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Ice Nine Kills deschid concertul Papa Roach si Hollywood Undead

Papa Roach si Hollywood Undead canta pe 3 martie la Bucuresti la Arenele Romane in cort incalzit. In deschidere vor canta Ice Nine Kills.

Ice Nine Kills vin din Statele Unite, mai exact din Boston si abordeaza un Metalcore cu influente de punk si chiar symphonic metal pe alocuri. Activeaza din 2002 timp in care au lansat 5 albume de studio, cel mai recent fiind The Silver Scream din 2018. Cel mai de succes material al lor, ‘Every Trick in the Book’ a ajuns pe locul 122 in US Billboard 200. Pana acum au urcat pe scena alaturi de nume mari precum As I Lay Dying, A Day To Remember, Suicide Silence sau Paramore.

Biletele se gasesc in format electronic pe www.iabilet.ro si in magazinele Flanco, Diverta, Carturesti, Metrou Unirii 1, Muzica, IQ BOX, Uman, Casa de Balet si pe terminalele Selfpay. Online, puteti plati cu cardul, Paypal,carduri de tichete culturale Sodexo, pe factura la Vodafone sau Orange sau ramburs prin Fan Courier oriunde in tara.

Biletele au urmatoarele preturi:

– presale: 175 lei Acces General si 225 lei Golden Circle

– la acces: 200 lei Acces General si 250 lei Golden Circle

La pretul tuturor biletelor comandate in earlybird si presale se adauga comisionul de emitere bilet de 10 lei.  Golden Circle este in fata scenei si este limitata la 500 de bilete.

Se pun in vanzare si Pachete Meet and Greet cu fiecare trupa in parte la urmatoarele preturi (la care se adauga comisionul de procesare de 10%)

‘Top of the World’ Meet and Greet Experience & Documentary Screening Package

Pret: 1.109 lei

Pachete disponibile: 30

Pachetul include:

• Bilet la Golden Circle

• Meet & Greet cu Papa Roach

• Fotografie individuala cu Papa Roach

• Te vei numara printre primii care vor vedea documentarul inca nelansat despre Papa Roach unde vor fi incluse filmari nepublicate pana in prezent si povesti nestiute de nimeni inca.

• Revista de promovare Papa Roach cu autograf

• Zona de merch VIP dedicata

• Badge oficial meet & greet

• Disponibiltate foarte limitata

‘Elevated’ Documentary Screening Package

Pret: 769 lei

Pachete disponibile: 100

Pachetul include:

• Bilet la Golden Circle

• Te vei numara printre primii care vor vedera documentarul inca nelansat despre Papa Roach unde vor fi incluse filmari nepublicate pana in prezent si povesti nestiute de nimeni inca.

• Revista de promovare Papa Roach cu autograf

• Zona de merch VIP dedicata

• Badge comemorativ VIP

• Disponibiltate limitata

Dove VIP Package

Pret: 840 lei

Pachete disponibile: 100 

Pachetul include:

• Bilet la Golden Circle

•Meet and greet cu Hollywood Undead

•Fotografie cu Hollywood undead

•Setlist cu autograf

•Sosete Hollywood Undead

•Revista “Dove&Grenade” cu autograf

•Ecuson laminat comemorativ

•Acces la merch prioritar

•Acces prioritar

•Cantitate limitata

Grenade VIP Package

Pret: 504 lei 

Pachete disponibile: 100 

Pachetul include:

• Bilet la Golden Circle

•Sosete Hollywood Undead

•Revista “Dove&Grenade” comemorativa cu autograf

•Ecuson laminat comemorativ

•Acces la merchandise prioritar

•Acces general prioritar

Un eveniment BestMusic Live Concerts powered by ROCK FM

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Moonspell and Rotting Christ – The art of waiting after midnight/concert review

I always enjoy coming a bit early to most of the concerts, just to get used with the vibes, meet people, share the excitement and some opinions. Needless to say, the hype about Moonspell and Rotting Christ was real. Unfortunately, we were told the bands are going to be a bit late because of some problems at the Turkish border so the show was delayed until midnight. Luckily, Quantic is a great venue with a lot of space outside the stage area so we won’t have to freeze outside.
I found out later that Silver Dust wasn’t going to perform due to technical issues and well, more delaying, which was a boomer, but I knew the bands were going to give us a hell of a show.

Midnight was delayed once again but the people were still pretty patient, even though many of them were coming from outside the city and were already tired.

For me, this was the first time I was seeing Rotting Christ live, even though I am a fan for some years now. There is something out of this world about the sound of this band that just hooks me and transports me to other worlds. They created a balance between emotions and spirituality that makes them unique in their field. And apart from the late hour, they started playing which took enough energy out of me, every cell in my body vibrated to the heavy riffs, fast drums and powerful chorus. I was sitting almost in the first row and I was afraid that the sound was going to be far from great, given the lack of time the bands had for soundcheck. Praised be the sound engineers because every song was almost crystal clear. Tracks played in no particular order were ‘Apage Satana’ from the last but one album ‘Rituals’ which is just one awesome ball of percussive noise suffused with the chant of ‘Apage Satana’ which finishes with wiry, sinewy guitar and guttural screams. ‘666’ was the opener! Still, one of my favorite songs was ‘In Yumen- Xibalba’, a song that conquers your fears and builds a mystical power within your soul. We also took a trip down into the bowels of Inferno, with ’Grandis Spiritus Diavolos’.

Photo by Carlos Fune

Even tho the album ‘Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy’ provided most of the tracks, „The Heretics” was also present through ‘Fire God and Fear’ and ‘Dies Irae’. The audience hit the highest level of enthusiasm when the famous „Cine iubeste si lasa” intro came in. The old Romanian curse was reinterpreted in a very dark and spiritual way, one that builds tension, creating a misty atmosphere transcending the audience straight to the hell of the cursed. The whole show was a journey through religion, beliefes and through the darkest corners of our souls. The main man Sakis Tolis screamed, cried and bellowed the tunes, each linked in the melodic tremolo picking and raw, blasting percussion coming from founding member Themis Tolis. Needless to say, the show ended with a sea of applause and screaming of an audience asking for more. For a 2 am concert which we thought we won’t see anymore, it was pretty amazing. The audience was still full of energy and excited about what was coming next.

Photo by Carlos Funes

Moonspell

As the night was still young, around 2:30 AM, MOONSPELL, who hail from the Amadora district of Lisbon, took the stage. From the crowd in the front row and right to the back of the venue, the energy was STILL palpable. Fernando asked the audience many times “Are you having a good time?” and every time he got a response, as loud as the people could be.

Unfortunately, the band wasn’t flattered by the sound, which was pretty bad in some songs, due to lack of time for soundchecks and the takeover from Rotting Christ. I kept my position and I could barely understand what Fernando was singing. However, we need to take into consideration the fact that both the bands got out of the bus and right on the stage, out of respect for their fans. They got up there and did their best to give us an unforgettable show.

Photo by Carlos Funes

The proceedings started with the track ‘Em Nome Do Medo’ from the ‘1755’ album, Fernando Ribeiro taking to the stage carrying a candle lamp setting the scene for this dark operatic drama. The next two tracks carry on this theme. ‘1755’ starting out with operatic voices accompanied by soaring keyboards and that warm gloopy five-string bass. Later on ‘Opium’ and ‘Awake’ sounding more like dramatic FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM than apocalyptic. By the time the track ‘Breathe’ was played I was trying too hard to keep my eyes open.

The audience overall was still headbanging, dancing, screaming and having a great time enjoying the oriental guitar and vibes mixed with heavy drums and Fernando’s dramatic voice. When ‘Vampiria’ made her presence known, I knew the show was coming to end so I dragged my legs to the door . I love this track as it has a deep connection to our country, our culture and history so I was slowly caught in its spell, even tho I tried not to. I guess that’s the magic behind Moonspell. It doesn’t matter it’s 3 AM in the morning, if they are playing, you’re wired to stay, watch and get charmed. Horns were raised into the air as the first bars of ‘Alma Mata’ kick in! Satisfyingly anthemic with punchy emphasis on the bass, the crowd swaying and swirling and writhing like one organism perfectly synchronized to a universal rhythm and feeling.

I think the show ended around 4:30 AM and If I had to, I will do it all over again. We waited for hours but so did the bands. The fact that they spent so much time on the bus, trying to solve the border issues, came right on the stage with no previous soundchecks and did their best just shows us how much they respect the audience and their fans. Who cares when the show starts when we don’t know when it ends, right?

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Papa Roach si Hollywood Undead pe 3 Martie la Arenele Romane

 Papa Roach si Hollywood Undead canta pe 3 martie la Bucuresti la Arenele Romane in cort incalzit. Biletele se pun in vanzare pe 1 noiembrie la ora 10:00. Primele 200 de bilete earlybird la pret special se vor gasi pe iabilet.ro. Pana atunci fanii celor doua trupe vor primi un cod din partea artistilor cu care vor putea cumpara bilete in avans. Fanii care nu primesc acest cod sa nu isi faca griji, un contingent separat de 200 de bilete va fi disponibil pentru ei si pe 1 noiembrie!

Papa Roach au o activitate neintrerupta din 1993 iar nucleul lineup-ului este neschimbat din 1996. Au zece albume la activ a caror stil penduleaza intre nu metal, rap metal si alternative metal. Materialele lor disografice au ajuns in topurile din intreaga lume generand vanzari de peste 20 de milioane de unitati. Au fost nominalizati de doua ori la premiile Grammy si o data la MTV Awards.

Printre formatiile care i-au influentat se numara nume precum Led Zeppelin, Queen, Metallica, Faith No More dar si Wu-Tang Clan. De-a lungul timpului Papa Roach a urcat pe scenele celor mai importante festivaluri din lume si a avut turnee cu alte nume mari precum Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Eminem, Guns n’ Roses sau Deftones. Cel mai recent album al trupei, ‘Who Do You Trust’, a fost lansat la inceputul lui 2019 si a ajuns in topurile a peste 10 tari, fiind bine primit atat de public cat si de critici.

Hollywood Undead se reintorc la Bucuresti pentru a readuce rapcore-ul american publicului din Romania. Trupa a fost a fost infiintata in 2005, cu 5 albume la activ si clipuri cu zeci de milioane de views pe Youtube. Pentru albumul de debut, “Swan Songs”, artistilor le-a luat doar un an sa il conceapa, dar inca 2 ani sa gaseasca o casa de discuri care sa il lanseze fara ca acesta sa fie cenzurat, lucru neacceptat de catre membrii formatiei. Al doilea album “American Tragedy” a intrat in top 5 Billboard 200. In 2010 au fost co-headlineri in turneul celor de la Avenged Sevenfold si Stone Sour, “Nightmare After Christmas Tour”. Iar in ianuarie 2013, au lansat cel de-al treilea album “Notes from the Underground”, iar in martie 2015 au revenit in forta cu “Day of the Dead”. Cel mai recent album “Five”, a fost lansat pe 27 cotombrie 2017, lasand iar un gol cu plecarea lui “Da Kurllz”. Membrii grupului sunt cunoscuti pentru mastile pe care le poarta in concertele live, interviuri sau in videoclipuri. Fiecare masca are propia poveste si este conceputa in detaliu de fiecare membru in parte. Anul 2020 va aduce un nou album semnat Hollywood Undead despre care inca asteptam detalii.

Biletele au urmatoarele preturi:

– earlybird (primele 200 de bilete):  145 lei Acces General si 185 lei Golden Circle

– presale: 175 lei Acces General si 225 lei Golden Circle

– la acces: 200 lei Acces General si 250 lei Golden Circle

Perioada earlybird este limitata la primele 200 de bilete din fiecare categorie.

La pretul tuturor biletelor comandate in earlybird si presale se adauga comisionul de emitere bilet de 10 lei.  Golden Circle este in fata scenei si este limitata la 500 de bilete.

Se pun in vanzare si Pachete Meet and Greet cu fiecare trupa in parte la urmatoarele preturi (la care se adauga comisionul de procesare de 10%)

‘Top of the World’ Meet and Greet Experience & Documentary Screening Package

Pret: 1.109 lei

Pachete disponibile: 30

Pachetul include:

• Bilet la Golden Circle

• Meet & Greet cu Papa Roach

• Fotografie individuala cu Papa Roach

• Te vei numara printre primii care vor vedea documentarul inca nelansat despre Papa Roach unde vor fi incluse filmari nepublicate pana in prezent si povesti nestiute de nimeni inca.

• Revista de promovare Papa Roach cu autograf

• Zona de merch VIP dedicata

• Badge oficial meet & greet

• Disponibiltate foarte limitata

‘Elevated’ Documentary Screening Package

Pret: 769 lei

Pachete disponibile: 100

Pachetul include:

• Bilet la Golden Circle

• Te vei numara printre primii care vor vedera documentarul inca nelansat despre Papa Roach unde vor fi incluse filmari nepublicate pana in prezent si povesti nestiute de nimeni inca.

• Revista de promovare Papa Roach cu autograf

• Zona de merch VIP dedicata

• Badge comemorativ VIP

• Disponibiltate limitata

Dove VIP Package

Pret: 840 lei

Pachete disponibile: 100 

Pachetul include:

• Bilet la Golden Circle

•Meet and greet cu Hollywood Undead

•Fotografie cu Hollywood undead

•Setlist cu autograf

•Sosete Hollywood Undead

•Revista “Dove&Grenade” cu autograf

•Ecuson laminat comemorativ

•Acces la merch prioritar

•Acces prioritar

•Cantitate limitata

Grenade VIP Package

Pret: 504 lei 

Pachete disponibile: 100 

Pachetul include:

• Bilet la Golden Circle

•Sosete Hollywood Undead

•Revista “Dove&Grenade” comemorativa cu autograf

•Ecuson laminat comemorativ

•Acces la merchandise prioritar

•Acces general prioritar

Biletele se gasesc in format electronic pe www.iabilet.ro si in magazinele Flanco, Diverta, Carturesti, Metrou Unirii 1, Muzica, IQ BOX, Uman, Casa de Balet si pe terminalele Selfpay. Online, puteti plati cu cardul, Paypal,carduri de tichete culturale Sodexo, pe factura la Vodafone sau Orange sau ramburs prin Fan Courier oriunde in tara.

Un eveniment BestMusic Live Concerts powered by ROCK FM

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Apocalyptica anunță albumul “Cell-0” și noua melodie “Ashes of the Modern World”

Finlandezii de la Apocalyptica sunt gata să zguduie lumea din nou. Trupa cunoscută pentru faimosul stile de „Cello Metal” a anunțat cel de-al nouălea album de studio, dar și un nou single de pe viitorul material “Cell-0”.

Melodia se numește “Ashes of the Modern World” și o puteți asculta mai jos.

Apocalyptica concerteaza pe 29 octombrie la Arenele Romane (cort incalzit) din Bucuresti.

Noi ne întâlnim cu finlandezii pe 29 octombrie la Arenele Romane (cort încălzit) la concertul “Apocalyptica plays Metallica by 4 cellos” unde trupa vor canta integral materialul care i-a consacrat alături de multe alte hituri Metallica.

În mai 1996, Apocalyptica lansau albumul de debut “Metallica by four cellos”, o operă rock care a schimbat peisajul muzical al următorilor 20 de ani. Alături de acest epic album, la București, trupa va cânta și reinterpretări în premieră ale pieselor “Battery”, “Nothing Else Matters și “Seek and Destroy”. Finlandezii oferă o abordare unică a hiturilor celei mai mari trupe de rock din lume, Metallica. În plus, Apocalyptica și-au creat propriul stil și o carieră încununată de succes și de milioane de albume vândute în jurul lumii.

Biletele se găsesc în format electronic pe www.iabilet.ro și în magazinele Flanco, Diverta, Cărturești, Metrou Unirii 1, Muzica, IQ BOX, Uman, Libmag, Casa de Balet și pe terminalele Selfpay. Online, puteți plăti cu cardul, Paypal, pe factura la Vodafone sau Orange sau ramburs prin Fan Courier oriunde în țară.

Un eveniment BestMusic Live Concerts powered by ROCK FM


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Metal Gates Festival: Costin Chioreanu to join Hamferd on stage for a LIVE PAINTING Session

Hamferd show from Metal Gates Festival 2019, promise to be enveloped in a unique and dark artistic ceremony that cannot be missed!
The Romanian artist Costin Chioreanu will join the 6 musicians from Hamferd, on stage, for a LIVE PAINTING Session during the entire show!
The theme and the dynamics of their music will lead the entire creative process of this live session and will define the final paiting.
This fusion is not a random one, as Costin Chioreanu is in charge with Hamferd visual graphics since 2018.

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Evanescence Brought Bucharest to Life

Bucharest was definitely Brought to Life! Once again Evanescence graced us with their music and presence and we were there for it.

The night was opened by Chaos Magic, who were bringing a nice rendition of symphonic metal. The crowd was gathering surprisingly early and they did play to a lot of people. The lead singer, Caterina Nix, can really show off powerful vocals. It was a nice way to start the evening.

Next up were Veridia, who I can only describe as “Ariana Grande with guitars”, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I think they sounded very good and were a good choice opening up for Evanescence. But the singer had her ponytail and moved and sang like Ariana Grande :)) They were fun and I will probably listen to their material some other time. Yes, many people were upset because “it’s not truuu metal”, but I am petty like that so I want to like the band even more.

There aren’t a lot of bands that make me as nostalgic as Evanescence does. The main difference is that they still got it. The could be touring with the same setlist for the next few decades and it will not be enough. There’s nothing quite like hearing “Bring Me To Life” sang live. Yes, it was missing the male vocals. But knowing that they were only included in the song by sheer force of the label, who though Amy Lee could not anchor a song on her, I am more than happy to hear the crowd fill in and try to sing both parts at once.

Image may contain: one or more people and people on stage
Photo by Carlos Funes

The setlist moved graciously through energetic songs and heart-wrenching ballads. The audience was not all that energetic, but on softer songs like “My Immortal”, “Call Me When You’re Sober” or “Lithium”, they joined in for a very emotional rendition of the songs. As for the more energetic “Going Under”, “What You Want”, or “All That I Am Living for”, I screamed my lungs out. I cannot pretend to be the biggest Evanescence fan. I am more of a “I used to listen to it in 7th grade and I hope I still remember the lyrics” fan, but I still enjoyed the show.

An extra special moment was the last song, or rather last songs. The show ended with a medley of Haunted / My Last Breath / Cloud Nine / Everybody’s Fool / Weight of the World / Snow White Queen, a new addition for this tour.

Amy Lee did not sit still for one moment. Running from one end of the stage to the other, she lived each song and interpreted it in a way only she can. Whether she was singing and jumping around, running to the keyboard and back, she was truly mercurial. The more I see her do it, the more impressed I am with her.

Image may contain: one or more people and people on stage
Photo by Carlos Funes

She interacted with the public much more than in previous concerts and seemed genuinely happy to perform and thankful to be here. Genuine is a word that would describe her whole presence, where it is clear she is performing, but you can feel it’s really her living the show and giving her very best on each song.

She reminded us that the video for Bring Me To Life was filmed in Bucharest all those years ago. More than that, it was the first time she got a passport and traveled abroad, so Bucharest has a very special place in her heart. She later posted about it on Instagram as well.

While I went on and on about Amy, I do have to mention the rest of the band played their very best. Musically they lived to every standard. My impression however, was that they were there just as a support for Amy. Whether they were singing on stage or somewhere off stage would not have made that big of a difference. I didn’t really get that “band” feeling. In their defense, it’s hard to catch up with Amy on stage.

The reason Evanescence is still so important all these years later is hands down because of Amy Lee’s impressive creativity. I have talked at length about her great voice and incomparable stage presence, but the real reason is just how good a songwriter she is. Her songs meant so much to us and they still do, so we’ll come back again and again to hear her sing them.

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Interview: Ashleigh Semkiw of Tulip

I recently discovered Tulip, an interesting and very promising new metal band coming from America. The powerful operatic vocals of singer Ashleigh really shine through the strong metal instrumental. Their style follows the recipe of symphonic metal, with strong prog influences, but it adds an extra flair, which I can only say is their American background.

I am a big fan of symphonic metal and I could tell you wild stories about most of the bands in the genre. However, no one has a wilder story than Tulip (and I am counting Nightwish in here, so that says a lot).

Colin and Ashleigh come from an extremely religious reformed Christian community. They talk about the pressure to get married young, so that when they met in their mid-twenties, they had already been married to other people. They wanted to pursue music together, but that was frowned upon in their community, as they were married. After a lot of turmoil, the two of them decided to pursue a new life together, having music be a strong part of it. But that did not sit well with the church leadership who excommunicated and publicly ostracized Ashleigh. Church elders turned against them and harassed them, instructing their family and friends to stay away from them. Out of all of this came their EP, TULIP, touching on where they’ve been and how they see life.

Teen Art Out: With the songs being this personal and you having to share the story again and again, is it ever painful reliving it?         

 Ashleigh Semkiw: It is. But it’s worth it. Every day that we get to wake up together, every show that we get to play, every fan we get to hug afterward, makes it all so very worth all of the heartache. It melts away in those moments. 

Teen Art Out: You are also working on your first full-length album. What can you share about that?
Ashleigh: It’s almost done. We’re incredibly proud of it – we started writing it as soon as the EP was finished, so it’s been marinating for a while. It continues on the themes of the human condition, of existence, of the paranormal and unexplainable. We can’t wait for you to experience it. 

Image may contain: one or more people, night, crowd and indoor

Teen Art Out: You’re in the middle of a long tour supporting Evergrey. How has it been so far and what have you learned about yourselves as musicians after hitting the road with your EP?
Ashleigh: We have learned a lot. This was our first tour as TULIP, and though all of us have toured in other acts before, there was something special about this. There seemed to be a regular occurrence, each night as we would walk out on stage to all of these Evergrey fans, only four of us, young and some of us in neon, like “wtf is about to happen here?” – we would win those folks over in a song or less. That was really exciting for us, because we love playing live music, we’re damn good at it, and I think today, that is lacking in popular music. Being able to play an instrument is a lost art. Also – being able to observe and listen to Evergrey’s set every night, these absolute giants of Swedish Prog – we felt very lucky to witness such tremendous musicianship. They should be on every metal fan’s bucket list. 

Teen Art Out: What is it about your music and everything around it that makes you feel the most fulfilled?
Ashleigh: We would each have different answers but I’m sure one that we all share is connecting with an audience through art. We’re all artists, and in our society today when everyone is so polarized, being able to listen to 40 minutes of good music, to move and sing together is really extraordinary. 

Image may contain: 4 people, people smiling, close-up and indoor

Teen Art Out: You sound came naturally because of your background in metal and Ashleigh’s powerful voice. However, have you been fans of symphonic metal before starting the band?
Ashleigh: Colin has always been a fan of the Scandinavian brand of melodic death metal. He also loves film-score and grew up with classical music in the home. The symphonic element adds a harmonic depth to our arrangements that you can’t get with the typical guitar, bass, drum setup. We prefer gripping chord changes that take the listener somewhere over riffs, and it’s easier to do that when you’ve got several registers to work with and lots of harmonic clarity up over the guitars.

Teen Art Out: What are some of the concerts you have been to that left the biggest impact on you?
Ashleigh: Last year we saw David Byrne‘s American Utopia tour and it blew anything we’ve ever seen out of the water. In the metal space, After the Burial and Parkway Drive put on a great show as well. 

Interview by Simona Mihalca

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Nostalgia is a seductive liar: Bon Jovi concert in Bucharest

If there is one show I regret missing, it is Bon Jovi in 2011. I was decided not to miss them this time around. I heard people talk beforehand that Jon had trouble with his vocal cords and will probably not be up to the task. Vocally speaking, it was even worse than expected. In every other aspect possible, the show was great and fun and made for an amazing night.

First up on stage were Gramofone, who had to face a very torrid hour. Even with that against them, they definitely made an impact on the already thousands of people gathered there. Gramofone are such a fun indie rock band, with a soft but profound sound. They mix blues and funk just enough to create their own style. I was really happy to see them grow and now play on such a big stage and prove it is where they belong.

Next up were Firma, veterans of the Romanian music scene, but whom I had never seen before. I for one was more than impressed. They had a lot of energy and connected well with the public. They have a mixture of energy and confidence to be reserved.

During the changeover, we would see projected on the stage Bon Jovi trivia and different photos from band history or recent shows. Fans could share photos with #bonjovimoments and be featured. This was a very fun and interesting thing to keep people entertained while waiting.
Another thing worth noting is just how many foreigners came to see the show. Especially in diamond circle, the front rows were filled with Americans, Russians, Finnish, Germans, Brazilians, and many more.

Bon Jovi enter the stage and the crowd goes wild. They start with the title song of their newest album, “This House Is Not For Sale”. Next up, “You Give Love a Bad Name”, with a just so slight modification in tempo and vocal line, but even that showed that Jon’s vocals were shaky.

I was sitting in the front rows and I could see that he was trying so hard and he was aware he wasn’t there like he wanted to be. He compensated 100% by moving non stop, getting the public to raise their hands, and the trademark Jon Bon Jovi smile. It took quite a few songs for him to get more comfortable.

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Photo by Carlos Funes

The concert went on with songs new and old, and even if he tried, he wasn’t always there. Not just that he couldn’t reach the high notes, but he would sometimes skip some words or verses altogether. The other musicians, on the other hand, were doing a terrific job, even helping with the backup singing. The projections were such a big part of the show, and yet without upstaging the band. They didn’t need to resort to other gimmicks, the band was getting it done, with just a little extra “sparkle”.
I will give it to Jon that he went big on the acoustic parts and actually landed them. Particularly on “Amen” he really hit the notes.

The set list took us through old and new songs. Hearing “It’s My Life” live is still such a wild and intense experience, even with the vocals as they were. And because we were “really good”, we got a throwback with “Runaway”, one of my favourites. Sure, there were a few “big” songs missing, but that is almost always the case. The band left the stage and remained there for more than 5 minutes, time in which the crowd just went bonkers screaming and cheering. Finally we had an encore of “Living on a Prayer”, “I’d die for you” – a request by the group of fans in the front row, and Twist And Shout.

Image may contain: one or more people, crowd and outdoor
Photo by Carlos Funes

This was a hard review to write and it took me a couple of days because I wanted to really think it through and not come in too strong. There is no debating the fact that Jon just did not deliver vocally. That doesn’t erase all his energy and charisma on stage, how hard he tried, how amazing the other musicians were, how intense the atmosphere was. It also doesn’t erase the legend that Bon Jovi is. After all, nostalgia is a seductive liar. Fans knew going in what to expect and I don’t think they feel “cheated” because they would still go to the show knowing how it was. All throughout the concert, the public was there to support the band and they enjoyed themselves. Once everything is said and done, I know I would definitely see them again.

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Alternosfera – 20 de ani

Imi amintesc cand am mers prima oara la Alternosfera, undeva prin 2010, intr-un clubulet mic, in care nu stiu daca am fost 100 de spectatori. Abia ii descoperisem, eram mare fan, si nerabdator sa ii vad. Insa de atunci au evoluat spectaculos, si iata cum 9 ani mai tarziu, pe data de 13 iulie 2019, dupa multe alte concerte de-ale lor, a venit probabil cel mai special moment pentru ei si mai ales pentru noi toti: aniversarea a 20 de ani de activitate. 20 de ani care au cuprins 6 albume, foarte multe turnee, si zeci, poate chiar sute de mii de fani.

Am ajuns la Arenele Romane in jurul orei 19, ora oficiala de deschidere. Nu voiam sa ratez nici trupele din deschidere, pentru ca aceste ocazii sunt impulsurile de care au nevoie formatiile proaspete ca sa se faca cunoscuti. De data aceasta, baietii de la Alternosfera au adus cu ei alte 2 grupuri din Chisinau, un efort nobil de a sustine scena locala si a o ajuta sa se faca cunoscuta. Asadar, la ora 19:20 fix, incepe recitalul celor de la Flash Blood. O trupa de alternativ rock ca la manual: bine executat, cu piese care definesc curentul acesta muzical cum nu se poate mai bine. Baietii s-au simtit bine, publicul s-a simtit bine, cu siguranta a fost o experienta reusita pentru toata lumea, inclusiv pentru mine.

Ceva mai tarziu, pe la 20:30 au urmat cei de la Cronic. Publicul incepea sa se adune in numar din ce in ce mai mare, iar acesti baieti proaspeti, ce s-au format in urma cu doar 6 luni, aveau parte deja de un prim concert memorabil. Si avea sa fie memorabil si pentru noi, caci vorbim despre o alta trupa de alternativ (ce surpriza!) energica, captivanta, dar si timida. Au tinut sa le multumeasca celor de la Alternosfera personal pentru increderea si sansa oferita, iar acum si eu doresc sa le multumesc ca mi-au adus la cunostinta pe acesti baieti cu potential imens, cu care sigur ne vom mai intalni din ce in ce mai des.

Apoi, la cateva momente dupa 21:30, a venit in sfarsit randul veteranilor scenei din Chisinau sa isi faca aparitia. Cu o productie impresionanta, care a cuprins 2 tir-uri de ecrane led montante intr-un stil unic si interesant pe scena, efecte vizuale foarte bine gandite, avea sa inceapa cel mai ambitios concert al lor de pana acum. Prima piesa a fost Fantanile, piesa care te introduce lent si usor in lumea Alternosferei (sau sa ii zicem Orasul 511?), dar cu un final grandios si impresionant. Cu un playlist ambitios ce a cuprins 31 (!) de melodii, concertul a durat 2 ore si 30 minute. In tot acest timp, pe langa noul album “Arhitectul Din Babel” care a fost cantat integral, baietii au cantat piese de pe toate albumele lor, piese cunoscute si indragite de catre publicul numeros (personal estimez undeva pe la 2000 de oameni) venit sa ii vada.

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Sunetul a fost impecabil, executia senzationala – iar aici trebuie sa laud din nou vocea lui Marcel Bostan care a reusit sa duca pana la final intregul concert la cel mai inalt nivel, iar toata lumea a putut simti energia transmisa de ei, astfel creandu-se o stare de euforie generala. Dupa 2 bis-uri, concertul s-a incheiat cu o varianta acustica a piesei Columb, una dintre cele mai vechi piese ale lor, timp in care toata formatia impreuna cu cei din staff au venit in fata publicului, public care nu se mai oprea din aplaudat.

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A fost o seara frumoasa, reusita, iar eu m-am bucurat sa fac parte din acest moment special. Impresionant din toate punctele de vedere, lumea s-a distrat pana la ultimul strop de energie, asadar nu pot decat sa le multumesc celor de la Alternosfera ca fac asta, atat pentru ei cat si pentru noi, toti cei care suntem atinsi de muzica lor. Sa ne revedem cu bine si la cel de 30 de ani!

Recenzie de Matei Puscaru

Fotograf Adelina Sahlean

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FIRMA deschide concertul Bon Jovi

Miscare de conjuctura aproape astrala pentru FiRMA care va urca pe scena inainte de BON JOVI!

FiRMA se gaseste in contextul in care nu va mai putea onora invitatia de a concerta pe 22 iulie alaturi de legendara trupa britanica THE CURE, EDITORS si God Is An Astronaut, din motive logistice independente de echipa de organizare a festivalului Rock The City, formatia ajunge sa deschida concertul trupei americane BON JOVI, al carei management ii selectase initial ca trupa favorita de opening. Astfel, cunoscuta trupa romaneasca va realiza un fel de back-salt glorios pentru data de 21 iulie, in Piata Constitutiei.

“Printr-o conjuctura aproape astrala si o motivație de natura logistica, avem placerea sa concertam pe 21 iulie, (des)cantand si introducand publicul din Piata Constitutiei in atmosfera rock’n’roll, chiar inainte de a urca pe scena o formatie cu o activitate efervescenta de peste 30 de ani, pe care o admiram: BON JOVI”, au declarat membrii trupei FiRMA.

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