I don't know how many people remember the 16 Horsepower open air concert at a Rock um Knuedler festival a couple of years ago, but I will never forget how the Thuringer addicted fat greasy Luxembourgers became irritated because 16HP's gloomy alt country didn't fit their idea of happy carefree top 40 mainstream music.
David Eugene Edwards, singer of this legendary Colorado based band, meanwhile took a break and recorded a couple of albums under the name
Woven Hand. This time, the fat Luxembourgers had to stay at home (probably getting ready and in shape for the T42 farewell show), and about
200 depressed, sad and otherwise demented people showed up for Woven Hand.
But first, we had to suffer through an opening act, consisting of a French guy on his guitar. No one knew who he was, and no one seemed to care either. Oscillating between Billy Bragg and Arno, but never even trying to reach that level of quality, his singer-songwriter protest music was just to empty to get people interested. Most stayed and watched, but the bar was filling up nicely during his gig. Rumours that the Kulturfabrik found this guy playing as a street musician in the Uelzestrooss are as yet unconfirmed.
Woven Hand showed that you can play moving music with a minimum of instruments. Three guys on the stage, and although Edwards was sitting at the left wing, he was clearly the centre of everybody's attention. True enough his two sidekicks added atmosphere, but everything essential came from Edwards himself. With a voice that was begging for deliverance, Edwards suffered through his ballads, the drums backing him with an ominous rhythm and the second guitar adding a lot of drony sounds.
Woven Hand is a music not easy to describe, although its roots lie clearly in the alternative country and primeval Americana folk genres. By adding sound effects and using unusual string instruments, a darker atmosphere creeps into the music, awakening the most different reactions in the audience. While some thought the gloom and darkness were too much on a Tuesday evening, others came close to an epiphany. Just watching Edwards with his anguished expression already proved the sincerity of the music, making this an even more memorable concert than the HP16 one years ago.
presale: 15 €, doors : 17 €