Christine Plays Viola
Live at TNT 24-05-13
Swiss Dark Nights
The Italian
Dark Scene is healthy and active, proof of it is this 100%
Transalpine bootleg. Recorded at TNT Club in Milan earlier this year
by Swiss Dark Nights, it provides another perspective on
Post-Punk/Dark Wave phenomenon Christine Plays Viola. Not only very
good in terms of mixing, this record is also a clear evidence that
the band reaches another level on-stage. The songs have been
carefully selected, and the result is an intense experience, where
one can get the idea of what is a CPV concert. Noticeable are
singer Massimo Ciampani’s dramatic vocals, moving from high-pitched
batcave-like inflections to deep low tones, such as on the sharp,
epic version of Leocadia. With omnipresent tribal drums and powerful
bass-lines, the sound gets more Post-Punk, cold and raw, and even if
synths are not neglected, adding gloom and mystery, the overall
feeling is more brutal and dirtier than what one could imagine when
listening to the studio versions. Songs like “Albatros/Swallowed
Cold Insanity” and “Failed to Connect to Heart (Endline)” take
on a new dimension when played live. A real treat!
So if you haven’t
had the chance to enjoy CPV on-stage, listen to this bootleg, and
don’t lose the next opportunity…
Guillaume Renard
