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ROKO NAKTYS
» Distance and time: Lithuania - 24 hours or more
» CDs in the car: None
» Mission: To finish off Roko Naktys 2008 in Lithuania
» Location: Zarasai | Lithuania
Being invited to perform at the Roko Naktys Festival in Sarazai, Lithuania was obviously something of a Divine milestone for the band. Even if Sweden and Lithuania isn't that far apart, it took a bit of planning to get the band to the right location on the right time, but with the Divine assistance of Nurse Dana and Nurse Dace, everything went as smooth as possible. The band travelled to Riga airport in Latvia and was picked up in the airport bar by the nurses to catch a ride to the Sound Division, perhaps the finest recording studio in the Baltic states.
After installing the gentlemen in the luxorious suites, we were given the grand tour of the studio with a glass of champagne in our hands. Most impressive with a mix of vintage and modern equipment to bring out the best of both worlds. Violent Divine sure hope to be recording at that studio some day and recommend any other band to give it a serious consideration.
Photo: Violent Divine with Zane Majorova from Sound Divinsion Studio
Since the band had some time off, we were given a tour of the old Riga town to visit a few bars, hang out at a club watching Latvian band The Black Tea.
Next day the Divine gents rised at 5am to be trasported to the Riga railway station to catch a slow train to Daugavpils near the border to Lithuania. At Daugavpils the band was picked up by the festival staff for a trasportation to the hotel, beautifully situated by the lake near Sarazai.
The sound check at 2pm featured "Rush You", just like always since it's a perfect song to try out backing vocals, and the brand new "One by One" that was to open the show some 11 hours later. Back at the hotel for a few hours and then back at the festival to watch some good bands like Bloopit, AC/DC-project and Paradise Lost before it was time to enter the stage and finish off the festival.
Opening the set with "One by One", an unreleased track specially written and recorded for the upcoming Mama Trash Family Artist compilation due to be released later this year, followed by "Master of Reality" and "Pain". A quick breather led to long time favourites such as "Let's Go", "I Am" and "Rush You". Returning to the live set was also "Misery" and "Apocalypse", followed by an anthem about living the dream and never look back on "Days of Sorrow" and the smoking love songk "Skin Deep". Violent Divine finished off the performance with a sing-along version of "Vampire Empire" teaching the audience how to sing the "Bolibompa-song", just to blast off a frantic version of "Levitate". Cheers to all the staff at Roko Naktys for a successful festival and to the Lithuanian crowd that surely know how to party like rock stars.
Back at the hotel, Mike and Gus decided to catch a few hours of sleep, while party-demons Klaus and Q spent the night drinking vodka and tequila, eating garlic-flavoured Q-cumber with some fellow musicians from the AC/DC-project. A decision for which they paid dearly on the 4 hour journey on a train back to Riga, and the following flight back to Stockholm.
Photos: Dace Seja, exept the on stage photo by: Creator
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