‘The next big thing’, ‘My favourite Munich band’, ‘One of the greatest bands here’… These are only a few of the things that have been said to me about Friends of Gas. Apart from a few videos with decent views, a few words written on them in German, there is not much out there online *yet* when you google the band. What they do have, though, is a loyal initial fan base, an album worth of hit songs and all the right qualities a band need to make it out there.
In the last two days, I’ve fallen in love with Friends of Gas, yeah. Kunstverein, Glockenbachwerkstatt : two very different venues, two very different crowds, but the same over-the-top energy and tight, wonderful music that had me dancing on the front row. On the second night, it was completely confirmed : there is no flaw about this band, live.
Each of the member’s stage personalities is fantastic to watch, and together they create this monster performance, between addictive guitar riffs and stunts, dancey drum beats, banger bass lines, improvisations that are bigger than nature, and of course, of course, Nina Walser’s smoky singing voice that cuts through tight melodies with surgical precision.
A girl throws one of the roses that are stuck in the Kunstverein fishnet ceiling at Nina Walser as she looks at the show’s pacing written on the top of her hand.
Veronica Burnuthian’s cymbal reflects the overhead stage lights on her face.
Dizzy Errol’s beats seem to fly out of his chest into all of his body in electric impulses.
Tagar disappears into his hair with every head-bang.
Thomas Westner’s eyes roll back into his head in a satisfyingly symbiotic improvised moment.
Lachpillenonkel swim low between foot stomping people and the stage at Glockenbachwerkstatt, an hybrid of a psychotic feline and a stingray.
Friends of Gas, I hope future will be good to you. I wish you an album release party that will be remembered as ‘the craziest night of the year’. I wish you to cross strangers in the streets wearing your merch. I wish you ecstatic front rows of fans jumping in sync and singing along to your contagious refrains.
This has been a love post, another Kunstverein rose thrown at the band…