Neofolk Tide II: Of the Wand and the Moon + Die Weisse Rose in Zagreb

Kim Larsen

Artists: :Of the Wand and the Moon:, Die Weisse Rose, Allerseelen

Venue:  Vip Club, Trg bana Josipa Jelačića 9, Zagreb

Time: January 26, 2013 - 10.00 pm

Entrance fee:  90 kn/110 kn

Let me shortly present the second part of the neofolk tide sweeping over Zagreb in the last few months. As a reminder, here's a link to my post about the first neofolk event, the concert of Death in June that I attended last November.

Now, as we've set the atmosphere, let's move onto this Saturday's show. As far as I know, Vip Club is not known for organizing events such as this one. Nevertheless, they truly did a great job; everything was quite satisfactory, making the fans feel at home. Die Weisse Rose, with John Murphy (worked with Death In June and Kim Larsen as well) as their special guest, opened the night at around 10 pm. The (female) fans especially loved the white roses that they had on the stage and later on threw in the audience. The guys prepared yet another surprise for the fans: Allerseelen, which was in fact an improvised performance with the help from John Murphy and Thomas Bøjden. They played songs such as Kastanienlied and Wir rufen Deine Wölfe. Later on, Kim Larsen joined for a few songs before proceeding onto his own part of the evening as the main act: Of the Wand and the Moon.

Die Weisse Rose

This was not my first time seeing Kim Larsen perform. I've been to his concert in 2011 in Budapest (didn't have a proper camera back then) as well, when we also did an interview. My opinion is that the two shows differed greatly, not only because the band was more numerous in Zagreb, but also because Croatian audience is nothing like the Hungarian ones. I feel that Hungarians are a much calmer, respectfull type of audience, but also not as outgoing as the people I've come across on concerts in Zagreb.

All of that, however, is quite irrelevant now, because Kim Larsen can turn an evening into magic anytime and anyplace he performs. Even though the set was much shorter than I'd expected, it was a good one. We got to hear the most popular songs, as well as older work and songs released on the latest album, The Lone Descent.

Setlist: Lucifer, Lost in Emptiness, Wonderful Wonderful Sun, A Pyre of Black Sunflowers, Hold My Hand, Nighttime in Sonnenheim, Immer Vorwärts, Summer Solstice, We Are Dust (No Yule This Year, My Love), Shine Black Algiz, Watch the Skyline Catch Fire, Raven Chant // I Crave For You.

Of the Wand and the Moon

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Of the Wand and the Moon - Watch the Skyline Catch Fire (live)

Neofolk Tide: Death in June + Miro Snejdr in Zagreb

Death in June

Artists: Death in June, Miro Snejdr/Lounge Corps
Venue: Jabuka Club, Jabukovac 28, Zagreb
Time: November 17, 2012 - 9.00 pm
Entrance fee:  110 kn/125 kn

It's October in 1992. It's Death in June's first show in Croatia. To play such a show here at that time was something barely imaginable. Honestly, when I first heard about this some time ago, I couldn't believe it. This had been the wartime. Neofolk - the genre plus all that goes along with it - something unheard of. And yet, the band did an amazing set, which was also recorded and released as one of the first live recordings (Something Is Coming).

Two decades later, the band returns to the same country, same city, same place. True, they've been here in the meantime, but I don't think any of those occasions had the impact as this one had. This was a celebration of much more than just a band playing yet another show.
Naturally, this was felt in the club, not only through the band, but through the audience as well.

Miro Snejdr

With a setlist of no more than 34 numbers, changing the clothes, and collaborating with Miro Snejdr, an amazing musician (also known for his project with Kentin Jivek: Dois EP), Douglas Pearce pierced our hearts. The music he makes comprises of background instrumentals, percussion, and an acoustic guitar.

Death in June

His communication with the audience was impeccable, which could also be seen in his attempts at speaking Croatian and incorporating it into the lyrics of his music, just as Miro Snejdr opened the evening with the Croatian anthem.

Death in June

Setlist: Till the Living Flesh is Burned, Death of a Man, Bring in the Night, Ku Ku Ku, Takeyya, Cathedral of Tears, Peaceful Snow, Life Under Siege, Hail! The White Grain, Wolf Rose, The Maverick Chamber, Good Mourning Sun, Hullo Angel, Symbols of the Sun, The Honour of Silence, All Pigs Must Die, Giddy Giddy Carousel, Fields of Rape, To Drown a Rose, The Golden Wedding of Sorrow, Leper Lord, Hollows of Devotion, Tick Tock, Fall Apart, Kameradschaft, Leopard Flowers, Runes and Men, We Said Destroy, Little Black Angel, But What Ends When the Symbols Shatter?, Rose Clouds of Holocaust // Heaven Street, C'est un Rêve // 13 Years of Carrion.




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Death in June - Tick Tock (live in Zagreb)