KORPIKLAANI, ELUVEITIE, Godnr.universe
13.10.2010, Hristo Botev Hall, Sofia – Bulgaria
words by Ivaylo Alexandrov, photo: Ivaylo Alexandrov
There are men underground who will never see the sun but they really know how to party. Really. With almost empty hall in the beginning and among almost 1000 people an hour and a half after the beginning the Bulgarian folk metal hordes plunged into a sweaty metal jig during 4 hours.
The Blue Box club is temporarily ruined, the Hristo Botev hall clanks like tin-can, what should we do? Well, we’ll do a party. The promoter ABV Pro moves the concert in no time and we hope on the sound.
Shortly before 8PM we start to hear it. The first band for the evening and the only one with the status of “warming act” Godnr.universe (how the hell should I read this?!) comes out under the cold darkness of the stage and they jump in the jolly melodies and the voices of Anna Murphy and Meri Tadic who we’ll see about an hour later with their main band ELUVEITIE.
The two ladies are on the stage with their side project, supported by their friends with guitars and drums and they leap in ‘Moondrunk’.
The hall is still empty at this time, logistic or professional barriers prevent the people to come earlier and the sound is good only at the front positions when it slams in the bodies.
But we don’t pay so much attention to this, we are all there because of the two other bands and Godnr.universe are just a pleasant addition to the whole picture. The gals and the lads around them change their instruments and after some 20 minutes they leave smiling because the audience has welcomed and sent them warmly. We are gentlemen even if we are hairy.
Short pause before ELUVEITIE, I am circling around looking for acquaintance and keeping away for other people and then I clash with the beer queue.
Hmm, no, I’ll wait later. Two taps are far from enough. The merchandise yet is interesting and rich in articles. I see a lot of guys hanging around with vodka t-shirts. While I watch the items
I hear the intro ‘Otherworld’ from the band’s new album and I run off to the fences to absorb. I remember that before the Kreator concert last year I have only heard of the Swiss and when they came out, they took off my mind (that explains a lot).В
The situation now is not different. The band is filled with energy on the stage. Chrigel waves his dreadlocks and screams while the rhythmic ‘Nil’ shakes the loudspeakers. Oh my, how much In Flames there is in this band live! And it is so nice that this fact doesn’t irritate. Because behind the catchy riffs there is a flow of flutes and bagpipes.
The yet gathered people now act as a noise filter and the music of Eluveitie reaches us and throws us into headbanging and wild dances. Much metal and vigor washes the stage and while Kay Brem makes skinny poses I pleasantly notice some marks that he’s “our guy”. The bassist plays with a guitar with the letters BLS on it and on his t-shirt proudly stands the logo of the doom giants Grand Magus. No wonder that their rumble is so strong!В
For the people who are not well-acquainted with the songs of ELUVEITIE, they play a bit reminding of the Swedish scene death metal, largely spiced with bagpipes, flutes, hurdy-gurdy and a violin.
They often turn to the Natural beginnings and thus to the Celtic folklore and the magic potion with such ingredients is only comparable with the cattle of Getafix.
Its action on the people too. While greeting with ‘Kingdom Come Undone’, Chrigel wants a moshpit. And he gets it. He wants wall of death. On the chainsaw ‘(Do)Minion’ we leap into each other. Dude, could you give me back my trainer? Mims, sorry for the hit in the head!
Two more “last” songs and Eluveitie leave like victors with ‘TegernakГґ’ off their debut album. These guys are beasts! And friendly ones. Almost immediately after their set, the band disperses among the crowd and the boys and the girls are smiling while taking picture and enjoying the fan love.
I need a recharge. Good that I have agents on the queues for beer and I manage to make up for the party-metal-dances of KORPIKLAANI.
I drink and I catch the insane cover of Ministry on ‘Roadhouse Blues’. I didn’t warm up, I burned.
And the wooden clan around Jonne JГ¤rvelГ¤ uncompromising pour some ‘Vodka’ while entering. That’s what I call generosity. The crowd – visibly grown in number waves up and forward and until midnight the Hristo Botev hallВ becomes a gathering field for drunken pagans, pumping with great humors.
A bit more static than the younger Swiss but deeply loved and with their thick sound and jolly rhythms, KORPIKLAANI conduct the party in the hall and their happy boozing hymns are yelled by more than 800 people.
В
I go back to watch the devoted audienceВ in front of the stage, I rush upon a guy dancing with his lady in the fringe of the melee and when Korpiklaani start ‘Wooden Pints’ I can’t stand it any longer, I throw my t-shirt backwards to my amigos and the body forwards to the carousel of greasy corpses and I soon join the friendly mosh, primitively growling and bathed in beer.
We are all shamans, aren’t we? And mentioning the shamans, the Finnish hide away after the last ‘Beer, Beer’ while the crowd cheers and calls them back for an improvised encore with ‘Ii lea voibmi’ from the second album of Shaman before they changed their name to Korpiklaani.?
Last drops of joy and beer and after the rain outside I am not sure what exactly is the substance on my wet beard.
