Ever witnessed something you like go wrong? Like a friend who's feeling a bit ill, but you're not sure what it is?
I like Distorted Harmony. They're a good band – great musicians, good vocalist, a style of their own and good delivery.
Except that on the 13th of January 2015, DISTORTED HARMONY did not deliver. All their style, finesse and talent have done them little good. Their performance was greatly lacking.
The show was meant to start at 20:30. Usually, a 30-45 minute delay is expected. It took DISTORTED HARMONY no less than 90 minutes to appear on stage, and the first note was heard at 22:00. This may have had something to do with the fact that there were few people – in my estimate, around 150-200, at the beginning of the performance. The hall at the Barby club was mostly vacant – perhaps due to the fact that DISTORTED HARMONY had appeared there only some months before (August 2014, to be exact).
The show began with a distinct lack of energy – a motif that would accompany the band through most of the evening. I could even spot some off-key singing, which is uncharacteristic of the band's vocalist, Misha Sukhinin. His singing lacked energy, and the powerful music did not help, as it only drowned him even more. I felt sympathy – it looked like he was struggling, like he was tired, like he did not want to be there. His singing felt rushed, even, like he was aching to finish the show and retreat to rest. This was especially frustrating, in light of Misha's proven skill and performance abilities. His voice has a very pleasant natural tone, but in this performance, it felt forced, somehow, like he wasn't himself.
Moreover, the vocalist wasn't "with the crowd", so-to-speak. He did not engage the fans, barely looked at them, contrary to his usual charismatic ways. The players themselves fared better – the various instrumental bits felt livelier, had more energy. Still, the lack of energy was felt in them, too – they made fewer movements on stage and interacted less with the audience than before.
Now, all of this could have been forgiven – we all have our off days, after all.
But then came the smoke. So much smoke. Within 10-15 minutes, the band was no longer visible, and entire portions of the crowed were lost in the mist, too. I could actually taste the smoke, there was so much of it. The band, already lacking in presence, was now gone almost entirely. The lighting did not help, as it was mostly back lighting, which blinded the crowd and turned the players on stage into vague silhouettes, moving in a billowing cloud of smoke.
That was the straw that broke this camel's back – I could not see anything, what I heard was lacking in emotion, making the whole experience quite underwhelming. At a later point in the show, the vocalist announced they'd be dedicating the next song to the well-being of one of their member's mother, who is apparently ill. Perhaps this was the reason the band felt so low – they, themselves, felt low. This song was actually good, with a peculiar U2 sensation to it, and was delivered with added vigor. Still, it could not make up for the entire show.
I do not know why DISTORTED HARMONY had failed in such a way, but I haven't given up on them. They're still a great band with plenty of potential, and one bad show does not mar their reputation entirely.
