Metal Roadtrip: The Agonist in Düsseldorf!

So in the end of September I went on another adventure to see a band I absolutely love: The Agonist!

Actually, I had fallen in love with their music last September! I did know them since some when in 2012, I think, after browsing youtube and stumbling from one video to another. And it was the same like it is with so many bands I love: I heard one or two songs and thought "That's cool! I need to look into them a bit more!" and then I never did. In their case I did check them out after their change of singers took place in early 2014, but I honestly started really listening to them only in 2015 when Eye of Providence came out. I had bought the album the same day I saw them live in Graz, so I didn't know any song other than Gates of Horn and Ivory and Panophobia. The concert wasn't very convincing though because the sound really sucked and Vicky was sick. She actually couldn't play the show the next day. And the show took place on the same day that I discovered the Jonne project from Jonne Järvelä of Korpiklaani and... I fell in love with that album immediately and so everything else I did that day was pushed into the background... sorry, The Agonist!

I had Eye of Providence on my mp3player and listened to it from time to time over the summer 2015. I had a very hard time in late summer and found a lot of solace in their music. For some days at a time it was the only music I could tolerate. Everything else made me just sad and huddle in on myself. The Agonist made me fight though.

 

So, this year the wait was finally over. They announced a new album coming this fall and a show in Tilburg at Epic Metal Fest. I had no idea how I would eventually end up in the fucking Netherlands (it's a 12hr drive for me and none of my usual concert buddies were up for the trip!), but I was hyped as soon as I saw the band's name on the festival's Facebook. I started to make plans immediately, only to change them 3x over the summer. But I was sure I would go there. Then some more tourdates around EMF were announced and that made it easier for me, because I would go to Düsseldorf a day before EMF. Actually it was the only date in Germany (I pondered doing a roadtrip through Spain and Portugal for a minute), so they left me no choice! 

Düsseldorf is still a 10hr train ride from Vienna, but I did go to Bochum to drink with friends at an amorphis show (nobody believes me anyway but I went for my friends on not the show) and so I said I'd do it again for a band I love just as much. The train was a little overbooked so I ended up sitting in the bistro for most of the time, but I met friends on the train, so I had someone to chat with. 

Good thing I have a friend in Düsseldorf  who agreed to pick me up, bring me to my hostel and then go to the show with me. if you read this, Kay, you rock!

I do like shredding shirts and wearing them!

The show was in The Tube, which is a very small venue in the old town of Düsseldorf. I don't think I've ever seen a stage this small. I also hoped that no moshpit would happen because there was a pretty large pole in the middle of the room. I also met Jessie, the girl behind Magna Femina there who had agreed via facebook to give me a ride to Tilburg the next day.  

I can't even say much about the show, it was so perfect. I had secured my front row spot and constantly had Vicky's and Chris' hair in my face, but that's part of the fun, isn't it? So here are some pictures from the night:

I do like shredded shirts.

Vicky is worth it

Danny is such a photo model! He posed a little for me so I could get a nice picture! Thanks, Danny :)

It's great to be at shows were the band enjoy themselves. And they really did have a lot of fun.

 I didn't blow this picture up, I actually was THIS close.

20minutes into The Agonist and rock out and she gives you THIS look...

The stage was kind of crowded...^^

Yeah, the pictures are far from perfect, but I made them with my shitty phone and I am surprised by how good they turned out to be for that.

After the show I went straight to the merch and bought the bands shots. I had to, because I wanted to give a little love back. That's also why I gave Vicky a shirt I made.

Thanks to whoever took my phone and took a decent photo.

We stayed until the band packed up their stuff and left and I got to get my brand new copy of Five (what actually came out that day) signed, took pictures with three of them (I was so drunk I completely forgot about who I had took a blurry selfie with and who not). Not eating anything but a mozarella ciabatta all day (because I wasn't hungry and stressed out because of the train ride and everything) wasn't such a great part to the plan of getting drunk after the show. And it's not like I never had that plan. I ALWAYS have that plan :p (so I could have eaten accordingly during the day)

In this case I guess I was an okay-ish drunk person. I stole a beer, talked way too much, way too fast and way too personal stuff and then took a cab home because I couldn't have found my hostel if my life depended on it.  

I had a room in a 6 bed dorm and was greeted with shouts of "Close the door!" "Do you know how late it is?!" and "Lights off!" I guess I'm too old for this shit.

What, metal concert and endless trainrides? Never! I just started with that crazy behavior this year :D

But 6 bed dorm rooms? Yeah, I think I'm over that.

Stay tuned for my next blog entry to read what I was up to in Tilburg. ;)

Learning Finnish

October is coming. And with it, University. I've been studying for longer than I feel comfortable sharing and I'm in desperate need of some curricula from other subjects to complete my journey at Uni Wien. 

 

I've tried to take some of the subjects that are close to my major, which is media and communica1tion science (in short, journalism), but they all bored me to death, resulting in bad results or even better, tests never taken.

So, I decided I might as well take advantage of the possibility to learn a new language while I still have the chance. I have the grand qualification in Latin, and that is something a lot of people do not have and therefor have to take latinum classes first. I don't; I can jump right into classes.

And I've wanted to learn Finnish since... I was 13 I think. And I know I was a1 little crazy back then and I know that I'm a lot crazy now. I remember getting a Finnish dictionary at the library in my home tow1n a1nd looking up words, w1riting them dow1n on flash cards to study. Of course, i never got very far. I think the most Finnish I picked up was through watching the Nightwish DVD, listening to Levan Polka on repeat and drinking with Finnish persons.

So, why do i still want to learn Finnish?

There are idiotic reasons and reasons that are actually healthy.

I haven't really had a life since over a year, obsessing over (Finnish) things and I saw a light at the end of the tunnel in April... but guess what! There was no life waiting for me there. There was a new apartment that desperately needed renovations and work weeks. 7 days straight, one day off, and so on. I went to my dance classes because I paid for them up front, but if I had the choice, I would have stayed at home, sleeping. That's basically what sums up my life the whole summer: Working, sleeping, working. And it wasn't all for nothing. In May I decided I want to go Epic Metal Fest in the Netherlands and since then more and more bands I love have announced concerts in my area. And if they didn't, I would book a train ticket. Nothing makes me feel as alive as a concert, so I will chase that feeling. And if it ruins me. But after working nonstop all summer, I can afford all these trips and I honestly can't wait!

But I know that waiting for the next concert is not enough. I need something of value to do in my everyday life. I want to write more again. I think of writing a serial novel for this blog. I've had ideas floating around and I think I turn them into something fun to read. 

The finnish classes are on three days of the week, so I'll be spending a lot of time with that as it is. A friend asked me to share my new acquired wisdom with her and I think I'll aslo keep updates here on the blog. 

It finally feels like I have something more to do with my life than just work and sleep. And I'm incredibly looking forward to it.

...

And if you ask me why, isn't this view reason enough?

Band Drama #1

I love drama, especially when it doesn't affect me directly and I can sit back and eat popcorn while the world crashes and burns. And boy, there was a lot of "drama-worthy" content in the metal world in the last few weeks...

Sirenia change singers (again)

It seems like they do that on a regular basis, but I actually grew accustomed to Ailyn. There aren't any news on what she will do now, but I think she will try to stay in the metal world. If she ever grows bored with snapchat filters and posting pictures of her hugging her dog, that is. 

She also stated, that leaving the band was not her decision. That earns this news some drama credit.

Meanwhile, Sirenia have announced their new singer, her name is Emmanuelle Zoldan and she has been a part of the Sirenia choir since 13 years. You can actually hear her sing in the song "First we take Manhattan" (I'm excited! This is one of my favorite songs from Sirenia :D)

Alissa White-Gluz has a solo project 

My drama detectors went off when I saw click-baity titles like "Alissa is now solo". Sorry guys (and girls), but she's still with Doyle as it seems, but she now has her own solo project, called ALISSA. Which means, she is of course still the lady on the mic in Arch Enemy, but now she has another project to channel all her creative energy into. I'm really excited for this, even though there is no drama. Or almost no drama, when some people asked her about her old band, The Agonist, in the comments on facebook, she gave a very direct reply, something along the lines of 'these people have no place in her life anymore'. Oh, the drama! :D  

Floor Jansen is pregnant

Floor and Hannes van Dahl (Sabaton) are expecting a baby! Congratulations! Now, that of course is not drama in itself, but one might find it a little cringe-worthy, that Tuomas actually gave her permission to become pregnant. Or so it reads 

Of course, that will make Nightwish (and ReVamp)-Fans cry a little, because that also means that Nightwish will be taking a break before we get to hear new material or see them live again, after they've wrapped up this year's touring schedule. 

Fenriz from Darkthrone is now a politician

I find this so funny, because I live in Austria. We don't have a president right now because we are incapable of electing one. True story. We have tried it once, no candidate got enough votes, we tried it a second time, it was almost 50:50, but one candidate made it. The loser wasn't happy and brought in an appeal of the election to the high court because of some "irregularities" in the procedure of counting the votes. The high court decided that the election has to be done again. It should take place on 2nd of October. Now it won't, because we aren't even capable of manufacturing envelopes. True story. Our envelopes open themselves because their glue sucks. Maybe we will try to vote again on December 4th. Maybe we won't, because we are just incompetent.

Not in Norway. There, people can be elected against their will. This happened to Fenriz from Darkthrone. He actually had posted a picture of him with his cat and asked people to NOT vote for him, because he actually didn't want the job of being part of the neighborhood council. Cute. But I'm sorry, Fenriz, if you post a picture with a motherfucking CAT, people will love you. They will make you their president if you don't stop posting pictures of you with CATS. Because CATS. 

Read the whole story here.

CATS.

So I guess this is all the official band drama I can share with you (I also love the unofficial stuff, but I can't share that on the blog, because I'm a nice person and don't want to get in trouble). 

Beautiful things did happen here...

So yesterday I went to a concert and was so inspired, I wanted to start blogging again. And here I am. Strange things happened on this blog.

And strange things usually happen in Bratislava, were I was yesterday.

I don't know how to start. So I guess I'll just type until something makes sense.

We went to see Novembre, Isole, Shores of Null and April Weeps in Bratislava, Club Randall. I live in Vienna, so Bratislava is only an hour away. I've been to so many concerts there, I would find the way to the club in my sleep ;) I actually once went to Bratislava with my parents as a typical tourist and everything looked so different in daylight! 

And the Club Randall and the MMC almost feel like home to me. And the food! 

Yesterday's concert was the first one of many to come this fall. I actually worked though all of summer without a break bigger than three days to be able to afford all those crazy adventures! 

I wasn't too excited about all the bands, honestly. I went mainly to have a nice time with friends.

When we arrived, the first band, April Weeps, were already playing. First I thought "Oh, another female fronted band trying to be...wait!" Because they were actually really good. I was blown away within two songs. So much fun, such good vibes! 

 

The other bands also did a great job, but for me, the local support stayed the best of the night ;)

The weather was also great, so we were sitting outside and ate pizza in between sets. I eat that pizza every time I'm there, because there's a nice little place just on the other side of the street from the club. I'm 99% sure that's also the catering bands get when they play there. At least the pizza box did look familiar to me ;)

Later I ran into Marta from April Weeps in the washroom. I don't want to brag, but things like these happen all the time. But hey, band people are just normal people too, right? I talked to her briefly and then bought their CD (I had to ask her first because they didn't have it at the merch table).

Anyway, this is just a little love letter to my favorite city in the world and me being totally excited about having discovered a great band :) Please support April Weeps on their Bandcamp and if you get the chance, go to Bratislava!

Review: Schwarzkopf Perfect Mousse 778 Karminrot

Ich probiere alle möglichen kupferroten Haarfarben aus. Bis vor kurzem gab es nur dunkelrot im Drogerie-Regal, aber es scheint, meine Bitten wurden erhört und jede Marke, die etwas auf sich hält, bringt nun einen hellroten Ton auf den Markt. So auch Schwarzkopf mit der Perfect Mousse Reihe.

Es handelt sich um eine Farbe der Stufe 3, ist also permanent. Die Packung verspricht, es sei einfach aufzutragen wie ein Shampoo, da es eine Schaumfarbe ist. Außerdem soll es nicht tropfen und ist ohne Ammoniak.

Ich habe die Farbe vor dem WGT gekauft und mir die Haare damit gefärbt. An sich ist die Prozedur einfach. Farbe in die Entwicklerflasche füllen, Pumpverschluss drauf und einmal (!) umdrehen, nicht schütteln. Heraus kommt ein Schaum der teils weiß, teils rot ist. Das Verteilen war nicht so einfach wie versprochen, ich komme mit der Konsistenz nicht so ganz zurecht. Nachdem die Farbe fünf Minuten auf dem Kopf war, war der Schaum geschmolzen und es war normale rote Haarfarbe, aber sehr flüssig. Ich sah aus wie ein Mädchen in einem schlechten Vampir-Porno, denn blutrote Tropfen rannen mir über Hals und Ausschnitt. Ich habe die ganze Wohnung vollgetropft, auch mit Frischhaltefolie auf dem Kopf fanden die Tropfen einen Weg nach draußen. Es war eine riesige Sauerei. Die Packung sagt 30 Minuten soll man einwirken lassen.

Nach dem Duschen hatte ich dann folgende Haarfarbe: 

Wirklich kupferrot ist das nicht, oder? 

Keine zwei Wochen nach dem Färben sah ich so aus. Also permanent ist die Farbe keineswegs, denn das war genau die Farbe, die ich vor dem Färben auch hatte (nämlich ausgeblichene hellrote Farbe). Glück im Unglück: Mir war die Farbe ja eh zu dunkel. Aber fast 15 Euro für ein Ergebnis, das nicht kupferrot ist und nicht lange hält? Sicher nicht noch einmal.

Fazit:

* (Ein Sisi-Haar-Stern)

Translation: This is a review about the Perfect Mousse colour 778 bei Schwarzkopf. I tried it for WGT. The procedure is promised to be easy and at first it was. Buildung up all gadgets and then applying. I wasn't really getting how to apply it properly and found it pretty hard. It is some kind of foam which melted after like 5 minutes and then ran of my head. I looked like some girl in a vampire-splatter-porn, because I had bloodred drops running all over my neck and cleavage. After 30 minutes you are allowed to wash it off and hell was I relieved! After drying my hair I had the colour in the first picture. Not so copper-red, is it? Anyway, after less then two weeks my hair was back to the colour it had before (slightly faded red dye), as you can see on the second pic. Okay, so the colour was too dark for me anyway, but about 15 Euro for a dye that is way too dark and is not permanent in any way? Never ever again.

Conclusion: * (One Sisi-Hair-Star)

Amy's Favorite # 3: Summer Music 2012

Ich habe jeden Sommer so ein paar Lieder, die ich besonders gerne höre und oft erinnere mich an einen bestimmten Monat, eine bestimmte Situation oder generell die Atmosphäre dieses Sommers zurück, wenn ich eines der Lieder wieder höre. Ich weiß nicht, warum das ausgerechnet im Sommer so ist. Ich suche mir die Lieder auch nicht gezielt aus, es sind oft welche, die ich schon seit Jahren in meiner Musiksammlung habe und dann erst zu etwas besonderem werden.
Diesmal wollte ich diese Songs mit euch teilen.


Every summer I have some songs I listen to repeatedly. often I memorize a specific event or month or situation of a summer by just hearing the song again. I don't know why this happens especially in summer. I also don't look for the songs, I just fall in love with them and then listen to them often in the time span. Sometimes they're even pieces that have been part of my music library for years and then become something special. This year I wanted to share them with you:

Elis - "Der letzte Tag". Meine Hymne für die Arbeit. Ich arbeite dann und dort, wo andere urlaub machen und wir haben keine Klimaanlage. (My anthem for work. I work while and where other people are on holiday and we don't have an AC.)

Emilie Autumn - "Let it die". Eines der Lieder, das ich seit Jahren höre, aber nie begonnen habe, es zu lieben. Neulich, auf dem Heimweg hat mein MP3player angefangen es zu spielen und seither bin ich verliebt. (One of the songs I own since ages, but never started to love it. A few days ago I listened to it on the way home and fell in love.)

Sinisthra - "Ice Cube Sun". Ich habe Sinisthra erst vor kurzem entdeckt - ratet mal, warum. Und ich habe mich sofort in dieses Lied verliebt. (I've only discovered Sinisthra recently- guess why. And I instantly fell in love with this song)

Disillusion - "The Black Sea". Disillusion höre ich jetzt schon seit Ewigkeiten, und das Lied hat mir immer gefallen. Aber schon allein der Gedanke "We are dancing in the sea" und der In-your-face-Faktor des Stücks erfrischen bei diesen Temperaturen einfach. (I've been a listener of Disillusion for half an eternity now and I've always liked this song. But now, only the thought "We are dancing in the sea" and the In-your-face-quality of the song refresh at this heat.)

Das ungarische Krönungskleid

Letztes Jahr habe ich mich dazu entschieden, ein Kleid dem Krönungskleid von Elisabeth von Österreich-Ungarn nachzuempfinden.

Über das Original

Das Kleid ist ein Design von Charles Frederick Worth, er hat die Haute Cotoure erfunden und war auch der erste, der seine Kreationen in Modeschauen präsentierte. Elisabeth von Österreich, besser bekannt als Sisi, war eine seiner Kundinnen.

Stoffmäßig ist das Kleid ein ziemlicher Alptraum für Hobbyschneiderinnen wie mich: 28m Silberbrokat (für den Überrock), 24m Spitze und 10m Tüll sind verarbeitet. 

Es ist der ungarischen Tracht nachempfunden, daher auch die Schürze aus Spitze und die Schnürung aus Perlen.

Zu welchem Anlass wurde das Kleid gefertigt? Elisabeth und ihr Ehemann Franz Joseph wurden am 18. Juli 1867 zum ungarischen Königspaar gekrönt, was das Kaiserreich Österreich zur Doppelmonarche Österreich-Ungarn machte. Somit war der Augleich mit Ungarn besiegelt, denn Ungarn erhielt seine Verfassung von 1848 (dem Revolutionsjahr) zurück. Es war die einzige politische Bestrebung Elisabeths.

Als Franz Joseph seine Frau in diesem Kleid sah, war er so entzückt, dass er sie auf die Stirn küsste (damals eine eigentlich sehr intime Geste). Nach der Krönungszeremonie musste sich Sisi umziehen, da allein die Schleppe an die 15Kilo wog.

Das Original befindet sich heute im Kunsthistorischen Museum Wiens, ist aber aus konservatorischen Gründen nicht ausgestellt. In der Hofburg ist eine Replik, samt einer Nachbildung des Krönungs-Schmucks, zu bewundern.

 

Über mein Projekt

Urspünglich hatte ich eine 1 zu 1 Umsetzung geplant, allerdings habe ich diesen Plan nach kurzer Zeit über Bord geworfen. Schließlich habe ich mich zu einer Stripped-Down-Version entschieden, keine kitschigen Mascherln, keine Spitze. Das Kleid wurde auch von anderen begnadeten Schneiderinnen nachgenäht, da wollte ich nicht noch ohne Kopie der Kopie erstellen. 

Als ich Agnes von meinem Vorhaben berichtete und sie wusste, dass sie auch stark involviert werden würde (da sie einfach mehr Übung hat als ich), sagte sie: "Du bist in der Tat größenwahnsinnig."

Es folgten einige Nähsessions, in denen ich meine Privileg besser kennen und lieben lernte. Sie macht zwar immer gerne Zicken, aber schließlich ging alles gut. Der Rock des Kleides ist übrigens erst in der Nacht vorm WGT fertig geworden, während Agnes und ich mit roter Haarfarbe auf dem Kopf in meiner Wohnung herumwuselten (und ich versuchte Tropfen eben jener Farbe zu vermeiden).

Es wurden schlussendlich um die 20 Meter Stoff verarbeitetet.

Ich wurde natürlich nicht zur Königin irgendeines Landes gekrönt, mein Anlass es zu tragen war das Victorian Picnic am WGT.

Hier seht ihr also das fertige Kleid:

click to enlarge

Der Volumenrock, auch im ungetragenen Zustand ein Monster. Nach dem Victorian Picnic ein Staubmonster.

Translation: Last year I was inspired to create a replica of the coronation robe of Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary. The original was made for the coronation of the imperial couple on 18. July 1867. It was the only political action Elisabeth took in her whole life. The dress was a creation by Charles Frederick Worth, who is the inventor of Haute Ctoure and also was the first designer who showed his creations at fashion shows. It was made of 28m silver brocade, 24m lace and 10m tulle. The design is based on the hungarion antional costume. When Franz Joseph saw his wife in the dress, he was so pleased, he kissed her forehead. After the coronation ceremony, Sisi changed into a more comfortable dress. The dress is now conserved in the KHM Vienna and you can see a replica of it in the Hofburg.

I actually had planned a very similar dress, but the idea quickly went to a more "stripped down" version without all the bows and lace. When I told AGnes about my plan, she told me, I was indeed megalomaniac.
Several sewing session followed. The dress was completed the night before WGT (very last minute). I, of course wasn't to become a queen, but I was wearing the dress for the victorian picnic. All in all, about 20m of fabric was used.