Faces On TV and all its faces – live in Osnabrück

Some of you might recognize Faces On TV as Balthazar’s support act during their last European tour or as the producer of their latest album, Fever. We saw Jasper for the first time in Bucharest, at Club Control at the end of February. We loved his performance so much that we had to see him again with his entire band made up of three other members. So our roads led us to Germany, in Osnabrück, at the Popsalon festival.

The lights change, the intro begins and the stage dives in smoke. From behind, four silhouettes make their way to the stage and kick off the concert with the first song, “Looking Glass”. The distance between us and them can still be felt, maybe also due to the lyrics “Looking through a looking glass” that somehow still place the artists somewhere far. A good segment of the public was there for the festival, but as soon as the second song kicked in, people from around the bar joined our party. Satisfaction could definitely be read on the band’s faces. To win the crowd, the lead singer jumps from the stage and makes his way to the back of the room. Some eye contact, some moves and also some guitar solos took over everyone there. People who were just observing before bounce their heads by now and also dance to songs like “Call Me Up” or “Night Funeral”.

foto: Shamrockraver Photography

foto: Shamrockraver Photography

One of the biggest surprises was the moving performance of “Tell Me”; “I will sing a sad song now” says the frontman while the rest of the band is leaving the stage. “It’s the kind of song that keeps you quiet” he continues to say, suggesting everyone should stop talking. Little by little, the crowd gives in. As his hand slides on the neck of the guitar, the smoke rises and the time seems to stop. Trapped in the weight of the moment we don’t even realise that Dienne, Klaas and Sander are back and that the next song begins. The four of them complete each other perfectly especially while performing “The Image Of Boy Wonder”.

Dienne Bogaerts contrasts Jasper’s voice and also adds those effects to the song that makes it so different sonically. Going from one instrument to another you also see her playing the flute and the oboe. With Jasper Maekelberg’s (or Boy Wonder as we also like to call him) voice, guitar and decision to change the lyrics of the song, there needs to be someone that still keeps the sound grounded. The bass player, Sander Verstraete, does that in a creative way while maintaining the weight of it. Also the drummer, Klaas De Somer, never hesitates to add those trembles to his drumming. But we are not surprised, we already know Klaas quite well from J. Bernardt’s concerts, seen again and again in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca.

foto: Shamrockraver Photography

foto: Shamrockraver Photography

Some uncommon instruments, that we still have no idea what to call, are waiting patiently to be used. They make their way in Jasper’s hands during “Suspicious” and keep us dancing. We sadly realise that the time allocated to Faces on TV seems to have passed at an abnormal speed. “Love/Dead” marks the ending of a way too short concert.  What other song could be closing the setlist in a better way? It is a mixture between club and alternative music and at the end, the last few lyrics lift you up like a roller coaster, just so you can come back to reality.

Honestly, Faces On TV has the kind of music that has freedom in it and also a beautiful mixture of genres. They melt together and create this space that allows you to let go without the risk of being judged by anyone. Artists that make you feel comfortable to move in your own way and have the kind of songs that encourage that will always give the best concerts. After all, we all need those small escapes from our daily life.

foto: Shamrockraver Photography

Therefore, we cannot wait to see them again. Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca are on their list of places where they wish to perform (again) and we believe that the public who is already won over after the two solo concerts in Bucharest will warmly welcome them.

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