After weeks of anticipation I was finally walking along the road from the metro station to find a club hidden away in a residential looking area in downtown Warsaw. But I like that feeling of being a tourist going to something that most tourists wouldn’t be able to find. The feeling of getting away from the crowds and off the beaten track.
As I find the exterior of the club I cannot see the name of it anywhere, but I can see the unmistakable sight of a German tour bus parked in the entry way and a guy in leathers with music patches on them confirming I am in the right place.
I liked this club the minute I was inside. It was on the ground floor but gave you the feeling you were going underground and with some of the most unique illusions. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the colours in the entry way were light beams, but they were in fact string art – coloured cords pulled tight and held by nails. A very clever illusion. The club itself is an open room, black (like obviously!) with its bar in the right corner and stage over in the back left. But most interesting was the corridor that begins to the left of the stage and disappears behind it leading to the cloakrooms and bathrooms. It’s almost like the tunnel to Wonderland, lit by eerie green lights and decorated with stories from Slavic folklore.
As I arrived our first act of the night was already in full swing, Dame Tu Alma (Give Me Your Soul – Spanish). Think if Kiss had more of a graveyard theme. The shiny black boots, corset/belts and long black jackets. They certainly engaged the crowd, the music was flowy and intoxicating and I totally appreciated the hug from one of the band right at the end of the night. I’d been hanging back til the last minute hoping Stoneman might come out for photos but unfortunately not this time.
Our next act was Morphium. More guitars, more energy, maybe a little too much in the form of the band’s rather excitable lead singer, whose party piece was wrapping his microphone cord around his neck. Thankfully it wasn’t around his neck when he managed to fall over backwards. But there was still plenty of talent to ire in the form of the bassist who was just smouldering away in the background making all the moves and faces of someone who is really feeling their music flow through them. Then letting loose on the microphone, just mesmerising.
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Stoneman were up next. Swiss rockers who reminded of something between Rammstein and Marilyn Manson – but in a fun way. Kinda like when Sum 41 dressed up as goth rockers in the Fat Lip video. This was a very exciting set. Great interaction from the lead singer who actually recognised a group of revellers from a show in the night before – always a great way to make fans feel special.
I left with definite plans to look deeper into this band. Their closing number – “Der rote Vorhang” – was quite simply haunting. The kind of song that you need a minute or two to come back into the room after listening to because it’s taken you off to somewhere emotional and moving. I have played it countless times since and it still gets me. The intro that almost tricks you into thinking you’re about to hear a cover of sound of silence until the gravelly vocals begin. I haven’t totally memorised the translation but I’m feeling like the verses put a stark, uncomfortable reality in front of your face. A dark side that exists but you may not be ready to face as yet. Then the gentle, flowing caramel of the chorus picks you up and soothes you almost saying “we understand, we’ve got you.” Metal is such a source of comfort to so many.
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Gothminister! This was my whole reason for going to the show. A band I discovered about six months ago through the Apple algorithm and I had an absolutely banging drive down to Whitby for another gig listening to Gothminister the whole way down. After following them on Instagram for a few weeks they announced the tour.
I did message to ask if they have any plans to come to Scotland or the UK for a festival or something in the summer. The reply: “not at the moment, come to the continent and meet us!” Well to be perfectly honest it would have been rude not to!
I’d never been to Poland before but with the advice from my Polish friends at work I went for it. I got to dress up in the gothiest outfit that ever gothed and walked gothically through the streets to the gig with nobody batting an eyelid and some of the sweetest people at the venue telling me how much they loved my outfit. By the time the graveyard clock struck ten past nine Gothminister were finally on the stage to a very excited crowd.
Everyone I spoke to was so looking forward to the moment and it didn’t in any way disappoint. I heard so many of my favourites and sang along to them all: “liar”, “dark side”, “we come alive”, “the sun”, “one dark happy nation”, “battle of the underworlds”…
I often wonder if the Viking obsession with death still lives on in the Nordic people. The rejection of new religion and the built up anger let loose through the aggressive lyrics to “liar” – summed up perfectly with Bjorn announcing the song by coming on stage setting fire to a Bible. Are they promoting the resurrection of the old gods and the old customs made famous by modern culture such as the TV shows Vikings and The Last Kingdom? Their song “Aegir” would suggest they are. Would Vikings have moved on from raiding and pillaging in modern times in favour of black brocade and top hats? They did love their finery!
Needless to say, an excellent show and not just because of the headliners. Well worth my trip overseas, especially given how much I enjoyed Poland. OK, Gothminister, now it’s your turn to come over here and see us!
