Rock Monsters Romania

Photo by Ionela Pleșan

Very rarely do I truly enjoy concerts in recent years. It’s because I always have something to comment on—disagreements, a missed note, poor sound, the bass isn’t audible, the speakers sound like they’re cracking—but last night, I didn’t care at all about any of these things. Last night at Control, I saw some very emotional but also excited kids who had the chance to play again at one of the traditional venues in Bucharest, but above all, they were thrilled to see so many people enjoying and listening to them.

I admit that lately, all I do is discover and listen to small bands from the local underground scene, and I drag people with me wherever I go. I shared this concert almost for a month and talked about it with every random person I met, and the reason is simple: these are kids just starting out, who truly deserve it and sound great. They’re not one of those average bands—they let themselves experiment, and that’s what I like. Even if it might not sound great or it’s a crazy idea, at least they try, and they don’t keep bringing the same tired riffs and the same drums you hear everywhere, from random ads to big stages with worn-out Romanian and international bands.

Yesterday, October 11th, the kids from Getchoo launched their first album at Control. It’s a huge achievement for this type of band to launch their album there and not in a basement with questionable sound or in a tiny venue with 50 people crammed together. Today, the day after the concert, I realized I needed to write down everything I felt or thought about what I saw last night.

Artwork by Sergiu Frățilă

Getchoo started as a DIY project, made by Victor in his living room, and this story feels so familiar to me, having friends who started the same way. The kind of “I wanted to experiment, I had nowhere to record, so I messed around in my room, recording vocals and guitar in an apartment in a communist block with not-so-happy neighbors, but who were the first listeners of the final product.” It all began in 2023 as a solo project, with Victor recording the first Getchoo EP at home. From a solo project, it evolved into a full band with Daniel on bass, Bucur on guitar, and David on drums.

What fascinates me about these kids is that they don’t limit themselves and still seem to have the guts to try. I first saw David with Private Verganza, where I loved his energy—it was something I hadn’t seen in a long time, not even in the so-called big bands of the Romanian underground. I met Daniel after a strange concert in Underworld, where he told me about what he does, and I’ve been following all his projects since. I’m not shy to say that Daniel is one of the best bassists we have right now. What this kid can do with a bass and his influences and references aren’t comparable to the classic story of half the bassists in Romania: “I was playing guitar, the band needed a bassist, so they put me on bass.” Daniel is impressive with what he does on bass, and you can see that in Taxawal, a project I’ve been following since last year, which has gone through many changes, but I hope it continues because those kids also sound incredible. Bucur can play both guitar and drums, and he does it very well. It seems difficult to switch from strings to sticks, but this kid does it and does it very well, and again, we come back to the theme of this article, if you will, the fact that they don’t limit themselves. No one in this sphere seems to limit themselves to anything. They don’t set obstacles for themselves or start with “this surely won’t work,” they just try, and if it doesn’t work out, so be it, but at least they don’t live with that ‘what if.’ Victor is the guy I run into at every small underground concert. From shows at Filaret, Sims, or I-auzi una, this kid is always there, having fun, but also learning things, or at least that’s how it seems to me. Plus, he seems like the biggest supporter of this wave of bands that sound amazing and want to be heard by more people. The people I’m writing about here are entities who allow themselves to be vulnerable, and that comes through in what they write, whether in lyrics or instrumentals. They are kids in the true sense of the word, freshly starting college and with hopes from a rotten system they’ve entered, and I find it interesting how all these experiences are intentionally or unintentionally woven into the music they make.

Photo by Alex I

“WILL” is Getchoo’s debut album, which you can find on all streaming platforms, and I’m listening to it right now as I write this. I’m listening to “Today, Tomorrow” at the moment, and this is another positive sign. Because after every concert I write about, I have a ritual. If I start writing and I’m playing the band in the background and haven’t gotten tired of listening to them, it means I really liked them. Which is the case here. WILL has 10 songs that summarize these kids’ experiences but also the boldness they have to experiment. You can hear both their influences and their guts.

Coming back to last night’s concert, everything felt just right. The Getchoo kids were very emotional—you could see it on their faces throughout the show, which I found very refreshing and beautiful because I’m tired of going to concerts where the band is blank, suppressing their emotions and moods, and acting like robots. I’m probably writing this out of some inner frustration because bands like this aren’t promoted as they should be or don’t know how to promote themselves, and it really annoys me. I’m tired of so-called music journalists, radio people, music channels, etc., always promoting the same three bands or artists who sound the same, who don’t allow themselves to experiment, or worse. Music made in 1800 autumn—yes, we all love Pink Floyd, but let’s evolve a bit and also promote what has come out after 2020, for example. I’d be so happy to hear these kids on the radio more often, for instance, instead of the same tired song from AC/DC or Nicu Alifantis, because it’s autumn, and the guy’s music from long-gone times fits the weather. Even in the folk scene, for example, we have new people who deserve promotion, but what can you do when the same old person who’s been around for 30+ years sells better, and you don’t want to give a chance to a new artist starting out who doesn’t just sing “A venit, a venit toamna” and writes lyrics like those from a 4th-grade composition with autumn’s carpet of rusty leaves.

Getchoo played their album in full at Control, in the same order as it’s online—what you find on Spotify was the same order at the concert. The audience was ecstatic after every song, and even though the average age was around 20, everything felt very natural and unforced. These kids were there to have fun, while the ‘older’ ones stayed in the back, giving their opinions. I moved around the entire Berlin room, filming stories or stopping at one point because the energy of the people there was infectious. The sound was good from every spot, with headphones on, of course, because I still want to hear music 20 years from now. The crowd chanted their names, they were emotional, they had this cool awkwardness in how they coordinated with each other, and even in the moments between songs when they spoke. They also seemed very grateful for what was happening to them. They thanked the folks from PLANT and D.E.N.I.S. for their support—by the way, the traditional Halloween concert with PLANT and D.E.N.I.S. is coming up, hope to see you there, I’ll be taking attendance.

Photo by Alex I

Back to Getchoo, everything went as it should. Everyone seemed happy, enjoying every chord, and despite their emotions and awkwardness, the boys seemed to enjoy the crowd and its energy. At one point, Sergiu Frățilă from PLANT, Cava Doro, and his solo project Sergiu F., got on stage—he released a superb EP, by the way, and I’m so angry more people don’t talk about it because it’s all about how it feels to be lost in your 20s. From crowd surfing to headbanging, we had it all at this concert. The random people I brought to the concert seemed very happy with everything. Even if I’m a little or big hater, depending on the occasion, was satisfied. I enjoyed their joy and the joy of everyone there. These kids are my discovery of 2024. They have enormous potential, and I hope they take advantage of it and that I see them as often as possible in venues like Control, releasing material, or simply promoting their work online.

Photo by Alex I

I think it’s really cool how Getchoo has found a place in my playlist alongside Geordie Greep, Deerhoof, or Fontaines D.C. I believe in these kids, I like these kids, and I try to promote them as much as I can. I believe in the music they make, and I’m very happy and proud that we have this kind of artist on the local scene. Artists who aren’t stuck in the same repetitive 2-3 random words over an instrumental or the same tired instrumental for three albums in a row. I feel like they bring a fresh vibe, and I’ve reached the point where I can say that silly phrase, ‘this young generation,’—this young generation is on the right track, and I can’t wait to see what they do next and at what concerts I’ll catch them.

As a final recommendation from a hater who loves to write and listen to music, give these kids a chance, and not just them, but everyone from this underground scene—the real underground—because there are some great vibes and sounds that deserve to be heard and promoted. See you at the next Ghetchoo concerts.

Review by Ionela Pleșan