Live Report: The Raveonettes in Sofia

My 2015 live-show season kicked off massively with The Raveonettes playing in my home country. Of course, as a hardcore fan of the Danish duo I cannot help but be biased in my recollection of the gig. But putting my fangirl moments aside, the whole show was purely impressive for two main reasons: dedication and light.

Commitment is a key factor when I estimate the value of a gig. The commitment to the audience is not necessarily in the form of verbally or physically engaging with it, but rather the energy which is being conveyed. Yes, The Raveonettes didn't do the "how's-it-going [insert name of city here]" after every track and didn't "lighten up the mood with a joke" during the pauses -  no gimmicks, they simply came to show they meant business. And they slayed.

If I have to describe the feeling I had during the gig, I have to say it was border-line fear for my life. As if sirens are luring me with sweet and tender vocals only to crush me onto a powerful sound wall of distorted guitars and vigorous drums (brilliantly performed by Adrian Aurelius). Much like the tracks on The Raveonettes latest album, the whole experience was a roller coaster of melancholy lows and tense, threatening highs, which were brilliantly backed up by the amazing light work.

The lights played a vital part of the show and were perfectly suited for the dark enclosed space of the venue: from the epilepsy-unfriendly strobes during the aggressive part of the tracks, to the green and blue, giving you a misleading sense of calm, just so a sudden burst of flashing red can send you of into a whirl of intense perceptive stimuli.

Starting off with "Endless Sleeper", the opener for Pe’ahi, an intense piece, inspired by Sune Rose Wagner near-death experience in Hawaii, followed by most of the songs on the latest LP. There were also classics like "Love In A Trashcan", played in the denser, noisier style of Pe'ahi.

The Raveonettes are heading off to Benidorm, Spain in July 26 and if you happend to be in the neighbourhood, I'd strongly recommend catching their show!

Expect an interview with the band in one of our next posts.