Take a deep breath and give it your all – at the end of the Frequency Festival, the 150,000 or so fans were treated to a particularly varied program. A psychedelic pop-top show from Bilderbuch, dark nihilism from Ghostemane, seminal rock from Baby Queen and a whole phalanx of rappers dominated the picture. The mood was at boiling point for the last time.
On the third (for some even fourth) day of the festival you have to dig deep into your energy reserves to be able to really step on the gas again. The Frequency also gives the fans little breathing space with three stages that are almost continuously played, but after the rather mediocre Friday there are big highlights from all genres to cheer for at the end on Saturday – albeit with serious problems at the beginning. At his Austrian premiere, the American emo-punk rapper Sueco opens the Green Stage and has to deal with such serious sound and technical problems that the first three songs are blown away in the thin sound and then nothing works at all for 20 minutes. Sueco makes the best of it and signs merchandise, throws himself into the crowd and brings young Michael on stage to bum a cigarette. Of course, a selfie has to be returned for this. Stage full of rappers To do this, tasty shirts with imprints such as “On my bucket list: your mum” are thrown up before two more songs are played out in the end. The fans thank him with mosh pits and a good mood, the artist himself is happy after the gig in the “Krone” talk despite all the difficulties. “It was my first show here and so many people were there. I’m living the dream.” While a whole phalanx of rappers with Symba, LX & Maxwell, Pashanim and Skepta then meet on the Green Stage, the Space Stage alternates between fine pop sounds by the Tyrolean Florence Arman and electronic hits by the Belgian DJs Lost Frequencies. After that, the Scottish vocal prodigy Lewis Capaldi enchants his fans with songs like “Headspace”, “Bruises” or the gentle ballad “Before You Go”. During the pandemic he was visibly enjoying himself at home, and fans have been waiting for the new album for quite some time. He blames it on laziness. He loves festivals, as he tells the “Krone”: “At the Rock Werchter in Belgium, James Hetfield from Metallica suddenly stood next to me. I almost freaked out. You never experience anything like that otherwise.” Being a fanboy and a star: apparently both are possible. Before Capaldi ends his set with the haunting “Someone You Loved”, he slips a thong thrown onto the stage over his black jeans. The line between self-irony and slapstick is a fine one – let’s wish him that he jumps onto the right side in the future.Hidden PearlsThe real pearls of the festival have always been hidden in the VAZ – on the final day, the South African-born Baby Queen will provide a musical highlight that far too few people follow. With her songs she not only speaks from the heart of a whole generation, she recently made it onto the prestigious BBC “Sound Of…” list. “Internet Religion”, “Raw Thoughts” or “Wannabe”, which is reminiscent of their own drug experiences, rush through the hall in staccato, a few, but all the more loyal fans in the front row sing along with every single word in detail. Baby Queen is a bit tired at first after the birthday celebrations, but quickly finds its way and cleverly alternates between 00s guitar rock, partial pop elements and a lot of charisma. The internet high-flyer has been playing her first big tour since her breakthrough during the pandemic and is visibly excited. Something big is definitely growing there. The American Ghostemane has long been established in the dark segment. The Frequency audience, thirsty for simple beats and loud melodies, initially had a hard time with the Californian’s dark art, but gradually grew into the 31-year-old’s dark black set. He mixes the industrial coolness of Nine Inch Nails with US trap rap, a vulnerable emo side and brute hardcore like no other. The band logo glows in Black Metal style, Death Metal-like growls give the dissonant, dystopian sound cascades a certain uneasiness. With its artificial approach, the lack of stage lighting and the nihilistic demeanor, the thoroughbred artist’s brief but effective performance is intense, but at a party festival like this it’s wasted. Harsh songs like “Bonesaw”, “Flesh” or “Carbomb” shake up the grounds, but Ghostemane is definitely better off at the next indoor headlining show or Apache 207, but when the local flagship poppers from Bilderbuch enter the stage, there is always a great rush. Hardened by two shows in the Happel Stadium and three sold-out arena open-air events, nothing burns in St. Pölten either. As already noticeable at the last big concerts, Maurice Ernst and Co. are increasingly turning in the direction of psychedelic rock and not only let that into the new songs of the album “Gelb ist das Feld”, but also into the clothes and visual presentation flow in. A one and a half hour trip into dreamy worlds, between “Spliff”, “Auf und ab” or the megahit “Maschin”, but above all full of musical quality. Master of ceremonies Ernst leads through the set with his usual humor and recommends free and informal days like these best always to experience. The jubilation at “Schick Schock” also proves that the fans want to hear the song more often – but the band has been considering removing it from the live set for a long time. With their universal messages, nostalgic stage uniforms and anthemic pop songs, picture books are the feel-good express of the festival, which otherwise prefers to scratch, spit and bite at the headliner positions. Like at the end on the Green Stage, where Yung Hurn proves with edgy sayings, politically incorrect songs and an enormous amount of encouragement that the so-called “Woke Generation” doesn’t just rely on cancel culture and political correctness, but also likes to go to the in a year it will continueAfter the festival is before the festival – from August 17th to 19th, 2023 the next edition of the Frequency will take place in the St. Pöltner Green Park. Until then, it’s time to lick wounds, build up energy and get back in the party mood.
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