Rock Monsters Romania

How strongly can a childhood passion follow you into adulthood  to the point where you’re still practicing it today? I sometimes do that with the abstract things that surround me, losing myself for hours in acrylic colors. I love finding people who do what they love, even when it’s not exactly conventional. I don’t think it’s about breaking all boundaries, but rather having the courage to say “fuck it, this is what I love, and this is what I do.”

I’ll admit, it’s not always easy. But when I meet people who actually live that way, I find it absolutely fascinating. I know two people who are obsessed with Halloween, one I’ve known for almost ten years, and he’s been making his own costumes since kindergarten, sewing them at a tailor’s shop in a small, judgmental town. The other one I know from the local scene (yeah, I just used that cliché expression shoot me). Daniel has been organizing a Halloween party-concert for four years now, and every year I start hearing about it as early as August, when I ask my friends what we’re doing this fall.

I’m not sure if my group still goes for the music itself or for the atmosphere and for the fact that once a year we get to dress up as Patti Smith, Bella from Twilight, the nurse from the Blink-182 album, or The Old Guitarist from Picasso’s painting. This year, I think I’ll go as the new Totorro album. How exactly, we’ll see.

Coming back to Halloween and what it means to each of us  I talked with D.E.N.I.S. and Plant about what this holiday and this concert mean to them.

Halloween Bash 2025 is taking place at Control, where it’s been held for the past two years; the very first Halloween concert in this format happened at Club Sims. It’s one of my favorite spots in Bucharest, mostly because it’s so random and has an energy that’s as weird as it is wonderful. From the Mickey and Minnie cutouts on the walls to the slot machines and the bartender who’s always happy to pour you a shot of țuică and if you’re a foreigner, even better, he gets twice as friendly. Last time I went with a few friends, one of whom was Italian, and the guy at Simis was absolutely thrilled about him. He seemed like he was trying to show his entire world the whole “Simis concept”  in five minutes flat, because he still had other customers waiting.

The question about Halloween always somehow lingers: why do we only show who we really are once a year? How far can our imagination go when we stop judging each other, stop whispering behind our backs for better or worse? It’s like an Olympics of transformation  who can become their truest self and leave all inhibitions at home.

On Halloween, no one’s stuck in parasocial relationships, assuming things about you from the internet they actually get to see you, and your costume. A costume that can be the most obvious thing ever, or the nerdiest. I love the whole vibe around Halloween from throwing parties to preparing costumes and decorations, and seeing people so happy and smiling with a fake knife stuck to their head.

And since one of those people who’s always happiest around Halloween is Daniel Boiangiu, I talked to him and his crew about this event, why they still organize it, and what this celebration really means to them.

Photo by: isopatrusute

Where do you think your obsession with Halloween really comes from? Is it an external influence, or a deeper need, something that only this time of year allows you to express?

Daniel: For me, Halloween has been a very special time of year ever since I was a little kid. First of all, it’s when I can share my love for old horror movies with friends and/or family (and more recently, on stage). Secondly, autumn has always been a season of transition and major changes for me. Even though this time of year can feel really heavy sometimes, that mix of excitement and fear fits perfectly with the spooky-and-fun personality of the holiday. Things tend to connect on a deeper, almost spiritual level during this season.

What does Halloween mean to you now beyond the costumes and decorations? Is it a state of mind, a ritual, a form of personal expression?

Daniel: I’ve always loved dressing up, so Halloween is the perfect excuse to do that on a bigger scale (hence the “Costume Required” note on the Halloween Bash poster). I encourage everyone who’ll be at our show on the night of the 31st to experiment with their costumes  to disguise themselves as any character they want for one night and see how it feels to live in a new skin. You can definitely look at it as a personal ritual.

P.S. It’s also the perfect excuse to force my friends to watch the most disgusting, cheesy, and violent horror movies with me.

How did it all start four years ago at Simis, and what keeps you going today?

Do you feel like Halloween has evolved along with you?

Daniel: The 2022 show at Simis will forever be one of my favorites. Every bit of stress and every gray hair that went into making that magical night happen was completely worth it. The venue, the crowd, the costumes  I still remember PLANT dressing up as Ed, Edd and Eddy. It was absolutely divine. I was overjoyed and literally glowing for weeks after that show. Anyone who was there knows exactly what I mean!

Halloween has definitely evolved with me, especially as the show itself has grown bigger every year  along with everything behind it: props, costumes, décor, and special moments. I can happily say that 2025 is the first year I’m not paralyzed by anxiety while preparing for the show so I guess that’s a good sign of progress!

How much of yourself do you put into everything that happens during this time of year? If you had to break it down how much is passion, how much is pressure, and how much is the need to create something real that truly represents you?

Daniel: As I mentioned earlier, Halloween is something very personal and dear to me, so there’s no way I don’t pour a lot of myself into this event. I channel all my love for music and horror films into one single night each year, and I’m convinced the audience can feel that “labour of love.” People in the crowd might not see all the work happening behind the scenes, but they definitely feel it the moment we step on stage.I want the line between reality and fantasy to completely blur on October 31st in the Berlin Room at Control. Come see for yourselves!

Denis xox

And to paint a fuller picture of what Halloween means to each of them, I also talked with Gabi, Marat, and Yunus.

Photo by: Toma Hurduc

How do each of you experience the Halloween season in your own way? What does it bring out in you, what does it take away, and what moves you  creatively and mentally  throughout this whole process?

Marat: I don’t really celebrate Halloween all that much. I like it a lot but I used to love it more as a kid. In Moldova it wasn’t celebrated all that much. I guess at the time when I was a kid it was seen as  exclusive to more countries of the west than the east.

Gabi: For me Halloween was always a nice concept but I didn’t give it that much thought. I like the “party” because you get to see all your friends come up with clever costumes and makeup. It really brings a lot of creativity from people! 

What part of you comes alive when you get on stage during this time of year? Is it more about joy, pressure, catharsis, or release?

Marat: Now it’s like any other show. It’s very nice we have this annual thing. I feel very honoured by it.

Gabi: It feels a bit special because it’s something that started really DIY, one of our first shows that we ever did to feature all of our instruments and backline from our rehearsal space. The first one will always have a special place in my heart. Right now seeing how it’s grown, it feels a bit more interesting than a regular show and you can definitely see the people really enjoy it. 

After all these years, what has Halloween come to mean for you as a group? Is it a tradition, a promise, a shared form of art  or simply that one time of year when you feel the most pressure to perform?

Marat: It’s a fun thing. Hopefully it continues. It’s something special to do to get away from life’s daily responsibilities and routines.

Gabi: I think we will always keep this tradition just because it’s something we’ve assimilated through Daniel at first and then became ours as well. It’s also one of the few shows in which we include covers from other bands so don’t miss it! 

It’s your first Halloween with the band. What’s the vibe like for you so far? Do you feel more excited, curious, or overwhelmed?

Yunus: I’m thrilled to be on stage with the boys on All Hallows’ Eve for this special show. I am excited to perform this spooky set that I’m sure will get everyone pumped. 

What are you expecting from the night of October 31st? What do you imagine you’ll feel when you’re there, part of the whole show, right in the middle of it all?

Yunus: Emotions running wild that’s for sure. I love the energy that I feel when performing on stage and I wish to give back that same energy, even more, for everyone present. It is a pleasure and a privilege for me and I can’t wait!

Everything seems to come alive during this time, and everyone tests their creativity. From costumes like Plants vs. Zombies to a Templar knight, and even an Egyptian mummy  but since this event features two bands, I also asked Plant a few questions.

Photo by: Toma Hurduc

How did you join this project? Was it a coincidence, a challenge, or a moment when something in you resonated with the energy of the idea? When you look back at Simis, four years ago, does it feel like everything was more chaotic, freer?

PLANT: The idea came from Denis, and we were very receptive since we’re passionate about horror media (especially classic horror films). Simis, Bash ‘22 was definitely much more chaotic, and we’re very grateful to everyone involved in organizing, costumes, filming. At the same time, the shows at Control give us much more freedom to focus on the presentation, and we’re grateful for that too.

What place does Halloween actually hold for you? Is it a real passion, a kind of personal ritual, or more of a collective energy that grabs you every autumn and keeps bringing you back?

PLANT: The holiday has a special meaning because it’s still somewhat new in Romanian culture, and that gives us the chance to shape it for the needs of our generation. I think what makes us come back is the nature of a themed show, where the audience also has a chance to express themselves through their costumes.

Do you feel the Halloween show has grown along with you? Has it become a mirror of how you’ve changed as artists and as people? How much of yourself is still reflected in what you create now compared to the beginning?

PLANT: The show has probably grown a bit over the years, but from the band’s perspective it still feels just as fun and silly to prepare as the first edition (which was much more DIY). We still take care of the costumes and décor ourselves, the graphics on posters, stickers, posts, etc. So there’s a lot of our personality in everything we do related to the event.

After all these years, what does Halloween mean to you as a group? Is it a tradition, a moment that binds you, or more of a time when you pour all the pressure and emotion into what you do? What has surprised you most so far  the people in front of you or the way you’ve changed in the meantime?

PLANT: For us, I’d say it’s a form of escapism, a chance to do a slightly different concert. As an independent band, we play our original songs at most concerts to promote them. We’re a band that focuses a lot on original material.

Well, for this Halloween show, we pick some songs, part of our influences, whether or not they relate to the costumes. Each year we try to change a few things, we don’t always play the same set. We like to surprise people with the cover songs we choose. And it’s a good chance to join forces with our friends from D.E.N.I.S. for this show.

Now that you’ve heard what each band thinks about the whole Halloween concept and what’s about to happen at Control, all that’s left is for you to come to Control on October 31st. The show has been sold out for a few days, but with luck and perseverance, maybe you can grab a ticket from a friend who got struck by the Halloween curse and can’t make it.

See you tonight. I’ll be the girl with the cardboard on her. See you in a bit!

Article and Interview by Ionela Pleșan