Allgemein, New Music

New Music: Tearing at the seams by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Kekoas Korner is a huge fan of Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. After hearing “S.O.B” their first single on the radio I knew I had to get their self-titled debut record which turned me into an even bigger fan. Being lucky again I won two tickets to their show at Kaufleuten in 2016.
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Kekoas Korner proudly announced that Nathaniel Ratliff & The Night Sweats are back! Their lead single “You Worry Me” is already out and the album Tearing at the seams will follow on March, 9th. But the best news is that they are coming to town on March, 22! Tickets are still available here. Have a listen to their first single “You Worry Me”:

Sounds great, doesn’t it? I just love their sound. It reminds of a nice summer day driving with open windows just enjoying the sun. Their debut record is one of 5 records I always keep in my car. So for me buying the new record is a done deal. If you feel the same you can pre-order the record by clicking here.
To create this record Nathaniel Rateliff felt like the Night Sweats need to be part of it since he did the first album by himself. The initial writing session were based in Rodeo, New Mexico were they had to figure out how to write a record as a band. This makes me wonder how the sound of this 2nd album is different to the first. Here’s the song list:

  1. Shoe Boot
  2. Be There
  3. A Little Honey
  4. Say It Louder
  5. Hey Mama
  6. Babe I Know
  7. Intro
  8. Coolin’ Out
  9. Baby I Lost My Way, (But I’m Going Home)
  10. You Worry Me
  11. Still Out There Running
  12. Tearing at the Seams

Which immediately strikes my eye is that the Intro song is No. 7 and not No. 1 on the record. I guess we gotta wait and see what this is all about.
Let me leave you with my favourite song by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats:

Allgemein, Concerts

Are you ready for Stone Sour Motherf******?

Thanks to Goodnews I got to witness Stone Sour for the very first time on Thursday night and I was quite excited since I didn’t know what to expect. As you might have noticed they are just a little more different to what I’ve been going to on a regular basis. But seriously who wouldn’t want to see a gig by the very talented Stone Sour?

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Stone Sour brought a very special guest with them The Pretty Reckless. I was super intrigued to see them live also for the first time. Those of you who watched Gossip Girl this might be very interesting for you. Remember Dan’s little Sister Jenny? Yup, that’s Taylor Momsen who is rocking out on stage. I gotta say the music is quite special but still I enjoyed the 45mins set. But I just don’t know if this dark sided girl is just an act since it seemed very over the top as if she tried to prove us that she really is into this music. But hey it might be just me.

Finally at 9.15 Stone Sour took the stage and played “Taipei Person/Allah Tea”. They lit up the Samsung Hall with golden Fireworks and an amazing light show. Stone Sour started like other bands finish! In the middle of the song Corey Taylor brought out a huge confetti gun and fired three times into the audience. The party started so he shouted:

Are you ready Motherf***ers?!

A low grunt was the response to that since 80% of the crowd were men. Which I gotta say was quite refreshing especially down in the restrooms. Finally us women could just walk in and the queue for the men’s toilet was huge 😉 Me and another woman had a quick laugh about that. During “Knievel has Landed” Corey Taylor showed his incredible talent for head banging or probably more spinning! I seriously cannot believe how fast he can turn his head around. Anyway I am incredibly fascinated by Corey Taylor. He has a beautiful voice, absolutely enjoys making music and to some he is even good-looking!
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Corey Taylor had the audience in his pocket from the minute he walked onto the stage. He asked us now: “Who here has seen us before?” A few people put their hands up and screamed. So he answered “Thank you for coming back and always supporting us. So who is seeing us for the first time?” Lots of hands went up including mine 🙂 “Thank you for coming out to see us. Let’s play some older songs”. “Made of Scars” and “Reborn” from their first album Come What(ever) May made a lot of fans happy. They moved on to the next album Audio Secrecy and played “Say You’ll Haunt me”, “30/30-150” and “Hesitate”


After a few songs I finally had time to look at the other members of the band and wow Josh Rand looks almost like Pitbull! 🙂 But this is not why he was so fascinating. Josh’s guitars changed for every song and all of them looked very special. They were neon yellow, neon pink with black dots or a deep red wine red. The drums played by Roy Mayorga were also very special since it had two bass drums and on it two eyes staring directly at you. I really really loved that! Unfortunately I didn’t see much of the other two members of the band Christian Martucci and Johny Chow since I had someone tall standing in front of me.
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On it went with the album House of Gold & Bones, Part 1 and “Tired”. Corey decided it was time to dance! Stone Sour played their longest title of the new record Hydrograd and one of my favourites of the night “Rose Red Violent Blue (This song is dumb & So am I)”. I’d really recommend you to have a look at the funny video on YouTube. “Do Me a Favour” from the record House of Gold & Bones, Part 2 was next and it got really heavy now with “Cold Reader” and “Get Inside” from their self-titled album. But we are some crazy Mothersf***ers and we deserved this. Lots of devil signs went up.
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My absolute favourite song “Song #3” came on – finally – and I was super happy 🙂 As I already mentioned in my New Music review of the Hydrograd record it is a classy rock song and it’s probably too soft for the most part of the audience but I really really love it. Again I want to mention how much I love Corey Taylor’s voice! It is pretty incredible and has the perfect raspy rough part that I really like. The softness continued with a ballade called “Through Glass”. I really recommend you to listen to this song if you are not into Metal you will really like this one. This shows how diverse this group is.

Unfortunately it was already time for them to leave the stage only to come back a few mins later to play “Gone Sovereign”. I really liked that song because it has a cool beat and people even started clapping their hands until it went into the heavy s**t again. “Absolute Zero” started and I expected Corey Taylor to take off his shirt. However it stayed on until the very end which was quite disappointing 😉 Instead Corey split the audience in four parts: Back, front, right and left side. Like a conductor he let us sing “Eh Eh Eh” and pointed his finger at the different parts of the audience. “Fabuless” made a perfect finish to a very different (for me) but amazing gig.
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Believe me next time Stone Sour is coming to Switzerland I will be back! But maybe Corey Taylor decides to reactivate his other band Slipknot and comes back with them.. Lots of Slipknot would be happy and I think I would even have a look at a Slipknot gig 😉 Until then I guess I have to train my neck for all that head banging! 😀
Have you been to a Stone Sour gig? Or do you have an opinion about the Pretty Reckless? I’d love to know more about your experiences so please share them below or on Kekoas Korner’s social media accounts Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Check out my last gigs: Hoodie Allen, Jake Isaac, Marteria

 
 

Allgemein, Concerts

Wakey Wakey Zurich! It's Mando Diao!

On Tuesday night I got to see Mando Diao at Kaufleuten thanks to Mainland Music. The venue was sold out and it was quite packed. Luckily I found a good spot on the balcony. The Swedish lads have been around for ages but I never managed to see them live so I was super excited to cross them off my bucket list.
Razz
First up were a German band called RAZZ who reminded me of The New Cities. I liked their music but they couldn’t fully catch my attention. Nevertheless it was a good warm up and the sound suited Mando Diao.
Mando Diao
At 8.30 the lights went off and a long intro started. Finally the 5 musicians came on stage and the energy immediately radiated off them. With “San Francisco Bay” and “All the Things” they literally tried to wake us up and Björn the lead singer asked the crowd to come even closer to the stage. So his first words to us were:

Wakey Wakey Zurich!

“Sweet Ride” was next and one of my favourite songs of the night was “Good Times”. I loved the vibe and the good feeling the song transported. It will deffo make my playlist. We were asked to put our hands up and everyone complied. This was the perfect way to get everyone clapping. It looked amazing from the balcony and the Kaufleuten was buzzin’. “All my senses”, “Dancing all the way to hell” and “One two three” followed and by then I knew I should have seen them live sooner. Mando Diao is an absolute force on stage and they are making sure that you will have a good time for around 100 minutes of your day.
Mando Diao
The lights were amazing and different for every song. During “Mr. Moon” and “The Band” I looked around the audience and everyone had a smile on their face and were dancing. During “Break Us” only Björn Dixgard and the first Mando Diao member Daniel Haglund were on stage. Together they played this beautiful ballade – moment to just enjoy. Björn’s voice is quite remarkable. It seems like he drinks Whiskey for breakfast to get this beautiful raspy voice.
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The three others came back and the rock show continued with “Voices on the radio”, “Watch me now” and “Down in the past”. The guys did an amazing job to include everyone. Even the people on the balcony were involved. Mando Diao created a great atmosphere! Suddenly it felt like Kaufleuten turned the heating on. The warmth was rising from the people below or maybe it was just because Björn took of his shirt? 😉
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Before we were all looking for that special girl in the audience we rocked to “You got nothing on me”. And there she was “Gloria” – a huge hit and everyone knew it so we were asked to sing the chorus. So everyone shouted “Gloria” but the rest of the lyrics were quite a mumble which made even the band smile. So here are the lyrics for next time:

So Gloria steps out from the prison
Gloria’s no longer the wasted disco girl
You’ve been dreaming about
Gloria, alone now forever
Gloria, away in the air now
Gloria, she’s no longer your slave, no, no

The Swedes left the stage after they played “Ochrasy” but of course they were brought back thanks to a continuous very loud cheer of the Kaufleuten audience. “Child” was the first encore but obviously they hadn’t played two of their biggest hits yet. So “Shake” was next and literally everybody was shaking their body and singing as loud as they could. During the song Björn went off stage and Jens Siverstedt took the mic. He introduced the bass player Carl-Johan Fogelklou, the drums Patrik Heikipieti – the beast from the north! – and Daniel on the keys.


Björn rejoined the band to sing one last song: “Dance with Somebody”! The energy level rose to the max and I guess this is why Mando Diao plays the smaller clubs. This kind of energy is quite hard to reach in bigger venues. I could see everyone’s hands in the air and we were all singing along. Patrik joined the four musicians in the front and the 5 stood there to orchestrate the Kaufleuten crowd. So the gig ended with a choir of

I’m falling in love with your favorite song
I’m gonna sing it all night long
I’m gonna dance with somebody
Dance with somebody
Dance, dance, dance

I absolutely loved this end to an amazing rock gig. Björn said they were proud to sing in front of us and thanked us for coming out to see them since without us they’d still be a band playing in a garage. These are the kind of artists I want to support with my hard earned money. A Mando Diao Fan is born – I know I’m a bit late to the party but hey better late than never! 😉 Hopefully they’ll be back for some festivals in the summer so I really have to start listening to their newest record “Good Times“.
Did you enjoy yesterday’s gig as much as me? Leave a comment and share your opinion below or on FacebookInstagram or Twitter.

Allgemein, Concerts

Two cool Icelandic voices warmed the Swiss hearts

Again I am at the wonderful Baloise Session listening to the amazing Kaleo and in our regions Newcomer Asgeir – Iceland Calling. As soon as I stepped into the venue they showed the old Session of the Kaiser Chiefs. What a show it was, you gotta love them. I really love this concept of showing past concerts especially if they are that good!
Asgeir
First up is Asgeir. I meant to see him at Gurtenfestival but you know how it is at festivals.. So when I read that he will play the Baloise Session I knew I had to go. Let me tell you he didn’t disappoint! Asgeir’s got a beautiful – high pitched at times – voice which is just incredible live. During the first three songs “Hold”, “Fennir Yfir”, “Higher” I was able to take pictures and the songs were very psychedelic and so different to what I expected. I did like it though and the beautiful red lights for “Here comes the wave in” were great. After “Underneath it” one of my highlights came on: “New day” is a beautiful ballade and I listened to it with my eyes closed. Beatrice Stirnimann – the organiser – said at the beginning we should turn on our “Kopfkino” which doesn’t translate literally into English. It means to turn on our imagination and enjoy our own movie in our head.
She was very right. “Head in the Snow” and “Dreaming” were next after which Asgeir said his first words: Thank you! We wouldn’t hear any more words out of him which is a bit of a pity. I would have loved to know more about his songs but I get it – it’s the Scandinavian Coolness…


“In Harmony” is another one of my favourites. Just an absolutely wonderful song to dream to. His incredible voice came out perfectly in this song and made this song another highlight. During the next song “Afterglow” Asgeir brought out the Icelandic fires. It looked amazing! We stayed in the warm regions of the colours and for “I know you know” we were transported into the jungle. For me the instruments created jungle noises and the lighting was in warm colours. This is quite special from a musician born in the cold regions of the world 🙂
Asgeir
“King and Kross” was the first song that came up when I YouTubed him and I quite liked the song. “Unbound” and “Going Home” went by really quickly and I was completely lost in my thoughts until “Stardust” happened. Jesus! The whole earth was shaking from the bass and the lights were supporting it. So people started to go to the dance floor just before the encore and what an encore it was. “Torrent” is the only up-tempo song Asgeir had in his repertoire. This song was my highlight of his set but he had to make way for his fellow countrymen Kaleo.
Kaleo
I knew Kaleo from their hit “Way Down” which is a slow rock ballade so I was utterly surprised when I realised they are basically a rock/ blues/ country band! I love this style and I adored their show! I am so so happy that Baloise Session made this happen. But first things first. Lots of fans were already waiting to hit the dance floor even before the band came on stage. For the first three songs the photographers took up the dance floor but I already noticed a few singing along to “Broken Bones”. Jokull – the lead singer – started to whistle beautifully for “I Can’t Go On Without You”.
Jokull
When the third song “Save Yourself” started I had to stop photographing because I liked the music so much that I couldn’t focus and didn’t want to anymore. Plus I had some great shots of this beautiful man and his fellow musicians! Yes, you heard me – Jokull is gorgeous! That’s why half of the fans were young women and the other half were older men rocking out. I loved this mix! It made for a great crowd who were dancing, jumping and clapping. David on drums and Daniel on bass made sure of that. They were animating the crowd and Daniel was running around and jumping up and down himself. You could fell that they were enjoying themselves a lot!
I joined the crowd in front of the stage when they played “Alter Ego” and “Pour Sugar on Me”. Rubin Pollock on guitar did an amazing job and Thorleifur normally on keys showed off his harmonica skills in a few songs and that was just incredible to witness. It is such an underrated instrument but it creates an amazing sound. “Automobile” is a country song and I couldn’t stop dancing! “Hot blood” and “No Good” followed just before Kaleo introduced us to their language. The beautiful ballade “Vor i Vaglasogi” was enchanting. Jokulls voice in perfect harmony with David’s accompanied by just a guitar was just pure bliss.
Kaleo
They covered Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang” and wow it was really really good. It’s so special and interesting to me that a band from Iceland is doing so well in this country music genre that they could as well be born and raised in Nashville. Jokull did dress his part at yesterday’s Baloise Session however if you would see him you wouldn’t put him into this genre which makes this band even more appealing. “Back Door” and “Texas” made sure that I would definitely see them again. I also think that quite a few people at that event would go see them again. Us fans made sure that Kaleo knows that we love them and that they have to come back.
You could see that they didn’t expect us to be this good. A few times they said thank you and you were a wonderful crowd tonight and to be honest I have to agree. It was wonderful to be part of this evening. With “Way Down” they finally played their – so far – biggest hit. It sounded completely different live – for me it was even better. You know that I am a fan of live music and usually prefer the live versions over the record one. Way too fast Kaleo went off stage before the encore.
Jokull & David
After a little over an hour Kaleo finished their set with “Rock N Roller” and the crowd went mental. Maybe not the people sitting but definitely the people in front of the stage. I have to thank the Baloise Session again for inviting these two artists and for letting me cover such amazing talent from a little island called Iceland.
I am very much looking forward to see Kool and the Gang/Dabu Fantastic and Tim Bendzko/Max Giesinger at this brilliant festival. So keep following me here on WordPress or via my social media accounts: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Have a look at my past review of Clean Bandit/Goldfrapp.
Have you been at this amazing concert? Please share your opinion in the comments below.
 

Allgemein, New Music

New Music: Shania Twain is back NOW

Everyone knows Shania Twain. She’s the Taylor Swift of her time. Shania started off in Country Music but has since then moved to Pop/Rock tunes which probably helped to become one of the best-selling music artists of all time. It’s been quiet around Shania Twain for a few good years and her last album dates back to 2002. So 2017 is a good year for all the Twain fans out there because finally she found her voice again and brought out “Now“.
I don’t have to introduce her so let’s get right on to her new album “NOW”. The first single is called “Life’s About To Get Good”. I love the song and its message so please listen to the lyrics. For those of you who don’t know Shania lost her voice a few years back and with specialists help she luckily got it back which you can hear on “NOW”. So this single is exactly about her journey and that’s why it’s perfect as a first release. Listen for yourself.

She has such a special voice which you immediately connect to. I also thing it was made to sing country! That little twist she got gives every song that special touch. On her 16 song album she has a lovely mix of up-tempo and slow songs. You can also hear the country music influence in a few songs. I will point out a few of my highlights of the record.
“Roll Me On the River” is a powerful intense song. In the back ground you can hear the choir. At the moment I love this kinda music. It reminds me a bit of “Chainsmoking” by Jacob Banks. Since this is my favourite on the record I will show you the YouTube video and you can listen to this amazing track yourself.

“Swinging with my Eyes closed” and “You Can’t Buy Love” is a fun song and makes you dance and just enjoy the moment. If you feel down listen to this positive song and let me show you the perfect lyrics from “You Can’t Buy Love”:

When life gives you lemons
They pour down from the heavens
This is what you’ve got to do
Make some lemonade
Drink it in the shade
Don’t let a bad day get to you

Great and so true, isn’t?! Now to the more somber songs. “Soldier” is just beautiful. Her voice and the lyrics and the piano. Just perfect. “Home Now” fits perfectly into the country genre and has a very catchy chorus. I’d love to listen to “Light of my Life” in an acoustic version just with her and guitarist on a round stage in the middle of a huge arena. I think this could be a special moment.
Lastly I just want to show you guys my favourite old song of hers “Ka-Ching!”. I was 10 when it was released and I was obsessed with it. I haven’t listened to it in year which happens with songs you don’t hear a lot on the radio but it still catches me and I know why my 10 year old me liked it. It was super modern back then and even now you can listen to it and you wouldn’t know when it got out.

Let me mentioned another few oldies: “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (1998), “Man! I feel like Woman!” (1999) and lastly a beautiful ballade “Forever and for Always” (2003).
Flash forward: In 2018 we are in for a treat because she is going on a huge American tour as well as a few European dates. Check out her website for exact dates. Since she I’ve known her music almost all my life I’d love to see her live sometime. If you do be proud and make sure to appreciate the effort she put in to get there.
I’d love to know your favourite song by Shania Twain! Let me know in the comments below.

Allgemein, Artist2watch

Artist to Watch: Elliot Root

At The Coronas concert I learned about this band called Elliot Root. They are 5 musicians from Nashville, Tennessee who slowly built their fan base since 2009 by playing all around town. They were already opening for the famous Zac Brown Band and released a few short EP’s. Finally, in 2017 a proper album got released and is called “Conjure“. Let me show you their newest single 10’000:

Officially they’re in the Alternative/Indie Rock genre but to me they just have a great sound and brilliant rhythm. I love to listen to this song especially because of the light sound and the beautiful voice. I say that a lot I know but each voice is different and recently I’ve discovered some WOW-voices. But you also know me there’s nothing like seeing an artists live. Unfortunately they haven’t planned any European dates but maybe we get fortunate pretty soon. For now let’s watch this live video of “Wicked Lies”:

Full of energy, aren’t they?! Scott Krueger is the lead singer and plays the guitar. His voice sounds like he’s had his fare share of whiskey even though he is still quite young. A roughed up voice which sounds amazing is right up my sleeve. The four musicians Todd Bond, Melissa Mattey, Justin Smith and Sean Truskowski are fullfilling the band with their great play of guitars, keyboards, bass and drums. In 2015 Scott Krueger gave a phone interview to the Tennessean talking about Nashville and their influences:

We fit in (with Nashville) because we’ve taken a little bit from many different influences that the city has to offer and have applied it as honestly as possible to the music. I think that’s what’s great about Nashville … there is a diversity, and there is an understanding of all of the music from the people who live here

Elliot Root if you are reading this believe me Zurich, Switzerland has a big understanding of music too 😉
If you ask me how do they sound like I’d say difficult question. I actually don’t want to compare any bands since they are all unique. However they remind me a bit of Welshly Arms who I’ve recently got to watch live and Krueger reminds me of the lead singer of Billy Talent. Just have a listen for yourself and if you love them as much as I do follow them on all their social media accounts and check their page for tour dates.
An artist to watch for me but what do YOU think? Leave a message in the comments below.

Allgemein, Concerts

The Coronas are always good craic

Mainland Music brought the 4 lovely lads from the Coronas back to Zurich! It’s been years since I got to know them as the support of the Script. I immediately fell in love with their music and been a fan of theirs ever since. The thing is they are not just brilliant musicians but also very nice down-to-earth people.

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Polar Circles

This time Polar Circles a Swiss band from Lausanne got to be their opening act on the whole European tour. I really enjoyed one of their last songs a lot and they seemed like really nice people. I especially loved the red guitar <3
Just a little after 9 The Coronas took the stage at Papiersaal with their new single “Real Feel” off their latest album “Trust The Wire”. “Get Loose” and “Addicted to Progress” were the next two songs they chose to play. The lads went on with a mix of new and old songs. Their songs just get you immediately and within minutes everyone was rocking out. From time to time I was looking at people and they were smiling back! I absolutely loved the atmosphere. Everybody had a good time or how the Irish would say good craic.
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For “A Bit Withdrawn” Danny made us close our eyes to fully enjoy the song and it was well worth it. What a beautiful song – especially when you listen to it closely! “Who We Are” woke us back up and was full of energy! In “Dreaming Again” you can hear the Irish influence. It makes you sway from side to side and you can almost feel that you are in a proper Irish pub. From the new album this song “We Couldn’t Fake It” is one of the best in my opinion. “Gut Feeling” was next and it’s time to praise Danny incredibly special voice. The Irish accent and the voice itself is a mix that you just have to love.


My personal highlight of the show was when Danny stepped off stage and into the crowd to sing “Heroes or Ghosts” with us as back ground vocals. 🙂 This song is very old but still one of my favourites. Before the show I was able to meet him for an interview which you can read on my blog too. I took the chance to ask him if he could sing this song in Gaelic. So the 2nd verse of “Heroes or Ghosts” he sang in Gaelic. It was amazing!
oznor
Before the title track of their last album “Closer To You” they played “Someone Elses’s Hands” a beautiful rock ballade. In “What A Love” we could prove our singing abilities again before Danny toned it down again for “Give Me A Minute”. Sitting at his keys we enjoyed this wonderful slow song. The last song before the encore was “Mark My Words” which Danny announced like this:

So we tell you that this is the last song before we go off stage and then you hopefully clap as loud as you can and then we come back to play more songs. I’m actually not suppose to tell you this! This is not how it works.

This gave everyone a good laugh and it just shows how incredibly funny and normal they are. As announced they left the stage and we started to shout “One more song, one more song”. They came back on and he said well actually we’ll play four more songs! 🙂 “Look at all the lovers” was the first encore song before they covered “Learning To Fly” to honour the late great Tom Petty. Another of my favourites called “San Diego Song” was next. This song is brilliant but just too short! One last song “Just Like That” and this 90 minutes set was over.
The Coronas at Papiersaal
The four Irish lads Danny, Dave, Conor and Graham who are always supported by a 5th unofficial member Jonathan are brilliant musicians and their live shows are top notch. So please visit their homepage for tour dates and check out their new album “Trust the Wire“.
Have you been to one of their shows and enjoyed it too? Let me know in the comments below.

Allgemein, Concerts

From the view of Welshly Arms' Merch Seller

A few weeks ago I read that Welshly Arms are looking for a volunteer at their concert in Mascotte on the 27th Sept. This was my cue since I haven’t bought a ticket yet and I love to help out. So this is how I became their Merch seller 🙂 A few days later I also got the job to interview them for the online magazine ARTNOIR! Lucky me!
I arrived at the venue at 6 and they were still sound checking and I was already lovin’ it. I expected a different sound but this was even better! So I couldn’t wait to interview them and later sell their Merchandising. A few minutes later I met the lovely singer of the band Sam Getz and the brilliant drummer Mickey Gould. The interview in English will follow tonight on my blog. The interview in German is already up on ARTNOIR.
30 mins before the doors opened I got instructed and as soon as the first people strolled in I sold my first pieces. I’m not saying this now because I sold their Merch but I really really loved their stuff. Someone has done a pretty good job at designing them. My two favourites are the grey t-shirt and the red hoodie. I will deffo wear the grey shirt a lot I can already tell 🙂

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Pic by Denise Stocker

The incredible Andrea Bignasca opened for Welshly Arms that night. I’ve already seen him before and again he blew me away with his powerful voice. Please check this Swiss artist out or visit his next gig in Zurich at Piccolo Giardino on 28th Oct.


 
At 9 the six musicians took the stage and the energy just radiated off them. They couldn’t have started with a better song! “The Touch” is full off energy and the rhythm gets you the minute they start playing it. It was also the song I heard at the sound check. My new favourite song! Have a listen for yourself but let me tell you it has nothing on the live version!

 
The next two songs “Ain’t supposed to rain” and “Love in a minor key” are off their 2015 record titled “Welshly Arms”. The incredible energy continued through out their set. They performed “The Only” before “Hold on I’m Coming” which featured in Tarantino’s H8ful Eight movie. Find out more about this cooperation in my interview. “We move easy” has a super souly vibe and I was dancing and clapping behind my Merch table. One advantage of this table was that I had a lot of space to dance to and I was still able to see them quite well!

welshly2
Pic by Denise Stocker

In “Two seconds too late” they have quite a different clapping rhythm but most people managed to get it right. This song is from 2013 and also a fav of mine. Right after this older song “Who we are” followed and you can literally see their musical journey. By then I knew that I will always come back and see their shows. Some bands you just need to see live and they are definitely one of them. After Welshly Arms’ “Bad Blood” not Taylor Swifts they got the crowd singing with “Dirty Work” and the whole Mascotte gave their best.


Sam introduced everyone on and off the stage which I personally think it’s a very nice thing to do. This is how you appreciated the people you work with. Let me tell you it is a reflection of the character of the band as well. Only the good down to earth bands – who also care about their fans too – do it. Welshly Arms are deffo one of them bands. I got to witness first hand how they treat their fans and me. They are thankful for each and everyone and they take their time to meet them and try to fulfill all their wishes.
In “Down to the river” Bri – the only woman of the band – got to step into the limelight and show off her singing skills as well. Sam introduced the next song like this:

If you are here because of this next song we want to say thank you for coming to see us!

And so they played “Legendary” – their uber hit which is currently played non-stop on the radios. It was a magical moment and it is a brilliant song. However the first song remained my favourite of the night. “Never be the same” was the last song before the encore. Usually the band goes backstage just to come back and play some more songs but those guys they just went off the stage had a quick break and came back on. I loved it! 🙂 Lastly they covered Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge over troubled water” in a special way.
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Right after the concert Sam Getz hopped off stage to come to my Merch table and to meet all the fans. MY work began now. I was glad that the people were nice and had the patience to wait a little. Overall it was an incredible night and every fan left the venue happy. When they were gone the guys came to put the t-shirts away and they were thanking me for helping them sell their Merch but I have to thank them for this amazing experience I would always do it again!
Have you been to the concert then I want to know your opinion below. Did you came to see me at the Merchandising stand, say hi in the comment section 😉
Black and white and indicated pictures by Denise Stocker.
 

Allgemein, New Music

The Queen of Sprock

Anastacia is one powerful woman. I was lucky enough to see her live a few times and each time she is absolutely incredible. Her shows are full of energy, love and laughter. She must love Switzerland since she comes here once a year and it is always a special show for example Live at Sunset, Bosshard Arena or at Kongresshaus on the day the Swiss national football team played.
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As you can see she’s been touring for a few years without new music but now finally we get to hear 13 new songs. On 15th Sept she released “Evolution” and her first single “Caught in the Middle”
I love the first song because it is super catchy and sounds so Anastacia-like. Well actually the whole album sounds so like her and though she the new songs will add new value to her live shows. “Redlight” and “Stamina” are two beautiful songs and if you know her history you can appreciate it even more. After going through tough times it is important to balance your energy and know on what to spend it. So those two songs teach you to slow down and build your stamina for the right things in life.
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“Boxer” is a powerful song and I cannot wait to hear it live! It’ll be so energising and will give you strength to do whatever you want. The next song “My everything” is a beautiful love song and a wonderful ballade sang by Anastacia’s incredible voice. It will give you goose-bumps – promise! “Nobody Loves Me Better” and “Reckless” are two party easy up-tempo songs followed by another powerful very soulful ballade called “Not Coming Down”.

I’m better than before!
I am rising high
I’m stronger than I’ve been before

Anastacia sings in “Before”. Some powerful lyrics and very inspiring. I love when she sings super low and in “Before” she does exactly that. With “Pain” she literally sings her pain away. In “Why” she asks the questions we all ask ourselves. After these very thoughtful songs we need a little break that “Boomerang” provides. It is a super catchy rocky song and I can already imagine Anastacia singing it on stage. We end the record on high with “Higher Livin'” which reminds me a lot of “I’m Outta Love” but cares?! I love both songs and they are brilliant to have a party with 🙂

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Anastacia always takes time to talk to her fans

“Evolution” proves that Anastacia is one of the biggest female singers! She can do it all – the soulful ballade, the party song, the rock song and the meaningful anthems. She created her special genre for a reason. She is just the best at “Sprocking” and this album is arranged beautifully. So do make sure to have a listen and if she comes to a town near you – GO! You won’t regret it.
Are you part of the Fanily too? Let me know in the comments below or give me a like on facebook, instagram or twitter.
 
 

Allgemein, Concerts

The coolest Grandad's in the World

The Rolling Stones hype reached its peak at Wednesday night’s concert at Letzigrund Stadion. The four musicians landed in their own jet on Sunday and since then all the Swiss people could talk about was this gig. The horrendous pricing prevented me from buying my tickets in the first place but I was lucky enough to score a pair in front of the stadium.

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The Struts

We got in and the support act called The Struts started. They’re a band from Derby, UK and I really loved them. If you want to know more about them keep following Kekoas Korner. Another thing that I noticed was that somehow more people were walking around. People of all ages, families, rock’n’roller but the band shirt contest goes clearly to Guns N’ Roses – which surprised me.
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At 8.20pm red fire was lit up and the four lads took the stage with a “Tu Tu” (“Sympathy for the Devil). “It’s only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I like it)” and “Tumbling Dice” followed. I have to say I was impressed to see them since everybody knows their story and they are just living legends. I am blessed to have seen them live. After only 3 songs you could already see that they enjoy what they are doing and they are brilliant at it. Four awesome musicians joined by a fairly big band.


 
Mick Jagger announced a surprise for us. We were the first audience to hear “Hate to see you go” off their newest record “Blue & Lonesome“. I loved the country vibe and that Mick Jagger himself played the harmonica. Luckily we got another new one called “Ride ‘Em on Down”. Absolutely loved that part and will buy their newest record.
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After “Dancing with Mr. D” we got a Bob Dylan cover “Like a Rollin’ Stone” which was chosen by the audience beforehand via the Rolling Stones app. Yes, the Grandad’s have an app and this isn’t the only reason why they are the coolest Grandad’s in the World. They are rocking the stage like they are in their 20’s. The routine of over 50 years in the music industry is imminent. The four of them – Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood and Charlie Watts – know each other like the back of their hand.

We’ve moved on from the fairly new ones to a super old one “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” which was released in 1969! Even Mick didn’t remember on which album it was! 🙂 In general they didn’t talk much but if they did it was quite funny! “Paint it black” and “Honky Tonk Women” were next and by then we were half way through the set and the audience looked like they were asleep! These Mid-Seventies are rocking their socks of and the crowd barely moved their heads. I was appalled but clearly most of them were there because you had to be there just for the sake of it.

Finally Keith Richards sang his two solo songs “Happy” and “Slipping Away”. I have to admit to you guys if I was 70 years old and a cool Granny I’d fancy him! 😀 Richards was smiling and joking and jamming. The show was almost flawless until Ron Wood missed his cue and all they did was laugh about it – that’s how chilled they are! “Midnight Rambler”, “Miss You” and “Street Fighting Man” were next and still no sign of an audience.

Mick tried more than once to get everyone clapping but only the people close to him followed his lead. Finally with “Start Me Up” and “Brown Sugar” I started to see some moves and clapping. The best atmosphere was during their biggest hit “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” when we all started to sing a long. That was a highlight for me. Unfortunately the momentum was lost by the usual break before the encore. We were honoured with two encore songs “Gimme Shelter” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and it all ended with fireworks after 2 hours and 15 mins.
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As you know this summer I’ve seen four outdoor concerts at Letzigrund. Guns N’ Roses, Depeche Mode and only recently Robbie Williams and I gotta say that this was the worst atmosphere of all of them. I am quite disappointed to be honest not with The Rolling Stones – they were great – but by the crowd. I guess sometimes it’s not the biggest or most hyped concerts that are the best.
I’d love to know your opinion and if you enjoyed the concert! Please leave a reply below or comment on facebook, twitter or instagram.
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