And One/Covenant
April 17, Metro, Chicago
I must say first that Germans are definitely a different breed. And One came
onstage brandishing a specifically german style of humor, teasing us that they
were really Covenant. I hadn't heard too much of them before then, but realized
that I had heard more of their music than I thought and that it was all very danceable
and very well produced. Perhaps too well produced. And One has a terminal case
of the 2 man electronic band syndrome.....that's when there's no real live music being
played by humans and I'm not counting vocals. FLA, Decoded Feedback, and tons
of other bands suffer from these disease, but And One had such a lethal case that it was
actually funny after a while. Picture two guys in leather, jumping around and singing to
precorded music. Kinda sounds like German karaoke, huh?
If that wasn't bad enough, their....ego presence became obviously inflated and my
immediate group of friends began making comments such as "Vee are Schprockets,
2000 AND ONE" and something about the Ambiguously Gay German Duo. The lack of
ANY attempt at a stage show was like many movies I've seen...so stupid that it was funny
and actually enjoyable. We wondered if perhaps they had ever opened for David Hasselhoff.
It was impossible not to bounce along to their music...which may I say again is
VERY GOOD. And, after a short time I realized just how Industrial I'm not. All but
one song was in English, but the crowd around me seemed to know every word.
It was....an experience to say the least. I do recommend picking up one of their
CDs. As for shows.....well, bring your lederhosen and try not to take them too seriously.
Covenant was very good for a band that also has the 2...well, 3 man electro band
disease. They also had a screen up behind them with projections that went along
with the music which helped keep visual interest. Sadly, it seemed that a speaker
blew early in their set, which was frustrating to many, but didn't seem to diminish the
energy entirely. The speaker seemed to be later regained during the encore.
These 3 Swedes were well received but didn't at first get the audience reponse that
they had expected. Perhaps people were still in a stupor from And One's performance.
In any case, the energy built quickly and nearly the whole floor was bouncing by the
third song. We hoped the floor would hold so we wouldn't end up in the Smart Bar
downstairs. Technical problems were the biggest issue it seemed...balance between
the DAT and vocals were off more than they should have been, but Covenant still
gave a stellar performance and really seemed to appreciate their raving fans.
They played all the favorites...except Feedback, which surprised me. The energy level
came very close that that of the VNV show last Sept. during One World One Sky,
and Stalker, and Figurehead for that matter. Dead Stars was also a well received
crowd favorite. While Covenant was gracious to the crowd, and basked in the happy
stomping, chanting, clapping, and singing along, I'm sure some folks who work for the
Metro got the third degree about sound issues. Overall, it was a good show and a good
night, not too overpacked, and not too hot. Scary Lady Sara announced inbetween sets
that Smart Bar was going to be open til 4 to cater to late night show/club goers and promised
to play some good music (I'm sure some Covenant), and perhaps coerce the band to
hang about. I enjoyed the show for all its tribulations, and recommend that you pick up
United States of Mind, which is Covenant's best album to date in my opinion.