At a time when there are discussions in the world and in Latvia about the nuances of using the word “black” (let’s remember Rūjiena’s blackcurrant ice cream Black man), so that a part of the society will not be offended when they hear or read it, to the festival Positive there are two English groups whose first name is “Black”. Have there been many bands with that word in their names? The first two that come to mind are Black Sabbath and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – both have already become classics of rock music of their century, and the color black is the talisman of these musicians. Also new generation rock bands Black Midi and Black Country, New Road would like to single out the ones whose concerts you should definitely visit this year, in order to confirm the statement of the festival organizer Đirts Majoras that Positive has definitely not become just a hip-hop festival, although the artists of this genre are in the majority.
Both Black Midi, both Black Country, New Road have appeared in the second half of the last decade, and they could definitely be interesting for the listeners of much older generations than the musicians themselves, in order to take comfort once again that rock music as an art is still alive – both teams play dramatic psychedelic hard rock with rhythm changes, quieter parts alternating with deafening apocalyptic noise, with additional guitars, drums and vocals coloring the musical landscape with classical music instruments – piano, violin, wind instruments.
Groups tend to play in joint concerts, in these cases calling their association as Black Midi, New Road. Both are also prolific, and there are quite a lot of conceptual records for their short existence, but the live performance could be a breathtaking and beautiful experience, after which you need a moment to recover before grasping what just happened, which will be difficult at the festival. These bands would be best enjoyed at a stand-alone gig, hopefully one day at the Palladium if the seeds planted at the festival generate demand, just as people tend to return to thick books after reading text messages. The music of both bands is like rock symphonies and operas that demand attention.
Black Country, New Road significant changes have taken place in the line-up this year – the main singer and guitarist Aizeks Vuds, whose emotionally rich vocals were one of the most important features of the band’s sound, has left. His departure from the band due to mental health issues suggests that what we hear on the recordings, in which he sounds at many points on the fragile edge of self-destruction, was no staged theater. However, the other members of the group, who also understand that there are things that cannot and should not be replaced, have created brand new material, with almost all members taking on vocal parts in addition to their instruments. The concert will not feature anything that was created together with Aizek Vuda. So even connoisseurs of the band are in for a new adventure.
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