[LIVE] When Saints Go Machine @ Tauron New Music Festival 8-26-2011

This live review is courtesy of Arletta Przynoga, friend of TBE and mastermind behind Danish music blog Good Because Danish. A native of Poznan, she made the trek to Katowice for the Tauron New Music Festivallast weekend to see the band I was most bummed I couldn’t see: When Saints Go Machine. Cheers to Arletta for the review and double cheers for writing it all in her second language. Read on for her review, some photos (by Agnieszka Wojtaszek) and their great new video for the fantastic “Kelly.”

Over a 5 hours in a boiling trian from Poznań to Katowice. The hottest day of summer in Poland. And I almost missed what I wanted to see and hear so much!

Last Friday, Danish sensational band, When Saints Go Machine, played a wonderful gig on Tauron Nowa Muzyka festival in Katowice.

It was WSGM’s first show in Poland and they were very excited and happy that it went so well. It really did. Even though at the last minute the organizers changed the hour of the concert from 2:00am to 9:00pm. Not a nice surprise for those who came later and saw… well… an empty stage… When I got to the the Little Big Stage at 8:30pm – the tant was almost empty. But not for long. It filled up with people, amazing energy and great performed music pretty fast!

When Saints Go Machine gave a very intense, thrilling gig. They started gently with „Konkylie” than performed perfectly „Church And Law” and after that… it was pure magic. Heavy „Grey Blues” from their first record Ten Makes A Face was massive, „Pixies” and „Jets” form leatest release brought a touch of dance mood to the Little Big Stage tant. „Kelly” made everybody dance and… smile to the musicians.

As it turned out, WSGM know how to mix joy and melancholy during their show. My personal highlight of the concert was „Fail Forever” – this song is even better live than on the album! I didn’t think it’s possible. Throbbing synths, vibrating pure vocals and huge dose of energy! It was the moment when the audience trudly said “yes” to Danish band.

I’d called WSGM’s gig an evolving concert. It was planed in a way that the audience was reacting more happily and expressly with each song. “Add Ends”, beautiful, lyrical composition closed the main part of the gig. Extended instrumental ending released an indescribable force of this song.

After such an energetic show the audience wanted more. And got more. 2-songs bis was trudly mind blowing. The musicians was relaxed and satisfied so they literally gave everyting from themselves. The tent where the Little Big Stage was set up went crazy!

Nikolaj Manuel Vansild, the vocalist, was like a huge transmitter of energy through the whole show. The rest of the band was backing him up in a great way. The best thing was to see how they really enjoy being on the stage together and how they were happy to see Polish audience dancing and (!) singing along with them. Despite technical troubles and bad organization it was great see those four Danes on stage. Maybe not everything went perfect, but it was definitely worth to go to Tauron Nowa Muzyka festival for WSGM.

Their music is a pure magic. Magic happened in Katowice last Friday. And I really hope this magic will come back to Poland very soon.