Witness

4th May 2000 - Blackpool Tower Ballroom (supporting Embrace)

  As a support group you are always doomed in two ways. Firstly, in playing to somebody else’s crowd and secondly being limited to a small selection of your musical output.

  But Witness took the chance in giving a most promising preview of their forthcoming album which seems to be even more varied than their debut album.

  The five new songs they are playing tonight are altogether more up-tempo and rockier and first seem to stand in a contrast to the songs of ‘Before The Calm’. There’s still the sweet melancholy and whispering resignation of ‘So Far Gone’, but on the other hand the dynamic rage of ‘Don’t Suffer Fools’ (working title), tonight’s opener, or the guitar-flooded, psychedelic piece of music that is ‘Wake Down’, the song closing their 30-minute set.

  You firmly get the impression that where the band earlier seemed not only to be unobtrusive but almost reserved, they are now coming more and more out of their shell, confronting the world with what they have to say. However, they still don’t do it in a showy and overbearing way like some of their contemporaries do.

  You realize that Witness will never aspire to the ordinary as they are having their own uncompromising vision of the world. A band inspiring rather than bawling out their issues. But will you only notice if you listen carefully.

  Witness might not (yet) have the mass appeal of tonight’s headlining act but if you keep your head and heart in the right direction, you will not have to worry about your feet.

                                                                                                                          Daniela Hoecke

View Setlist

Back to Gig Reviews                              Back to Gigography