Last year was the 29th edition and the first after two year gap due the enforced cancellation around Covid-19. The main thing about last year was that it was the first chance to meet up with friends in 2 years and the main motivation to go. It was also great that the German authorities found a better location to house Ukrainian refugees rather than the large industrial shed which is the Agra. For me apart from meeting friends it was one of the poorest attended editions of WGT since I started attending in the late 90s. It was the first time I was able to get on every tram and even travelled on very empty trams. Below is me on tram to the Agra to prove the point.

It’s the first time I have walked around the Agra market in the evening with only 10 people walking around. The Agra main hall was at best only two thirds full for Gary Numan when normally it would be full. It’s also the first time I haven’t found something to buy in the market.  Most venues were under utilised compared to previous years with some not being used everyday of the festival or closing early or opening later than usual. There also seemed not great sound engineers as at Stadtbad it two took nearly 40 mins to get Shad Shadows connected up so they could play. There seemed generally to be a lack of younger Goths present as is normally the case. Tried a few parties most were quite poor one at Stadtbad had only 10 people – I think the only half decent one was at the back of the Agra. Out of the bands I saw only  5 or 6 were great, the rest ranged to average to very poor compared to previous years. Covid restrictions where in place for the trams for wearing masks. but none in the venues which is not a problem for venues where they are not over full or have good air conditioning. For some reason the potentially more interesting bands were mainly at Haus Leipzig, at best a large sweat box or Petra dish for covid makes no wonder a lot people got Covid after the WGT.

 

 

So for 30th edition expectations were high that the organisers might pull out all the stops for a change. So looking at this years lineup I have say it seems to be lacking any exciting big headliners. From the lineup I have seen two thirds of the bands before. There are 13 bands playing from lineup from 2019(only 2 editions ago). I miss the days when there were more new exciting new bands rather than the usual suspects and those that are past their best. The remaining third is doesn’t excite me especially the female comedian from Austria who tells jokes about jews WTF! I also read a DJ who applied to play at the WGT  and was accepted, then decided he couldn’t afford it and wait for it – some people started a crowd funding to pay for his travel cost of €2k WTF!

Due the high increase in the cost of living caused by the coverup by the Chinese Communist Party and their lab leak in Wuhan, the overuse of lean in Business operations around the world which couldn’t flex to cope with the handling of the pandemic, and just when we thought there was light at the end of the tunnel the Communazi regime of russia conveniently launched their all out war against Ukraine believing that the Virus from the friends in China had caused enough division and  weakness to make it easy, so the cost of everything went up apart from wages due these bunch of genocidal maniacs.

Another thing to consider is that hotels in Leipzig always hike the prices over Pfingsten weekend by around 25 to 30% compared to other times of the year.

It could be argued that there has been no increase in the ticket price increase for this year €170 in advance or around €220-240 if you buy them in Leipzig at the Treffen. With Depeche Mode on at the same time it might well be busy n Leipzig due to all the fans going to that gig, (and if you love DM they even have covers band playing their songs on the WGT ;)) as well as the crowds that come to Leipzig during the Pfingsten to look at Goths or dress up and attend the Victorian picnic.

It’s definitely the festival for you this year if you are Prorussian or support the russian separatists in Ukraine. There is one French band with members that support the russian separatists in Donbass, or the German band who were disappointed the war in Ukraine was still ongoing after three months( I guess they believed it would be over in 3 days) so they would have” cancel their tour of russia with heavy hearts”.  There’s even a russian flag-waver who lives in Leipzig, supports the war, DJ’s locally and is a member of a band playing the festival. You might think that’s bad enough but thanks to a good friend in Leipzig Juliette, there is further sick icing to prorussian cake.

The BBC reported a couple of days ago about Nikolai Rastorguyev of the russian band Lyube who is one of putin’s favourite bands as they played in Crimea commercially supporting the russian separatists and supporting its recognition as part of russia.

I guess everyone is aware the band Ploho from Siberia is playing at the WGT after playing Grauzone festival  and Wavefest in Holland, and some other dates in parts of Europe. They claim to be antiwar and also against the russian government that’s why they moved to Serbia. I see a lot of people in the goth scene who claim to be against putin  and russians genocidal war of beheadings, executions, torture, rape of women, children, men and animals, deliberate attacks against civilians, civilian buildings and infrastructure, looting etc like and support the band ploho. Here is Juliette’s letter which was sent to the organiser of the WGT asking them to reconsider having ploho at the festival –

 

 

Dear WGT organizers,

all of us are loving and waiting for your festival and I’ll not lie telling that it’s the biggest and best festival of gothic subculture in Europe. The 30th anniversary of the festival must be a great event and the choice of bands can satisfy even the most capricious musical taste. However, the situation in the world, situation in Europe, in particular in Ukraine – the Russian War which lasts already 9 years affected all of us and nowadays we cannot tell that music stays outside the politics.

Anyway, the russian band Ploho, which left the borders of the Russian Federation not very long time ago, is invited to perform at your festival. I want to remind you it’s already 1 year since Russia has unleashed a full-scale invasion against Ukraine. I consider it inappropriate at such a terrible time to offer a stage to the band representing russian culture in the heart of democratic Europe. All Ploho’s concerts in Poland for this spring were already cancelled and people in all Europe are continuing demanding them to be cancelled for obvious reasons.

Although this band claimed “no war” on their Facebook page, this statement is not more than a cynical hypocrisy. Similar to many russians the members of this band are disguising their imperialistic messages. However, their deeds are more eloquent than their slogans:

In fact, the vocalist of the aforementioned band Viktor Uzhakov knowingly violated the state border of Ukraine on April 2021 with the aim of entering Crimea which is occupied by the russian invaders, participating in attempts to legalize the occupation of Crimea by Russia and illegal commercial activities in occupied Crimea.You can find detailed information about this case at the “Myrotvorets” website: https://myrotvorets.center/criminal/uzhakov-viktor/

He was warned, that after crossing the border of occupied Crimea it will be forever denied for him and his band to visit and perform in Ukraine but this fact didn’t stop Uzhakov.

Viktor Uzhakov was also interviewed on 17.02.2022 by Dmitry Vitushkin for his program “Yasnost” (Ясность) for “Modnoe Radio”(Модное радио) about his attitude to the situation between Ukraine and Russia and also about Ploho’s performance in occupied Crimea: https://vk.com/wall255452_37813 (interview begins at 04:14).

Uzhakov claimed that:

“he’s abstracting himself and not watching news”,”worrying only about that he cannot perform in Ukraine anymore cause of current situation”, “doesn’t like Ukrainian border system”, “doesn’t hide that performed in Symferopol”, “relation between Ukraine and Russia are formed by propaganda, not only from the both sides but more of them”.

Moreover, as we can hear from the interview, the frontman has Ukrainian roots, about which he speaks unwillingly or, it seems, he’s feeling shameful about it.

Another interesting fact is that this band was secretly touring around Russia in 2022 (the year, when a full-scale war in Ukraine began). The band specially deleted all the information about russian tour from their social media accounts because they wanted to hide from their european fans the truth about which side they really chose.

In instagram profile of Viktor Uzhakov https://www.instagram.com/ujakov/ you also can find the photo of him standing with a small “banner” behind him where is written “russian underground” (posted on 15.11.22) and a post, where he is telling about visiting a soviet-wave party in Belgrade, Serbia and listening there to russian post-punk (posted on 20.12.22). As you can see, even far from russian borders this man is still proud of his nationality, culture and motherland which I find inappropriate in the time when russian army is violently killing Ukrainians and destroying their homes. There is nothing to be proud about.

Another proof of Ploho’s indifference to russian crimes in Ukraine and support of russian invaders’ occupation of Ukrainian territories can serve Uzhakov’s correspondence with his already ex-friend Maria https://www.instagram.com/cats_and_silverware/ from the city Starobels’k in Lugans’k oblast’ which is since 02.03.2022 occupied by Russia. The girl is telling Viktor that she has lost her home and her parents are feeling themselves not very well. On what Viktor answered indifferently. He’s also telling her: “Not a lot of people (Russians) are concerned about jurisdiction, to whom to pay taxes and so on. The most important thing is to live nicely. I’m considering it as a fact that there will be referendums (there – in occupied by russian invaders Donets’k and Luhans’k)”.

 After all that facts and proofs I hope that you would not like to get associated with these kind of persons and will not offer the stage to them.There are a lot of alternatives for Ploho’s performance at WGT. I count on your understanding and hope that you will choose the side of peace and justice because right now the Ukrainian people are paying with their blood for us, Europeans, to be able to enjoy such events as Wave Gotik Treffen festival.

With respect,

Here is further evidence from Juliette that just like nikolai nastorguyev of the russian band lyube – Ploho has recognised and commercially supported the russian separatists occupation of Crimea  in April 2021 as well as recognising illegal referendums. They also were able to play freely in russia(no signs of opposition to the government or opposition to war as there would have been no gigs) So the real reason that they moved to Siberia is more likely to avoid being drafted to the army and  that they would be able tour more freely if based outside russia and played the victim.  I don’t see them being actively against the Kremlin regime like the National Republican Army but are supporters of its actions against Ukraine and should be banned from touring Europe. The Polish government/people made the correct decision cancelling their gigs in Poland based on their commercial support of russian separatists.

 

 

Post from Ploho’s social media page: 3rd of July 2021, Start(Begin): 21:00, Ploho, Summer concert on the ship, Crimean bridge berth, Frunzenskaya embankment

07th of April 2022, big programm, new songs, Ploho. Metro station Dubrovka 1st Dubrovskaya Str. 13a ( it’s in Moscow – concert during a full-scale war)

Petrozavodsk (Russia) 30.07.22 Vera festival Written down: memories 27.06.2022

Simbios 2k21 17.04.2022 (post from vk.com – russian social media) The band Ploho comes to Crimea not with empty hands. The members are ready to bring the necessary amount of their merch and vinyl. Answer on the question if you’re ready to buy it during the concert for understanding which quantity of merch is it needed to bring. Current assortment is on the photo.

 

Screen from youtube – Ploho in St.Petersburg 06.08.2022 ( during a full-scale war) performing “Novostroiki

Screen from Youtube – Ploho live in Symferopol Crimea 23.04.21 but according to the poster below was on 24.o4.21

 

Written on poster: Ploho, Phantom feelings album presentation. Among the tour dates 24.04 Symferopol (Crimea), year 2021.

Uzhakov’s post in Instagram about him visiting soviet-wave party in Serbia and listening to russian post punk. ( Still proud of russian music and culture in spite of full-scale war -Juliette’s thoughts).

 

Uzhakov to Maria (his ex friend from occupied by Russia territory): Well, Russian Federation will not burn and will not disappear. I’m for establishment of the peaceful life, the people are waiting for it so long there. Jurisdiction doesn’t worry a lot of people at all, to whom to pay the taxes, etc. The most important is to live calmly. I’m seeing it as a fact, there there will be referendums. (On occupied by Russia Ukrainian territories)

Also the band Ploho to Maria (talking with slang): Maria – My parents aren’t feeling themselves good. Also due to the fact that my home was taken away too. It’s a fact which is unreal to accept. It’s like to survive a death. Uzhakov – do you mean it comes to another jurisdiction?

I know quite few DJ’s got upset about  a goth band from russia who had shown support online for the full invasion/war (with one even burning their CD’s in protest) and occupation of Ukraine but they seem to support and like ploho despite the fact they have financially actively supported and recognised the occupation of Ukraine territory by russian separatists.

I thought  I would contact the band to see what they would reply or comment about the allegations. Maybe I hoped they might feel it was a mistake to play in Occupied Crimea. Here’s how it went

 

I have also found out Ploho played a gig with a band called Stadt in Serbia which falsely claims to be Ukrainian as the singer moved to russia in 2014 from Donetsk and claims russia is his mother country. More evidence that Ploho supports prorussian separatists. It would appear Statdt moved from Moscow at the same time as Ploho to Serbia.

If you are against the Rape of children, Women, Men, Torture and execution and war crimes why are you supporting these bands?

Whilst I was writing this article I saw the WGT announced another Russian band Dance My Darling on the latest band announcement. I saw people questioning this decision from Ukraine and Germany were accused of being racist and were told if they don’t want to see russian bands they shouldn’t come to the festival. Then on another reaction to the announcement the DJ from Darkflower who I mentioned previously decided to  comment as follows :

During the war with Ukraine the Kremlin has often accused every country of being racist to them for not respecting them or including them, they have also tried to claim the USA  has more blood on its hands, when the evidence is clear when they have launched missiles deliberately at apartment blocks or tortured and killed Ukrainians they just claim this is not true with no explanation about the evidence that clearly suggests otherwise. I wonder how bands from the USA feel about being on the festival with someone who seems to hate Americans so much? It’s also strange for a band to claim they never played occupied Crimea in 2021 when there is video evidence of the concert.

Juliette’s comments on WGT posts questioning Ploho’s inclusion were removed by the WGT and she also got no reply from the organisers of the WGT and forwarded her concerns the Ukrainian embassy in Germany who are aware. There are lots of great bands out there who could have played the WGT without the organisers having to make a prorussian statement. Ploho are also playing the Death Disco in Athens, Greece in July. I guess there is still time for further russian bands to be added by the organisers in their next announcement.

 

It looks very hard for me to justify spending £2-3 k to attend  this years WGT just to meet friends and get angry about shit like this. (please don’t create a crowd funding page). All things considered the best place for russian bands whilst their citizens support and carry out war crimes in Ukraine is to play in russia and nowhere else. Below is picture from Kherson on 4rd May 2023  where russian citizens in military uniforms target innocent Ukrainian citizens shopping in the supermarket.