Rock Monsters Romania

Text and photos by Ionela Pleșan

When was the last time you felt like you needed a specific concert?

I felt this with the launch concert of the ”Ritm Color” album by Delta pe Obraz. It happened on March 7th, on a busy day and during a busy period, I thoroughly enjoyed this launch. I don’t know if it makes sense to tell you how much I love Delta pe Obraz.

I arrived at the tireless Expirat on Thursday evening with a craving for music that speaks to the soul and emotions. This time I had my crew with me. I brought my friends, one of them being from Chișinău, and we landed at my usual spot in Expirat, in front of the stage to the right near the bar.

The group of friends I came with was a bit skeptical, especially my clinical psychologist colleague. We had listened to Delta pe Obraz in the office and her conclusion was: “These guys are too sad; why are they so sad?” It remains to be seen if her perception changed after the concert. 

The night started off cheerfully with Diana Căldăraru trying to set the mood, and in a way, she succeeded. Yes, I don’t think she fits with Delta pe Obraz, but it was a nice moment to start with. I sang along with the girls, had fun, and joked around.

Then came the boys from Delta pe Obraz, followed by screams from the audience. Delta pe Obraz already has passionate fans in Bucharest, alongside Bogdan Munteanu and Cristina Choleva, their managers. At least two girls who I always see at Delta pe Obraz concerts, who know all the lyrics and wear their merch. The novelty of the “Ritm Color” tour was the replacement of Andrei Glăvan with Nikita Tsurkan, but this replacement surely has its meaning and purpose, especially since Glăvan was in the audience filming the boys like a proud father at a children’s end-of-year celebration. 

I also attended the listening party for the album at J’ai Bistrot and listened to it at home on CD, so I was somewhat prepared and ready to see what nuances the songs, which I’ve heard on CD, would bring live.

As Gheorghe says in the intro: ‘“ Am pornit în cautarea unei sărăcii sătul de o avere care nu-mi aparține (…) Ei au gloanțe, tu ai litere și curaj. Epuizează-ți rezervele, epuzează-ți frica.”

With that being said, I embarked on the journey into the world of Delta pe Obraz and more precisely into the launch of their first album titled ‘Ritm Color’.

They started with the song that gives the album its title, “Ritmul meu color.”

Why is it important for each of us to have a colorful rhythm and to find at least someone who understands this colorful rhythm and beats with us on the same rhythm? Gheorghe Gușan tells us through this song. What I really liked about the live version of this song was how the vocals blended with the instruments, it seemed like a whole rather than two separate parts. The guitar played instead of Gheorghe and Gheorghe sang instead of the guitar.

“Plecare dulce să ai

Resemanare și liniște să-mi dai

Venire ușoară să am

Să-l ții lângă tine chiar dacă-l chemam”

People who have “had enough” of poetry and want music that serves everything on a platter and tells them how and what to feel will certainly not identify with these lyrics or will certainly not like Delta pe Obraz, but that’s the beauty of music. It doesn’t have to please everyone.

Do I like Delta pe Obraz because they’re sad? Maybe. Do I like Delta pe Obraz because they always make me ponder and think? Definitely.

They finished the song amidst a round of applause. The video for “Ritmul meu color” is set to be released on April 16th at Club Control, See you there.

They continued with “Nu mă ating,” a song you can also find online, and no, it’s not about monitors. It’s about you, even if you don’t realize it, and it’s a song that searches for you and how to react to everything happening outside your safe place, your safe place where it’s just you with yourself from here and “ în groapa mea turnați beton în loc de apa”.

But the question somehow remains: have I somehow touched you or not? The audience hummed along to the song’s lyrics and seemed happy that they at least heard this song live.

Next came the song “Alt Nume,” one of my favorites from Delta pe Obraz’s debut album. But hey, why do I like it so much? It puts me in a state where I’m afraid to go alone usually and makes me think what if. What if he had reacted, what if I had reacted, what if things had happened differently and if they called us differently, would we still be us or not, but as the song says, “strange-mă în pumni, cântărește-mă, uită ce era scris, iubește-mă” it didn’t happen.

What happened during this song surprised me a lot. The audience went silent and was in a trance, everyone teleporting to another place, and I’d give anything to know where each person in Expirat was at that moment.

They moved on to the song “Carne,” and if I said in the album review that this song sounds groovy recorded, listen to it live to see how it is. The guitar and drums go straight to your heart, with a sharp guitar that seems reluctant to be the star but somehow succeeds. The audience was caught by the rhythm, moving along with the song. Everyone was caught up in the atmosphere and sound, even my skeptical friends, whom I brought to convince that Delta pe Obraz is what they need. This song has a very controlled vibe somehow; it’s galloping infantry, some steps that you can still hear trotting. Everyone was nodding their heads and seemed to be in a Delta pe Obraz trance. It was a very good moment, and I have nothing to comment on.

“ Fluturi” also took over Expirat, and everyone sang in unison:”I-ați fluturii cu tine, doar știi ca-s prea frumoși să îmbătrânească lângă mine” it was evident that this was the most wanted song from Delta pe Obraz, but what I liked the most about this song was that Nikita and Ilia accompanied each other every second and everything sounded very good, like a continuous cry and call that is always there and continues to seek to forget that thing or person, the misery.

They continued with songs like “Invită-mă în casă,” “Epitaf,” “Moarte.” There was a moment when the magic lights at Expirat turned on and began to move above the audience, creating a beautiful play of lights and an intimate atmosphere even though there were many souls there.

When they reached the song “Calci,” one of my favorites, silence fell and we began to listen to how the exercise of strength called Delta pe Obraz unfolds. This song also has a march vibe, and by repeating the word ‘Calci’ it pushes you even further into a trance. I don’t know about you, but I realized a lot during this song. What if I’ve been stepping with my left foot since I can remember, and apparently everyone steps with their right foot but steps on my feet with their right foot.

We also reached “Obuze” where everyone wishes good luck to Mr. Putin, and it ends with some drums on a cool and alert rhythm. With this song, you realize if the audience has been to Delta pe Obraz concerts before or if they’ve listened to them before. You see their reactions and immediately catch on, but it’s great to see their faces during this song.

They continued with the song “Strigă,” and it was evident that the audience still needed them and hadn’t had enough. In my opinion, the lyrics explore both individuality and the dynamics of a relationship, but in an unconventional way. They use strong metaphors that provoke reflection, and I particularly like the sound of the guitar and bass in this melody. The song seems like the kind you sit down and get lost in thoughts, but in the end, it surprises you with the conclusion that the author still refuses to become the person they have become.

The concert ended with the outro declaring that he wants to become a free man, leaving you as a witness to an album that is hard to digest if you’re not in the mood to think. It’s not easy to understand if you don’t come with an open heart and your brain on a platter. It’s an album with a powerful message that reaches where it needs to if you let it.

What conclusion did my friends reach? Now it makes sense why they are so sad, and actually, they’re not sad. They’re somewhat realistic.

You’ll definitely see me in April at Control crying and screaming for Delta pe Obraz, but until then, give them a like on Facebook, follow them on Instagram, and listen to their music, and if you want their vinyl “Ritm Color,” help them in their crowdfunding campaign.

See ya in front of the stage!