Popcamp has been a key point of contact for young musicians for some time now. Friday’s concert at Stadtgarten showed why, as local singer/songwriter Clara Clasen was followed by the power-pop of Lenna from Bremen and Münster Garage-pop band Soeckers. Three confident performances showing that an extra polish of training truly makes a difference between playing music and playing music live.
Clara Clasen
Young local music fans will most likely know Clara Clasen from her many appearances in the area. Her English-language Pop sound has a distinctive folk-music root in its texts and delivery. I’m not too sure of her taste in lip-stick style but delivered from those blue lips are excellent songs. She should have plenty of material given her ‘Song a Week’ that garnered a lot of publicity a couple of year’s ago of course, but there is also a lot of new material available and her set was always entertaining.
Included this evening was an acoustic version of her song with the band Call Me Papa titled ‘Doors’ that inevitably lacked the dynamics of the full band version. The more thoughtful and sparser numbers like ‘Cup of Hemlock’ worked better alone and I always like hearing the punk-attitude of ‘Big Boy’. Its not easy to go on first at 6pm, with the sun shining in your eyes, and your audience getting more as your stage-time gets less. Nice show Clara, and hope to catch you again soon.
Lenna looks not much older than the pre-teenage audience that is likely to hook on to her music (the power of young internet access I suspect). Which is not to say the music is bad. She has a splendid voice, and a band that delivers just the right amount of rock without leaving a safe haven of 80’s pop. Certainly, the Pop Camp influence has paid off here, as she communicates well with the audience and puts in a very enjoyable sing-along at the sets end – band and singer abandoning the stage. If she’s this good at presenting her music now, think what she will be capable of in five years time. Early days but promising ones.
Soeckers bassist Julian Marpert
The musical jump from Lenna’s young pre-pop to the Garage-pop sound of Soeckers needs some adjustment. Good again to see that another band is claiming influence from Brit-Pop, even if I’m not sure what that means. It seems to be somewhere out of a Jam meets Oasis vibe that for some reason makes me expect the band to ride off on Union-jacked mopeds after the show.
Again, tribute to Pop Camp, the band know how to put on a show and present themselves. Lively music made for a lively audience in front of the stage by evenings end, and as I leave for home it occurs to me that tomorrow is the last Stadtgarten show of 2018. Three totally different acts then, as if organizer Hans Joachim Over is trying to ‘shoe-horn’ in something for everybody in a Season that is too small for the box of talent he has at his disposal.