Energy Air 2014

Breathing in deeply, absorbing the sun rays properly, enjoying the warmth. Color cordinated rwith the bright blue sky the huge Energy Air stage rose in the even bigger stadium. We’ve been waiting along the runway before showstart. To admit it wasn’t the best spot.  The runway or stage were so extremly high, we only could see half over it. At least we were standing in a way that we could just about see all band members across it.

Not long before we’ve been standing at Swisscom shop and have listened to the accoustic set of Irish band Kodaline. There maybe 100, here now 40’000 people. Even I was in bigger stadiums, it’s also at Wankdorf stadium – Stade de Suisse – impressive to see, how the seats slowely filled. Energy promised a top spectacle…

So much excitment on one day. Still buzzing from the mini showcase we let ourself electrify by Energy. On the big screens we got to see the history of the Energy Stars For Free events – 2003 the first event took place at Xtra in Zurich. They moved to Hallenstadion and now this Saturday the mega event, Energy Air, at Stade de Suisse Bern. the acts of the evening were presented therby. Surprise acts should follow.

The event was presented by Dominique Heller, Patrick Hässig and Simon Moser. The security were the same as at Gurtenfestival – fun in the pit was sure. The acts I liked some more, others less. Altogether it was a good event. Not always 100% live. But we didn’t pay for.

Bastian Baker opened the show. Apparently after his performance he was flying by helicopter to the next date… our ‘worldstar’ is very busy. In a black leather jacked he rocked the stadium with his band during “Tomorrow may not be better”, “Dirty Thirty” and “79 Clinton Street”. The audience was swaying arms with “I’d sing for you”… After I haven’t been very happy about the concert at Pfadi Folk Fest, esp. because of the audience, this really felt great to see the band up there on this huge stage. Surrounded by best vibes. [photogallery]

Bastian Baker at Energy Air
Bastian Baker

So the opening of the event succeded. Just, it started then – with DJs. And Swiss DJ Alex Price wasn’t the only one following. Remady & Manu-L, also from here, as well as Steve Angello from Sweden also played later. The mainly very young audience totally freaked out esp. during Remady and was screaming uncontrolled for encores. I didn’t get that. Esp. not, because later during Kodaline obviously none was interested in the band. Very frustrating. I didn’t like all the bands the same, but different to this boom-boom of the DJs, I could call the rest music. Well, my oppinion. Who ever likes it. I definitvely don’t. Therby Manu-L got with myron such a good band with beautiful songs. The only comfort during Remady were the good looking dancers. At least something for the eye… [photogallery]

The rest I liked quiet a lot to very much. Jan Oliver, Kunz, Dabu Fantastic, Skip The Use and Kodaline I loved. Maxim, Family of the Year and Plasma so so.

I’ve seen Maxim for the first time on that day. The German musician is obviously on the road with his songs already for years, but never really have heard of him. I think, with Stefan Raab’s Bundesvision song contest he got attention. I wasn’t too thrilled by him, but he was ok. Back in the days he sang German Reggae songs. Nowadays it’s more pop. [photogallery]

Jan Oliver at Energy AirI was happy about the first surprise act: Jan Oliver. You may know him as Ex Mr Switzerland, I prefer him as musician. He presented with an even bigger band – next to the same band members as in Burgdorf, there was an additional keyboard player and background singers – a short set of his debut album “The Great Escape” as well as his new single “Dancing Alone”. [photogallery]

 

Why the US indipop band Family of the year apparently is so great, I couldn’t really find out. Well, their song “Hero” is somewhat of an earworm and is known. Folky is very much in at the moment. But everything else sounds very similar to each other. And why anyone would have gone to Energy Air just for them or how anyone would think that they sounded the same as Kodaline, I don’t know either. I wasn’t really thrilled about the 4 member gorup. [photogallery]

The second surprise act was Kunz. Since he released his debut album “Eifach so” with Universal, his publicity is quickly increasing and so he was really standing after all the small concert stages already on a huge stadium stage. Again we got some folk, but this time in dialect. Energetic with kettledrum, guitares, bass and mandoline the quintet did their performance. [photogallery]

Dabu Fantastic at Energy AirDabu Fantastic  were super.  Only seen them at the small Radio Argovia showcase, Dabu was running like crazy across the runway and back. DJ Arts also brought his wig and the washboard with him, and he spontaniously climbed on his DJ desk. Wait, you may think, DJ desk? But you don’t like DJs? – sure, but Dabu Fantastic don’t play this boom boom. They have a live band and this band is playing among others summery pop songs like “Vo vorn”, that even strengthens this summer feeling. And “Sunne” suited too. Their concerts always were totally fun and you definitively saw, that they enjoyed it a lot too.  [photogallery]

At some point they did a crowd surfing competition with rubber boats. Two of the presenters were surfing over the audience in their boats. The audience could win seat upgreates for Swisscom lounge as well or later in the evening there was even a ‘kiss cam’. So they entertertained us also during the stage and act changes. Nothing different to Energy Stars For Free.

Ahead I’ve watched Skip the Use’s video “namelss world”  [official video here], what energy had posted to announce them. I thought “OMG! What’s that?”. The French electro punk rockband seemed quite crazy and not my taste at all. Very dark too. But wow, what a performance. This is such an energetic band with great stage presence. They really rocked. And live I quite liked their songs. I’d recommend them as a new discovery.  [photogallery]

I of course was especially looking forward to Kodaline, even when I just had seen them. The songs were about the same as in the afternoon at Swisscom – “High Hopes” [Video here] and “One Day” [Video here] have been part of it. The nmost beautiful pictures and visuals were shown on the LED screen during their short set. Jay with his broken arm at the keys instead with bass. Total goosebumps. Wonderful songs, beautiful atmosphere. But as said, many seemed just not to appreciate the Irish [photogallery]

Plasma were the last band then, I watched. The band has been recommended to me and so I have been listening to the Grison electro rockband’s album before. I didn’t like the album that much and live neither. Not that they were very bad. Just wasn’t mine.

And then I was gone. I cringed a few times during Steve Angello’s show, when I was walking around the stadium to the train station. What was happening there?

I missed then Knackeboul, Lo & Leduc as well as Pegasus, who made the final together with Stress as special guest. Well, what means missing? After all I was on the way to the 3rd event of the day – on the way to see Pablopolar. After 4 long concertless months they interrupted their break to play again – and they had announced two new songs. This was definitively more important.

There are many videos, photos and interviews about Energy air on energyair.ch by the way.