Wave Gotik Treffen 2022

The return to Leipzig after a two-year wait

After two years of forced suspension, the Wave Gotik Treffen returns to Leipzig for its 29th edition. This year we set off with two friends, the younger Mirco, at his first WGT, and Andrey, a regular attendee who, like us, considers it an unmissable event: they'll accompany and guide us through the labyrinth of dark music thanks to their vast musical knowledge.

After these difficult last two years, setting foot back in Leipzig for WGT is so thrilling that we can't believe our eyes: everything feels surreal and in some ways it's as if time has stood still. You can feel the buzz of preparations for the festival about to open its doors. Finding again the places so dear and familiar to us, from which we've been kept away for a full three years, makes us happier than ever: having lived through difficult times makes you appreciate even more what you already loved.

We continue the evening by taking part in the customary opening party at the Moritzbastei, the city's ancient bastions dating back to 1551, which now house a cultural centre with performance spaces. The venue is packed and everyone is there: great music in a lively, cheerful and friendly atmosphere. Finally reunited to meet in the underground passages and large rooms with different musical themes, and it's precisely while crossing one of these passages that we make our first encounter in the crowd: Matthias Witte, artist and well-known figure of the goth scene, who appeared as himself, alongside Freyja Macleod (Alias Black Friday), in the documentary film "Goths Und Die Welt (My Life In Black)", written and directed by Anna Schmidt.

Friday, 3 June 2022

It's Friday 3 June and the festival kicks off! Our first stop is Agra Park, where we have an appointment with the organiser, Cornelius, to collect our press pass. He greets us, surprising us a little, dressed all in white, and, as kind as ever, tells us about his years of experience at WGT, having taken part since the very first editions.

This year there are 194 bands, and it will be hard to put together a schedule that lets us see all the ones we're most interested in. We start with the customary visit to the Agra Park shopping area, where among the many beautiful stalls, we're struck by the macabre creations of Elisa Lo Presti. Her paintings depict the dark soul of the reality that belongs so much to us and fascinates us. We stop at the Gothicat stall to buy some original t-shirts, and there we meet Adriano of Ash Code, a talented project from Naples, and wish him well that his great wish may be deservedly fulfilled: to perform as support act for Bauhaus.

In the afternoon the Victorian picnic awaits us, in the beautiful wooded Clara Zetkin Park, where visitors can meet each other at a lovely outdoor café. A historic orchestra stage, the monument to Schubert and beautiful flowering plants frame the gathering of the sizeable goth community. At the entrance we see a small, cheerful wedding procession dressed in black, heading towards a panoramic old-town tour bus: the bride in a nineteenth-century black dress, her hair gathered in small braids and a bouquet of arum lilies, the groom too in an elegant black suit, and their little bridesmaid, a small girl in a black tulle skirt and a straw hat with a black bow and trim, catches up with them running, holding a black balloon tied to a string.

We enter the park and immediately, among the flowering plants, a procession comes into view before our eyes, featuring mysterious noblewomen in sumptuous gowns, dark ladies, vampires and elves. Strolling along, we later come across a moon fairy with her basket full of black biscuits. We're particularly struck by period costumes updated with cyber-goth style accessories. Turnout at the picnic is truly remarkable, and among the crowd we spot some prominent figures of the goth scene: Valentin Lucien Winter, stylist, model and artist with the look of a dark prince out of gothic fairy tales, accompanied by model Esther Von Nachtschatten, with her vermilion gaze and long wavy purple hair covered by a mourning veil.

There's also vlogger Black Friday, a point of reference for the goth community, with her newborn daughter Severine Alainn, adorable in her little black Victorian dress complete with bonnet. We had guessed she would attend WGT, a particularly important and long-awaited event after she'd been stuck in New Zealand for 32 months because of the pandemic. It's her first child, born right in that period, on 17 October 2021.

Continuing our stroll, we have another interesting encounter: DJ Fer Salas, better known as Lord Fer, who with his eighteenth-century vampire look doesn't go unnoticed. An iconic figure of the goth scene in Mexico and founder of El Real Underground in Mexico City, he greets us warmly and excitedly announces his upcoming Italian date. There's never a shortage of unlikely characters either, in extravagant, colourful, carnival-like period outfits that have little to do with goth aesthetics, but who are equally welcomed and blend into the black landscape. For this reason the Victorian picnic sometimes takes on the look of a carnival party, but being goth means much more than simply dressing up: it's the search for a deeper meaning in life through the exploration of its dark side, it's a genuine passion for the music that expresses it, it's a state of mind. An outfit without all of this would remain just an outfit.

The time for the concerts to start finally draws near, and we head to the Volkspalast Kuppelhalle, notable for its elegant concert hall. Having arrived early, we get to meet Kim Larsen, a Dane, founder of Of The Wand & The Moon, an apocalyptic folk project - or more precisely loner folk, as he himself has defined it - with introspective themes, and nine albums to his name. The latest, released in 2021, the excellent "Your Love Can't Hold This Wreath Of Sorrow", captures the autumnal, melancholy mood the world is living through. We're almost hypnotised by the nostalgic atmosphere and elegant style of the performance, accompanied by a video projection of scenes from old black-and-white Louis Malle films, which mirror Kim Larsen's melancholy universe: the tormented path of the characters, close-ups of the restless and captivating gazes of Jeanne Moreau in "Les Amants" and of Alain, the protagonist of "Le Feu Follet", in his futile search for a reason to live. Existential emptiness, love lost, found again and lost once more, irresistible urges, the impossibility of living by hypocritical social rules, loneliness, memories, the despair that comes from observing society: these are the recurring and still relevant themes of the songs, evoking visions of old films.

Black Friday also arrives at the Volkspalast, accompanied by her husband Mister Owl and little Severine. She responds to our greeting warmly and splits her time between her baby girl, resting outside away from the loud music, and the concert by The Devil And The Universe, of whom she's a big fan, in a hurried back-and-forth from the Kuppelhalle. We, on the other hand, don't miss a single note of the live show, which is an explosive initiatory ritual. The original Viennese trio, of whom John Carpenter is also an admirer, was founded by charismatic frontman Ashley Dayour and David Pfister. The genre belongs to ritual, to ghost wave, or more precisely, to use their own words, goat wave. The moniker comes from two cards drawn from the tarot deck of the great occultist Aleister Crowley. Their latest album "Goatopia" is inspired by Thomas More's "Utopia".

The music of Devil And The Universe, mostly instrumental, a soundtrack to films never made, is a dark journey of the mind: esoteric, psychedelic and visionary, driven by an insistent tribal rhythm, but also shot through with humorous touches in perfect balance. The humour comes through in their style too, especially when the trio dons goat masks, dubbing themselves "the three billy goats".

The crowd takes part enthusiastically and is pleasantly caught off guard when, during "What Time Is Love", a mysterious dancing figure dressed as a unicorn appears on stage. After the concert, we move down to the room below, the Kantine, and close out the evening on a lighter note with Death In Rome, a well-known group who perform neofolk covers of pop songs.

Saturday, 4 June 2022

In the morning we head to Heidnisches Dorf, the medieval village, and on the way to the entrance we're enchanted by the sight of some splendid birds of prey perched on the arms of three falconers: an owl, a little owl and a barn owl. That's where we also meet Egan and his girlfriend Chealsie. He's a musician from Seattle who tells us about his interesting folk project, Headstone Brigade, in which he sings and plays accordion. Besides the musicians who take the stage, at WGT you also meet new friends and innovative musicians from all over the world. Today, on a big outdoor stage, Trobar de Morte and Corvus Corax are playing.

We can relax on the grass, grab something tasty at one of the stalls stocked with huge iron cauldrons, wander among the medieval and Viking market stands and, of course, drink mead or a good cider from a wide range of flavours. In the afternoon we move on to Haus Leipzig and find the venue packed, so much so that entry is being rationed. Huge numbers of people have arranged to meet there, and among the crowd chatting over a drink we spot none other than Ronny Moorings and Mojca Zugna of Clan Of Xymox, a historic darkwave band. Ronny greets us warmly, much to our delight. Shortly after, we also exchange a few words with Hapax (Diego Cardone, Michele Mozzillo and his beautiful wife Alessandra, star of the "Silvery Track" video).

This time the concerts are all about dark indie, post-punk with the darkest shades. After The Exploding Boy, Then Comes Silence and The Names, the hotly anticipated Whispering Sons finally take the stage, the Belgian band that debuted in 2018 with the splendid "Image", known for their dark, introspective sound and their fierce live performances. Charismatic frontwoman Fenne Kuppens dominates the stage: completely at ease, with her deep, hypnotic voice, she writhes and moves, staring at the audience with an intense, haughty gaze, remaining utterly spontaneous and authentic in every gesture and playing with gender ambiguity in her look. The intensity of her performance is breathtaking, pumping us full of adrenaline to the point that we start thinking of her as a female Ian Curtis for a new era. The crowd's response is huge, especially for the hit "Alone". This WGT show cements Whispering Sons as a band of real substance, destined for great things in the future.

Sunday 5 June 2022

In the morning we meet at the medieval market at Moritzbastei for a tasty craft cider, and we linger at the stall selling the festival's illustrated programme. One line on the poster on the wall stands out: "No Place For Hate, Sexism, Racism, Fascism, Homophobia, Anti-semitism". WGT and music itself are places where these negative values have no room, and that's part of why we feel at home here.

In the afternoon we visit the Gothic ruined church, the Kirchenruine, in Wachau. When we arrive there are already a lot of people, we grab a drink and cross through the small cemetery.

It's the first time we've seen Trobar De Morte live, a Spanish ethereal-pagan-folk group made up of no fewer than eight members: viola, violin, flute and hurdy-gurdy are added to the classic line-up. Their latest album, "The Book Of Shadows", confirmed the full maturity the band has reached. Lady Morte, the fascinating, dark-eyed priestess who is the group's vocalist and mastermind, appears in a red medieval robe with a hood. A dancer with magical powers also takes the stage. The ritual of the cycle of life is celebrated within the ruins of the Gothic church, with sounds that are at times gentle, at times solemn and tribal, rising up to the sky. Intense ritual dances with daggers and bells, evocative vocalizations conjuring dreamlike atmospheres in a timeless dimension. Lady Morte's enchanting voice and her mysterious, benevolent smile, as she plays the hurdy-gurdy on some tracks, carry us into a universe where dialogue with nature, and its central role in human life, never stops, reminding us that as human beings we are an integral part of a constant process of creation and destruction, playing only a marginal role compared to the sometimes unpredictable and mysterious forces of nature. A dark world in which we can live only if we don't forget our place, in a circle with neither beginning nor end, for eternity.

After the concert we head back toward the city centre for the shows taking place at Agra. After a break in the food-court park, we're ready for the sets by the better-known acts. Opening are Ronny Moorings and his Clan Of Xymox, a historic band and one of the founding fathers of gothic rock since 1983, with old, timeless tracks alongside new ones from their latest album "Limbo", inspired by the pandemic. Next up are Germany's Girls Under Glass, also active since the '80s, who thrill the fans.

The third band is hotly anticipated: 69 Eyes, billed as the vampires of Helsinki and loudly cheered, whip the crowd into a frenzy with their goth'n'roll, a term coined for their sound and gothic themes delivered via hyper-energetic rock. Jyrki 69, in dark sunglasses and leather jacket and trousers, is in great form: the author of most of the band's lyrics, his deep voice and singing style betray the influence of Elvis Presley, Jim Morrison, Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Glenn Danzig. The show is a resounding, well-deserved success.

Next up, German duo Lacrimosa, the best-known exponents of Neue Deutsche Todeskunst, who have since undergone a multifaceted and interesting stylistic evolution. Closing the night is the midnight special from the great Gary Numan: a powerful show that he himself later called one of the best of his career. A pioneer of synth-pop, Numan is a legend, with a full 45 years of career behind him. The audience, highly mixed in age too, gives him an ovation fitting for an artist of his stature.

Monday 6 June 2022

It's the last day of the festival and, as expected, the usual sadness creeps in, but today's programme is packed too and lifts our spirits. In the morning we head to the central station to visit the Necropolis exhibition: thirty-five Mexican artists, including painters, photographers, sculptors and filmmakers, offer their personal vision of death, going beyond the typical colourful imagery of Mexican folklore. The cult of death has deep roots in Mexico's ancestral pre-Hispanic culture, highlighting the indissoluble bond between death and life, and the exhibition's title is meant as a reference to the deaths caused by the pandemic.

We then call a taxi to get to Heidnisches Dorf for lunch, and the one that shows up is numbered 666! Perfect for our destination. We cross the wooden bridge over the small river on foot and, once through the gate, find ourselves catapulted into the magical world of the medieval village. Among the stalls selling beautiful clothes, silver and stone jewellery and various handicrafts, we buy some unusual exotic spices and a small medieval wind instrument.

In the afternoon we go to see some German bands at Felsenkeller: Schöngeist, who also play their beautiful, most popular track "Wehe!", and Enter Tragedy, a young gothic-metal band founded in 2011, who deliver an electrifying, theatrical show during which, at one point, the singer tears up a photo of Putin.

We then move on to Haus Leipzig, where the set by William Maybelline of Lebanon Hanover has just begun, performing as Qual, his solo EBM project with neo-dark sounds. Adrenaline-charged and aggressive, with his dark baritone voice, he draws the crowd completely in with an explosive, triumphant show, the room packed to capacity.

In the evening we head back to the Volkspalast for the last show: In Slaughter Natives (Sweden), formed in 1985, are regarded as one of the founding fathers of martial industrial. The crowd moves to the slow, warlike rhythm, swept up in a dark, desolate, apocalyptic atmosphere.

As in every edition, the festival closes with the party at Moritzbastei, a guarantee of great music and an evocative atmosphere across the various rooms on offer.

Many notable artists took part in WGT 2022. Due to clashing set times alone, we were unable to catch, among others, And Also The Trees (UK), Lamia Vox (St. Petersburg), Lindy Fay Hella & Dei Farne (N) of Wardruna, Ritual Howls (USA), Winterkalte (D) with their 30th anniversary show, Alcest (F) and GGGolDDD (NL).

Cornelius had revealed to us that he and his staff are already at work organizing next year's WGT 2023, and that beautiful surprises await us for the 30th anniversary. The countdown countdown for WGT 2023 has already begun!

Ride the wave of great music

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