Rock Monsters Romania

by Eduard Istrate

Imagine walking down the street, minding your usual business. Maybe you’re going to work, school, or some party your friends are throwing. As per usual, your mind is keeping you busy with some thoughts that barely possess any substance or importance. But then, you smell something. Instantly, you forget about everything you were doing, and you feel overwhelmed by a wave of emotion. It could be some perfume your ex always used to wear, the smell of your childhood home, or maybe you just have no idea where you recognize it from. For a moment, nothing else really matters anymore, and all you can think about is that scent.

That feeling is really hard to mimic, isn’t it? It’s such an organic experience that you can’t really feel it by other means. Or at least so I thought, until I went to see Rockabella live for the first time. 

On the 27th of February, Rockabella had a concert at Expirat where they released their new single “Scut și Armă”. Although I only knew a couple of their songs, attending this concert seemed like a great opportunity. Saying they didn’t disappoint grossly undermines the quality of the concert. Something about them is so unique that I can only describe it as an overall “vibe.” As most of their songs are about love (and lack thereof), their vibe was oriented more towards the romantic aspect of life. If you feel like this type of music is “too girly” for you, try to abandon your prejudices and give them a chance. Follow the feelings, not the stereotypes.

First, the visuals were amazing. They really made the lighting part of the show perfectly match the emotions of their songs. I was especially impressed by the “Arată-te” neon sign placed in front of the drums, which looked stunning in the middle of the pink scene. Another thing that stole the show was the glittery bass guitar, off of which I could not take my eyes away from.

Although I was slightly familiar with their music, I discovered some songs I will definitely be blasting in my headphones from now on. Basically, their whole “INvulnerabili” album is pure gold, but my favorite songs have to be “Hai să ne complicăm puțin!” and “Arată-te.” The quality of the sound was top-notch, not falling into either of the deadly sins of rock concerts: being too loud or being too quiet. They were just loud enough for the type of music they play, which made the experience that much more enjoyable. 

During this show, they debuted their new single “Scut și Armă,” along with a music video made for it. The song is about rejecting the overly common way of raising girls, which is to look pretty, not say anything rude, and always follow the rules. The video consists of different shots of women, alternating between grayscale and deep red for different parts of the song. The projection of the video over the band members looked spectacular, and while musically it is calmer than other songs, the message hidden in the lyrics is a very powerful one. 

To conclude, Rockabella does something very few artists manage to do, which is to properly express a specific type of emotion. They made me acknowledge a type of emotion I never thought about before. If that is not good art, then I don’t know what is. For that, I remain eternally grateful.