Electric Callboy & As Everything Unfolds, Great Hall, Cardiff, 27.10.23
Ten years deep into their career, the international success of Electric Callboy (10) throughout 2023 seems to have come as quite a surprise for the German dance-metal act. “We’ve played in the UK before”, lead screamer Kevin Ratajczack declares at one point, “but there were about 20 people there. We come back to the UK and we’re selling out venues of this size”. Of course, the success is richly deserved – Tekkno, the new album that the band draw on most in today’s set, proves a marked step up in almost every aspect of the bands sound, featuring vibrant production and cleverly written hooks, while leaning into the extravagant ridiculousness of their genre fusions. With this newfound success, the act has crafted an amazingly exciting live show that I was privileged to catch at The Great Hall in Cardiff!
Providing the main support was As Everything Unfolds (9). This criminally underrated post-hardcore band perfectly capture the ability to write songs that are as visceral as they are captivating, and certainly make an impression as with just a few encouraging gestures form the band, the crowd erupt into circle pits! The elements of electronica, metal and alternative within their sound perfectly compliment the zealous approach to genre-fluctuations, embodied by our headliner, while proving unique enough to stand out on their own terms. “The last time we played here was when we were supporting Holding Absence” frontwoman Charlie Rolfe notes at one point. Indeed, with the gigantic success of the acts they seem to open for, it’s hopefully only a matter of time before they are headlining venues of this size!
Prior to Electric Callboy taking the stage, the eye-patch sporting hostess from the band’s deeply hilarious music videos appears on the screen to remind the audience that “standing still is strictly prohibited for the duration of tonight’s performance!”. We don’t need to be told twice – from the moment the band erupts into Tekkno train the crowd becomes a frenzied mass of movement, never once letting up.
Providing the main support was As Everything Unfolds (9). This criminally underrated post-hardcore band perfectly capture the ability to write songs that are as visceral as they are captivating, and certainly make an impression as with just a few encouraging gestures form the band, the crowd erupt into circle pits! The elements of electronica, metal and alternative within their sound perfectly compliment the zealous approach to genre-fluctuations, embodied by our headliner, while proving unique enough to stand out on their own terms. “The last time we played here was when we were supporting Holding Absence” frontwoman Charlie Rolfe notes at one point. Indeed, with the gigantic success of the acts they seem to open for, it’s hopefully only a matter of time before they are headlining venues of this size!
Prior to Electric Callboy taking the stage, the eye-patch sporting hostess from the band’s deeply hilarious music videos appears on the screen to remind the audience that “standing still is strictly prohibited for the duration of tonight’s performance!”. We don’t need to be told twice – from the moment the band erupts into Tekkno train the crowd becomes a frenzied mass of movement, never once letting up.
While tracks like Spaceman and their brilliant reimaging of Cascada’s Everytime We Touch provoke the wildest reaction, even songs that we’re less familiar with like The Scene and Hate/Love provoked a huge response for their ferocity. In between songs, the band routinely taunt us to be louder, the on-stage chemistry between vocalists Ratajczack and Nico Sallach adding to the vibrant atmosphere, as its clear that everyone on stage is having just as fantastic a time as everyone off stage! Even the drum-solo from David-Karl Friedrich is a memorable moment, demonstrating the skill of these musicians, both as performers and instrumentalists.
While I have been to gigs that employ confetti, I’ve never seen quite this much. There are five songs where the band deploy different colours of shiny paper on to the heads of the excitable spectators, adding to the atmosphere of this being a party and an opportunity to abandon everyday worries! While all of the songs on display tonight are incredibly strong, this band know that making a live show special often means doing more than just playing the hits. There’s an acoustic interlude which sees the band encouraging the audience to sing along to stripped back versions of Let It Go! and I Want It That Way.
While I have been to gigs that employ confetti, I’ve never seen quite this much. There are five songs where the band deploy different colours of shiny paper on to the heads of the excitable spectators, adding to the atmosphere of this being a party and an opportunity to abandon everyday worries! While all of the songs on display tonight are incredibly strong, this band know that making a live show special often means doing more than just playing the hits. There’s an acoustic interlude which sees the band encouraging the audience to sing along to stripped back versions of Let It Go! and I Want It That Way.
This is followed by Hurrikan which initially see’s our two singers demonstrating their finest boy-band dance moves, before the lights turn a fiery red, and the rest of the band return to the stage to wreak carnage! Elsewhere, during Arrow Of Love, Nico kisses Kevin while giant pride flags are waved behind them. Hell, even Charlie Rolfe singing the female parts to Fuckboi adds to the feeling of this being an experience, that you can only get from seeing Electric Callboy live.
The encore feels like a triumph, of sorts for the band, the massively fun Pump It! Seeing the band don fake mullets and colourful tracksuits while the throng of revellers and ravers – many of whom are dressed the same – erupts into an intense yet riveting frenzy. Mindreader, meanwhile, is an opportunity for the band to show their versatility, as the darkened lighting on this one perfectly accentuates the more immersive, serious tone of the song. That’s before a pulsating beat sets in, with the ensuing two minutes giving us a chance to demonstrate that yes, Cardiff has indeed …Got the Moves!
The encore feels like a triumph, of sorts for the band, the massively fun Pump It! Seeing the band don fake mullets and colourful tracksuits while the throng of revellers and ravers – many of whom are dressed the same – erupts into an intense yet riveting frenzy. Mindreader, meanwhile, is an opportunity for the band to show their versatility, as the darkened lighting on this one perfectly accentuates the more immersive, serious tone of the song. That’s before a pulsating beat sets in, with the ensuing two minutes giving us a chance to demonstrate that yes, Cardiff has indeed …Got the Moves!
“Is this your first time seeing them?” I ask someone stood beside me at one point. “It’s my 23rd actually” they reply, having flown from Belgium to catch the show today. Such a level of commitment has to be admired and with shows this brilliant, you can see why someone would want to dedicate so much money and time to reliving them! It’s been two days since my first time seeing Electric Callboy and I’m already enthused about the prospect of hopefully seeing them again in future. While we may not be in “summertime” anymore, this concert is certainly a memory that “will never fade away”.