Röck Döts

Ozzy -
Silverstein with There For Tomorrow and While She Sleeps and more

livegigsIt’s been a long way for today’s show to happen. Back in 2003 OZZY OSBOURNE wanted to play a Germany tour which included a date in Oberhausen, but it was pushed back and eventually canceled. So there was a huge excitment when the Prince of Darkness announced he’d play a exclusive Germany show in Oberhausen in September 2010, but this show was also pushed back to 13th June 2011. So before OZZY hits the stage after eight long years it’s up to former OZZY OSBOURNE-guitarist Zakk Wylde and his BLACK LABEL SOCIETY to make the almost 9000 attendies go crazy. The heavy rock seems to be music custom made for bikers and long haired and muscle packed dudes. BLACK LABEL SOCIETX’s songs include heavy riffs fueled by pounding double bass drums and the roaring vocals by Zakk Wylde. Songs like „Suicide Messiah“ or the great „Stillborn“ seem to gain a lot of crowd reaction. But after half an hour the band says goodbye and leaves the stage for today’s headliner OZZY OSBOURNE. After the intro OZZY OSBOURNE runs on stage and welcomes his crowd before the set starts with „I Don’t Know“, the opener of his masterpiece „Blizzard Of Ozz“. The setlist puts the focus on this one, five out of nine „Bliizard Of Ozz“-songs found their way into the setlist of this tour. OZZY delivers an old school-set and even if it’s the tour to his most recent work „Scream“ none of it’s songs are played today. Today is all about the classic songs from the 1980’s and early 1990’s. None of his four last albums are presented during his show. OZZY OSBOURNE is really giving a good show. He throws water into the front rows and makes his fans scream as loud as they possibly can. But this is an easy one because he offers classic tunes like „Goodbye To Romance“, „Suicide Solution“, „I don’t Want To Change The World“. „Bark At The Moon“, „Mr. Crowley“ or „Crazy Train“. But he also delivers some BLACK SABBATH-songs like the massive „Iron Man“, which every one in the arena sing from the top of their lungs. But it is easy to see that the Prince of Darkness got old and ill. If you compare him to other singers his age like Ian Gillian (DEEP PURPLE) or Bruce Dickinson (IRON MAIDEN) you can not deny he isn’t in his best years. But where he has a lack of health, he really tries to entertain the people and rocks out as hard as he can. After the furious „Paranoid“ the show is over after very good 100 minutes. The only thing you can critizise was the much too long solo section of his band. But OZZY himself did a great job.(Oberhausen, Königs-Pilsener-Arena on 13th Jun 2011)

livegigsFinally, MAYDAY PARADE tour the mainland of Europe. For four shows they hit German towns including today’s stop in Cologne. I’m surprised that only about 150 people attend to the show. But before everyone can enjoy the headlining act, it is up to the German support band DEAR LAMENT to win over the crowd. Though it seems like the band does not fit to MAYDAY PARADE perfectly they do quite a good job. This is mostly up to the effort of their frontwoman who tries to entertain the people. After nearly 40 minutes of break MAYDAY PARADE hit the stage after a short intro. The five piece from the USA start with the great „Jamie All Over“, which makes the kids dance and sing along. The boys are doing a pretty good job on stage and move a lot, especially the guitar players are moving like they’d be part of a much heavier band. But the lack of their former guitar player/vocalist is obvious, though the drummer and bassist try to replace him only the drummer gets close. So there is a difference between the studio song and the live song during all the tracks of their debut ep „Tales Told By Dead Friends“ and the debut record „A Lession In Romantics“. To be honest, this circumstance does not matter that much, because MAYDAY PARADE are doing such a great performance tonight featuring all of their best songs. After nearly an hour the gig is coming to an end with one of their finest tunes: „Jersey“. It would be great if the European mainland don’t have to wait another four years for the band to show up. (Underground, Cologne on 11th May 2011)

Panic! At The Disco - Mayday Parade and Dear Lament

2010 was a difficult year for former emo-superstars PANIC! AT THE DISCO. Two members, half of the band, left to praise THE BEATLES, while the other two remained to bring back the old spirit of the group. But their new effort „Vices & Virtues“ shows PANIC! AT THE DISCO shifting their style once again, but it is more similar to the debut „A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out“. The Luxor is sold out tonight. Before the first band, local support JAY LEE COP, even enters the stage it is hard to stand the heat in the subtropical clima of the club. The support band plays a mix of indie and guitar-pop, but fails to catches the crowd’s attention, so no one is sad when they leave after thirty minutes. The mostly underage crowd screams while their heroes enter the stage. PANIC! AT THE DISCO open their set with their most recent single „Ready To Go (Get Me Out Of My Mind)“. All of the 500 people in the small club sing along to new and old tunes. The band switches between songs off their recent work „Vices & Virtues“ and their debut „A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out“. It’s obvious that especially old tracks like „Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off“, „The Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage“ or their super hit „I Write Sins Not Tragedies“ are the ones the crowd wants to hear, so it is even sadder they don’t play „Time To Dance“. Therefore there are even two „Pretty. Odd.“ Songs on the setlist tonight, „Nine In The Afternoon“ and „That Green Man (Things Have Changed For Me)“. Because of a special and spontanious fan request from the crowd they play „New Perspective“, the song off of the Jennifer’s Body Soundtrack. And PANIC! AT THE DISCO even cover THE SMITHS’ „How Soon Is Now?“, which most of the kids seem to not even know...
After great 70 minitues and the encore („Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met)“) the band leaves the stage and the smiling and sweating crowd. (Luxor, Cologne 6th May 2011).

Patrick Stump

livegigsEmo/pop punk superheroes FALL OUT BOY are on hiatus right now. During their time off the members started new projects. Pete Wentz startet THE BLACK CARDS, Andy Hurley and Joe Trohman startet THE DAMNED THINGS with memebers of EVERY TIME I DIE and ANTHRAX. Patrick Stump, singer and guitar player, worked on his solo-project, a mix of pop, soul and dance music. For four shows he and his live band, including former TAKING BACK SUNDAY-bassist Matt Rubano, come to Europe. Cologne’s show is the last one of his short run, after he played in Paris and two gigs in London. PATRICK STUMP and his boys enter the stage nearly 40 minutes after the pretty borring support band from Berlin left. STUMP starts the show with a medley of some tracks off his „Truant Wave“ EP, which was released exclusive on iTunes in February this year. It might be a big pressure for Stump to be the center of attention, because in FALL OUT BOY it was Pete Wentz who got all the attention. But today there is no Wentz he could hide behind, today there are no 4000 kids, there are just about 100 fans who are face to face to the singer with roots in Austria. But PATRICK STUMP is doing a great job. He talks to the people, makes fun and is a good entertainer while he performs his songs. The set feautes every song of the „Truant Wave“ EP – also both versions of „Spotlight“ – and songs from his upcoming debut record „Soul Punk“, which is supposed to be released later this year. STUMP also plays two cover songs, COBRA STARSHIP’s „Kiss My Sass“ and „Nothing Compares 2 U“ by pop-legend PRINCE. After only 45 great minutes PATRICK STUMP leaves the stage. But everyone who attended the show can be sure that the quite expensive price of the concert tickets was worth every cent. And I do not thing that it will happen again, that PATRICK STUMP will play in such a small club again – or that he even returns for another run with his solo project. (Underground, Cologne on 6th May 2011)

Silverstein with There For Tomorrow and While She Sleeps

SILVERSTEIN’s new record „Rescue“ will see the light of day at the end of April. Before the release the Canadian emo/post-hardcore outfit is playing a string of shows in Europa and UK. Tonight they play in Cologne with support bands THERE FOR TOMORROW and WHILE SHE SLEEPS. The British hardcore crew WHILE SHE SLEEPS are the first to hit the stage.  It seems like most of the crowd isn’t familiar with the band’s music. They play hardcore like old YOUR DEMISE sliced with some metallic leadguitars. Nothing you really have to listen to. But people are giving applause to them, even if their show is obviously not a really good one, it’s only a nice start for the evening. The Brits are followed by THERE FOR TOMORROW. I expected some poppy alternative rock like THE MAINE or THE CAB, but the band isn’t that poppy and they’ve got even an experimental edge and remind me of the great VERSAEMERGE. The four guys are putting up a really good show what surprises me. Especially their tune ‚Deathbed’ gets huge respond by the fans and after half an hour THERE FOR TOMORROW leave the stage while the girls in the front row are still screaming.
The Canadian band SILVERSTEIN enters the stage and start their set with the heavy ‚I am The Arsonist’. The guys, including a fill-in for their guitarist, seem to be in a very good mood and you can see the fun they have in their eyes. They deliver a great mix of their first four records and present even some new tunes like ‚Sacrifice’ or their new single ‚The Artist. But it’s the „Discovering The Waterfront“-songs which make people go crazy and sing as loud as they can. The two covers of hardcore-classics by KID DYNAMITE and AMERICAN NIGHTMARE don’t get really much respone – most of the kids won’t even know the bands. SILVERSTEIN end their set with the phenomenal ‚Smile In Your Sleep’. The encore stars with singer Shane appearing with an acoustic guitar to play  acoustic version sof ‚Replace You’ and ‚My Heroine’, where the whole band joins in the end. The last song of their show is the classic ‚My Heart Bleeds No More’, which makes the kids go crazy in the mosh pit. It seems like SILVERSTEIN are a better live band right now than they’ve been three or four years ago. They are kicking arse much more than they used to. (Bürgerhaus Stollwerck, Cologne on 28th Mrz 2011)