A38, Budapest, 2025.03.21.
I didn't know the band beforehand, and I'll be honest, I did not do my homework this time around. Very similar style to Fatal Error, so they were a reasonable choice to lead. From the few songs they played they seem to be a bit slower paced, but I'll definitely have to do some more exploration to be able too tell properly. And I will. Very pleasant surprise.
I think for the first time ever I'm in danger of hitting the Tumblr text limit. Let's start from the objective part.
Great show, couldn't have been better. The band is always a joy live, and this show wasn't an exception either. They balance their slower songs with their higher energy ones remarkably well, and they can bring the audience along trough these changes as well. In line with this, the crowd was great as well. It was only revealed at about the halfway point of the show, but I was standing next to the lead singer's sister.
Speaking of which, as it should be on a good farewell gig, the arena was full of invited guests on- and off-stage as well. Everyone's families, former band members, other musician friends. Two birthdays were also on the next day, so the venue started singing Happy Birthday on their own. Also just generally very nice crowd, my heart breaks a little bit every time I see a good, respectful pit.
They played stuff from pretty much every era of the band. Old songs, new songs, old songs in different arrangements. But all of them were perceived slightly differently, with the added context of the group disbanding. Very worthy 3 hours to remember the band by.
As much as I don't include politics on my blog, it is important to note (and also I feel it would be dishonest to report about the concert without mentioning it), that on their big day, that everyone was watching on, and 4 cameras were rolling, they stopped the show for a few minutes to voice their dislike for not just the hate campaign of the Hungarian government, but the state of the world in general. Reminding us about the importance of personal relations, and to look after our loved ones, now more than ever. And immediately after they played the song Forradalom (Revolution).
Now, for the slightly less objective part.
Horrible show, couldn't have been worse. I think the Hungarian alt/rock/punk scene is losing a bastion. They never were the most famous, but they were known all around, especially after the Dal appearance in 2019. Immensely talented musicians, and just lovely people in general, certainly role models for many.
As discussed a bit above, we are not only loosing a great crew musically, but also an incredible voice of reason from the public. I can only hope they will remain active individually on some level.
The reason to disband is completely understandable, but it doesn't make it any easier, not on the band members, not on the listeners. To quote Zsola, the singer: "I hate that it turned out this way. If we weren't friends, if I didn't like everyone this much, this could be so much easier." To say that people were crying is an understatement.
A38 is an alright venue. They are always very much on top of their visual stuff, including the video recording equipment. (Which actually includes an overhead cable track camera, and I think that's super cool.) They are usually on top of their audio game too, not so much this time, had some issues, mostly minor stuff tho, wasn't too bad.
Two things worth mentioning. It is still on the more expensive side when it comes to drinks. More importantly, the ventilation isn't the best. Being a relatively small, enclosed space, for the second part of the shows usually you can start seeing all the moisture in the air start condensing on the ceiling. Usually it isn't a problem, this time a girl did get sick though.
Ultimately amazing concert, both from a technical and emotional viewpoint. But the world will never be the same.
I'm gonna put the entirely subjective part here, because I have to put it somewhere.
Almost exactly 6 years before the date of this concert, I was 18, still in high school, still living in the place I used to. I still consider it a bit of a shitty place, but we especially didn't have any bands coming I would have been interested in. And then I heard that Fatal Error would be coming to play in the tiny café thing next to the library. And then I messaged a friend if they would like to go together.
Long story short, that one was kinda the first concert I went to of my own volition. And I loved every second of it. They were the start to my live show journey. And now, 6 years later, both them and me with many more shows behind out backs (maybe them a bit more than me), it's kinda poetic that I would also be part of the end of theirs.
I got a shirt at their old concert and it still fit reasonably enough, so I went in that. It all comes full circle. So thanks for the last 10 or so years bois. You will not be forgotten for a very long time.
Feels a little bit like my youth is ending. Still not really over it. :')
