Lotlmania
Summer has already caught us and temperatures nearly reach the 30°C mark. It is not different today, on a Saturday evening, when more than 1200 people gather inside Garage/Saarbrücken for a sold out show of Lord Of The Lost, short LOTL. Everyone who reads the news and follows the band, no matter if for one or 14 years, knows that this is their busiest year so far. Album release a day before New Year’s Eve, chart position No. 1 for Blood And Glitter one week later, winning German ESC preliminary competition, the ESC itself, another tour with Iron Maiden are just a few milestones this year. It is their year, the year of Lotlmania.
Queen of merch
This results in a quite long queue and it doubles up because spectators are lining up left and right of the entrance. Nevertheless, thanks to a very organized crew of stewards it takes only a few minutes until we are in. A short walk around is followed by a visit to LOTL’s most lovely queen of the merch, Nadja. It is always a pleasure to be back to the LOTL-family and see her smile, busy or not. She tells me, she is short of some items and hopes to sell out even more.
Custom costs…
New merch has already been ordered and sent directly to the UK for the tour in sight. Every piece they don’t sell now and at Hellfest the day after means additional costs for customs. Let’s hope her stall will become more or less sold out before LOTL cross the channel. Later on, during the changeover we will find time for more conversation.
SETYØURSAILS
A little bit earlier than announced, the lights dim down and today’s support band enters the stage. When I first read their name, I had no idea who they were. Their name hinted towards Pirate Metal. Pirate Metal? As support for LOTL? Are you kidding? Not that I don’t like this genre but it doesn’t fit. But I missed by far!
No Pirate Metal
What follows is a set of Melodic Post-Hardcore by the four musicians which are Jules Mitch on vocals, André Alves Rodrigues on guitar, Nicolai Hoch on bass and Henrik Kellershohn on drums forming SETYØURSAILS. Their music is passionate, honest and rather aggressive, given that Jules changes between harsh and clear vocals even within one song. She pushes the audience even to mosh pit and wall of death, something which rarely happens on LOTL concerts. Later, at their merch stall, Jules will tell me how they were booked for some gigs of LOTL’s Blood and Glitter show.
How to get a gig – get tattooed
Bass player Nicolai and Pi of LOTL paid a visit to the same tattoo studio and the conversation was like this: “Hey, I think, I know you. Aren’t you from SETYØURSAILS?” – “Yes, If I’m right you are the guitarist of Lord Of The Lost?” – “Sure, would you like to play some gigs with us?” Everything else is history and here they are for the second of four gigs.
Get more at SBOA
For those, who will celebrate metal at the SBOA – Summer Breeze near Dinkelsbühl, SETYØURSAILS will be one of the smaller bands beside the headliners. You should really pay attention too and see their show. It is worth it and these four sympathetic musicians more than deserve it.
Nearly missing the beginning
As I already wrote, I spend most of the time of the changeover talking with Nadja. She has some new projects in mind for next year. We are talking about sustainability in event industry. It is a topic I am personally very interested in as well, so let’s wait and see what happens. It is so interesting to talk to Nadja, that I nearly miss the beginning of Lord Of The Lost… Well, we will continue this conversation soon. Thanks to the intro I am just in time when the five Lords Of The Lost enter the stage. Even though I have seen them “quite a few times” so far, it is always a new experience. New outfits, new instruments, changes of the stage always catch my eye.
LORD OF THE LOST
Of course, the songs of Blood And Glitter are in the main focus of the concert today. Most of them come with a serious message and vocalist Chris isn’t holding back with his explanations. That’s how we know him and how we love him. To make it clear: “No respect for disrespect”! It counts more than ever for nowadays elbow society and social media.
Earthquake Dance
One guy raises his hand during one of these messages, Chris interrupts and ask him if he wants to say something. “I want to dance”, is the brief answer. The result is a “jump up and down and dance around” of 1200 people, powerful as an earthquake. That is real and pure fun, the party we all want, the party we all deserve in this hot summer night.
The ESC-song
Soon it is time for the title track of album and tour, which had brought LOTL to the ESC, all around the world with more than 250.000.000 people on TV watching “Blood And Glitter”. And it brought more attention, unfortunately not only in a positive way. So haters, better “Leave Your Hate In The Comments” and shut up. We don’t want you, we don’t need you.
Family party
Chris finds the right words describing the whole show today as a big party with family and friends and the hottest show they have ever played in Saarland. With a more than sold out and over 1200 spectators it is their largest audience of a single show so far in Saarland. It is a party with everybody looking in the same direction, contrary to a disco [which will start later the night].
Not the last song
“One Last Song” is not the last song but it is a remarkable song. It can stand for so many things and maybe has the strongest lyrics of the Blood and Glitter album. Give them a read. But as I said, it is not the closer. Instead it will be a cover version of a song by some Swedish band…
“… und ich spiele den Chris”
Chris explains how encores are handled by LOTL, there is no break, no shouting, but just music in a row. So now the time has come, they need the help of the audience to sing along. “Ich bin Chris und spiele den Chris und ihr seid Blümchen”. Pi’s smashing guitar crashes in with the first chords of “The Look”. I had hoped so much, that they would play this particular song. Almost having lost this hope, now I sing along with 1200 others: “nanananana, nananana na – she’s got the look, she’s got the look”. This celebrated song by Roxette made you an eternal flame, R.I.P. Marie Fredriksson.
Finally
Finally Lord Of The Lost’s cover version of Village People’s YMCA means to say good bye for tonight. It comes from Bengt’s sound board, the band itself is too busy with shaking hands, waving hands, saying goodbye to play it themselves. No problem at all, it is part of the tradition anyway.
The new “baby”
I take a few minutes to pay a visit to light wizard Nasa. At a show of Nachtblut some months ago she told me, she would receive her new light mixing desk and I am curious to see it and get some explanations. “This is my new baby; it basically does the same as the previous one. But it has more colours and is much faster so I can react faster – and it is new.” Don’t ask for the price, but there is a reason why Nasa owns no car instead. I myself have a car and can’t afford a mixing desk instead…
And a delay
Even Bengt finds some time although he is always very busy with disconnecting and removing cables, etc. Sadly, he still waits for the new sound board, he ordered last year in September, but some microchips seem to be undeliverable. So for this season he continues with his old gear.
In a rush
Them being in a rush for two reasons, first they need to travel to Hellfest/Finistere in France the very same night, second because the usual disco time will start soon after, I leave them alone. A quick stop to say goodbye to a too busy Nadja and sadly I don’t see tour manager Dominik anywhere. Well, seems, his job is to be the busy invisible man behind the scene… Nevertheless, I love how nice and lovely all the crew of LOTL are – like a real family. Meeting them is like homecoming.
Save the dates
Check the website of LOTL. They will now tour UK and Ireland, small clubs on their own and big arenas with mighty Iron Maiden and return to Germany for some shows. Keep in mind Lordfest in December and their 15th anniversary tour in 2024.
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Please buy merch and physical music or downloads from the bands official sources and don’t stream music for free because it steals your artists’ income
proof reading by DerminBoad
all photos by Friend.X