While unknown to many outside of Poland, I'm sure, post-rock band Tides From Nebula is a Polish institution. Formed in 2008, the band led the charge of a short-lived spate of instrumental rock bands. While most of those bands fell away, my own included, Tides From Nebula continued to outlast them all.
Returning from a hiatus of five years with a new album, their 6th studio record, Instant Rewards. The album was produced by the band and released on their own label, Nebula Records. Supporting the album, Tides From Nebula stepped out of the studio and embarked on a full European tour at the tail-end of last year.
Accompanying Tides... on tour was another Polish instrumental-rock band, the awkwardly-named In2Elements, from Rybnik. The 3-piece was decent enough, though, if you know how easily I slip into hyperbole when describing music I enjoy, you'll recognise this wasn't my cup of tea. Despite the band's efforts, the performance lacked strong dynamics - a must for this genre of music; the moments of expected distorted catharsis going off like a damp firework. To be fair to the band, Progresja is a great venue to play when full, when the audience responds, and the musicians can feed from that. When the room is slow to fill though, the support band can feel it. Maybe I'll see them again sometime.
In contrast, the room was close to capacity when Tides From Nebula took to the stage and the anticipation and excitement of the audience was palpable. The band opened their set with Burned to the Ground, the first song of the new album, with slow-burning synthesisers before a rocket-crash of explosive distortion and drums. That's how you do it. The opener set the standard for the show and it continues to surprise me how a 3-piece (the band amicably parted with their guitarist, Adam Waleszyński in 2019) can sound so big. Tides From Nebula ended their set with guitarist Maciek Karbowski joining the fans in the audience, something that is becoming a regular feature of their shows.
All in all, a tremendous show to bring the tour to a close.
By the time you read this, I'll be in the air, on my way to Scotland to cover Mogwai's launch show on Friday for their new album, The Bad Fire, and some shows at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow. Before Mogwai, I have Bernard Butler tonight at Oran Mór, if I don’t miss my connecting flight in Amsterdam, that is! After, I have Sacred Paws at Drygate Brewing Co, Lake Street Dive at the Old Fruit Market, and then next Wednesday, BMX Bandits at Saint Luke's. And that's just January. Many more Tinnitus Diaries to come.
And Finally…
After a long break, the next in the series of Photos, mostly essays will be back next week. Tune in for that on Wednesday 29th of January.
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These are fantastic! I so want to photograph bands in this way! Inspiring!
Gritty, contrasty and dynamic. Really suits the subject matter perfectly IMO.