On a cold night in Munich, we went to the small but very interesting Strom nightclub in the city centre. Here, the bands are hand-picked and the concerts are intense, as there’s the chance to see top-level bands literally in front of your eyes in an intimate setting. After several postponements, we finally got the chance to see Deathstars live and in colour, at a sold-out show that many people didn’t have the opportunity to attend due to the venue size.

Opening this Swedish night, the Liv Sin, classic heavy metal/hard rock songs on parade, they are a mature and experienced band, but this didn’t seem to convince the audience very much. Their short 30-minute set was enough to prove themselves and win them some new followers in Munich.

It was a complete surprise for me, the second project on stage, and I didn’t expect something so strange and enjoyable at the same time. Priest are a very interesting project and their stage presence disturbs some audiences, probably because they wear black masks associated with sexual fetishes. My companion in the front row always felt very uncomfortable and afraid to directly confront “Mercury”, the band leader, who wanders around the stage and among the audience, wanting to interact and create emotions in those present. The electro/pop songs date back to the 80s and are enchanting in their composition. It’s worth noting that this project has some big names in world rock, “Mercury” as well as “Salt” were part of Ghost, who are now recognized worldwide. The concert may not remain etched in the band’s memory, but it certainly did in mine. I didn’t know the project, but I became familiar with it, and I hope to be able to see it again as soon as possible under more favourable conditions for the band.

The long-awaited moment of the night left the audience in ecstasy! The Deathstars are very popular in Germany, especially in Munich, and bassist “Skinny Disco” is keen to say so. At last, the band was able to present their latest work “Everything Destroys You” live in front of their loyal audience. Just over an hour was enough to show that they are one of the best industrial rock/metal bands around. My hat’s off to “Whiplasher Bernadotte” and mates for this show, they’re huge and seeing them on stage is a huge privilege.