So then, the "Dancing Fury" came to visit us. Shortly after seven in the evening the SDK MAI hall began filling with the first dozens of people eager to see this wonderful and so unusual German band. For an hour the crowd kept arriving: dim lighting, music playing softly, drums and keyboards standing on the upper double stage, and 5 microphones below. Everyone was awaiting the band, constantly chanting "Tanzwut, Tanzwut, Tanzwut." Then came half past eight, and the intro began. Norri and Hatz appeared from above and took their places at the drums and keyboards respectively, whereupon everyone saw bassist Wim, guitarist Patrick, pipers Castus and Coll, and of course Teufel, whose signature horns are unmistakable. Everyone but Teufel was dressed in metal-coloured costumes styled after medieval clothing; he himself wore red-brown trousers, also of a medieval type. And so the concert began. It opened with Teufel's greeting in russian; throughout the concert he repeatedly said "Spasiba", "Vnimanie, vnimanie"... Quite literally from the first notes the hall began going wild; on stage an extraordinarily beautiful spectacle was unfolding — the transparent guitars of Wim and Patrick shimmered in the most varied colours (separate credit to the lighting operator), Castus and Coll played now on bagpipes, now on various flutes, whistles, and other instruments; behind them, on the upper part of the stage, the keyboardist assisted the drummer in addition to playing his own keys; and at the centre and front, Teufel with his deep expressive voice was stoking the audience. What was happening resembled not simply a concert but a theatrical performance. Wim's facial expressions deserve special mention — they were something extraordinary; he won the audience's affections entirely. "Wieder Da", "Ihr Wolltet Spass", "Das Labyrinth" seemed to fly past, and then "Auferstehung (Merseburger)" rang out — that song from the first album with its interesting choral accompaniment. After the first verse the lights dimmed almost completely, shifting to red and black; Wim, Coll, Castus, and Patrick sang the chorus, the hall fell silent, then Teufel again and the chorus again, and the song concluded with five bagpipes — both guitarists and the vocalist joined the pipers.
The concert continued — a few more songs, "Niemals Ohne Dich" which the entire hall sang along to without exception, and then "Fatue". First of all, at the start of the song a child's pram was rolled out containing keyboardist Hatz with some very old gramophone player; then something entirely unexpected happened — on Wim appeared a gigantic hat approximately 50 centimetres tall, and on Patrick another hat that made him resemble a mushroom; the hall was bathed in blue light and "Fatue" rang out. Then Wim, Hatz, Patrick, and Castus played "Die Balz" from the first album in a quartet on bagpipes. Immediately after, the band's longest song rang out — "Komm Her". The concert continued in the same spirit. Particular delight among the audience was provoked by "Paradies", "Bitte Bitte", and of course "Nein Nein", under whose sounds the main section of the concert ended. Wim threw a plectrum which no one managed to catch, but it fell right at my feet and I picked it up.
So the musicians departed; shouts of "Tanzwut, Tanzwut..." filled the hall. Two or three minutes passed, and they were back on stage, playing "Ecstase" — and then something began: Wim and Patrick appeared in black fur hats with hammer-and-sickle patches, the kind sold in abundance on the Arbat; at the back of Wim's hat were attached flowers that had been given to him at the start of the concert. Then "Gotterfunken", based on the finale of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, concluded the first encore — again a "choir" of bagpipes.
And the second encore, conclusively finishing the two-hour spectacle — all the musicians played bagpipes, Teufel included (for the second time during the concert), after which more flying plectrum throws, and also four drumsticks and setlists... What can be said in conclusion — this was not simply a concert, it was a celebration: beautiful, vivid, wild, and simultaneously sincere and joyful. Light, practically danceable compositions and choral singing, super-heavy guitar riffs and melodic recitative — two hours of magnificent spectacle on stage, after which only one thing can be said: this band must be seen.
We extend our enormous gratitude to the SDK MAI for the accreditation provided.
Setlist:
Intro Wieder Da Ihr Wolltet Spass Das Labyrinth Auferstehung (Merseburger) Lugener Der Traum Niemals Ohne Dich Fatue Die Balz Komm Her (Bannkreis) Die Drohne Der Wachter Was Soll Der Teufel Im Paradies Erdbeerrot Bitte Bitte Gnade Dammerung Konigreich Nein Nein
— encore — Ecstase Gigolo Gotterfunken
— encore — Bretone