Rock Werchter 2013 Day 4: Dancing In The Dark

The final day of the festival doesn't look so good on paper. It's not a great program today, which may just be better for us. There's more time for just lingering around and to give our aching and tired bodies more rest. And we start in the grass with a nice ice cream.

Rock Werchter 2013 Day 4, July 7 2013

Twin Forks
While enjoying our ice cream we watch the first main stage band of the day, Twin Forks. Where did they get this band? It must have come with another band in some kind of package deal. This group doesn't belong here. They may be shiny happy people but it's just a mediocre cover band. Since they are playing many covers in a poor way and their own songs are even worse. We try to get in at Bastille's performance, but it's too full. The programmers need to get used to programming three stages. The main stage has hard-core band A Day To Remember at the same time, which won't draw a big crowd. So many people want to go over here instead. More time to take it easy and have some cava. In the end we're almost too late for Haim and can only catch the last ten minutes. Based on that I'd like to see them again.

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Band of Horses
Finally there's a band I really want to see. And they don't disappoint. Band Of Horses is playing a very good set. Singer Ben Bridwell's voice is clear and he's smiling most of the time. It's still quite a difficult time to play at the end of the afternoon of this hot last day, but they are definitely putting all their heart into it. We get treated to many nice songs. Their mix of southern rock and country is suitable for this sultry afternoon. Afterwards we leave the festival site to eat something and make sure not to hear anything of Thirty Seconds To Mars.



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Depeche Mode
We're back in time for Depeche Mode. A few years ago they closed the festival and left mixed feelings. It was good, but the band forgot about playing on a festival. They played many new songs at that time and had a dark and mostly slow set. Today it looks like it will be the same. The first song 'Welcome To My World' is a new song and more will follow. But it turns out the set is building up in a smart way. Slowly they are working to a climax and give the crowd what they want. 'Enjoy The Silence', 'Personal Jesus', 'I Feel You' and of course 'I Just Can't Get Enough' are all in the last "greatest hits" part of the show. Dave Gahan is in great shape, his voice is strong and clear and he's moving around the stage like in his best years. Finally this day is starting to look better.



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Editors
Last year at Rock Werchter Editors found the right combination again to continue as a band. As a result they released the new album The Weight Of Your Love a few weeks back. It shows a different Editors, a lighter version, with big stadium songs (full review over here soon). Singer Tom Smith starts out on his own though with an intimate 'Nothing' on piano. We get a nice overview of all four albums. Big hits like 'Munich' and 'Smokers Outside The Hospital Door' are alternating with new songs 'A Ton Of Love' and 'Formaldehyde'. The new songs actually sound good and work well on a big stage in front of a huge crowd. Highlights of the show are the great intimate cover version of Springsteen's 'Dancing In The Dark' and an explosive 'Papillon'. I just don't understand why they didn't close with that last one but played 'Honesty' after that. Maybe they tried to squeeze in too many new songs. We could have gone out on a bigger high instead.



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Still it was a great closing act of another wonderful edition of Rock Werchter. Again we've seen so many strong performances and wonderful bands. In the end I watched great music and had a blast with my friends as well. Doesn't get a lot better than that does it? Well, I could have gotten my cervelas in the end, which I didn't. Hello Mr Piler, time for one last round?

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Rock Werchter 2013 Day 1
Rock Werchter 2013 Day 2
Rock Werchter 2013 Day 3

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Dave Gahan's Lovely Singing Feeling in Soulsavers

Soulsavers is the musical collaboration between producers Rich Machin and Ian Glover. They release albums regularly with a changing vocal line-up. In the past this was mainly Mark Lanegan, but also Mike Patton, Will Oldham and Richard Hawley among others contributed to some of the music. When Soulsavers are the support act for Depeche Mode's 'Tour Of The Universe' in Europe they get to know singer Dave Gahan better, which eventually leads to The Light The Dead See.

Soulsaves - The Light The Dead See (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)

It didn't result in a happy record. Which is not so strange, since Gahan never really wrote cheerful music. This is a perfect match for him. He's descending into the deepest and darkest crypts of his soul. There where no light shines any more, only the light the dead see. The album opens with an instrumental piece that will get you in this heavy mood. 'La Ribera' sounds like it was inspired by Ennio Morricone and could have easily featured in one of Sergio Leone's movies. This dramatic opening is the forerunner for Gahan's dark inner journey. The music has also shifted from electronic to more guitars.

Despite the gloomy and somewhat uncomfortable mood of the songs, there's plenty to enjoy. They are a perfect fit for Gahan. His voice now and then sounds full of soul, like in 'Take Me Back Home', supported by an organ with the blues. In general the songs are slowly tearing along. Images of empty rainy landscapes are passing by. The glass is always half empty or actually completely empty. As Gahan is singing himself in the melancholic 'Longest Day': "This could be the longest day and the night has yet to come". But his voice is always warm and comforting. At times it will get a bit more sharp like in 'Gone Too Far', along with a gritty guitar.

"There's no tomorrow only yesterday" he's singing in 'Bitterman' once more. The timing of this album seems a bit unfortunate in the summer, since it's a perfect fall album. But with the wet and cold weather of this month and the soaking wet summers we got the last couple of years, it may be appropriate after all. Just get in that sinking feeling and stare out of the window, while the lashing rain is rattling on the glass.



This review has been published on ROAR E-Zine in Dutch over here.

Listen to 'The Light The Dead See' on Spotify.

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