Sophie Lancaster Stage, Sunday
Have you ever been in a situation where you were absolutely willing a band to totally nail their set and they just fell that bit short?
My introduction to Lowen was one of those happy accidents in music. Driving somewhere, I had picked an album to listen to on Spotify. After that album had finished, Spotify did its usual thing of chucking random songs at me – most of which were just background noise. Until one stood out.
“Woah, wait a minute, who is this?” I thought to myself. Luckily, I had just reached my destination and was able to check on my phone who this awesome and unique sounding band was.
Lowen.
After that, I had Do Not Go to War With the Demons of Mazandaran on constant repeat. What an album. What a freaking album.
Cue my excitement when they were listed as the support for Zakk Sabbath. I already had tickets, so this was a massive bonus. Bring it on!
On the night of the show, two things stood out though. Firstly, vocalist Nina Saeidi had zero interaction with the audience. “Nope, nope, nope,” I thought. Rock & roll 101: engage with your audience, connect, build rapport.
Secondly, Lowen’s sound that night was a wall of mud. It was truly awful. The battered old cynic in me thought, “Wait till Zakk comes on, the sound will be crystal clear.” It wasn’t. Zakk Sabbath had a sound like a wall of mud too. Lots of people tell me this is a venue issue (the O2 Academy in Glasgow) and that the sound is repeatedly crap in there.
When they were announced as a replacement for Spirit Adrift at Bloodstock, they shot right up my must-see list for the weekend. Yes! At last! A chance to catch Lowen with a decent sound!
Well… hopefully!
First thing to address re their Bloodstock appearance is Nina’s crowd interaction. This is still minimal, but there was more of it. At times she seemed emotional and humbled by the response Lowen received and fed that back to the crowd. Great. These interactions, though minimal, palpably lifted the mood and atmosphere in the tent.
Secondly, sound. I got into the Sophie tent early to make sure I caught Lowen – early enough that they were still working their way through their soundcheck. It seemed to be coming together. Thumbs up to monitor guy. Levels coming together. Guitar sounded good.
Then it happened. Guitarist Shem Lucas fiddled with his pedalboard and the guitar sound turned into an effects-laden swirling mess. “No!” I thought. “Please tell me he is not going to play with that sound for this show!” The definition and attack of the individual notes in the riffs had gone. Lost.
When Lowen took to the stage, an actual hush fell in the tent. Nina tapped out two beats in the silence and then filled the Sophie tent with her incredible voice. I literally had goosebumps running down my spine.
Then the rest of the band kicked in. Bass and drums were absolutely fine. The guitar was just mud.
I know the songs. I know the riffs. But throughout this whole set I was having to consciously and actively listen to try and pick the riffs out through the guitar sound. Sorry, but if that’s what somebody who is familiar with the songs is having to do, how is that going to sound to an audience member unfamiliar with the band? These riffs are awesome. They are a major pillar of Lowen’s music. You don’t want them lost in the sound – you want them leaping off the stage, grabbing the audience by the throat and screaming “listen to me!!!”
Lowen are a unique band. You can easily see them making a leap and being regulars across the European festival and touring circuit. But there are lots of bands you can say that about. In fact, there are so many amazing metal bands around at the moment that the competition is fierce – and if you want to be the ones who do make that jump, then you need to nail absolutely everything about your band that you have within your own power.
So, let’s see Nina build upon that seed already planted in relation to audience connection. This doesn’t mean adopting some cookie-cutter frontperson persona (let’s face it, “Circle pit! Circle pit!” ain’t gonna fit with Lowen). Rather, build a stage persona (which, visually, is already a major focal point) and increase crowd interaction in a way that suits Nina’s own authentic self.
And please, please let us clearly hear those awesome riffs rather than having to strain to hear them through a swirling, effects-ridden wall of mud.
Photos by Katie Frost Photography
