Sintra & the Quinta da Regaleira
Though I have seen pictures of Sintra and the Quinta on the internet before the travel, I have to admit now that I haven't been expecting what we found. Mr. Rice named it the “most beautiful and magical place on earth,” and there's nothing else I can do than fully agree.
The large amount of symbolics is overwhelming in this garden and on the buildings that are hidden in his woods. It was built between 1904 and 1910, by the owner Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteira, with help from the architect Luigi Manini.
You can find more information, as well as many pictures from Sintra and the Quinta da Regaleira on Laetitia's Death.
The Event
It was a very spontaneous decision to make our way to this event. The lineup invited to Boyd Rice and Stalker Vitki, which were to perform in the Quinta de Regaleira.
It was a later day of our visit, when the evening of the concert had come. As the darkness set in and everyone was gathering at the restaurant side of the Quinta, the entry tickets were given out. After finishing our drinks, we made our way over enlighted paths to the hall where the actual concert was going to happen.
Included in the entry was an english/portuguese edition of The Vessel Of God by Boyd Rice and Mauricio Janeiro. I very recommend reading it.
Stalker Vitki
I never heard of Stalker Vitki before, and the information in the internet seems to be quite small to non-existant. I can't understand the reasons for this, as I heard a quality of noise I haven't perceived for a long time.
The presentation itself was an audiovisual combination of Noise music and video prjections. While watching these pictures - which itself remembered of the images you carry when awakening from your dreams - with their attention gathering movements, the sometimes soft and sometimes hard vibes of the music created a very focussed atmosphere in the room. You could name it a total sensual experience.
I just want to add that it was many years ago when I last had a musical experience like this, in a movement that has long lost this potential. And it's good to know that it hasn't entirely vanished from the face of the earth.
Boyd Rice
It was my first visit to one of Mr. Rice' concerts and I was really looking forward to see him at a live performance. It began with Total War, which also was one of the first songs of Boyd Rice I have heard. The song lineup went on with Everlasting Fire and Might Is Right as well as some other works of NON and some spontaneous parts.
The most usual part of equipment was surely the drum, as it was accompanied by heavy use of two microphones as well as the rather hard treatment of an electric guitar with a modified drilling machine. Mr. Rice finished his act with some (rather x-rated) limmericks, that I'll better not repeat on this site ;-)
In conclusion I just can say that this was an impressing performance, and I'll make sure that this was no unique experience.
Afterwords
We had to go on a long trip, and meet way many annoying people on the journey, to reach our destination. Was that worth it? Yes! Expect me to be there next time. And I can't wait to see that place again.