this should be Saturday onwards at WGT
Saturday afternoon I got up late and felt very dopey, but luckily my head didn't hurt. Life-giving sandwich and vitamin juice consumed I headed down to the Volkspallast where I saw Son Ver playing some lovely post-rock with cello and managed to not fall asleep. Then I went to new venue Felsenkeller, which was handily next to a tram stop of the same name, although not a cellar or containing any felsen. It was quite hot and smelly, but good architecture and not too crowded, good death rock crowd in. Fangs On Fur were on already, quite lively and aggressive Californian types, then there was Theatre Of Hate who I'd come to see (especially as they cancelled Drop Dead last October). They were a bit slow to start, and the Joy Division cover for second song was a bad move, but the combination of TofH and Spear Of Destiny songs built up nicely and Kirk Brandon certainly has a powerful voice and some interesting stage moves. I then took off with Frazer from Leeds back to Volkspallast where we found Cranes running late, an important band admittedly but I just can't stand that woman's stupid baby voice! With Frazer and Emma (his one, not mine, obviously!) we then enjoyed Leeds' finest newer band and surprise WGT addition, iLiKETRAiNS. I've probably gone on about them in here before, they are great. And with good dark Northern humour too. The place had emptied a lot after Cranes, but those who stayed all seemed to really enjoy it. After that Frazer went to Current 93, another band whose vocals spoil it for me, while Emma and I got some food at Kohlrabizirkus and were unimpressed by the end of Opeth, who are far too prog-rock these days. I then got into town on a tram and took a taxi out again to the Pogo Party, which was now having a second room, which was in a cold dark cellar, from which I was warned I may not return alive. The turnout was poor but the music very good and I had some good fun with characters such as Polina Drop Dead, Caroline from Stockholm, another German Oli, most of the Nottinghams and Cavey Nik, who was one of three Brits DJing. Had a relatively early night at 6am, not a bad move.
Sunday afternoon I joined Frazer for his birthday lunch, at the posh Auerbach's Kellar, together with Emma and Danish Ida from Berlin and her bloke who I think is called Wilco or something improbable. The lunch was expensive but very large and quite good, I had a veg gratin which was very cheesy and too much to finish. Then we had a couple of drinks at the medieval market at Moritzbastei before I took off on my own to Kohlrabizirkus for synthpop stage, and was lucky enough to bump into Vlad on the way in. I tried to like Frozen Plasma but they were too much futurepoop and the last song involved really stupid "industrial" dancers like off YouTube, but I seemed to be the only one laughing. Luckily a good band followed, Psyche, who'd got the slightly awkward addition of a guitar and bass, but Darrin's voice was on top form and his amazing gay dancing was very inspiring! Then Solitary Experiments were annoying futurepoop and Client a little on the dull side as grumpy girl electropop goes, and some of their lyrics are quite stupid. Finally Melotron came on and were quite the masters of the German synthpop art, Dave Gahan lookalike Andy one of the great frontmen going and top songs. Then there was a funny tram ride with Chrippe and Eric (who I realised I'd met in Stockholm), with beer spilled on strides and Swedish drinking songs. Caught up with Chris Tofu in Dark Flower and walked in to find Stefan from Spetsnaz DJing some good old-school EBM for a few songs. Had some good chat with him after and hung around the back room for a bit where Jonathan Sinister from Edinburgh was representing Scotland on the decks. Good chat with Leanne and some Manchesters (Aidan, Gillian and Dave), and then I took Chris up for his first time at Pogo Party, which he enjoyed greatly. There was a really funny incident with trying to put our bottoms on the heads of people doing sex behind the cinema screen and being defeated by the sex man surprising us. There was also messing about with a spade, rolling tyres down the road, crap pretend tattoos, overly hot vegan kebabs and even some dancing. Much drinking and laughing. Then a funny tram ride with various folk before Oli and Sabine had us doing the breakfast drinking thing again, and Chrippe appeared, from somewhere he couldn't remember, and it was another 10am bedtime.
Monday afternoon I finally got the hangover I so richly deserved but I stumbled down to the dark ambient stage at Volkspallast in time for the first band. I also finally found Christian and Kristina and got a seat and some good chat with them. All bands were good, but I kept falling asleep, which isn't bad given that dark ambient is my bedtime music of choice. Brachial Palsy is not such a great name, but as a new discovery I was fairly impressed; spacey ambient electronica with quite a bit of rhythm. Then Phelios, who I'd seen at Summer Darkness, who does a good impression of Raison d'Etre and Desiderii Marginis. Circular was a little too minimal in places so I stood up to stay awake, good stuff anyway and helped by Knut from Inade's vocals on the one track. Herbst9 were then really great except for a comedy xylophone, and Elliott (who I met at Maschinenfest) and I got shouted at twice for laughing about some of the erections we saw on the video. Finally Troum were the band I was excited about seeing for the first time, doing good drone stuff with strange pipes, although I was falling asleep a lot. Then I had a drink in the minimal party next door with a few various characters, but it was too quiet in terms of music volume and numbers of people. A funny tram ride to Moritzbastei with some Czechs and then it was wandering through the crammed in masses to meet a few friends who I'd not seen all weekend. Lasted for two drinks and then had to get off to the more spacious surroundings of Pogo Party. I was getting tired and feeling a bit ill in the guts and couldn't really get drunk, but had some good chat and the music, supplied by some Austrians, was especially good post-punk and old electro. Got to bed for 6am, although I was quite cross to find a strange man swapped for the Swedish girl above and socks on my bed and half a condom wrapper next to my pillow! He assured me they had not been doing sex in my bed, but I wasn't so sure.
Tuesday morning up and away all fine, although feeling completely knackered and thinking about quitting alcohol for a month. Got back to Prague with an hour's wait for Myc (my current host) to get home from work and was very lucky to bump into fellow Zizkov residents Sarka and Kayla, who chatted with me in a cafe for the required time. I then managed 12 hours' sleep Tuesday into yesterday and had a really lazy day. Party times tonight and then back home to Manchester tomorrow. Well done if you read all of this.
Sunday afternoon I joined Frazer for his birthday lunch, at the posh Auerbach's Kellar, together with Emma and Danish Ida from Berlin and her bloke who I think is called Wilco or something improbable. The lunch was expensive but very large and quite good, I had a veg gratin which was very cheesy and too much to finish. Then we had a couple of drinks at the medieval market at Moritzbastei before I took off on my own to Kohlrabizirkus for synthpop stage, and was lucky enough to bump into Vlad on the way in. I tried to like Frozen Plasma but they were too much futurepoop and the last song involved really stupid "industrial" dancers like off YouTube, but I seemed to be the only one laughing. Luckily a good band followed, Psyche, who'd got the slightly awkward addition of a guitar and bass, but Darrin's voice was on top form and his amazing gay dancing was very inspiring! Then Solitary Experiments were annoying futurepoop and Client a little on the dull side as grumpy girl electropop goes, and some of their lyrics are quite stupid. Finally Melotron came on and were quite the masters of the German synthpop art, Dave Gahan lookalike Andy one of the great frontmen going and top songs. Then there was a funny tram ride with Chrippe and Eric (who I realised I'd met in Stockholm), with beer spilled on strides and Swedish drinking songs. Caught up with Chris Tofu in Dark Flower and walked in to find Stefan from Spetsnaz DJing some good old-school EBM for a few songs. Had some good chat with him after and hung around the back room for a bit where Jonathan Sinister from Edinburgh was representing Scotland on the decks. Good chat with Leanne and some Manchesters (Aidan, Gillian and Dave), and then I took Chris up for his first time at Pogo Party, which he enjoyed greatly. There was a really funny incident with trying to put our bottoms on the heads of people doing sex behind the cinema screen and being defeated by the sex man surprising us. There was also messing about with a spade, rolling tyres down the road, crap pretend tattoos, overly hot vegan kebabs and even some dancing. Much drinking and laughing. Then a funny tram ride with various folk before Oli and Sabine had us doing the breakfast drinking thing again, and Chrippe appeared, from somewhere he couldn't remember, and it was another 10am bedtime.
Monday afternoon I finally got the hangover I so richly deserved but I stumbled down to the dark ambient stage at Volkspallast in time for the first band. I also finally found Christian and Kristina and got a seat and some good chat with them. All bands were good, but I kept falling asleep, which isn't bad given that dark ambient is my bedtime music of choice. Brachial Palsy is not such a great name, but as a new discovery I was fairly impressed; spacey ambient electronica with quite a bit of rhythm. Then Phelios, who I'd seen at Summer Darkness, who does a good impression of Raison d'Etre and Desiderii Marginis. Circular was a little too minimal in places so I stood up to stay awake, good stuff anyway and helped by Knut from Inade's vocals on the one track. Herbst9 were then really great except for a comedy xylophone, and Elliott (who I met at Maschinenfest) and I got shouted at twice for laughing about some of the erections we saw on the video. Finally Troum were the band I was excited about seeing for the first time, doing good drone stuff with strange pipes, although I was falling asleep a lot. Then I had a drink in the minimal party next door with a few various characters, but it was too quiet in terms of music volume and numbers of people. A funny tram ride to Moritzbastei with some Czechs and then it was wandering through the crammed in masses to meet a few friends who I'd not seen all weekend. Lasted for two drinks and then had to get off to the more spacious surroundings of Pogo Party. I was getting tired and feeling a bit ill in the guts and couldn't really get drunk, but had some good chat and the music, supplied by some Austrians, was especially good post-punk and old electro. Got to bed for 6am, although I was quite cross to find a strange man swapped for the Swedish girl above and socks on my bed and half a condom wrapper next to my pillow! He assured me they had not been doing sex in my bed, but I wasn't so sure.
Tuesday morning up and away all fine, although feeling completely knackered and thinking about quitting alcohol for a month. Got back to Prague with an hour's wait for Myc (my current host) to get home from work and was very lucky to bump into fellow Zizkov residents Sarka and Kayla, who chatted with me in a cafe for the required time. I then managed 12 hours' sleep Tuesday into yesterday and had a really lazy day. Party times tonight and then back home to Manchester tomorrow. Well done if you read all of this.