Review: Prāta Vētra (Brainstorm) gig in Riga, Skonto Stadium
17.08.2012
It’s a band that doesn’t need any further explanations in their home country Latvia; a band that started in 1989 when five childhood friends formed it in their hometown Jelgava; a band that became internationally popular with the catchy and melodic My Star after performed in Eurovision Song Contest in 2000; a band that easily fills their concert venues breaking records in Latvian music scene; a band that is still active in 2012 and played their final gig of concert tour Vēl viena klusā daba (named after their latest album in Latvian) on 17th of August at Skonto football stadium in Riga. Ladies and gentlemen, Prāta Vētra or internationally known as Brainstorm once again showed that their songs – old or new – are remarkable experience when performed live and accompanied with much more than what we understand by music – visual and sound effects, flying in space, different guests to adorn the stage, surprises one after another. Yes, this is Prāta Vētra.
Vēl viena klusā daba (Another Still Life) is the band’s 12th album released in Latvian after four years gap. As always a tour is a very organic follow-up in their home country Latvia to perform the songs live. Jelgava, Ventspils, Saldus, Valmiera, Preiļi and finally Riga – those were the six venues where Prāta Vētra played this summer starting on 26th of July in their native Jelgava. Concerts for Latvian audience are very special, something that is meant for Latvians and performed in Latvian, Renārs Kaupers has said in one of the interviews. However, those are not only Latvians who have caught this feeling. It’s not the first time when Prāta Vētra gigs in their home country welcome their numerous faithful fans from Lithuania, Estonia, Norway, Finland, Poland, Germany, Russia, Czech Republic and other countries, as well as this year - international competition winners from America and Russia.
Though Prāta Vētra came on the stage at 21.30, the gates were open already from 17.30 and the visitors could enjoy the supporting acts or the ‘special guests’ as the guys from Prāta Vētra usually call them. DJ Toms Grēviņš brought us to the indie world while the local band The Sound Poets played lyrical and melodic pop-songs from their repertoire mostly in Latvian. After their emotional performance it’s half an hour left till we see the evening’s main heroes: they come on a stage as the 5 minute countdown has been passed and start with Mēles, a song from their newest album which is accompanied by fume flames suddenly appearing on the stage as if magic current conjured with the lead singer Renārs Kaupers’ hands. Already with the first assertive rhythms Prāta Vētra and Renārs Kaupers very naturally establishes the connection with the audience. The lead singer thanks for the warm welcome and wishes it to be a fantastic evening for each and every.
The following concert is divided into three parts where the first one focused on the songs from the latest album. The fresh compositions are also mixed with the songs from the previous albums thus we get to hear the energetic Kaķēns, kurš atteicās no jūras skolas (The Kitten who didn’t want to give up), as well as Bronza (They Know How to Do It Well) which is perceived with the first guests on the stage – Latvian Olympic BMX team and Māris Štrombergs who has just returned with gold from London Olympic Games. Because of the remarkable event, as well as the bronze medal that was also gained in Olympics (in beach volleyball) Renārs even fitted the lyrics of the song that mentions bronze and gold anyway so that it is ‘We have got the gold, and also bronze’ (‘Mums tak ir zelts un arī bronza’).
In the first part of the concert the band keeps on mixing old and new songs, fast and slower ones, such as Šonakt neguļ tik daudzi (So Low Lullaby), Ja tikai uz mani tu paskatītos (Your Call), Ko tu vēl domā?(Don’t You Get It), Lapsa (When Nightlife Covers the Daylight), as well as two songs in Russian – Skoļskije Uļici and Na Zare. That ends with band members leaving the stage and keeping the audience puzzled while offering them to watch a short movie about Prāta Vētra members flying in the space. Dressed as astronauts they get into a spacecraft and fly up there into the unknown and mysterious. The audience patiently follows their restricted moves (as being in the space) at the time enjoying the funny and amusing movie they have made, and soon the spaceship is back with Prāta Vētra musicians in the same white spacemen costumes coming on a stage as the first single Lantern from the new album is being performed. They come in two teams – from the right and left side of the moving stage – slowly forming another, a smaller stage in the very front side of the initial stage they performed before. And yet again the band succeeds to surprise the audience with their creativity that makes their shows more than just musical experiences.
That is when the second called 'White sensation' part starts when the band welcomes yet another guest on the stage. It’s the popular hip-hop musician Gustavo who has contributed to the band’s previous album Tur kaut kam ir jābūt (Years and Seconds) released in 2008. Together they perform the title song of this album mixed with Gustavo’s own song Dziesma manai pilsētai (Song for my City) from the album Pilsētas portāls (The City Portal) dedicated to the city of Riga. After that this part of the concert flows into a very playful mood blending the well-known hits into one unique composition. It starts with Online, followed by Ziema (Winter) and Plaukstas lieluma pavasaris (A Day Before Tomorrow). As they perform parts of these songs, they also intertwine some well-known housemusic rhythms. The stage turns into one great dance party as there are more spacecraft members in white costumes who have joined on the right and left sides of the stage forming a sort of triangle with Prāta Vētra guys in the very edge of it being DJs for their own songs. They perform one more song – Violet – from the last album and disappear in the backstage again along with their spaceship ‘team’ that consists of around 15 dancers in astronaut costumes.
One more? Really? Maybe two more? The message appears on the big screens of the stage sent from the backstage as if the band would be chatting with the audience. The answer is pretty clear – the crowd demands for more songs, and Prāta Vētra guys are back again. Back from the space. Back from the backstage. Back with new outfits and a set-list to start the third part of the show – the golden hits that they have reserved for the very end. Thus we hear Lec (Try) and Rudens (Lonely Feeling). Moreover, Renārs reveals that there has been all Latvia voting for the favorite Prāta Vētra song, and according to the votes we get to know that there is a song which is most awaited to be played and can be considered as favourite for Latvians. It is Spogulīt, spogulīt (Hide on the Moon) with the lyrics of Brother Grimm’s fairytale Snow-white. The ballad is traditionally performed by Jānis Jubalts, the guitarist of the band as it’s also his favourite song. Spogulīt, spogulīt is an exception only for the citizens of Valmiera (a city in Latvia) who had a different choice for their favorite song. It’s another ballad type of song and moreover, it’s a song that has been used in the presentation video clip of Latvia. The Latvian version of the song is called Tu izvēlējies palikt while the English one is Welcome to My Country. After the favorite songs have been played, the concert goes on with Četri krasti (Four Shores) followed by a very nostalgic atmosphere with Īssavienojums or in English My Star, probably the best known song abroad.
The concert doesn’t seem to want the ending. Some more songs follow as supposedly the last ones, but neither – the band or the audience – seem to actually say goodbye. Renārs introduces the band members and thanks to all the guests who took part in the show. The beloved Latvian musicians traditionally bow to their audience. ‘Shall we fly?’ We suddenly hear a proposal from Renārs, and Lidmašīnas (Airplanes), the hit from the old Prāta Vētra, is on the air setting yet again cheerful and playful mood. The band receives a few paper airplanes on the stage thrown from the audience, and after one of their greatest hits has been performed, they leave the stage. It has been a splendid show of 2,5 hours, an exceptional one, well carried out, prepared and performed. The band has said ‘bye’ to their local friends and fans, but not yet to their international audience. Prāta Vētra is on the way to Russia and foreign crowds elsewhere in the world as the international release of their latest album is going to follow soon.
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