Two Polish bands on stage in my hometown and one of them being the notorious Riverside, that ought to be a treat for my ears. And indeed it was a great show, although we had heard most of the Riverside songs on the first New Generation Tour already.

But first Votum took the stage and I really have to say that their music is rather chaotic and their presentation on stage was actually non-professional! Votum clearly missed a commanding stage presence. Futhermore,

Mariusz Duda (Piotr Kozieradzki on drums)

I would like to advise their singer to try to imitate Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam less shameful and obvious. After this opening act, the stage was re-built, the lights were dimmed and Riverside took the stage. They kicked off with New Generation Slave , followed by the magical The Depth Of Self-Delusion, which proved that Riverside really has come a long way since their first demo way back in 2003. The set list was quite different from last year's, as the band stretched back to their musical roots with performing songs from their first EP Voices In My Head (2005). Furthermore, we could enjoy the song Goodbye Sweet Innocence - a rather heavy track from their second EP Memories In My Head (2011) - for the very first time on stage. The sound was exquisite and the four band members were in great shape and really enjoyed themselves. Singer and bass player Mariusz Duda had the audience in the palm of his hand throughout the entire show. Escalator Shrine, with amazing bass solos and riffs, ended the regular set list with a blast. Luckily the band returned for a long (15 minutes) and overwhelming version of Second Life Syndrome, which is one of my favorite Riverside tracks. Unexpectedly the band also played a second encore, being Celebrity Touch, their hit single. A great ending to a marvelous show and I am really looking forward to their new album next year.

Martien Koolen (edited by Esther Ladiges)