ISIS ::

ISIS / JESU / MONNO
szene / vienna, austria
16th may 2005

one after the other. first thing: lots of people! was expecting many people, but not that many. quite a few guys and gals from eastern neighboring countries (hungary, poland, croatia, serbia, etc.) and also the usual hardcore scenesters. therefore many familiar and even more unfamiliar faces. good thing.

first band: MONNO. boring. not bad, but boring. why? they are not quite as they describe themselves. noise? yes, noisy, but where, pray tell, is the deconstructivism there? what is your noise supposed to mean? is it just noise for the sake of noise? then it isn't noise anymore. is it noise, for the sound quality of noise? then it isn't noise either. make up your mind. power electronics? i'm afraid, not really. go back and listen to your WHITEHOUSE collection some more. the first song was interesting, seemed to me like a noised-up bastard child convergence of CAN and CURVED AIR but it went downhill from there.

another thing: excitement. somebody tells me that justin broadrick is coming with a full band. highly unlikely, but the prospect is intriguing.

next band: justin broadrick's JESU, coincidentally without band. only with a guitarist and occasionally there's a drummer spotting justin. i liked the album, though not as much as i liked GODFLESH, but still. have to say that it isn't really meant for being played live... or maybe justin wasn't up to form.

then: exhaustion and fatigue set in. been too long a weekend, too many nights awake, too little sleep. body going numb. nevertheless giddy with anticipation.

final band. there they are. the might ISIS. brilliant. swaying in the droning of their soundscapes, it's all there: the energy, the tight corners, the loose spaces, just like on the albums. only more intense, more out-there. weaving their music carpet through the audiences bodies. funny intermezzo: drunk idiot throws cigar and beer at singer. agitation, some screaming from the stage down at the moron. some screaming back and the threat of physical violence. the members of ISIS may be heady guys, but they obviously are not afraid of physical confrontation. threatening back. moron guy leaves hall. singer to audience: "in case you were wondering: you drink your beer and smoke yoour cigarettes, but if you feel like throwing beer and cigarettes at us, get the FUCK out of here!" - loud approving clapping and yelling. not afraid to be human, i like that. end of concert and i want to go home. people chanting "encore!"... and i dislike that ISIS are actually giving them an encore. doesn't really fit, in my opinion. i leave without watching the encore. it would've lessened the experience for me. wonderful concert.