Review by Jonas Parson
The second night of Caribana turned out to be another very warm and successful evening (the second sold-out night in a row, tickets are still available for Friday and Saturday night) and the acts headlining that night attracted a completely different crowd to that of the night before. Trooper boots, spiked necklaces and heavy make-up were swapped for lighter, more colourful clothing, as the Marilyn Manson(read a quick review of his concert below) fan base was replaced by a younger audience come to see Bastille. The night wasn't all about lighter music and polite bands though, as DJ, producer and band leader Parov Stelar was one of Thursday's headlines. One of the major influences in the development of Electro Swing, the Parov Stelar Band were there to play their latest album, the Demon Diaries. Mesmerising vocals, edgy saxophone solos and heavy beats turned the front of the main stage into an open-air dance-floor. Playing both new songs and all the popular hits to a very elegant visual background(including a quote by German philosopher Immanuel Kant!), the band was the highlight of the evening.
Before what looked like a full moon came out in the night sky, the grounds also vibrated to a lot of mostly electrified music. From Swiss duo Elvett, who played their own brand of acoustic-electro, complete with the enchanting voice of Lyn who kicked off the evening on the lake stage, to Metronomy who gradually brought together the crowd in front of the main stage. The English band, all very elegant in their matching outfits, delivered their dandyish mix of electro and pop with great class and loads of punch.
London-based band Bastille were obviously one of the headlines of the evening, and the many teenagers on the grounds was a sure sign of that. The indie pop sensation whose hits combine catchy tunes and compelling choruses. Very polite, albeit slightly too well behaved, the band surely pleased the younger fans.
Other bands included young Irish rock band the Strypes with their rather classic style of rock, and electro/deep house artist the Avener. The charm of the lakeside with the leafy grounds and warm night air were perfect to dance to the organic beats of the French musician.
To all the fans of Ben l'Oncle Soul, but who can't make it to Caribana this evening, his concert will be live-streamed on the website. The concert starts at 19:30.
Make-up, heavy metal and theatrics
Late on Wednseday night, the crowd waiting in front of the main stage wore mostly black, with the usual spiked bracelets, big boots or torn clothing. All were waiting for one of the most infamous metal bands, Marilyn Manson (people tried to have his last two concerts in Switzerland banned, in 2005 and 2012, accusing him of Satanism and whatnot). The demographics were actually quite diverse, as Manson appeals a lot to younger fans of the genre.The heavily made-up singer, now well in his forties, delivered a show with his usual sense of theatrics, from the various microphones adorned with knives and knuckledusters to the smoke billowing up behind him. Playing songs from nearly all of his albums, including his great version of Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams (a personal favourite), Marilyn Manson delivered a good concert, although slightly lacking in punch.