Rock Monsters Romania

Day 2 of Europavox began for me with waiting for an Uber to avoid being late for the Plant concert, which was starting right on time. And what do you know… I was 10 minutes late. I encountered a typical Bucharest driver who rolled up the window and cursed at the other traffic participants; it was hilarious.

Why did I desire so much to see Plant live? I’ve been following them since the beginning of last year, and they are part of that wave of young bands that resonate with Gen Z simply because they are themselves. I arrived at Control and went straight to “my spot” on the right side of the stage near the bar, right in front of the vocalist Sergiu Frățilă. 

Plant consists of Sergiu Frățilă on guitar and vocals, Teodor Sindrilaru on drums, and Dan Cugiu on bass. It’s interesting to me that I’m about the same age as the members of the band, yet it feels like we’re spinning in completely different worlds. Whenever I take a break, I check out what those kids from Plant have come up with. At Control, they had their fanbase with them: youngsters in Plant t-shirts who knew the lyrics by heart. Plant sounds somewhat raw, but it’s a controlled rawness that knows how far to go and how seriously to take itself. I liked that the bassist, Dan, really has attitude and speaks up too; usually, in classic bands, only the vocalist speaks, but in this band of youngsters, everyone gets involved. Teo even plays drums in his socks, with his sneakers taking pride of place next to the drum set.

They have a cool energy and fit together well. Even though their lyrics are raw, their songs have a unique energy that makes you want to mosh if you have the right people around you. Of course, Plant finished their set with the intergalactic hit “Dan Negru.” Unfortunately, I didn’t find Dan Negru at Control, but who knows. Maybe next time.

Then came the Greeks from Sugar for the Pill, who didn’t impress me at all. You could tell they were very emotional, and I liked that about them the most, but otherwise, I can’t say much. The vocals seemed just to be there, and the drums only occasionally brought out the situation. The instrumental parts seemed like a continuous thing that could go on forever. Just so you don’t think I was the only one being harsh, I asked several people about Sugar for the Pill, and their conclusions were similar to mine. But who knows, maybe we were just the ones who didn’t get it and weren’t on the same vibe as them.

On the other hand, the Belgians from Ada Oda changed the game. While everyone was standing and listening during Sugar for the Pill, at Ada Oda, the whole crowd was moving. They created such a great atmosphere in such a short time that I have no words to thank them. I didn’t expect everything I disliked before to turn into something I enjoyed so much.

All the band members were there to have fun, and it showed. The guitarists interacted with each other and with the vocalist, and even though I didn’t understand a word of what they were singing, everyone was in sync with the vibe.

Heads were nodding, hands were clapping, and people were swaying. At one point, the madness moved to the center of the Berlin Hall when the vocalist and guitarists joined the audience, forming a circle of people who were dancing, shouting, and having fun together. They finished their set with fantastic energy, and I can’t wait to see them live again, just them, in a concert.

The evening was closed by Jadu Heart, a band from the UK. It felt like during Jadu Heart’s performance, we all calmed down and just listened. Their sound seemed a bit like it was taken from the HBO series Euphoria, but I liked it. It was more serene and vibey, although I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish the madness from Ada Oda had continued. We ended the evening slowly, but with cool vibes and happy people.

Conclusion? I recommend you go to Europavox wherever you catch the festival. It brings you so many different genres and diverse artists that you can’t get bored. Plus, you’ll discover new music that might become your guilty pleasure in the future.

(The full review of Day 1 can be found HERE.)

Text and photos by Ionela Pleșan