Indielab Festival in Lyss

Tonight, the Kufa Lyss held the Indielab music festival again. I was happy to see well-known bands and musicians Tobias Carshey, Baba Shrimps, We Invented Paris and Polar Circles, and I was especially curious about the electro pop foursome Klain Karoo. Admittedly, in addition to a few surprises, there were also a few small disappointments that evening. But just in turn.

Better late than not at all

In a cozy, familial atmosphere also in the latest edition of Indielab at Kufa Lyss a great, varied music program was offered. 9 different bands and musicians played on three stages in the yard, club and in the big hall.

But yes, planning public transport is not always easy. So the bus was of course too late and the train drove off right under my nose. The ride in the car, which was offered to me for half the distance, so I missed. Uff. So I was off to Lyss a bit late, as usually by train. Well, better late than not arriving at all 😉

While the grill was already on, the first concertgoers were getting drinks and Caroline Alves was playing the last song of her opening set outside in the yard, I arrived too. However, Caroline Alves was going to play a second set later and that’s how I started at Kufa Club with Honey Mono.

Hats and electro bees

What does Honey Mono actually mean …?  Umm, something with honey … yeah, what it is with the name, is definitely still to find out. 😉 The indie electro pop duo Honey Mono are Adrian Aeby and Cedric Gadient from Seeland. Adrian plays a kind of electro drums and synths, Cedric guitar. Singing, they both do.

Sweating, they realized that the hats had not been such a good idea. While they were talking about their civilian service the next day, I still wondered about the bee that was standing in the middle of the stage. As it turned out, this could be lit up indeed and belonged according to them to their light show.

However, they knew how to thrill their audiences with their cool, danceable sound and the various songs that can partly be found on their “Bee-P” EP.

SETLIST:

1 Blinding Lights
2 Seek and Hide
3 Read My Letter
4 1000
5 Cold To The Bone
6 All Eyes On You
7 Count The Days
8 She’s On A New Way
9 Come Alone
10 Malovelent Indifference
11 Pretty Heart

Without rules

“The Floor is lava” some concert visitors kept joking and referred to last year’s Internet trend game (no, you do not have to understand 😉 ). The whole audience was standing around the small outdoor stage, as if one had to avoid the ground in front of it. But they did not dare to go closer to the stage either. As far as I’m concerned, Tobias Carshey does not bite. He may just make faces, if you dare to get closer after all 😉

Last seen with a full band at Mokka Thun (read the report HERE), Tobias Carshey was solo on this Saturday night with his current album “Semicolon” – only with guitar and harmonica. A little quieter, but no less passionate and expressive. He had prepared a list of songs he wanted to play, but he did not like keeping to rules. That’s why he just played as it came.

I was startled when Tobias suddenly asked the engineer after a few songs if he had time for another song. What, that’s it? Well, you really had to use every second for the music. Fortunately, he also played a second set later.

And so a few concerts later was the motto “Let’s kill the DJ”. But then it was not clear to anyone whether there would be a DJ on the evening at all? (Note: There was an after-show party later). Lucky for the DJ? It was just the song then 😉

By the end of the second set, the thunderstorm preceded by the weather frogs came up and suddenly the concert visitors were almost a little too close to him. In order to catch the last songs of Tobias Carshey, some of the audience fled to him directly into the meager dry under the tight stage roof. All around he was celebrated properly.

[There are more photos of Tobias Carshey HERE]

A high five for Tobias Carshey, his good humor and the two wonderful sets.

Klain Karoo inspired

Klain Karoo, an indie electro pop band from around Zurich had set up in the club. I already knew that frontwoman Carla Fellinger is a great singer. Not seen her live though.

Klain Karoo’s debut EP “Lights Down Low” last year and the song “Do not Talk” also brought my attention to the band for the first time. But then I was not so sure if I would really like them. I do not necessarily consider electronic music to be a favorite. Little things can make it matter if I like the songs or if I totally mind the synths.

But hey! 2-3 songs and I just thought “shit are they cool!” I can not express it in a better way 😉 This voice killing. The energy is electrifying. And the different musical elements go together so well. Electro-pop, even mixed with some hip-hop. Obviously just in the way the band likes it. And I totally loved their show. That surprised – for reasons mentioned – even myself.

Then there was a short guest appearance by Lorenz Häberli, better known as ½ of the current chart-topper Lo & Leduc, who in the end was somehow almost a minor matter 😉 I was really inspired by the Klain Karoo concert. The bands front woman is truly one of the best singers in the country. And with “Fight” there was even a premiere in the end. They played it live for the first time.

[more photos of Klain Karoo’s HERE]

SETLIST:
1 Intro
2 Cut The Rope
3 Stay
4 Don’t Lose
5 B & W
6 Runaway Kid
7 In The Wild
8 Lights Down Low
9 Don’t Talk
10 Hold On
11 Fight

Mile after Mile towards Rome

It was the first time this evening in the big hall. Baba Shrimps have made several thousand miles since my last concert in January, when they made a stop on their “Road To Rome” at Mokka Thun. In the meantime, they are at 21,810 miles (see yourself on their website). This means that almost 13,000 miles (around 21,000 km) have been added since Thun. How is that possible?

The trio made a short trip to South Korea to the Olympic Games in February. With “Hurry Hurry” they have contributed the official Swiss Olympic song and cheered the teams with it. But also the Indielab audience, with whom they made a few sporty stretching exercises in advance of the song. But before that, they reflected with “Superdome” and keyboarder Luca’s rap parts all easy the past week.

[All Baba Shrimp photos can be found HERE]

Their current, second album is more electronic and not quite as folky as its forerunner. About the sound change, I was not very excited. Certain songs will never be my favorites, but I had nothing to complain about this evening 😉 .

It was a really great concert: sound was right. Lights matched. The vibes were nice. The birthday girl, who has been dedicated a song, will surely have been very happy. My only small point of criticism: The concert was too short 😉 But there were even more bands waiting for their performances ….

Setlist:
1 Wish You Luck
2 Oracle
3 Back To Where The Light Is
4 Superdome
5 Hurry Hurry
6 Grizzly Heart
7 Road To Rome
8 Hide

With new band on festival tour

Left by his former bandmates late last year, We Invented Paris frontman Flavian has spent the last few months in various constellations on his “Catastrophe” tour.

Sometimes on his own, he enchanted only with a guitar or on the piano with soft, reduced sounds. Then, supported by his keytar, everyone danced to the 80s sound of the catastrophe disco bar box. In addition, Flavian was supported at various concerts by guest musicians: For example by The Souls in Buchs (read HERE).

That was anything but a disaster ♥ But I was pleased to see and hear that he is traveling with a new band this coming summer. Favorites such as “Dance On Water”, “A view that almost kills”, but also the new “Spiderman” sounded complete and wonderfully harmonious with the band.

Setlist:
1 Looking Back
2 Fuss
3 Auguste Piccard
4 Kaleidoscope
5 Dance On Water
6 A View That Almost Kills
7 Iceberg Indietronic
8 Air Raid Shelter
9 Storm
10 Spiderman

Long live the 80’s

But it really did not turn properly into the 80s until the following concert. When Alexander Frei aka Crimer enters the stage, you really feel like you’re back in time for a few years. The clothes, the haircut, the voice, the sound and the wild dance moves: Crimer’s totally living this 80’s sound – wavepop with a modern twist, as he calls it. Somehow cool and totally fascinating. How does he do that with his voice …?


Just back from a short support tour with Nena, Crimer released his debut album “Leave Me Baby” already at the beginning of the year. You’ve probably heard the song “Brotherlove” before. That was played up and down in the radios last year pretty much hyped by the media.

I saw Crimer solo for 2-3 songs on “Moon & Stars” last summer. There he was recognized from afar by his Backstreet Boys hairstyle. It has changed a bit. In Locarno I missed a complete band. Although today he was not alone on stage, but only three of them, I was still missing something. After a few songs, it was not really mine.

Indie-Rock from the other side of the “Röstigraben”

Last November, Polar Circles released their debut album “All In The Golden Afternoon”. I heard them live for the first time last October at the Zurich concert of the Irish band The Coronas (read HERE). I would have liked to see more of Polar Circles, but the band was late with their setup and soundcheck.

I had to catch my train and as hard as it was – the first few songs of the Lausanne indie rock band sounded really good again – after 2-3 songs it was already over for me.

As far as the band is concerned, the Röstigraben definitely exist. Slowly but surely, the Lausanne guys are also getting a foothold  here in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. So be sure to visit them when they perform in Lenk at the Mittsommer Festival or at the Summerstage Basel this summer.

 

Festivalsaison has begun

I did not really hear Caroline Alves anymore. I was too flashed by Klain Karoo 😉 Her soulful folk songs seemed rather quiet though. I also missed Brett. Maybe that will eventually happen.

What else can I say? It was a really great evening. Discovery of the evening and somehow the highlight was Klein Karoo. Not quite mine, however, was Crimer. But all in all it was a really great program and a nice festival day.

 

 

You are looking for more information about the bands and musicians? Just visit their official websites or browse PlanetSarah.ch.

Caroline Alves auf Facebook
www.honeymono.ch
www.tobiascarshey.com
www.klainkaroo.com
www.babashrimps.ch
weinventedparis.com
www.crimer.ch
www.polarcircles.ch

www.kufa.ch