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Visions X-Mas Special

2006-01-08
Stadt / City Frankfurt 
Land / Country Germany 
Web www.thesubways.net
www.blackmail.de
www.union-youth.com
www.revolt.de
 
Veranstaltungsort:
Location
Batschkapp 
Datum / Date20 Dec 2005 
Bildergalerie / Picture gallery Visions_X_Mas_Special_2005 
Photos: Christian Hoffmann 

Every year the same: as soon as the X-Mas season has started again, from everywhere there are sweet chorals like „Silent night, holy night“, „Leise rieselt der Schnee“ or „Oh christmas-tree“. On the long run rather enervating.

A welcome hideaway from this is given by the Visions X-Mas Special, a small wandering-revue with four entertaining rock bands, which gonna make some noise in the clubs of three towns. The formation stops on Tuesday before Christmas-eve in Frankfurt at the Batschkapp. The Subways, Blackmail, Union Youth and Revolt call „Oh come all ye faithful“. And the numerous visitors came.



Union Youth are a bit unlucky. At midday the young alternative rock band starts from Bochum, where the day before the Visions X-Mas Special had played at the Zeche. On the way to the motorway they get into a traffic jam, caused by an accident with an overturned bus. Until the Combo arrives in Frankfurt, it is already shortly before seven. They don’t even need to think of a soundcheck anymore. Pure stress. Thank God Union Youth anyhow take the time to answer STALKER a few questions (see interviews).

The work onstage firstly was on someone else: Still quite unknown is the Indie-trio Revolt from Berlin, who opens up the Visions X-Mas Special at the „Kapp“. Ambitious newcomers, who ware worth to be discovered.



BluNoise-Records-boss Guido Lucas has designed soundtechnically the debut EP „Life In A Dead System“ for the band. The live performance reminds certain memories of Placebo, especially concerning the vocals. Very smooth hooklines, paired with rough riffs. The audience, however, is not at one about the performance. In third row there is a guy who raises both arms and points with his thumbs down

The welcome for Union Youth is a lot warmer, as they enter the stage.



With meanwhile 2 albums the quartet has sufficient munitions, to fire a lot of hits into the Batschkapp. Singer Maze Valentin shrills into the microphone, which turns into the opener „Yeah“ , and at once the seeting cauldron on the dancefloor has started. First crowd surfers appear upon the heads of the audience and wallow on the hands of the crowd. Already as second song Union Youth present one of their strongest and explosive songs - „Fruits For The Nation“. Their multidimensional melodies, harmonies and chord-complexity, which search their kind in the Neo-Grunge scene, have made Union Youth to a distinctive characteristic. Somehow complex, but still conclusive and catchy. The songs „About This Ride“, „Sweet Song“ and „Request” come in a row. The fans are happy about the brand-new, tracks „Another Passion”, „A New Decade“, „Modern Life“ and „Perfume“, which are not (yet) available on record.

Afterwards, when Blackmail play, the venue is absolutely jam-packed.



Singer Aydo Abay seems unusually relaxt and happy, and reveals to the audience in Frankfurt, that The Subways was a “nice band”, really “friendly people”. Blackmail are playing superior and present the songs „Couldn’t Care Less“, „Moonpigs“, „Same Sane“ and „Evon“. With this the guys from Koblenz arouse curiosity for the new album “Aerial View”, which is released in January.

The Subways are the band, who really clean up at the Visions X-Mas Specials, even if few of the audience has already left.



The English trio from Welwyn Garden City consists of the brothers Billy Lunn (vocals, guitar) and Josh Morgan (drums), as well as the adorable bass player Charlotte Cooper. The aforementioned drags all the attention on her, as she runs apparently easygoing across the stage, jumps, screams, and fidgets. Like a seven year old girl, which has been locked in over night in a Toys’R’Us store. In her play Charlotte interacts with her male counterpart Billy – the two are a new Indie-dream-couple. But oops, what is this? Singer Billy Lunn sings in the chorus of the hit „Rock’n’Roll Queen“ the like in German „Du bist so cool, du bist meine Rock’n’Roll-Queen!“ (You’re so coo, you’re my Rock’n’Roll Queen)! Visitor Martin Korback from Koblenz is enthusiastic: “I’ve missed the first club-tour. Then I discoverted the Subways through the internet, and got the album. Of all the British bands The Subways are the best”, the 24 year old tells. Conspicuous, The Subways have a special relationship to Germany, because of teh many fans.

Christian Hoffmann


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