All good things are three as we say so. And in my case it's backpipe sounds and the tunes of other antique instruments mixed with modern  music  for the third time  No of course they all do not have anything in common, apart from the just mentioned instruments, every fan would say so. I'm talking about the german acts Corvus Corax, InExtremo and now Schandmaul, who all played Munich within a few weeks. For the innocent it's not that easy to seperate, and these people tend to throw everything in one pot because of those ancient instruments.

Okidok, now I'm a bit wiser. Because apart from Corvus Corax, who are pretty different from the other's, the only real difference between InExtremo and Schandmaul is a pretty simple one. The first one's are the bad middle age rockers, the other's are the good middle age poppers. Right or not?!

                                    
However, every fan of this stylistic, will declare me for nuts for this, - I know. But honestly, apart from the names, the lyrics and the mentioned instruments and maybe the fantastic costumes the only thing what's left is rock or pop music. Another question is the presentation of that one. 
But first of all one question is bothering me  to this yearly event named Funkenflug Festival which is actually organised by our bavarian Schandmäulern here. What the hell have New Model Army to do with this magic?

Just to make the whole happening complete, I wanna mention the opener named Loonataraxis. They come from Munich and were foundet in 2002. And they won this year's band contest for taking part at the festival.

                                                                                             http://www.loonataraxis.de/
The early bird is catching the worm is a saying in german. In the case of the first supportact, who starts off at half past seven, the question rather is, - whether there is a worm to go for. On the other hand, let's be pleased to be part of the show. No more Comment to this, because the bird has past me, before I saw him flying by. Yep, once again, I'm late. Sorry about that.

The second act of beautiful sound art are pretty well known in the german gothic rock circles and go under the name Zeraphine. This again is taken from a hebrean word, which stands for a spiritual figure with six wings and arms and a human voice. In the very beginning this band called themselves Helix. But apparently the canadian hardrockers with the same name, carrying that one for the past 20 years and longer, didn't like the idea.
However, and as I've been told, this youngsters here are so much liked because of their deep meaning lyrics in german as well as in english language. It's a clever move for winning a wider range of fans and not only the german one's. Zeraphine have four albums out so far on their own label. You can feel their enthusiasm, when they pull through their thing up there on stage. Though it's always a bit of a problem with the lyrics. Because the concentration of the - most of all Schandmaul fans and the rest rather go for the music,- accompanied by a voice of course, but not really realising the sense. We can listen to this one at home in front of the CD player, so what?! And then we know 'em anyway. Zeraphine get accepted, some arms are up in the air, and the band gets a polite applause. But not enough to get an encore.   

                                                                                                  http://www.zeraphine.de/                                           

                               
And again I'm standing here with my question from before. What are New Model Army doing here? The answer to this we get during the set of the headliner, where the singer admits, that he's been a fan of NMA since he was 14 years old. So he probably fullfilled a personal dream for himself by getting this band for the festival. Apart from that, New Model Army haven't got a lot in common with the organizer of this evening. It's like the Pet Shop Boys versing Nine Inch Nails. But howsoever, the Brits hold at least sort of a cultstatus for more than 20 years and even more albums.
Starting off with punk, the original trio  consisting of  Justin Sullivan (voc/git), Stuart Morrow (Bass) and Robert Heaton 1982 became soon an institution in the independend scene  and later on got popular worldwide. It's at least 15 years, that I've seen 'em playiing live last time. And from the original line up only Sullivan is left over because of line up changes and musicians who have past away already. 

But the music is still there and the most important aspect. Personally I receive sort of a de ja vu beeing put back into the past glory eighties. Yeah, it's not the same what it used to be. But maybe it's just due to the fact, that we all don't get younger, do we?! But this would only count for the singer and the bassist. Because the rest of the band belong already to the next generation, who have been kiddies, when the band started off first.
Although I can't deny my impression that it's only a shade left from then, who is happy, that Schandmaul gave them the opportunity to play in front of a bigger audiance.
Long live the the cult, which doesn't get recognised by the kids, the name, who sounds familiar though to most of the audiance here, and the Schandmaul fans, who are going to check out New Model Army as well and don't ignore them. Yep and maybe the hole inmidst Sullivan's teeth, which certainly make him more attractive, but rather takes care for some amusements within the first rows.

                                                                                       http://www.newmodelarmy.org/

And here they are, the kings of the night. But hold on, just before I start describing their stint, I wanna tell about another curiosity of this evening. It's the fact, that here tonight in the photopit of our unbeloved Zenith are at least 15 photographers taking pics between 2.000 fans and a band on stage. 
And again I have to compare this circumstance to the event 15 days ago,where at the InExtremo concert with the double amount of adiance were only two photographers from the daily press, including me. But today none of my professionell collegues are here, probably on a xmas holiday I presume. Long live the ignorance of the media world. (I probably get lynched next time at an official photocall for this last sentence) However, tonight there are probably lots of internet fanzines, even small ones and every fan taking pics to increase Schandmauls popularity, who, by the way are still down to earth. And I  hope they will remain that. Because as we know so, things start changing, when a band gets mega popular. And this is mostly not the guys in the group itselves, but all the other V.I.P.s around. Voila'

Schandmaul are still down to earth, and the band joining the audiance during the supportslots (so did InExtremo recently, but only aftershow). Another plus point for the bavarian ancient poprockers. The band, who I'm seeing for the first time live ever, conclude all those clichee's - the name, the backpipe and other pastense instruments and again - the lyrics. But that's it with the middle age flair. Apart from the visual aspect, the only thing left, - as I said before - is the popmusic with a few hardrock riffs above. The scenery is dominated by singer Thomas Lindner, who ain't an original bavarian, but lives here since his youth. The frontman of Schandmaul  with his uncomplicated haircut :-))) and the designer jacket in Biedermeier style entertains his fans well apart from the music with witty slogans, hints about competitions, trying to encourage the audiance to sing along with for a might be note into the Guinessbook of Records. I doubt that, but never mind, it is a very well placed joker  He is surrounded most of all by two beauties, who  who are named  Anna and Birgit, who keep the scenery moving, dancing along and playing the exotic pipes. And all this is most of the visual focus. Guitar and bass are situated right and left from the drumkit, and leave their position only occassionally to only return soon again. That's how far the average choreography goes. 

In any case, Schandmaul build on commercial melodies, which stick in our ears and get recognized immidiately again and again. For my personal taste, they are a bit too good, to behaved without the sharp edges. But in any case it is music, which is accepted by rocker as well as by popfans and all those lovers of the middle age cult. We call it the golden way in the middle. They are not as provocative as the Bad Boys of InExtremo and not as phantastic colourful as the extroverted Corvus Corax. They are a little bit of everything but still totally different. I personally think of Schandmaul as the most commercial group within this genre - with the good Boys (Girls) image, where every dad would be proud off. And he probably is about his son up there, who takes out every advantage for himself and the band including another rise on the popularity scale including a homebonus. I say thank you to the senior for the cooperation and help what's up to my press work. And I hope, there will be a few more souls in the audiance next time, and also the daily press for another increase on the scale for Schandmaul and their easy going individual Easy Listening melodies. Apart from that, I can only say - all the best for the New Year. 

                                                                                                                                http://www.schandmaul.de/