Kirlian Camera are undoubtedly one of those iconic acts whose performance you simply don't miss—especially when they appear practically on your doorstep. So Jerneja and I set off for Monastier di Treviso, just over an hour's drive from the Slovenian border. It was our first visit to Club Krach, and after browsing their Facebook page, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. A tiny venue in the middle of open fields hardly seemed like the natural habitat for a band that headlines major European festivals.
We left home early in the afternoon, took a stroll around the nearby resort town of Jesolo, enjoyed an excellent pizza in Noventa di Piave, and then slowly made our way towards the club. The concert was scheduled for 21:30, but as the navigation system guided us down a narrow, semi‑gravel road cutting through farmland, I became convinced we'd taken a wrong turn. We even considered stopping to ask for directions. But after another hundred metres, a house appeared—apparently the club. And indeed, it was.
Once you get past the initial surprise—because the place genuinely looks like a farmhouse or a weekend cottage converted into a venue—you're greeted by a rather charming sight. At the entrance stands a massive metal sculpture of Eddie, Iron Maiden's mascot, and the interior feels like a shrine dedicated to Ozzy Osbourne and a handful of other rock and metal legends.
The club itself is cosy, unusual, but oddly welcoming. When we arrived, only a handful of people were inside, but the DJ set—curated by Diego Merletto, known to many as a founding member of The Frozen Autumn, and Giorgio Ricci—was already underway, filling the room with melancholic, danceable darkwave. Time dragged on, though. 21:30 came and went. Then 22:30. Still no live music. After a few beers—priced, as one expects in Italy—we settled in for the wait.
The club, I guess, can't hold more than 200 people, and the stage setup makes everything feel quite tight. Most of the roughly 100 attendees were middle‑aged, with quite a few older people as well, which is always lovely to see.
After the long delay, Velena Drohm finally began.
I wasn’t familiar with Ermete Lo Stige's project beforehand. His instrumental cinematic darkwave flirts with breakbeat, dark electro, techno, synthwave and industrial. Under different circumstances, I might have enjoyed it more, but after such a long wait, the set felt like an extension of the DJ programme—pleasant enough, but dragging on for over an hour. Thankfully, the occasional cinematic samples, generated vocals and spoken passages added some colour. At the start, the room was packed, but people gradually drifted away, and only a few dozen remained by the end. The sound was surprisingly good for such a small space. Velena Drohm is certainly an interesting project, but as a support act for Kirlian Camera, it didn't quite hit the mark. A shorter set with visuals and a proper light show might have made a stronger impact.
It was already past midnight when Velena Drohm wrapped up, and without any break, Kirlian Camera stepped onto the stage. This time the line‑up featured Elena Alice Fossi (vocals), Angelo Bergamini (synths) and Irene Shapes (bass). When we last saw them two years ago at the Gothika festival, Alessandro "Algol" Comerio handled guitar duties and Mia W. Wallace played bass. Without a guitar, Kirlian Camera lean more heavily into darkwave and less into rock—a different flavour, but equally compelling.
The space around the stage filled up quickly as they opened with "The Great Unknown" from their latest album Radio Signals For The Dying, released by Dependent Records in early 2024. Elena, with her enigmatic and commanding presence, owned the stage from the first note. Irene complemented her with a calmer, mystical aura, while Angelo—the legendary founder—stood behind his keyboards like a solitary sentinel. In this intimate, minimalist, unpretentious setting, Kirlian Camera proved that they can deliver a stunning performance regardless of stage size. At times, the vocals were slightly overpowered by the instruments, but never to a disruptive degree.
Elena, dressed—as always—in a strikingly sexy outfit, began the show wrapped in a fluffy jacket, which she soon discarded. She knows exactly how to win over a crowd. The set continued with the excellent "Kryostar" from Hologram Moon (2018), an emotional cover of Depeche Mode's "Wrong", and "Götter, Geht Weg!", both from the new album. Then came the unreleased "Shadowcrown", followed by a fresh version of the cult classic "Heldenplatz" (1987). Their cover of Placebo's "Too Many Friends" electrified the audience, with Elena and Irene adding a touch of theatrical flair.
Elena's voice—emotional, powerful, sometimes dreamy, always penetrating—creates a unique atmosphere whether accompanied by elaborate visuals or none at all. The set continued with another classic, "Blue Room" (1985), followed by "Size Zero" from Elena's solo project SPECTRA*Paris, then the beloved "Edges", and an unexpected cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, released as a single last year. "Nightglory" sent the crowd into a trance, and the main set concluded with the almost solemn rendition of Ultravox's hit from the 80s, "Hymn".
Despite the late hour, the audience managed to keep the band on stage for an encore—though quite a few of them nodded off a little along the way. The encore featured the irresistible EBM/synth‑pop hit "Sky Collapse", which we know better as a collaboration with Eskil Simonsson of Covenant, and a revamped version of the classic "Eclipse". After roughly ninety minutes, Kirlian Camera bowed, thanked the crowd, and left the stage. We had witnessed an unusual, dynamic, emotionally charged and thoroughly excellent concert by one of Europe's most distinctive electro/synth‑pop/industrial/darkwave acts. It wasn't an impeccable show, but it was emotionally raw—and still stellar.
Diego and Giorgio resumed their DJ set, while Jerneja and I were invited backstage, where we chatted for quite a while with Elena, the visibly exhausted Angelo—understandably so, given his age—and Irene. I hope we meet again soon. At around 2 a.m., we finally headed home.
Until the next live report—cheers, Tomaz
Links: Kirlian Camera, Velena Drohm
