BAND OF SKULLS BRING EXCITEMENT BACK TO BERLIN

So last night I finally managed to go to a gig again, cause after moving to Berlin and jiggling my live around a bit it's been a while since I've done such thing, but now I managed to catch the formidable Band Of Skulls.
It’s been nearly 6 months since the last time the British trio from Southampton strolled on stage in a Berliner venue. This time it’s the new formatted Bi Nuu Club at Schlesisches Tor which fits the audience size perfectly.

The upliner, a German band called The Dope, is quickly forgotten, despite their charming adaption of the Beatles lyric “Strawberry Fields Forever” (even tho nothing else sounds Beatelesque about them), as the duo just can’t quench the thirst for proper rock n roll.

So when Mathew (drums) finally jumps on stage and Emma (bass/vocals) and Russell (guitar /Vocals) prowl after him the crowd bristles with anticipation.

Their opener, as has been predicted, is “Sweet Sour” as it is their latest single from their equally titeld new album, tho nevertheless it’s a wicked tune to start with:

The beginning drum beats sending shockwaves of promising 1 ½ hours pure rock through the audience; Russells guitar layers the trembling melody over the steady rhythm and than their voices impinge giving the song its uniqueness and the reason why people adore it. Emmas and Russels voices entwine, melt into and complete each others; create a sound that sends shivers down your spine.  The song climaxes in the end in a grandeur rock fashion and leaves your ears ringing with an acapella version of the chorus.

BoS plough on with some tracks from their first album, which I guess isn’t that famous in Germany, because unfortunately the audience is quite unresponsive and a bit timid, leaving only the first 2 rows to some more confident and outgoing gig goers (an American Woman keeps shouting “Emma I wanna take you home”).

Maybe this has to do with the fact that Band Of Skulls aren’t the biggest communicators and like to shroud themselves in a cloak of mystery, only broken by some “thanks – thanks a lot” and “the next song is gonna be...” which the audience eagerly responses too, vainly trying to catch the bands attention and hoax them into some more words.

“Bruises” lets the crowd listen up again and sing along and by the time they play “Bomb” (their self acclaimed loudest and fastet song) a small moshpit has formed just behind the first row. When finally my favourite song “I Know What I Am” is ringed in by cymbal crashes, soaring guitar riffs and stomping beat, the audience’s mood has loosened and more people dare to enjoy themselves. Even on Emmas face one can see a little smile twitching every now and than. By the way she is still wearing her old worn out snake leather boots, as she briefly asked the facebook community beforehand whether she should switch to new shoes.

Than reverberating riffs start floating through the hall and the song everybody has been waiting for, finally releases the crowds built–up tension and lust for rock n roll in a big bang. “Death By Diamonds And Pearls” with its stadium rock guitar riffs and anthem melody hook lets everybody move weather it is by jumping up and down to just shaking heads or tapping feats and the whole club is singing along so loudly that I am sure, the people in the trains, which pass overhead, can hear us.Than the band vanishes behind the stage with a kinda short goodbye just to reappear 10 minutes later to finish of the galvanizing audience with two encores, the last one being “Impossible”. During that song one can see the whole band letting their rock demeanour roam freely; Russell pulls one typical rock pose after another, stepping to the edge of the stage, ignoring the stunned faces of the audience gazing up at him. Emma, dressed totally in black, with a skull necklace dangling from her neck, seems to be lost in her rhythm, bleakly staring sideways of the stage, whereas Mathew threshes his drums with the most fierce Dave-Grohl-like teeth baring I have seen in a long time.

Everyone knows now that they could easily fit onto a main stage at a huge festival or fill out stadiums and I can’t wait to see it happening.

(Check out their tunes and more @ http://bandofskulls.com/ )