Die Krupps (DE), Viral (USA), Manntra (CRO)
A cold, gray winter day in Budapest was about to get the best ending I could imagine.
It was the first time I stepped on a river boat called A38 Hajo and I must say I was surprised how big the venue was. I came during the sound checks and from the beginning I could see the great atmosphere between the bands. Their tour was about to end and you could feel that festive yet nostalgic vibe.
The first band we saw on stage was Manntra, a folk/industrial metal from Croatia. They started the show with a song called “Oyka”, which is also a name of the album they promoted on this tour. The mystic beginning of the song, where beautiful Maja, the bass player, sang the melody inspired by old Slavic traditional songs, was a perfect opener. Very melodic, pure and beautiful. It certainly draws the attention of the crowd since I could feel they were paying attention from the very beginning. Marko entered the stage and the show could start in its full glow. Strong rhythm, ethno melodies, great stage presence and communication with the audience is what will draw you to this very perspective band. Their new album ”Oyka” is definitely worth listening to.
The band Viral from Los Angeles, USA was next on stage and I must say I haven’t heard them before.
After Manntra`s ethno Slavic melodies which I liked a lot, these guys brought more modern electronic style. Their sound was pretty solid and powerful and you could see they had a great time on stage. After two great opening acts it was time for the headliners to show up.
Die Krupps, fathers of the industrial metal. At this point the club was fully packed all the way to the exit door, and for the first time I actually felt I was on a boat. The floor started to move as the crowd formed a mosh pit in front of the stage. The atmosphere was at its peak and one person jumped off the stage, crowd surfing. It was really amazing to see how greatly Budapest welcomed the band. I don’t have to say how the band was great, or how powerful is their stage performance since all of us can only learn from them and admire. The audience was engaged at all times, clapping hands, singing melodies. When Jurgen started a song with something like “ein zwei drei”,you knew you will feel the floor moving again. The guys really showed us how it’s done. The only little thing that bothered me during this show was the stroboscope lights, they were too intense for my taste but I understand that is a part of the show and it suits the style pretty well. It was the time to finish the show, the tour was over and how to celebrate it better than invite all of the bands and the crew members on stage. That was an amazing moment, a cherry on the top of a great evening. The stage was full of people singing, hugging each other one amazing interesting night I will remember dearly.
Text by: Tina Bukić
