Well tonight gets off to a strange start when security allow me in early and there is some sort of VIP reception underway. Feeling out of place in this small gathering of goths (not sure what the correct phraseology is there… flock, brood, cloud??) I am introduced to someone who I am clueless about, but who I suspect will be appearing on stage later. I’m thankful my Type O Negative beanie gives me some kudos but sidestep away from the action and head to the barrier…

I have it on good authority that Janosch Moldau is “one of the principal architects of synth-wave” but to my knowledge I have never heard of him, so I am unsure what to expect. He arrives on stage equipped with just his guitar and synthesizer (a word I can now only hear pronounced by the genius who is Giorgio Moroder on the Daft Punk song ‘Giorgio’) and he plays masterfully and with great enthusiasm despite being in a room of only about 50 people. Those who arrive later definitely missed out. His SoundCloud describes his pop as “clearly the perfect match for people with aching hearts and other forms of malaise” and sometimes art really does imitate life. It’s been a long time since I’ve stood at the front of a venue this size and although it’s incredibly loud, it’s great to witness the action at close quarters especially when we get to hear ‘We Behaved Wrong’ his brand-new song from the current EP “Aid and Abet”. If you are into bands like Depeche Mode and The Cure, give Janosch a listen. With 20 years of material to catch up on you are in for a treat. 

During the interval I am doing some people watching to see if I recognise anyone from my old clubbing days. I’ve never been one to fit in… anywhere… but I did use to frequent The Retro Bar for a club night called “SinCity”. It has a new name now that I can’t remember but back in the early 00s if Goth, Industrial and EBM was your thing it was where the cool kids hung out. I was always more into metal and rock, but I met a few nice people there (and a few truly rotten ones) and expected to see a few familiar faces tonight. I do but no one I actually know. Now it is getting busier and from the look of Megaherz’s 17-song playlist they either have really short songs, or a long playlist... It's the latter but spoiler alert and straight off the bat I’m going to say they were the band of the night for me. And the bat analogy (not just in a room of goths) is apt as part way through the set, lead singer Lex makes use of a baseball bat as a quirky microphone stand.

So Megaherz then… another band I’m fairly certain I have not come across before, but they have been around since 1993, though none of the founding members remain so the current line-up is some older and newer members. There is a big build-up as they take to the stage, adorned in dog collars with black and white face make-up before Lex joins them (trying not to think Captain Spaulding from House of 1000s Corpses but can’t help myself) and they get straight into first song and latest single ‘In Teufels Namen’. For the first three songs I am underwhelmed and can see why they have been called “Poundland Rammstein” but by the fourth song they pique my interest when Lex states that “we are living in a society of assholes and this is the perfect soundtrack for it”. He then takes off his jacket to reveal a t-shirt emblazoned with the song title ‘Alles Arschlöcher’, truly a sentiment I can get behind. 

Throughout the rest of the performance, I am intrigued to know what they are singing about and as they power through the extensive setlist the energy keeps increasing. The crowd receive them with matched enthusiasm, lots of clapping and a few die-hard fans singing along. I’m thinking I have possibly not had enough, food, sleep, or drugs to fully appreciate this level of excitement on a school night but this does not diminish my enjoyment. Partway through the set the tempo changes with ‘5. Marz’ and ‘Glas Und Tranen’ off the fourth album, 2004’s “Herzwerk II” and Lex is really hitting his stride now dancing all around the stage. I can see how their older stuff has been likened to Faith No More with these tracks, I’m also thinking Mushroomhead and hints of Depeche Mode. We then get another costume change and roars of approval from the crowd when Lex appear wearing a t-shirt that simple states “Fuck Racism”. I’m liking this band more with each passing moment. I could wax lyrical about them for the rest of this review as there is so much happening throughout their set, but I’ll just leave it there with a note that their latest album “In Teufels Namen” is out now on Napalm Records. 

After a short intermission, the whole room goes completely dark, and smoke descends for the arrival of our headliners Combichrist. It a clichéd atmospheric and gothic opening gambit and in a somewhat inevitable turn of events the guitarist is the person I met earlier, oops… but even if I had known I don’t get starstruck (ask Henry Rollins). Obviously, this is my first time seeing them, but I have been aware of them for some time and recognise a few recent releases on the playlist including recent singles the excessively catchy ‘Modern Demon’ and the brutally heavy ‘Not My Enemy’. 

For those unfamiliar with the band, Combichrist is the brainchild of Andy LePlegua and in the studio their work is his alone, while he tours with a changing line-up of band members. The music is industrial metal or something I have just discovered called “aggrotech”. Andy has a Keith Flint vibe about him and although there is limited dialogue with the audience when the smoke clears (and you can actually make out bodies on the stage) there is high octane energy, and the crowd are easily riled up and enthralled. Twice during proceedings, the bassist launches into the crowd, still with his instrument strewn over himself, much to everyone’s delight. Meanwhile the guitarist is obsessed with reaching out from the stage to touch people’s fingers and they duly oblige. I did it so not to look rude but was tempted to ignore him after our awkward introduction earlier! 

The whole show is a total assault on the senses with excessive use of strobes and regular bursts of smoke but musically they sound great, even if they do seem to subscribe to a tried and tested formula. Their anthemic, chant-along style works with songs including ‘My Life My Rules’ and ‘Heads Off’ and tonight that is all that matters. As I listen, I detect the influences of bands like Rammstein, Ministry and Nine Inch Nails but also a firm favourite of mine, White Zombie… and dare I say it at times, hints of AC/DC. I guess the thing that jars me is the juxtaposition between this band and the supporting acts. This all feels over rehearsed and rigid (possibly what you get with a band created and led by one person), while the others were more down to earth and here for the experience. They close with another upbeat ditty ‘What the Fuck Is Wrong with You?’ and I’m left thinking next time I catch them I hope it’s outdoors and maybe THAT is what is wrong. Too much noise, not enough festival vibes.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Combichrist, Megaherz, Janosch Moldau