The unique nature of Leipzig’s ‘Wave Gotik Treffen,’ can never be denied, with all matter of weird and wonderful sub-cultures emerging from all over the globe in a vast display of unity. As a bystander, you couldn’t help but stand back and gawp at amazement at the trams, at bursting point, arriving at five-minute intervals, stopping and unloading their alternative cargo outside the festival’s main ‘Agra’ fairground.

Such is the nature of Wave Gotik Treffen (where the festival itself is spread out over the entire city; thank god for the free travel), the festival kicked off at the Kohlrabizirkus with Soundshock favourite UNSUN. This Polish quartet faced a flailing crowd (with their gig at 3.30pm) but are not deterred with Aya’s voice filling the voids and Mauser’s finger-work proving why we love them. At Werk II, PANIC LIFT’s little known, but 80-electro fused, aggrotech erupts with a set dominated by their last album ‘Witness to your Collapse.’ Another Soundshock favourite then took to the Kohlrabizirkus stage in the form of the lovely KATRA. The scarlet-headed siren has all eyes on her as she effortlessly performs tracks such as ‘Beast Within’ and ‘Forgotten Bride,’ and ensures that she leaves with more respect than what she started with half an hour before.

 Opening with ‘This Shit Will Fuck You Up,’ in the Agra, COMBICHRIST churn out forty-five minutes of dancefloor favourites that have appeared in alternative-clubs the world-over. Now complete with ex-18 Visions drummer Trevor Friedrich on percussion and Joe Letz behind the skins, Andy LePlagua and Co. pulverise the senses and make damn sure that their reputation of being a premier, live Industrial act is firmly set in stone. MY DYING BRIDE end a very energetic day in the Kohlrabizirkus in the doomy, lethargic style that we have come to know and love.