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Tag: Plan B

Live report: Brujeria & Mystifier @ Plan B, Malmö – July 12th-13th, 2023

At the beginning I’ll say some quite personal things, if you agree. Well, if you don’t do it, it means nothing and I do what I planned before. So, it’d be even better if you agreed – then you can feel you control me… Hehehehehe… Anyways, my life is like a fuckin’ rollercoaster. In April I was extremely disappointed and even depressed I couldn’t go to Copenhagen on the gig of my Metal Gods (actually one of them) – Colombian Masacre I dreamed about since I heard “Reqviem” the very first time and it was in the year of releasing this album, by the way. In concert day and two weeks after that I felt really shitty, like my world would fall at all. But it went something like two and half months and another dream became truth, day by day. As some of you already know I’m any workaholic, I also avoid doing the same more times than that’s necessary. That’s why I decided to write only one report from both gigs, even if they absolutely were separate ones and the fact they happened day by day wasn’t planned before in any way. But why to do the same thing twice if anyone force you to that you can do it in another, more interesting in my opinion way, and once? Wasn’t it just waste of time and energy to write two reports instead of one?

Booth gigs started at 7 PM, by the way and both started just in time. On Wednesday time for our brothers from Mexico has come. But before they entered the stage, there was set of local band – Coffin Creep. It was another time they opened the show for a legendary band. Guys gave good set with songs taken from their several stuffs and it was also visible under the stage. I can’t remember anyone who moshed when they played, but I’m beginning (after fifteen years I live on here in Sweden) to deal with that. I mean, deal with the way crowd’s response looks like here and so on. As always it was a very good show with great interaction with fans.

After some break, but not too long, we had the opportunity to see the Mexican legend of death / grind metal. Well, for everyone who knows something about Brujeria it isn’t any secret their base is since some time in the second most populous city of the States. But fact is once whole California was Mexican, so… Besides, guys are very proud of their Mexican roots, even if not all members have it as well and you can see that under their shows as well. In right comer of the stage stayed Mexican flag. As I know this is permanent element of their gigs. I saw them alive the very first time in my life, but I saw many ones on video portals and that’s why I know what I’m talking about. Anyways, in first lines dominated people with Latin American origin, what meant there was pure inferno under the stage during whole show! I finally felt like in my younger years in nineties and beginning of actual century in Poland. Guys played probably something like an hour or so and there were the most of songs I wanted to hear alive. Of course, there’re some ones I missed, but let’s be honest: if they played all their hits, the gig was at least three hours long and I think, actually am sure of that, all musicians were dead after that. On the end of paragraph dedicated to Brujeria I write only one more thing. This is very simple sentence. It was more than a gig for me and everyone who likes this group should see them alive at least once at life! Viva la Brujeria!!!

On Thursday I came of course back the club and was the same excited like last day. Actually, I’m surprised I fell asleep and slept whole night. By the way, this time there were no local band. And maybe it was the reason why this gig visited less people then Brujeria’s one. There wasn’t as bad as in the case of Convulse, but still was for me something like “what the fuck is going on here?!?” Well, the fact is also Mystifier, even if as for me is a cult, unfortunately isn’t well-known horde here in Europe. Honestly whole Brazilian (and in general Latin American) scene, with some exceptions, is a huge mystery for the most of maniacs. I could write about this some novel, but this is not a place for that. By the way, we talked a little about this with Armando after the gig. However, let’s leave these divagations and go back to the concert. As a support played trio coming from the capital city of England. If I don’t count listening to few their songs on the internet, it was my first contact with this band. They gave good, energetic show in my opinion. Anyways, as I saw there were more, also intensive, headbanging then under that. But this is quite usual thing on support bands if they’re not from Malmö or Hel(l)singborg or so. Of course, it absolutely doesn’t mean crowd was indifferent to what happened. You could hear quite huge applause after every track. I’m not totally sure about it, but I guess some merch was sold after their show.

Then we had of course some break to let rearrange the stage a little and to drink some beer and so on stage entered headliner and in the same time the band I love since I heard “Wicca” the very first time – it was the same year album released, in Poland on the tape. Guys played songs coming from several releases, even from their first demo. As the third or fourth song there was cover of some band whose home-city was Belo Horizonte. I somehow think everyone knows what legendary ensemble I mean. I even think quite huge number guessed what song it was, too – especially if I say it wasn’t “Antichrist”. Yes, “Nightmare”! I enjoyed every entire note, was focused on stage and had no will to take a look back. I know I probably should do it from time to time to be able to describe folk’s reaction, but honestly, I fuck such professionalism! I’m the same metal maniac as others and first of all I want to enjoy the gig. But I could feel response was just the great one since we “forced” guys to play one extra track. They could play only one, because very long trip awaited them and it was as clear as a day for everyone, they needed to take some rest before that. Anyways, next gig of this tour took place near my home-city in Poland.

On the end I tell you what. Both gigs were the ones I’ll remember until my last breath. We all know, hopefully it’s not one more proof there’s something wrong with me I have like this, some concerts are always fresh memory and it doesn’t matter how long time ago they happened. In my case that are mostly gigs from nineties, but not only.

July 30, 2023
Live report: Mgła & Ulcerate, Sistyphean @ Plan B, Malmö – November 18th, 2022

Week went quite fast, but at the same time I was somehow nervous. I mean, I was waiting for this gig with restlessness. Well, in general I’m patient person, but any fuckin’ phlegmatic and I counted days as well. Actually I hadn’t counted too much, only six to be honest, so my nerves didn’t suffer too much. Finally Saturday has come and I could stop this annoying activity. As always everything connected with the gig began a few hours before for me. If you read at least one of my reports, then you know why this is like that. Those of you who have no idea about it are welcome to check out my previous reports as well. I have no time and even will to explain the same thing the whole time, after every single gig. Yeah, thanks to it my reports would be longer, but honestly it’d be too boring for me – I prefer to write a little less then do it about not too important stuff! I mean stuff isn’t connected very strongly with a gig. Besides, who cares what we did all those hours, what we listened to and so on?

The first band was announced at seven pm, so there was enough time to do everything calmly before we left my place. When we entered the club there already was some metalheads and within an entire minute there were more and more of them. Anyways, we had some time to grab a beer before our guests from Lithuania began to play. They did it as it was planned, even if I somehow thought there’ll be a little, I mean few minutes or so, delay with their show. Guys promoted on this gig, as well as on the whole tour which is actually in progress, their second full-length “Colours of Filth” released May this year (hopefully review will be able to come soon). There was any set list laying on the stage, but even without that it’s not too difficult to guess Vilnius’ residents played songs coming just from this album, at least first of all. What I liked was the fact that Dainius had good contact with the crowd. Concerts this evening took place on the biggest stage of Plan B, so it was a little bit constricted. I mean, I’m somehow sure if they played on one or fewer stages in the club, it was even better one.

After maybe fifteen minutes break, too short for me to grab the beer (line to the beer place was huge as fuck) since it was more important for me to see the show from its beginning, stage entered three guys coming from the most populous city not only of North Island, but also of whole New Zealand -Auckland. Here’s no place to describe their creativity, so I’ll tell you only during this gig three bands presented different, but still extreme, sub-genres of Metal. By the way, I hope guys will release something soon and then I’ll review it very gladly. Anyways, they got more or less the same time as the first band, which means something like forty five, maybe fifty minutes, I guess. There was also no set list in the paper version as I noticed. So it is quite hard for me to tell you what songs they presented. But there were both older and newer, also unpublished yet, songs. Crowd during their show was quite huge, surely bigger than on Sistyphean and they got quite a fine response. Maybe it wasn’t what I’d liked the most, but after more than thirteen years of living here I’m slowly beginning to be accustomed to the way Swedish people react to such energetic music.

When they finished their show I decided, just like a lot of people -especially staying in a few first lines, to not leave a room. And I have to say it was a very good decision! It’s even not about I saw Mgła musicians in “civilian” clothes trying before their show, but about the fact with every minute crowed become bigger and bigger, so even me could have problems to come to first or second line then. When guys were satisfied with their tries, they disappeared from the stage. Of course for a while only, time they needed to change their clothes. Then they started to play stuff from the last album – “Age of Excuse”. I think most of you know it very well, so I don’t have to write titles of the tracks (especially I somehow never do it). As I know Mgła is a controversial band. It’s not about image and stuff, but about their creativity not everyone likes. But everyone who was coming this evening (and there were also quite a lot of folk outside Malmö or even Scania) enjoyed it for sure. Well, otherwise it was at least strange to spend money on tickets, and in many cases travel, don’t you? Anyways, their shows are also quite specific. I mean, they’re entering the stage, playing what they have planned to play and just leave with no word during the set. So you could think peoples ‘reaction should be similar. But no way! There was even a moment when some moshpit came. I won’t tell you who started it. Instead I will thank my buddy Henkefrom Hel(l)singborg for an idea he got almost directly after we met each other under the stage!

It was a very good gig and nice as hell time. Well, in my opinion a gig is the best way I can imagine to spend Saturday evening, actually. And I’m happy there happens to be so much great stuff I can and am able to write about in Plan B! Now there’ll be quite a short break in gigs for me, but soon will come with another report.

Photos by Strahinja Rupnjak

November 29, 2022
Live report: Eyehategod & Iron God @ Plan B, Malmö – August 5th, 2022

I’ll start this report probably a little untypical. And that’s why I tell you right in the beginning it was the first gig in quite a long time where the number of people who came didn’t disappoint me at all. Well, the room mentioned before bands played isn’t too huge (I think, actually am sure, it took place in the smallest room Plan B has), but this is still not too little and something like one hundred people who need to make it full, I guess. Well, on Iron God there were probably a little less of folk then on Eyehategod, but even this first number can be impressive – especially in comparison with what happened on this field on Convulse or even more Malmö Masacre Pre-Party.

As the first, just like I mentioned before Iron God entered the stage. And they totally conquered this as well! Reason was both music and the extremely energetic front-man who was everywhere on the stage and that’s why I’m proud as hell I was supposed to make some pics on Iron God’s show. Anyways, I think it was also his craziness and wildness which made a real mosh pit almost directly! It wasn’t too huge maybe (I mean, not too many people – probably, I didn’t count, few maniacs participated in that), but it happened during the whole time Stockholm residents played. Guys presented to us songs coming from both demos and their debut album. Well, not only, actually. It took them something like thirty five – forty minutes, I guess. Sorry, but I was too much into the gig and tried making pics to look at my watch.

By the way, Iron God was the perfect choice for a band who’ll warm up the crowd before “star of the day”. I wrote these last words especially in quotation marks. And this is of course not because I don’t appreciate Eyehategod. I just think guys coming from the largest city of Louisiana don’t think about themselves like that, even if they’re a real legend of the sub-genre of metal they play. Surely they entered the stage after some break – as I saw there was “renovation” of the stage necessary. We used this not too long, by the way, to break with my buddies who, as almost always, came from Karlshamn and another one from Hässleholm to grab some beer and talk a little. But before we were done with our drinks, there was time, especially for me, to enter the room once again, because the headliner just entered the stage. Crowd on their show was a little bigger, I think. It didn’t mean at all, of course, there was no space for a mosh pit! In a good band there’s always some space for those who don’t wanna only stay and watch what happens on the stage, as I noticed during all the years I’ve been visiting shows and festivals. Anyways, Louisianians were playing even longer than Iron God and fans even “forced” some bonus on them. Well, this time there were a little less people then when they began to play, but still the number was quite huge.

Well, I was never into saying which songs the band played and which didn’t do it. Actually in the case of Eyehategod it could be a little hard to do because they didn’t use any set list. They had it for sure, but not in the paper version at all. Besides, I somehow concentrate first of all on the show and it happens from time to time I forgot to take a set list of the band. The most important fact was, and still somehow is, it was a really great concert with a great atmosphere! Honestly, one of the best ones I have been these months. Well, in this club there’s always an atmosphere I like very much (you can feel there like bands would play in your living room, in some way), but this time there was even something extra added to it. Surely the number of people helped in that! You know, Demilich, Convulse ot Malmö Massacre Pre-Party were also extremely nice gigs, but number of metalheads who entered them was something like a fly in ointment – especially two mentioned by name Finnish bands are the pure legends in my opinion, even if in quite huge grade “only” underground legends.

August 19, 2022
Live report: Malmö Massacre Pre-Party: Goatburner & Morbid Evils @ Plan B – July 17th, 2022

I’ll start this report with some quite funny stories, at least in my opinion. Well, it can also be one ,more proof I’m not normal at all, actually. But this is closely connected with this gig and Malmö Massacre itself. I somehow was even more then sure the main festival is also in July and thought intensively why the hell it’ll be on Tuesday and Wednesday.. I even had a little fight with my very good buddy from Karlshamn about it. When he said after the Convulse gig Malmö Massacre is on Friday and Saturday I was like “What the fuck?!? Can’t he count?!? Today’s Sunday, so how the hell can the 26th can be on Friday?!?”. Then after one week I realized the Malmö Massacre is in August and everything has become clear for me. Reason of my error, except my twisted mind, is probably because this Pre-Party took place more than a month before the main festival.

This time I had to go alone to this gig. It was Sunday and my buddies went for the first time after their vacations to the work on Monday, so just couldn’t come here to enjoy the gig and grab some beers before, on and after that – Karlshamn lays not too near Malmö and trip home takes something like two hours for them. That’s why I left my home later than I’d do if they were with me. When I came there was still the Swedish Women’s Euro in football. So the room where the gig was planned wasn’t open at all. But the game finished soon and bands could enter the stage. The first played Morbid Evils which began with a little more than an half hour delay, so something like 20:35 instead of 20:00. And here I have to say it was a very good idea bands played just in this order!

Morbid Evils is just more about doom metal than the other ensemble. Well, actually in the music of Goatburner you can find only some little touches of this sub-genre of metal and they’re hard to notice, actually. Anyways, let’s go back to the show itself! About music of both bands I’ll write more if I’ll have the opportunity to review their stuff, even if the one of Goatburner is quite old. By the way, these three residents of different cities, but the band’s place of origin is still Turku presented mostly tracks coming from their third upcoming album “Supernaturals”. That’s what I suppose, because both guitarist and bassist hadn’t any set list I could use to make sure if I remember correctly. Their compositions are, just like it happens very often in doom/death metal, long ones and it also happens quite a lot in them.

My reaction was… Well, people just stayed and listened carefully to the music. Sometimes this or another one, I was one of the most active on this field, I guess, did some, let’s call it, doom metal headbanging and that’s it. But I felt most of us really liked what we heard. Evidence was applause after every entire track. The fact is it wasn’t too huge, but I’ll write the reason for that a little later – I think somewhere on the end of my scribble. When guys were over with the show, they came to sell their marchs and hoped to do it at least once. I have no idea, because I went to drink some beer. I somehow knew the break between bands would not be too long and my feelings about it were right. Stage entered two guys (one of them did it actually second time, because he has the same functions, guitar and vocal, in Morbid Evils). And here most of you surely got the idea there’s no drummer and only drum machine in this band. But you’re wrong!

This band based in Helsinki presents much more energetic music – the easiest to call it by the term Death/Grind. So there’s nothing strange in the same vein. I mean, energetic as well. But once again headbanging was about few people. I didn’t count very carefully, because I had to participate actively in that (I just can’t imagine I wouldn’t do it on a gig) and also was from time to time busy with making some pics, but I guess the number near to the real one is five, maybe seven in this case. Keijo didn’t use any crib sheet about what and when to play. And if I tell you this is just him who plays in both bands, you’ll probably be impressed with this.

And now I will tell you about the only thing I didn’t like about this gig. It was about the crowd! Well, I actually have no idea if I should use this term to describe the number of Metalheads who came to Plan B this evening, because there were something like twenty of us. So the number of headbangers, especially on Goatburner, wasn’t as little as you could think when reading about it. Well, to be honest, the longer they played the less people were there, so… And with this quite optimistic accent I’ll end this report to be able to write a review of some stuff who awaits it.

August 5, 2022
Live report: Convulse @ Plan B, Malmö – July 10th, 2022

I definitely have good luck these days, actually months, to see alive real legends of the scene. Well, I know that both Demilich and Convulse aren’t, let’s say, some global and well-known to everyone bands (and it’s also about fans of Death Metal), but they’re still legends in my opinion. But meanwhile I’ve seen Agnostic Front and here no one will doubt this is a pure legend, and it doesn’t matter their music has not too much to do with Metal itself. Somehow I think and believe most metalheads know them as well as for example D.R.I. Unfortunately I was too lazy to write a report from their gig. Well, but I’ll at least mention this gig here in this report, anyways.

As always, well, almost always, activities connected with gigs started quite early. The reason is my very good buddies are arriving in Malmö at half two p.m. Then there was common stuff like listening to music, drinking beer or eating lunch. But if you think I’ll describe it with every, even smallest detail then you’re wrong and will be disappointed. Here’s no place for such things! Besides, I think anyone who’s reading this report is interested in that. By the way, we left home at something like seven p.m., so more or less one hour before the beginning of the concert, even if the club is really near my place. But after a long time pals from Hel(l)singborg and other cities in Scania came, so… Anyways, the only band this evening has begun to play with some half time delay. And here I need to directly tell you it’s anything that I see negatively! This is even contrary in my opinion. It happens when musicians treat other metalheads (but as I remember it was exactly the same thing on Agnostic Front) like friends, chat with them and so on before the gig! And that’s how it should be!

Anyways, this gig was a part of the 30th anniversary tour. So it was something natural. The guys played the whole material of “World Without God” and also three or four more tracks taken from their last creation “Deathstar”, but not only. As I know it wasn’t like that everywhere on this tour. I mean, not everywhere guys played some bonuses. It took something like an hour for our friends from Nokia (I know most of you connect this name only with mobiles, but this is first of all a city with a population near thirty five thousands), by the way. I guess they’d play maybe even a little longer if not a fact they had to be two days later in Poznań, Poland and this is really long trip from here. And I can sum up their show with one word. Well, actually four ones’ sentence: It was fuckin’ great! Everyone who was there could realize the stage is their element and communication with the crowd was also great. Reaction of people, most of them, was something that I’ll probably never deal with, even if I actually should do it or at least it shouldn’t be anything strange for me anymore after all these years I have lived here in Sweden. But this is what I have lived with and I absolutely don’t complain about this! That’s how Swedish acts do gigs and that’s it! So headbanging was the domain of three, maybe from time to time seven of us. Worse and impossible to accept is the fact there were maybe thirty eight people at this gig and almost anyone who was less than thirty years old. Especially tickets weren’t expensive and nowadays it was any problem to check out what and how Convulse play online even one month or so before this concert!

Anyhow, those who were there, enjoyed the show as hell! And I am sure we all were thankful as hell for the possibility of seeing this legendary band alive. Well, actually one of my dreams from my teenage years became real and I don’t care I had to wait all these years. Actually it “tasted” even better now and I definitely appreciate it more than if it was in nighties! I also hope I won’t have to wait another thirty years to be able to see them once again.

July 20, 2022
Live report: Demilich & Chaotian, Interemo, Grand Harvest @ Plan B, Malmö – April 21st, 2022

April is the month when I saw two legends of death metal so far. The first one was Sinister in Copenhagen just on Fool’s Day. I wanted very much to write the report from this gig as well. But unfortunately I had totally other stuff on my mind. It’s not about my memory or something because I remember everything very well, but now it’s a little too late to write it in my opinion. Anyways, I was there “by accident”. I mean, I absolutely didn’t plan to go and the reason was stuff I had on my mind, very serious stuff. But thanks to my Metal brothers from Karlshamn I was there. Before the gig we had some unexpected adventures, by the way. And Sinister played a great show as always!

However, last Thursday I came to the club very near my place to see the legend of Finnish death metal. It was the greatest gift I ever got on my name day, even if Plan B’s owners didn’t know about this (actually they’ll get to know this now, if they read the review). Well, this is cool to think it was a gift for me, but the truth is that they invited people to this free show to show us the new stage they got. Next day was normal work day, so buddies I mentioned above didn’t arrive and I had to go alone. Of course, in Plan B I met some other buddies, but to be honest there wasn’t as many as I was thinking there should be. In general it was the only minus of this gig – there were quite a small number of people. I know what day it was, but it was something I still can’t understand at all. Especially Demilich ended up playing something like ten PM, so people who work shouldn’t have excuses like: “I’d sleep so short time before the work”. Besides, I slept something like three hours after Abbath in Copenhagen or Kreator (I lived outside Malmö in these times) and am still alive somehow. Well, maybe this shaming in my opinion frequency was occurred by the fact younger generations don’t know Demilich at all, what can’t be anything surprising if they know nothing about Immolation, as you know from the review I wrote some time ago.

By the way, the first band this evening was Grand Harvest – one of Malmö scene’s most active bands these days. They play quite often since gigs came back after a long pause. As always it has begun with an intro during which the lead vocalist made a little smoke. We had also some candies near the microphone. It helped to create the right atmosphere even before they started to play. Their music is a mix of doom and death metal in the old vein. I never liked comparisons because they make everything too easy and devalue in some way the creativity of the band who’s compared to another one. Of course it can help fans to get to know what they should expect, but still… Anyways, their (Grand Harvest’s) music is a tribute to especially the early creativity of bands from Halifax in England who practically created this sub-genre of metal. They gave a good show where they played stuff from their debut album “Consummatum Est”, released independently last month. And believe me, I know what I say because I saw probably their all shows in Malmö – including their very first one.

The same situation is with Interemo who entered the stage as second band this evening. This is another band coming from the city I live in. And I have to tell you the stage is their element. Probably this is the main reason why people here like them so much. Another one can be musicians are young guys (especially the drummer), so if nothing bad will happen they’ll play many, many years. As I said I saw them several times and I feel they’re better and better from show to show – I mean both from the strict technical side and stage work as well. Anyhow, on their show there were a little more people in the room. Crowd’s reaction was surely also a little crazier then on Grand Harvest, but it depends on music which both bands play, too. Interemo presents exuberant death metal, of course, old school one. During the last song a little mosh took place, but guys asked for it so it was probably because of that. Anyways, here in Sweden moshing on gigs isn’t something very popular and every such attitude is worth to mention! Well, practically it was next to last track they played – as the only ensemble that was “forced” to play an encore.

After a quite short break, Chaotian from Denmark has begun their show. Also this band I saw before. Contrary to Grand Harvest or Interemo, it happened only once. Actually there was one more opportunity, but I just couldn’t go to Copenhagen to see them once again – I can’t remember what was the reason, by the way. Well, never mind! Especially since it was quite a long time ago, so I doubt it does matter in any way. Danish trio presented a little different face of death metal than Interemo. Honestly the idea that they play just before Demilich was a great one in my opinion. Chaotian’s music is close to what Finnish play since these more than thirty years (even if there were few years’ breaks in their activity). I mean, Jonas, Andreas and Spren play brutal and in the same time technical death metal. People under the stage were mostly staying and watched it like some movie. There were few ones (also me, of course) who headbanged, but I could count them off on one hand.

I know it shouldn’t be anything surprising for me since I live in Sweden since almost thirteen years, but somehow such reaction of crowd is always something like: “What the fuck is happening here? They came to opera or on a metal gig for fuck’s sake?” At the same time I know my reactions are for the most of Swedish something at least strange. Anyhow, finally one of the heroes of my even younger years entered the stage. I remember what huge sensation for me was to listen to their, unfortunately only album, “Nespithe”. Of course the most of twelve songs they played was taken just from this full-length. They gave a very good show that, especially in such small rooms, also means keeping good contact with people who’re under the stage. Unfortunately, there was less and less listeners as longer they played and the best part of us was in, more or less, age of musicians (except for the bassist who joined the band in 2014). But there were some exemptions – members of Interemo and few of their friends who even made some mosh.

In general I’m very happy I was there and saw the band I always wanted to see alive! As I said, all bands gave good shows. Well, I think Chaotian could make a little better stage work, but this is my adjective feeling and is probably because of the fact Poles have another mentality then Danish. Anyways, after the show, what am proud as a peacock of, I talked a little with Antti who’s a very friendly guy – which isn’t any surprise for me, by the way.

May 1, 2022