| Show Review - Vienna, Austria (Chelsea) - translated |
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Well, that's it. Not without reason I was looking forward to this
concert like a little child for weeks. Actually The Great Crusades can do
nothing wrong considering so much coolness alongside with enthusiasm,
devotion, skill plus a certain talent for self-irony it's a foregone conclusion
things will work out fine once more. Chicago's Finest are one of few contemporary bands, who will convince you all around with relatively archaic means (no post-rock or such a thing) without looking old-fashioned or rockistic. Here R.O.C.K. makes sense, whether it's supertight uptempo songs, dramatically directed heavy-ballads or something in the shape of sailor's like chorusses. Everything sounds as if you've know it for ages. Compared to their first and even then fantastic live performance in Chelsea two years ago, when Crusades had only one album with them, the now increased number of songs was good for the whole concert's dramaturgy. And once more it was also great to see the styling of these guys. With razor- sharp creases and delicately selected ties they looked as if they were shopping between soundtrack and show on Vienna's most fashionable address, the Kohlmarkt. At this point we should emphasize guitarist and parttime- pianoplayer Brian "Ladykiller" Leach, somehow the band's quiet soul, who didn't get ready to open his collar's button both on stage and afterwards when we had some small talk (many a praise for their European label Glitterhouse and not a bad word about their former label Trocadero by the way). Another man worth mentioning is Christian Moder, an equally extremely determined and sensitive terrific sort of a drummer. The fool I am, I had forgotten about the fact that this guy is playing everything while standing upright on his kit. At some time there was simply no seat available, he told us later on, and ever since he made a virtue of necessity. And Brian Krumm, he's the one with the gigantic voice. Due to emotional exuberance it might happen to him to lose his trademark Al-Capone-style hat now and then, but all right - hats off to this man anyway! Besides such a mishap you should file under that certain commendable "talent for self-irony" as I said before. The same could be said about bassplayer Brian Hunt, 'cause if anyone is the sly joker in the band, it's him. But you shouldn't forget to say you could spend an entire Great Crusades' live show just watching his refined bass playing. A hot performance eventually lead to a wild encore set with cover versions including a fantastic rendition of "Mexican Radio" - I saw grown-up people in front of me losing body control! ***** (excellent) more press |
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