Walking into day 2, I knew we had an amazing festival day ahead of us as the evening was set to end with Suicide Commando being the headliner.
Kicking off day 2 was Vaein, a solo artist who basically dished up pure sex on stage with the help of their dark voice, deep and slow beats and steamy videos playing in the background, they created a very sensual stage show.
Vaein is certainly a great artist to add to your special playlist as their music feels so intimate and primal it almost automatically puts you into that special place in your head.
Next on stage were Reichsfeind who stepped up the pace with their dark electronic dance sounds. Normally a one-man band from the midst of Germany, Reichsfeind were joined by 2 other musicians that night. Not sure what Reichsfeind sounds like as a one-man band on stage, but that night the sound was just perfect, and the crowd basically danced through the entirety of set.
The band’s sound very much reminded me of a darker version of VNV Nation with a heavier and harder beat. However, Reichsfeind don’t just offer a very danceable sound, Timo Revna also uses his music to talk about important topics such as human failure and individual fates in his lyrics, which created some very well-rounded songs such as “Wish There Was a Drug” or “Moth”.
To switch things up a bit, Grabyourface would entertain us next. They are just a pure force on stage and such a delight to watch. Their music very much reminded me of a more mellow version of Pretty Addicted. Dirty electro that is on the surface fairly aggressive, but deep down below it is quite sad and emotional. This French musician is not only a great solo artist but has also created some magnificent songs in collaboration with the likes of Covenant and Caustic. “False Gods” is one of them and was included in their set list of the evening. Grabyourface was able to put together a very well-balanced set for the night that showed the full scope of their musical abilities.
I should also mention that despite the fire alarm having a fit through most of their set, Grabyourface werenever phased and delivered an incredible show. They finished their set with the song “Rob the Bank” which was by far my favourite song of theirs.
Meet Glass Apple Bonzai, the Goth Oingo Boingo from Canada (well 50%, the other 50% is from the US). GAB’s wrap though subjects such as loss and suicide in fun 80s synth pop meets dark wave sounds. So, you may be enjoying to a fun song without realising the gravity of the meaning
of the lyrics of it. Their sound however truly takes you back in time and you feel like you should be playing Pac-Man on an arcade while drinking full sugar coke from a glass bottle and watching the latest episode of ALF or Knight Rider in the evening.
On stage Daniel Belasco is just hilarious and kind of reminded me of a blonde version of Jack Black. If they hadn’t mentioned that it was only their second time playing live as GAB, I would not have been able to tell. They looked so at home on stage and created a loving, inviting and fun atmosphere. A few songs that stuck with me that night were “Skeleton Dance” as well as GAB covering “Don’t forget about me” by Simply Minds as a tribute to Daniels late brother. To be honest, these guys were my favourite act of the day, and I could have watched and listened to them for hours without ever getting bored. Even now a year later I wish I could go back and see them again. Also, if the music doesn’t work out, please do stand-up comedy Daniel!
Let’s move on to one of the highlights of this weekend – Wynardtage v Hydroxie. Having been a staple in the goth community between 2005 and 2013, this act took me right back to the time I got to spend being part of said scene in Germany. Their music embodies the meaning of EBM & Industrial with heavy hitting beats, the use of voice changers and sound clips from various movies being utilised in the songs. Their show was near to perfect as well. From the chosen songs, the video montage running in the background, the dedication and pure energy coming from everyone
on stage even down to the light show. Each song filled the whole room with bass and beats that made the air vibrate and had the entirety of the crowd dancing along. This was the type of show I used to see at WGT in Leipzig.
One of my notes from that night was, that I hoped they would revive the band, but since then the band has decided to call 2022 the last year of its existence. Hopefully that will either change one day or they decide to make music under a different name in the future.
At the end of the set, we all needed just a bit more and the request for an encore was heard and luckily fulfilled! What a perfect band to set the tone for what was about to happen next.
Suicide Commando! Do I even need to say any more than that?
This was one of the main reasons why I had to attend Infest in 2022 and I am so grateful that I had the chance to do so!
The start of the set was a live drum set and keyboards – what a way to set the mood for the amazing show that was about to take place. Johan come on stage wearing a knee brace, but my god you would not have known that he had any issues with his knee. He kept jumping from the left to the right side of the stage and back, utilising the speakers on either side as well as the ones along the front of the stage. He even went onto the pit barrier and into the crowd and then managed to break the mic stand by being so energetic on stage.
I was pretty much glued to watching Johan on stage, but I did manage to catch a glimpse of the room behind me, and I believe every single person that attended Infest had chosen to watch Suicide Commando as the room was absolutely filled to the rafters with people dancing to and enjoying the music.
I don’t think I really need to say too much about Suicide Commando’s music apart from that almost every single song is absolutely packed with energy, catchy rhythms and lyrics and even if you aren’t into dancing, they somehow just make you move your body. That night’s set was a perfect mix of old and new and included songs like “God is in the Rain” & “Cause of Death: Suicide”.
One should also mention that Johan had lost his voice prior to the night and wasn’t feeling well at all, but he still put on a perfect show and didn’t miss a single beat. It certainly made me appreciate his energy on stage even more.
After day 2’s incredible line up, I ended up going to bed feeling extremely happy and grateful to have been able to experience it all.
Event website: Infest Festival
Photos: Luke Agger-Joynes
Ruby