Wave Gotik Treffen 25th-28th May – Pre-Festival picks


So the count down has begun in earnest! In 6 days the 21st annual Wave Gotik Treffen will begin. Four days of 209 of Gothic, Metal and Industrial bands, clubs, talks, art, theatre and events.

As ever the schedule is packed! Details of the programme can be found on the Official Wave Gotik Treffen site, iPhone or android app (Be aware: both apps are apparently clunky to use!) or my personal recommendation of NecroWebs PDF planner and Google Map (also see my guide to WGT recommended Places in Leipzig).

Here’s my picks from this years schedule:

On Thursday (24th May), as ever there is Sadgoth’s pre-WGT Meeting at the Bayerischer Bahnhof. Kicking off the festival with this yearly pub/restaurant is great to meet up with people particularly if you are a festival first timer.

Over the entire festival the Stasi Museum Runde Ecke is running an exhibition entitled: “When The Cemetery Was My Living Room” – The Gothic Scene In The DDR and access to this seems to be free for WGT wristband holders (else €3). Goths, like many other youth cultures were persecuted by the Communist regime in Eastern Germany so this exhibit should be interesting. The museum is running several scheduled guided tours through the exhibit as well. See the Official Programme for further details.

On Friday (25th May) from 3pm is the Victorian Picnic, again this year at the Clara-Zetkin-Park (by the lake near the Parkbühne venue). This is a great place to see/be seen with fabulous, often home-made Victorian, Steampunk, Medieval and Lolita fashions.

Bands on the Friday include Rhombus (at 6:30pm) and The Eden House (at 9pm) representing the British Goth scene at Fehlenskeller. Then the fabulous Haujobb are playing at 11pm at the Agra Halle.

On Saturday (26th May) the Agra is the place to be with Grendel (6pm), Aesthetic Perfection (8:30pm) and Combichrist (11:10pm) all performing there. Also on is the brilliant British electro-industrial band Global Citizen at the Moritzbastei at 8:30pm.

On Sunday (27th May) the mourning halls of the Südfriedhof (South Cemetery) is open to the public for free from 10am-4pm. The cemetery is one of the largest in Germany.

Sunday’s notable bands are Klutae  (Leather Strip’s frontman Claus Larsen’s side project) at Parkbühne at 9pm.

Sunday’s clubbing must is the Moritzbastei with DJ sets from Haujobb‘s Daniel Myer.

Final day on Monday (28th May) bands at Agra are demonic Mexicans Amduscia (7:50pm) and the band you definitely don’t want to be in the front row for (they have promised “loads of blood” on their Facebook page!) Germany’s own Agonoize at 10:30pm.

Monday at Darkflower should be awesome (if you can get in) with the finale party from Out Of Line Electrostorm. Star DJs are listed as Lola Angst and Erk from Hocico/Rabia Sorda playing tunes from 8pm – 6am.

See you there!!!

Miss Jade in Leipzig

Miss Jade in Leipzig in 2011

Global Citizen at Club Reptile (The Minories, Tower Hill) Saturday 8th May 2010


Flyer for Global Citizen at Club Reptile 8th May

Flyer for Global Citizen at Club Reptile

Reptile is an unusual club; it has a “strictly no EBM” policy. “Anyone found in possession of glow sticks will be prosecuted” claims their website. What they do play is Industrial, Electro, Metal, Goth and Punk.

It’s here that Global Citizen are playing. I last saw them perform at 2009′s Dark Mills Free festival where I remember them as standing out from the lineup. The London based Electro-Industrial band have decided to do a special short preview show of their brand new material.

Singer Richard Mills stands on a makeshift platform stage to perform. On his face is a black, mask-like eye stripe with peaks and troughs that make it look almost like sound waves. Its a distinctive and unsettling look and although Global Citizen‘s music is perhaps not quite as original as Richard Mills’ makeup, the unsettling part definitionally applies to the bands sound. Behind him Vade Retro and Callum Gray (aka DJ Jo The Waiter) play repeating post-apocalyptic electro rhythms on keyboards.

They open with “Kimochihi II”. Singer Rich Mills has a fantastic bass melancholic voice, reminiscent of classic Gothic vocalists such as Sisters of Mercy‘s Andrew Eldritch or original Fields of Nephillim frontman Carl McCory. His voice is flawless throughout and sings with obvious passion. The next songs are “Broken Doll” and “Early Morning Star” followed by the slow track “New” which makes for a good chill-out tune. The song “Don’t Make it Slow” is next which, as the name suggests not nearly as slow as the previous song “New” (funny that…)

The penultimate song – “Things” is probably my favourite track they perform. Despite the somewhat uninspired lyrics of “I make things difficult for myself” repeated over and over, it does have the most catchy rhythms and danceable beat of all the songs performed. The anti-monarchy anthem “Majesty” is Global Citizen‘s finale and leans more towards post-punk than the rest of their set.

Global Citizen‘s short set is polished but does somewhat lack interaction between performers and the small, supportive crowd.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera before the gig but I asked Bobbie Bajwa who has very kindly said that I may use her great pictures on my blog. Please visit Bobbie’s site – Chameleonart.

Vade Retro, Richard Mills and Callum Gray perform as Global Citizen taken by Bobbie Bajwa

Vade Retro, Richard Mills and Callum Gray perform as Global Citizen taken by Bobbie Bajwa

Global Citizen taken by Bobbie Bajwa

Global Citizen taken by Bobbie Bajwa

Global Citizen performing to the audience taken by Bobbie Bajwa

Global Citizen performing to the audience taken by Bobbie Bajwa

You can buy Global Citizens 2009 album “Master Stroke” here or from the missjade’s alternative music & culture shop

Rating: 4/5