Saints and sinners / WGT2019

Report from Wave-Gotik-Treffen 2019, Leipzig, Germany.

Let’s say this first, this year WGT has been a complete blast.
One of the best line-up of the last years, intense performances+parties, combined with the usual huge black crowd made this edition of the biggest dark festival a very special one.

“Am I perverse just because I’m going for other things
And see the world with other eyes?
The whole country’s sinking into lethargy
There is no space for ideology anymore
It’s the frustration of a generation
Don’t feel like just keeping silent
Because sometimes I just want to scream.”

The opening is dedicated to Agonoize, one of the most iconic examples of intransigence and perseverance. Straight to their obscure path for over 15 years, refusing to switch to a more “trendy” proposal, like many others of the extreme electronic scene did. So why are we appreciating their radicalism? Because it symbolizes the resistance of the post-punk/goth -and for an extent of all the “alternative“- countercultures in our difficult times of threat to everyone’s personal freedom of expression and profound artistic flattening.

Regardless of the musical tastes, big events like WGT exude authenticity by being a true relief and a landmark for aggregation and acceptance of the diversities, an illuminated case of tolerance and co-existence of the most varied individualities that should be way more integrated in our daily (so called) democratic societies.

As we said, WGT this year had a great line-up, counting bands from a very wide range of genres, from post-punk, to electro and EBM, to neo/folk, also including some valid extreme metal acts. The more-than-200 bands of festival play at multiple venues all around Leipzig, with the main stage located at Agra Park -just outside the city center- where headliners and special shows take place, giving you that bittersweet possibility to choose which of your favorite bands you will decide to follow. Already on the first day we had to choose between the hard beats of Alien Vampires and X-RX, the highly anticipated headliners White Lies and the melancholic ballads of King Dude, performing a full band show. While heading to Agra to attend the White Lies, the Faith forced Spotify to play the terrific combo Velvet rope and I wanna die at 69 from our WGT playlist and then suddenly the plans changed: stop at the imposing dome hall of the Volkspalast without remorses for a really energetic yet emotive show by King Dude and his band with all the classics repertoire that sounded in great shape with the arrangements for two guitars, bass and drums. (we’ll also find him DJing at a fetish party after the concert, but maybe we’ll talk later about this…)

Saints and sinners / WGT2019

Credits

Report by:
Marco Giuliano / @marcogiulianoph
Anca Macavei / @ancamacavei

Official website: www.wave-gotik-treffen.de

Special thanks to Wave-Gotik-Treffen press staff.

You may also like

Terraforma 2019

Music | Spotlight
A report from the experimental and sustainable music festival in Milan.

Soundscapes vol.72 / Witch Fever

Music | Soundscapes
From Manchester, Witch Fever are influenced by bands like Savages, Black Sabbath & Dream Wife, the occult, fetish fashion and feminism. The band’s name is inspired by the hysteria which accompanied the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts and Europe, which the band have long considered were a means to belittle, suppress and diminish women.

Hector Oaks / Chasing Highs

Music | Soundscapes
A conversation and playlist from Héctor Oaks, label owner of OAKS & KAOS and resident at Bassiani (Tiblisi) &  Herrensauna (Berlin). As DJ, producer and label head his take on techno resonates by combining the contemporary with hand-picked tracks from the history of rave culture.