Hamburg-based German goth metal band Lord of the Lost recently hosted their Sinister Summer Stream show online. This was the band's third live stream event and I have to say you can really see how much they've honed their craft in terms of delivering an outstanding online show. Little hiccups from previous shows have been smoothed out and the band and their production team were working together like a sleek operation.
The whole show was shot in the round which although technically challenging the team pulled off beautifully. The lighting engineer Nasa in particular merits a particular shoutout because despite the on screen limitations due to size of the shot her work shone through - excuse the pun. Nasa has worked with this band for almost a decade and that connection and understanding of the band's movements and sentiment of the music is evident in the way she lights the guys.
The cameras were fairly static, which I suspect was due to Coronavirus lockdown restrictions and a limited crew allowance. However, these more or less static shots got a little repetitive and I was so done with tilt, pan and zoom by the end of the show. A hand-held camera would have added a dynamic element that a band with this level of energy needs. Mounted cameras were often left in shot and blocked parts of the performers, this isn't necessarily a bad thing but for me it pulled focus from the subject on camera.
Lord of the Lost frontman, Chris the Lord Harms, as he is known to his KVLT followers...was on top form . As always, Harms was a consummate professional, but he was also very open and vulnerable with the audience letting them know how much they as a band have missed their fans - fan seems like the wrong word to use here because Harms authentically addressed his virtual audience as if they were close family members. There was a real warmth there that you could feel right through the screen. Voice, costume, makeup and stage presence were all on point.
Pi Stoffers, pronounced Pie or Pee depending on who you ask and what mood they're in that day, was on fire. The guy brings a good dose of bouncy enthusiasm to his performance while maintaining a high level of proficiency in his playing. At one point he slipped into something a bit more comfortable... a t-shirt dress, fishnets and converse. This was a nice costume change and really reflected his playful and fun on stage persona.
When it comes to Gared Dirge I always struggle to find a word other than perfect to use when describing him on stage. In this show he plays with the precision of a terminator and the flair of a sexy phantom of the opera goth rock dark prince....If you've seen him live you know what I mean. I am always amazed at his ability to play so well and serve such stunning face all the way through.... but I can't read texts and walk at the same time so I do tend to be amazed at people who can multitask.
Nik Kahl is one of my favourite drummers and like always he didn't let me down in this performance. I think I might have replayed the intro to Lorelay and Sex on Legs enough times for my browser to protest in anger. What I loved about this stream was you got to see more of what Nik is doing up close, so thank you to whoever set those shots up, I salute you!
Class Grenayde is a seriously solid bass player who knows how to maintain a strong scowl game throughout a show. Like Pi, he was a ball of energy and his technical precision gave the show its stoic heartbeat.
This is just an abridged version of my thoughts please watch the full video for more details!
The show was epic and has reignited the need in me to go see live music again. I cannot wait to see these guys again on stage and this show has only wetted my appetite!
No matter the technical aspects of the live stream, Lord of the Lost is the type of band you can expect an amazing performance out every time - no matter the venue or equipment.
Even if you were watching them perform in a nightclub toilet being filmed with an iPhone it would still make for an awesome show. You never ever get bored watching a Lord of the Lost show.
10/10 from me dawg!
Comments