Around three thousand fans of dark music enjoyed themselves at the festival in Bolków. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate—it rained both on Saturday and throughout Sunday. Fortunately, the audience did. The festival attracted the largest number of spectators in its entire history. This is hardly surprising. The magic of the artists invited this year had its effect, confirming the reputation Castle Party has built over the years.
Many people came here specifically to see IAMX, the new synth-pop band of Chris Corner, one of the founders of the British group Sneaker Pimps. Others were primarily waiting for the concert by the festival's biggest star—the legendary Canadian group Front Line Assembly, featuring Bill Leeb, formerly a member of the cult band Skinny Puppy in some circles. Finally, many were most electrified by the fact that Mortiis would perform in Poland for the first time in eight years.
Castle Party is about more than great music. The festival audience also stands out for its clothing. During the event, processions of goths dressed as if from Gothic novels or horror films stroll through the streets of small Bolków. Black dominates, but that certainly does not mean it is the only acceptable or mandatory color. Flowing dresses, coats, capes and leather outfits all contribute to the festival's distinctive, vampiric atmosphere. At the castle, visitors could even have a souvenir photo taken... in a coffin.
As we have already reported, over the years successive editions of the festival have drifted increasingly toward electronic music. This year was no different. Strictly guitar-based bands could be counted on one hand. That does not mean these bands received a cooler reception. The show by Miguel And The Living Dead, for instance, was absolutely superb. Compared with the other artists performing at Castle Party, the Warsaw band Miguel And The Living Dead play very traditional music. Their work draws on such major punk and deathrock bands as UK Decay, 45 Grave, The Damned and Misfits.
The group gave a phenomenal concert, which was enthusiastically received by the audience. Miguel is a volcano of energy on stage. At the end, the Warsaw musicians performed a “Siekiera medley”—two songs by the legendary Polish band combined into one piece. The performance by the English band NFD was also very well received; the group plays goth close to the work of the genre's classics, Fields Of The Nephilim.
Castle Party is evolving. The organizers keep coming up with new attractions. On Friday, July 27, the French artists from the Exiting Body Piercing studio staged a performance. The studio's employees organize shows featuring body-modification art, including tattooing, piercing and scarification. During the show, a young Frenchman was suspended from hooks driven into the skin of his back. He dangled in the air for a good dozen or so minutes. A woman then performed a similar feat. Many people, unable to watch, left the castle. The Exiting Body Piercing employees' performance was accompanied by electronic music, which was ubiquitous at Castle Party anyway. In Bolków, festivalgoers could listen to sets by DJs from around the world.
The stars did not disappoint. On Saturday, Germany's Diorama gave an excellent performance. Their compatriots from Diary Of Dreams, one of the biggest bands on the contemporary goth scene, also played a very good concert. Their “The Curse” sounded majestic, as usual. The performances by electro-industrial bands were also very well received: Belgium's Suicide Commando and the festival's main star—the Canadian FLA.
In the opinion of many people, including the undersigned, the greatest concert of the festival was Mortiis's. The music of the former Emperor bassist changed over the years. In the past, the Norwegian made dark ambient music. Now his band is decidedly closer to industrial rock. In Bolków, Mortiis mainly presented songs from his two most recent albums, “The Smell Of Rain” and “The Grudge,” as well as several new pieces. “Parasite God” and “Smell The Witch” were especially brilliant live. Mortiis himself proved that he is an excellent frontman.
In an interview with Boleslawiec.org, Krzysztof Rakowski, one of the organizers of Castle Party, announced “three days of great fun.” He was not mistaken.
(GA report)