That one time when NECRONOMIDOL performed at a sold out red ship

As NECRONOMIDOL receive more and more attention from fans outside Japan, the world seems to be at the feet of the ultra dark idol unit. With tours through the United States in 2017 and a European tour in 2018, we had to wait and see what the next steps were for the group. After the departure of two group members and the addition of two new ones, a new release came out in June entitled scions of the blasted heath, and the group announced an ambitious European tour.

In the end, the tour seemed to challenge the group quite a bit. The day before the show on the red ship in Rotterdam, the girls performed on a super hot stage that was compared to hell. Furthermore, travelling to The Netherlands also seemed to be very difficult because of the flight cancellations. In the end it worked out and the girls could start with a small delay on the small stage in the belly of the ship. A small stage is not a problem for the girls, because they seem to be able to adapt well. They already showed this during the in-store at the old location of Rock Palace in The Hague a year before.

The show in the Netherlands was the first international show for NECRONOMIDOL to sell out, with a capacity of 70 people, the location, on the water, has a cosy atmosphere that soon causes the temperature to rise. It was certainly hot, but probably not as hot as the day before.

The girls were obviously tired of their recent touring adventures, but they gave it their utmost to give everyone a smile on their faces. That’s something for which respect is in order.

Of course, the setlist drew attention to the latest tracks that had just been released by the idol group, but the girls started with a track that can be found on STRANGE AEONS, WITCHING HOUR, which increases the excitement and finally sets the atmosphere of the evening. A great choice, because this song made a great start for the third performance of NECRONOMIDOL in The Netherlands. Fans reacted positively to the start of the concert and immediately started clapping and cheering. As the audience was glued against the stage, it was a sold-out show, the members of the group could get very close to the audience to leave an impression them.

The location, V11, a red ship, gave the same idea as a cellar stage, such as the old 330 LIVE in The Hague or the former location of De Kelder (now FLUOR) in Amersfoort, where a dark, perhaps in a case also a bit scary but cosy atmosphere hangs. A perfect location for indie acts with a dark vibe, especially the dark and invigorating vibe that NECRONOMIDOL gives off. It is something anyone with an interest in visiting concerts, large and small, should experience, as it is a completely different experience compared to a performance in the more famous venues in The Netherlands. Let’s not talk about the stadium concerts, as this is of a total different calibre.

There was also an atmosphere among the audience, a positive one, who, before and during the show full of expectation, hoped to catch a smile from their favourites or just lose their soul after they would cross their eyes with one of the girls, but also a performance where they could go crazy. Throughout the concert it was revealed that the audience was well acquainted with NECRONOMIDOL’s songs and knew when they could encourage the group or start clapping.

At that time, two new group members had to introduce themselves to the public during this European tour and show what place they had taken in the adapted line-up. Thanks to the combination of old and new tracks, they showed that they worked hard to be a part of the group.

With cool songs like psychopomp and HEXENNACHT, the girls from NECRONOMIDOL tried to bring some coolness in the now warmed-up belly of V11. While they themselves moved with finesse on stage with the accompanying waving arms and hair, the audience watched with admiration how the five of them tried to convey their emotions through singing. It gave moments of goosebumps. Although during this performance NECRONOMIDOL often focused on songs where no one could stand still. The dark sounds of NECRONOMIDOL know how to embrace and grasp you from the first notes and it was reinforced by the reactions from the audience that have long been what they can expect from the group.

Setlist:

01. WITCHING HOUR
02. Phantasmagoria Cosmos
-MC
03. psychopomp
04. HEXENNACHT
05. puella tenebrarum
06. Lament Configuration
-MC
07. R’LYEH
08. SARNATH
09. STARRY WISDOM
10. NYX
11. SKULLS IN THE STARS
Encore
12. ITHAQUA

Photography: Francisca Hagen (AVO Magazine)