It's slowly becoming a habit to celebrate my birthday with or at a concert ;)
It was never my intention; it just happens that way. But hey, what better could happen to me than standing in the photo pit, taking photos of bands I like and dance on a day like this? Exactly. Nothing! It's the perfect combination.
This year, I celebrated once again at the :: Turbinnhalle Oberhausen ::, and Swedish Rock sensation NESTOR sang me a birthday song.
Ever since I first heard On The Run on the radio in 2021 and afterwards full-throated screamed: “Call the police, call the fire squad or anyone, or get me a priest, I'm a lost child on the run...” in my car (I do so only when I drive alone, of course ;)), I've loved these Swedes. It’s music I simply love (and they have a crazy band story to tell too). It resonates with me and reminds me of great adventures in the late 80s, when I sowed my wild oats;) I just can't resist! As soon as I hear NESTOR being played somewhere, I must sing along and dance. So, this concert was not only an editorial matter, but very much a personal pleasure :)
Since only two bands were announced, the doors to Turbinenhalle 2 didn't open until seven, with the show starting at eight. The streets were clear, but the weather was awful. Thick black rain clouds hang low. It was already pitch dark when I hit the road and it was pouring cats and dogs. Never mind, inside the car it was cozily warm and dry ;)
I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it
I'm about to lose control and I think I like it
:: pics :: GUN CALLED BRITNEY ::
The evening started with Hamburg-based sleaze rock band :: GUN CALLED BRITNEY ::, I had never heard of them before. But well, that's not unusual. I'm neither well-versed in this genre nor up to date with latest newcomers. And the guys are a brand-new outfit, founded in 2019 ;) There's not that much to read about them either (except for the origin of their rather unusual band name, but for that you must dig through interviews ;)). At least they were already Wacken Metal Battle winners and had earned themselves a spot on this year’s WET stage. In 2020, they released an EP, followed by a handful of singles. Okay, let's see what effect the announced California vibes have ;)
GUN CALLED BRITNEY are only accompanying Nestor for the first three shows of the tour. I actually don't know if any support acts have been announced for the rest of the tour. Not for Cologne, anyway. The lighting and sound were rather subdued, but the guys were visibly excited to play live - from the first second on the band went full throttle. The hall is well filled, and the fans wanted to see the opening act too.
GUN CALLED BRITNEY kicked off with two of their already released singles, then played some new material that will probably be featured on a debut album in the not too distant future.
Musically, it was ok, the guys ain’t bad, they even had a second live guitarist with them, to deliver more punch’n’sleaze. The roots are clear, the idols recognizable, they just didn’t stand out (yet). There is still much space left to define and hone their very own style.
A real eye-catcher was surely the bass guitar of Hannes' glowing with lightning bolts. During Maybe Baby, singer Josh encouraged the audience to sing along, which worked out quite well. But, what really got the audience going at the end of the 40-minute show and got them in the mood for the headliner, was the snappy Pointer Sisters cover version of I'm So Excited. Yes, that was fun, indeed!
P.S. Didn’t feel much of the California vibes though…
Band: Josh (vox), Robin (git ), Hannes (bass), Evil-P (drums)
Setlist: Monsters In Chucks, Gipsy, Okay, Who You Are, Mountain, Let Me Burn, Showdown, Maybe Baby, I'm So Excited (cover The Pointers Sisters)
In The Name Of Rock’n’Roll
:: pics :: NESTOR ::
Short break for set changes. The :: NESTOR :: crew was all wearing the same tracksuits. I suppose from the ice-hockey team of their hometown? It’s known that the band has a soft spot for them.Maybe it was just band merch though. I don’t know. The thrill was rising ;)
An interesting fact is that NESTOR are only playing in Germany on this 7-day tour. It was the same last year, apart from various festivals. It seems that Germany is a special place for the Swedes.
That even the most hard-boiled metalheads can go wild at a NESTOR show, as we saw at the Rock Hard Festival in 2023 (not to mention that the metalheads sang along to NESTOR's cover version of Whitney Houston's song "I Wanna Dance With Somebody", knowing the lyrics well ;)).
And then the party got started. Nothing had changed in terms of stage outfits—beaded and fringed uniforms, this time in black (the uniforms are also available in white ;)). NESTOR started with the more rocking songs from the two albums Kids In A Ghost Town and Teenage Rebel, followed by the brand-new track In The Name Of Rock ‘n’ Roll, which we don't yet know whether it's a stand-alone single or a precursor to a possible new album. From the fourth song on a fantastic laser show, an illuminated keyboard, and even drums decorated with LEDs jazzed up the visual impact. There was certainly no lack of kitsch. But, that's how it has to be I guess...
Things calmed down a bit in the middle section, only to pick up speed again towards the end. I'm not really a fan of ballads (with very few exceptions), so as far as I'm concerned, they could be left out, but I understand the thrill and tension they're trying to create for the whole show. And heartbreak, candles and stuff are always popular, as we all know ;)
The fans agreed with the band. There was enthusiastic dancing and singing along, every song was celebrated, and there were lots of happy faces.
I think that the sophomore is noticeable weaker than the debut but live the songs from Teenage Rebel sound quite powerful.
As much as I’m dedicated to and prefer extreme metal... NESTOR just rock! It’s just like listening to Van Halen alongside Metallica, you know? ;) I love it. Thank you for the show, guys. See you next time :)
Band: Tobias Gustavsson (vox), Jonny Wemmenstedt (git), Marcus Åblad (bass), Martin Frejinger (keys), Mattias Carlsson (drums)
Setlist: We Come Alive, Kids In A Ghost Town, In The Name Of Rock 'n' Roll, Perfect 10 (Eyes Like Demi Moore), The One That Got Away, Daughter, These Days, Signed In Blood, Unchain My Heart, Stone Cold Eyes, Caroline, Firesign, On The Run, Teenage Rebel, 1989 // It Ain't Me
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