UPFRONT ONLINE

Courtesy of www.disagreement.net

While thousands of people made a pilgrimage to the Rockhal to see some rock dinosaurs that used to be interesting aeons ago, a few hundred decided to make it to the official reopening party of the Exit07. Three live electronic artists, free of charge, should be argument enough to make it to their new location in Hollerich, and it was clear from the outset that a filled Exit07 is a great venue for concerts.

At half past ten, Bass Clef from England started the evening with his bass heavy dub music, to which he added a nasty live trombone and assorted paraphernalia out of his toy cabinet. The brooding mood of the music emphasised the wailing brass sound, giving a whole new perspective into the dub genre.

After a good hour, Max Tundra, also an Englishman entered the stage, frightening people at first by his unconventional approach: quirky electronic sounds that seemed too happy for this world, high soul-fuelled vocals that could give him a spot in an R’n’B band, lots of keyboards that he chose to play live, sometimes two at a time, some guitar, and again the whole content of his toy chest. I guess this is the stuff you either love or hate. I opted for the former. Too few artists these days make happy music that works. Max Tundra succeeded mostly due to his naïve, charming and carefree persona. Not a very tall man, half bald already, and a beginning paunch, and still he was jumping around as if he was having the time of his life, all the time seemingly only high on flat water. He even joked that he wrote a contribution for the soundtrack of Sex and the City… something that movie could only have taken advantage from. The last time I was so enchanted by a live performance was quite a long time ago by Spookey Ruben. Max Tundra played today a fizzy cocktail of electro, jazz, progressive rock and good humour.

The live part of the evening was ended by Italian two-piece Rodion who maintained a dancing audience with their traditional yet good electronic music. They made a good choice by covering Supertramp’s late Seventies hit “The Logical Song”, because I am secretly convinced that every true bred Luxembourger just loves that band, as could be witnessed by Roger Hodgon’s show at this year’s Rock um Knuedler… although last week, a woman refused to talk to me after I revealed being a fan of them.

Afterwards, Vampire State Builder entertained the audience with an eclectic DJ set. Sometime after four in the morning (the Exit07 was apparently open until six… might as well have taken the first bus home), my body decided that it needed some rest, so I made myself back South. It’s great to have this venue back!