On October 20, Whispering Sons came to Poznań with their hypnotizing and dynamic sound. Known for emotionally charged performances and deep, engaging music, the band presented a captivating set spanning their entire discography. The concert was supported by a successful performance by septembie
Author: Bartłomiej Krawczyk
I have long wanted to go to a concert of the Belgian post-punk quintet Whispering Sons , because subjectively I consider their debut album "Image" (2018) to be a masterpiece of dark post-punk. I remember listening deeply to poignant songs such as "Waste" and "Skin" from Image . The Belgians have already performed in Poland several times and, interestingly, they made their debut at the Wrocław DIY festival Return to the Batcave 2017.
Besides, it's a band that performs quite often and has actually become quite recognizable outside Belgium (not only in niche gothic circles). Fans of Whispering Sons are undoubtedly attracted by the dark and experimental nature of their music and the deep female vocals of Fenne Kuppens . The Belgians' current discography includes the EP "Endless Party" (2015), singles and three excellent studio albums: "Image" , "Several Others" (2021) and the most optimistic-sounding "The Great Calm" (2024).
I would describe the attendance at Minoga in Poznań as average, the Gothic audience was not great. septembie from Poznań and his friends performed as support for Whispering Sons. Initially, an independent one-man project focusing on dream pop/shoegaze/indie-rock sounds, now as a full-fledged band. septembie's debut four-track EP, titled "hi, i'm septembie" , is now available on streaming.
The artist is inspired by the end of summer, autumn melancholy, childhood and old clichés; in fact, one of the songs of the very young project is titled "i want to see your face on my kodak film" . The band sounded very professional, with plenty of energetic songs and a balanced dose of melancholy. I find my maiden contact with septembie music quite pleasant.
Before Whispering Sons took over the stage of Klub pod Minogą , there was a nearly 40-minute delay. However, I waited patiently for the Belgians' concert, because they are a very intriguing band whose engaging and energetic concerts are worth experiencing live. In the experimental and frenetic post-punk of Whispering Sons, you can feel an almost tangible atmosphere of anxiety, even in the most delicate and quiet songs - e.g. "Balm (After Violence)" . Fenne Kuppens , full of emotions, and the painfully honest message, full of melancholy and darkness.
Indeed, the Belgians' concert in Poznań could have given the gathered audience chills. I missed some of my favorite songs from "Image" , such as "Skin" , "Stalemate" , "Got a Light" and the totally alarmist "Waste" ; in return, I received a cross-sectional set of all Whispering Sons materials, including an intensely played "Alone" from the debut.
Fenne sounds perfect, her vocals perfectly balance between coldness, desperation, anger and resignation. Her singing is accompanied by numerous expressions, almost constant stage movement, glances towards the audience, signs of emotional struggle and exhaustion. Set in a post-punk core, the Belgians' sound is truly unique and has a lot of depth. You get the impression of watching not so much a memorable concert, but an uncompromising journey into yourself.
Setlist : "Balm (After Violence)", "Something Good", "Surface", "Satantango", "The Talker", "Hollow", "Poor Girl", "Cold City", "Still, Disappearing", "Standstill ”, “Dragging”, “Alone”, “Walking, Flying” and “Try Me Again”. There was no encore.
Follow Whispering Sons:
http://www.whisperingsons.com/
https://www.facebook.com/WhisperingSons/about
Follow septembie:
https://www.facebook.com/septembie9?locale=pl_PL
