Fiery Skies" that I would have produced... years of not smoking have left me lacking in the husky voice department!

Here's to many more Rotersand gigs! :o)

You got a name check, though, how cool is that? Which means they don't seem to mind your stalking. ;o)

Duh, of course it was Truth is Fanatic.

*laughs* My voice just has a pitiful dynamic range so pretty much drowned in Rascal's finely tuned mike. Still weird to actually hear my voice from the speakers. ;o)

Hell yeah!

Infest band review - Saturday - Rotersand

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