The KNTN Annual Noise Festival in Copenhagen the other day... a nice evening, I guess. Arriving a few minutes after the first act started (everything started on time, which was in itself a mind boggling experience no delays whatsoever, 11-12 acts between 20.00-01.00), I didn't get any chance to soundcheck or set up my gear with focus, completely my own fault but still slightly frustrating.
COAL opened, new act (live debut?), two-headed heavy Power Electronics unit. Nice and brutal synth sounds & aggressive, suffocated vocals, but all in all far too stretched out. But confident enough for a first performance.
ASSAULT GUARD next, wielding a modified guitar and some fancy electronic stuff. Noise. Can't really remember the details but it was definitely an improvement from the last time, progression pointing straight upwards.
I think KONDITOQUE was next. Massive synthesizer equipment, spaced out techno sounds, some of it pretty good but not my cup of tea. I went across the street to buy a kebab. Tasted much better than the Malmö equivalent. Outside the venue it sounded like a psychotic video game, enhanced by fireworks crackling all over town (early new year's celebration?).
PUSSYFOOTER was probably the highlight of the evening; incorporating ASHLEY C, ALLEYPISSEr, ASSAULT GUARD + one more guy, they went ballistic with big pieces of metal. Concrete mixer filled with stuff, oil barrels, chains: metal junk fetish as it's called. Nothing new at all but a nice celebration of that oldest industrial tradition. Even throwing firecrackers into the audience and all (forcing me to retaliate with an empty beer bottle, though I'm afraid no-one was hit by it). The venue was filled with smoke and dust afterwards. Invigorating.
CONCUSSIONISTS next, probably, blistering improv-noise with guitars & baritone sax. Very loud and fierce, but approaching my own set I found it harder to focus on others' music.
PUCE MARY was up next with her minimalist heavy industrial approach. Some technical problems I think, but I enjoyed it anyway (also good dynamics in performance, sitting down by the table after the preceding rambunctious rock groups). Vocals a bit low perhaps.
NXFXTX seems to be the outsider in this line-up (besides myself), doing noise in Århus for twenty years. Sharp, drilling sounds from toys and stuff, loud as hell, true to the spirit of noise as being extremely unpleasant (more Japanese than Euro/American in that sense). Not very good though.
So, the "debut" performance as ARKHE, which really doesn't differ that much from what I've been doing as PESTDEMON other than by name. Having little time to rehearse & prepare the weeks before, and no sound check, the gig was bound to fuck up, as it did; got some nice pedal feedback sounds but then the microphone decided not to work, leaving little choice than to cut everything short, just turning up the nobs to eleven and blast everything. Fuck that shit.
Oh wait, CONCUSSIONISTS played after myself. That's why I didn't really notice what they were doing. GIRLSEEKER ended the evening, the only non-industrial band of the event. Cheesy 80's sounding keyboards, a lot of piano, out of tune vocals, awful guitar solos; perverse pop music, very enjoyable in its filthy kitsch. Always nice to end a noise festival with some dance music. The night ended at some bar in the vicinity with cheap beer, dice & a good time w/ the Posh Isolation crew, and the day after with brunch & a visit to the P.I. store (there wasn't any proper merch table at the show so this was the main opportunity to spend some of that hard earned cash from the night before).
edit: unfortunately, LR cancelled his performance.
