Thursday, September 23rd, 2021.
I'm on my way to the VNV NATION concert in Gelsenkirchen.
Fortunately, I was able to purchase a ticket for this additional concert,
because this concert is as good as sold out.
The hygiene concept is implemented very well and I still have time before the concert
something to eat and drink.
Shortly before 8 p.m. a gong sounds and everything flows into the tent from the ZIRKUS PROBST.
8 p.m.
It is dark and only the e-drums and the two keyboards are illuminated diffusely.
There is cheering and everyone around me starts with the first notes
everything to dance.
It is my first VNV NATION concert and I am very fascinated by the thunderstorm of light
what starts now.
Then front man RONAN HARRIS is in the circus and again there is indescribable jubilation.
HARRIS sings songs like:
JOY, CHROME, SENTINEL, TESTAMENT
and many others.
He does his rounds in the ring, enthusiastically discovers an Irish flag
(H. is a native of Ireland)
asks the audience how they are doing, encouraging them to sing along and clap.
With the sensitive song ILLUSION, the audience becomes very calm and later begins to sing along softly.
RONAN H. is visibly touched, says: "I love you" and asks the audience to sing along out loud now.
The music genre is FUTURE POP.
Great texts are accompanied by hard drum rhythms,
which alternate with soft synthesizer-spherical sounds.
I am also completely carried away by this energetic atmosphere
and move to the upper ranks to get a better overview of the whole event / light spectacle.
VNV NATION has existed since 1990 and over the years there have been an incredible number
Accumulated hits.
Tonight we are offered a small cross-section of the band's success story.
When the song "NOVA" is intoned almost at the end of the concert, the arena is bathed in warm red and yellow tones
and hundreds of lights appear in the audience.
This is a sensational illumination to match the sensitive lyrics:
"II long to feel my heart burned open wide, till nothing else remains
Except the fires from which I came
Like parted souls, divided for an age
Awe and wonder I′d embrace and the world anew again
But now, this picture from me fades
From still's cold hand there's no reprieve
Light the fire in me
Shine, shine your light on me
Illuminate me, make me complete .... "
(If you want to read the lyrics further, see link below)
The end is near and RONAN HARRIS and his three band members say goodbye to the audience
"Dear people, many, many thanks !!"
The audience thanks him with stormy, never-ending applause.
I let the evening end in peace in the beautiful restoration area of the ZIRKUS PROBST,
before I go home.
At the end of an energetic concert evening in an unusual setting,
where the spark of enthusiasm
jumped over to the audience at breakneck speed (and grabbed me too),
with poetic, equally thought-provoking texts
and was filled with haunting ballads and electric hymns,
is my conclusion:
"It was an experience for me to have been there and to be able to witness this explosion of emotions"
and I'm happy to be in Cologne next time (AMPHI)
or in
Gelsenkirchen (Special VNV Nation 30th Anniversary Summer Open Air Concert)
back again.
KarSo
