At Grauzone Goth & Post-Punk Festival 2025 in The Hague (NL), I started my evening with Topographies—a great band blending Soft Cell, Joy Division, and Soft Moon vibes. It was a promising beginning. However, faced with a long queue and potential packed concert hall for attending Night in Athens, I headed to Anika’s concert in a larger hall. To be honest, when I listened to her work while going through the massive lineup of the four-day festival I wasn’t totally convinced. With not much expectations I went in and… came out completely surprised.
Anika’s “Change” album, which I revisited afterward, is indeed good, but the live performance was on another level. From the start, everything fell into place: the beautifully lit concert hall, full but with enough space to dance freely, and the intimate vibe created by her and her drummer’s shy entrance. Between songs Anika spoke to us—sharing the struggles that inspired her music and reflecting on the darker state of the world. She captured the sentiment perfectly: “These are times to say no.” Even if your personal life is joyful, the growing claustrophobia and danger in the world make dark music feel like the only honest soundtrack. And dark it was.
The opening song, “Finger Pies”, hit like a revelation. The spoken-words, reminiscent of Marianne Faithfull, combined with thunderous drumming did create something raw, powerful, and utterly hypnotic. Throughout the set, Anika alternated between moments of calm and heavy goth-rock anthems like “Naysayer”. At one point, I couldn’t help but think back to seeing Portishead at La Route du Rock in 2014 during their darkest era—it felt very similar, in the best possible way. And, as it turns out, there’s a reason for that: Anika has collaborated with Geoff Barrow of Portishead and is connected to Exploded View, a band that influenced the magnificent “Third” album of Portishead. It all made sense.
Anika’s recorded work might benefit from an even darker, heavier edge, but live? She’s incredible. This performance embodied what Grauzone Festival is all about: discovering new sounds, diving into unexpected experiences, and embracing the darker side of music.
