| 28-29.10.2003
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| THE MISSION - Pilgrimage Tour 2003 | |
at Gaswerk! - Winterthur (CH) - 21.10.2003 |
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| review by dalia "gryphon_spirit" di giacomo - pics © by Stefan "Absolut_Evidence" Vogelaar | |
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The public use of these fotos is strictly prohibited without written permission
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| INTRO | |
| VOTIVA LUX | |
| THE MISSION | |
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| INTRO | |
| Gaswerk! in Winterthur. One of the Swiss emerging venues.
It's the first time i'm here, and why?. Cause here this evening , The Mission and special guest Votiva Lux will play.
Oh just a moment,... it can sound strange, knowing my personal tastes, that i've chosen this concert, but not only the musical genre is important for me (and for Stefan
"Abs" too of course) but the event in itself, and this evening
Winterthur is guesting an event indeed, much more important that it can
appear at a first superficial moment. Firstly of all The Mission have a historical career in the Rock scene that must be considered; secondly the Mission live line up includes Rob
Holliday as added live guitarist. To be honest i shouldn't write any
explaining more: whether you like it or not, Holliday from Sulpher is one of the best and original guitarists in the scene, and his "Sulpher style" is unmistakable.
You can recognize it among millions. Sulpher are a real revelation in puncto
Heavy Industrial, and if you see them live for sure you will never forget them. Question is how such attitude can match
in a concert with The Mission, who have a more rockish-de icate style, even gothic from time to
time. That's what i'd like to see and this simple thing makes this concert technically important for me.
My big personal esteem for Holliday and Sulpher apart. And third point (last but not least) the special guest: oh yes every supporter in this world is a "special guest" , sometimes a "very " special guest. Probably the real meaning of "special guest" is lost on the way, imo. Votiva Lux, on the contrary, are really special guests tonight: they will open for The Mission only 2 times (so it's a special, and not a continuous appearance concerning this tour) , moreover Votiva Lux have a special importance for Wayne Hussey, i presume. They are one of his favourite bands and they are working together for a common project. So special guests: they support only few times in a significative but discrete way. They cooperate strongly with Wayne, nevertheless they are not presented in all sauces in all dishes and every moment. Result: this concert has something special beyond the music style. Ergo, hic sum, et hic manebimus optime. Or something like that! A couple of words concerning Gaswerk! practically the venue centre (backstage excluded) is a big room that can hold 200 or even more persons, in neo- industrial style. Its ceiling is very high , arches define the room on the left and on the right of the stage. At the opposite side of the stage , the back wall presents a thin loft, and high, just under the ceiling , the black veil is cut in order to let appear a silver full moon, starring in a blue sky. Black veils surround the whole room , occupying all the empty spaces of the arches, giving to the venue a cold essential look, based on black and white. Full moon : very related to Votiva Lux music. |
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| VOTIVA LUX www.votivalux.it | |
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Well, nothing to do with metal. But good music is good music, and , considering that metal itself doesn't disdain sometimes pycho space electronic chill out moments, why not? Let's attend this gig, that seems to be a bit different. Votiva Lux are an italian band that were called, if i remember well, the "Italian answer to Pink Floyd". They come from Bologna , if i have understood well (curious isn't it? though we are all Italians there has not been that great communication between me and Giulio ..., by the way i'm still waiting for a kind of setlist. should i know all the tracks of Votiva Lux? though this cooperation with Wayne Hussey is remarkable? do me a favour!my chill out is a good death charge! ) . Anyway let's not digress à la Italienne. Psychedelic space rock : in this way we could resume their music and, above all, it is instrumental. They hit the stage at 20:56. the venue is good crowded, though only few persons seem to be the typical m'era luna gothic guys. And we are carried away nicely, but indisputably in another dimension. Far, in the space , stars, unknown planets , galaxies, satellites, neutrins and pulsars are dancing a cosmic dance before our eyes. Our mind flies away at the search of space frontiers, or simply deep in our personality at the search of psychic borders. The music is really cool and well performed, though the stage acting is one of the most static and cold i have ever seen. Anyway it's not easy to produce live this kind of sounds and it's clear that Votiva Lux , whose look is totally normal and sober (no astronauts , thanks all gods) fix everything on their musical hypnotism . Echoes effect, distorted sonorities, some rockish guitar drops, good romantic melodies, everything supported by resolute drums. If i have understood well (you know ..among us Italians...) they have presented only one track from their last work Solaris (by the way a cool CD really) and the rest, from previous albums. I'm happy like a resurrected Christ that i cannot give you a single damned title, but well you get what i know, or what i get in my turn. Another explanatory particular: the last song they have proposed, whatever it is , it's very boring. Pity! cause the rest is really good. ...and my dear metalheads, if it ever happens that you need some space psychedelic chill out , keep in mind Votiva Lux cause their music deserves it. If they are well considered by Wayne Hussey there will be a reason... all in all a good concert that has not warmed up that much, but has gifted everyone with an impossible ethereal dream Ah, before i forget: another explanatory particular . Starring in the middle of the stage there is a device called teremin (or thereminovox) , which has been one of the points that has captured the most the attention of the audience, as source of "space magnetic" noises and echoes . Giulio Sangirardi has left , from time to time, his guitar in order to play this object invented by Lev Teremin in 1920, whose valve circuit is connected to a short vertical antenna. Sounds vary bringing nearer or moving away the right hand from that antenna, while with the left hand rules, through another antenna, the intensity of the sound. And Giulio masters very well this technique, that i see live for the very first time. 21:21 final with psycho effects which mantain themselves, the band leaves the stage for a minute and comes back in order to set all sound sources off. Applauses "thank you very much . see you!" says a bit dry Giulio. Space ...off. |
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| THE MISSION www.themissionuk.com | |
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| 21:55 it's the moment for The Mission to hit the stage. Darkness. Intro. Ah ...but this is yes! what an intro gosh! This is an intro! Nothing less than Masked Ball by Jocelyn Pook. Yes the chant of the scene of Fidelio from the movie Eyes Wide Shut directed by genius Kubrick. I'm in rapture cause i like such a track and even more thinking that is a backward setting of the chant of 2 real priests of the Othodox church. The result , like Pook was saying, is diabolical and mysterious, simply fascinating .
Wayne Hussey is on the stage followed by band mates Ritchie Vernon (bass), drummer Steve Spring, and of course Rob Holliday. 21: 58 we start off with the atmospheric and drum powered Crystal Ocean. Wayne Hussey begins playing the synth, while bass and drum propell the rhythmic kick, till finally the guitars enter the soundscape.
Vocals impact well, one or two notes are not perfect maybe, but this will be the only flaw in Hussey's singing the whole concert long. Rockish with some gothic flavour, and, above all melodic. Both guitars are well synchronized, moreover everyone can begin to understand that Vernon is in perfect shape and will give a brilliant kicking ass performance. Effective and in form is Holliday's playing too. You know what is impressive?, it is the different kind of style, the different kind of sonorities that Holliday is playing tonight. Totally different from Sulpher's stuff, but anyway, his style, his stage acting, and his look is still unmistakable "Sulpher". And this is nice. Hussey's and Vernon's look and style integrate with that one of Holliday, complementing each other: 2 different poles bounded by harmonius guitar phrases. Nothing is disturbing the atmosphere, typical for The Mission, but, at the same time, noone is loosing his identity. A good mix of experience, romanticism and energy well underlined by lively lights.
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| setlist
The Mission
CRYSTAL OCEAN |
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dalia di giacomo 
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