Zagreb’s Mochvara had already filled up nicely when Rosetta started their show right at the announced time, or maybe five minutes later. It was bloody cold outside and nobody fancied drinking their beer on the club’s windy terrace.

Rosetta certainly did their best to warm the audience up with their post metal, post rock and post hardcore. The band members seemed determined to stretch their legs and to make up for the long hours on the tour bus. They were all over the stage, except for the drummer, obviously, he stayed put, but everybody else made the most of the stage’s space. The singer even went out into the audience, alternatively hugging people, shaking hands and screaming into people’s faces. On his way back on stage, he tripped twice and then said should anybody have filmed him doing that, they could not claim ownership for his slapstick performance on YouTube, he would do that himself.

Rosetta’s show was fun, energetic and convincing. There was a bit of anger in the throaty and screamed vocals, but no aggression. A new album should come out sometime next year on Pelagic, I’ll certainly check it out.

Before The Ocean started their show, they fogged the place up really nicely. Then they switched off the lights. At one moment, the club was pitch black, and I wondered whether there had been a power failure, but no, that was just the way they do it: The show started in an almost completely dark club, with the first three tracks from the new album, and I must say that it proved a most effective setting. I liked that part of the show best.

The Ocean played tracks from their new album intercut with older stuff. The crowd appeared to be familiar with all of the material. The overall feel, in comparison to Rosetta, was darker and heavier, also more serious. The sound was impressive, but not as impressive as on the album(s).

 

A couple of songs into the show The Ocean’s singer Loic Rossetti stage dived into the audience and from then on kept interacting with it. At one point he took away a guy’s phone and switched roles. Loic asked the guy to go on stage and be filmed by him. The guy looked a bit forlorn on stage, but I saw him later happily recounting the episode to his friends.

The Ocean played for over an hour including an encore. One of the highlights was certainly the song Orosirian from the album Precambrian, sung together with Mike Armine from Rosetta.

At least from the looks of it, everybody went home happy, the bands included (they, of course didn’t go home, but to the tour bus and off to the next town).

(Review and Photos Slavica)

Interview with The Ocean to follow soon.