I didn't have high hopes for this year's Treffen. The program just didn't get me worked up like the one from two years ago. But, you know, I came anyway.

The weather was hot with occasional thunderstorms. WGT 2005 was a bit chilly and rainy. Being wet, warm and drunk is much better than being wet, cold and drunk.

I only saw two bands this time, but I tried to see four of them. Yes, that's how enthused I was about the lineup, but also that's how difficult it can be to get into a venue. Ask anyone who's been before and they will tell you about the long queues. Sometimes you have to arrive very early to see the bands you want to see. And that's what happened with Milu at the Moritzbastei. It's a very small venue, so it's recommended to arrive there far ahead of time. When I got there, I could hear the music, but the venue was so packed with people, it was impossible to actually see the band through a small jammed entryway.

Absurd Minds was also on my list, but dinner went late and I just knew there was probably no getting into the venue, so I didn't even try. Luckily, the Agra is a very large concert venue and that's where Front 242 were playing. I had never seen Front 242 in concert before and they started it off right with "Funkahdafi." You can never go wrong with a song about a crazy despot. They played some of their classics, including of course "Headhunter", but it was really the songs from Pulse that impressed me. This album continues to be criminally underrated, hated almost unanimously by old fans, but really embraced by new fans, and what I consider some of their most creative work. I was completely impressed not only by their music but also by their energy. For a band that's more than two decades old, they still put on a great show. In 2005, the camera booms (video recording the concert) were so erratic that some people in the audience got hit on the head. They didn't seem so crazy this time around, thankfully. The crowd loved 242 as much as 242 loved performing for them and no one got knocked on the head.

Next up was Seabound at the Kohlrabizirkus, an ice skating rink in the shape of two giant breasts. The bands were playing in one of the breasts. I'm not kidding. I mean, if you're going to have all these momuments shaped like penises, then it's only fair to erect at least one building similar to the female anatomy. Am I right? Well, being trapped in a giant breast is kind of strange, but Seabound was pretty good. I had seen them in San Francisco in 2002, and they bored me to tears, so I didn't have high hopes. Most of these venues have sound systems that make everyone's singing voice sound the same, which doesn't help Seabound at all. But when Frank Spinath sang "Avalost", perhaps one of the most beautiful synth songs in recent years, the sound system did not hold him back. Synced with a small laser light show, Spinath passionately called out for his lost love in his search for New Found Land and it was certainly a highlight for many people. One can only tolerate so much four-on-the-floor stomping mania before a heartfelt, moody ballad becomes necessary. Thank you, Seabound.

Even though I didn't see many bands, this was another great WGT experience. And the photos attached to this blog post won't do justice to the experience that it actually is, but they do offer a glimpse. Let's hope that next year's lineup will inspire me a little more.

Wave Gotik Treffen 2007

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