Table of Contents
Questioning the Cynics
The common claim that modern music lacks innovation reflects an overly cynical and bleak viewpoint. Importantly, this perspective really took hold over the last decade, seemingly connected to the idea that we had reached “The End of History,” supposedly existing within a state of constant stability and wellness under a lasting neoliberal system. Furthermore, liberalism itself perhaps struggled to imagine its own potential collapse, yet here we find ourselves, just a few years later, deeply entrenched in an era marked by multiple ongoing genocides, the alarming rise of far-right political leaders globally, and the widespread economic anxiety caused by faltering economies.
The Sound of Now
Futurismus comes as the most defining and the most bizarre soundtrack of the broken time, a really lively and desperate mix of the post-punk street violence, the thrilling techno beats, the no-wave experiments, and the rough industrial surfaces that merge into a unique sound that is quite acidic, dramatically political and deeply apocalyptic. I couldn’t imagine that, while reporting this new musical style just two years ago, scant days before the October 7th events, I would be so prophetic in several of my statements. Presently, a whole wave of exciting new bands fully embodies this essential style – groups like Chalk, Nerves, and Prostitute leading the charge. This raw energy, therefore, represents the new creative force; this is unmistakably the vital new sound resonating today.
Proof in Performance
Moreover, one powerful night in Berlin, the band Model/Actriz delivered undeniable proof that this is indeed the crucial music of the future. The moment vocalist Cole Haden stepped onto the stage, confidently carrying a handbag while applying bright red lipstick with a menacing intensity, it became immediately clear this would be an exceptionally unique and confrontational performance. Bathed completely in intense red lights and thick stage fog, the entire group appeared dramatically transported straight from a transgressive cult film – think *Cruising*, *Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me*, or *Fear City*. Instantly, the very second their punishing musical machinery roared to life – delivering a relentlessly metallic and abrasively rhythmic assault – Model/Actriz locked into an unstoppable spiral of nightmarish, cavernous punk rock energy.
While their opening track, “Vespers,” maintained a relatively more controlled, almost civilized disco-punk rhythm, the follow-up song, “Mosquito,” exploded violently into the room with the terrifying ferocity of a razor blade-wielding killer. Amidst the mayhem, Haden instinctively took control over the entire attention, sticking out his head dangerously far into the front row while screaming the unforgettable chorus line: “With a bodycount / Higher than a Mosquito” at the top of his lungs. On top of that, an amazing mix of a very real threat yet surprising tenderness was felt around him; this enigmatic charm that accompanied him was shown through his smooth, almost rocking movement, his purposely faded lipstick, his heavy-lidded ‘bedroom eyes’, and his sudden, terrible screams that broke his singing lines with an extreme force.
Building the Atmosphere
Next, the song “Amaranth” significantly increases the tension, powerfully building the intense feeling of being inside a New York underground club circa 1979 – a place bursting with unpredictable possibilities where the evening could suddenly turn either thrillingly dangerous or intensely pleasurable. While frontman Cole Haden masterfully commands the audience’s attention, a substantial amount of the sonic weight falls squarely onto the trio of highly skilled musicians constructing the band’s characteristically angular, brutalist soundscape: drummer Ruben Radlauer labors with incredible precision behind his kit, presenting a constantly shuddering, hunched-over presence. Meanwhile, bassist Aaron Shapiro, positioned off to the side, appears completely lost deep within his own driving rhythm, his lanky and unassuming figure almost seeming like he arrived from a completely different, alien world.
The Guitarist’s Power
However, guitarist Jack Wetmore casts an especially haunting and unforgettable presence throughout the set. Dressed simply in a black tank top and wearing glasses, he possesses the titanic, imposing aura reminiscent of a figure like Norm Westberg! While he was nearly motionless, with an impressive air of indifference and a face like a stone, he held his guitar, as if it were a deadly gun, in a very calculated manner, playing his gritty, loud and sharp, stabbing notes that changed the whole place to a bizarre, metallic factory floor-like atmosphere.
After that, at no time during a song, at its most extreme point, he would abruptly unleash a great power and catapult his guitar out into the ether, as if aiming to break the skull of an unseen foe, crushing it with one blow. Possessing a genuinely menacing quality and operating with the unsettling logic of a classic Giallo film villain, he perfectly embodies a powerful tendency which unites all three musicians: they possess an almost uncanny ability to completely fuse with their instruments, effectively melting into one cohesive, terrifying unit – becoming a truly visceral, musical counterpart to the disturbing biomechanical fusion found in Cronenberg’s Crash.
Engaging the Crowd
Just before the performance’s overwhelming horror could seep further into the crowd, Haden dramatically announces, adopting a spot-on impersonation of “Dieter” from the *SNL* sketch “Sprockets”: “Now is the time of the show where I get to know the audience!” When one unwitting attendee hesitates to take Haden’s offered hand to help him climb off the stage, he is firmly and quickly instructed to comply. Immediately afterwards, Haden launches himself into a frenzied rush through the packed crowd, aggressively getting right into people’s faces; at other moments, he leans his forehead heavily against a man’s chest, creating an uncomfortable intimacy.
Remarkably, he leaps into the audience three separate times during the show (experiencing his only minor hiccup when he shows visible frustration after the sound mixer accidentally silences his microphone, yelling sharply: “My microphone has a mute effect, you don’t have to silence me!”). During these invasions, he energetically instructs the entire room first to sit down low on the floor, and then moments later commands everyone to jump explosively back up to their feet, all while the band behind him continues their relentless, stoic, and utterly mechanical musical rite without pause.
Theatrical Beginnings
The song “Doves” is an intensely emotional, theatrical performance moment that deeply involves the audience in its dramatic atmosphere. At the same time, the pseudo-Arabic influenced riff that was driving “Diva” changed the energy drastically by spinning the whole room into a pulsating, shadowy disco, which was full of movement. As “Pure Mode” suddenly appeared on the stage, the band gave up this groove, releasing a loud, chaotic torrent of raw energy that crushed the audience. This sequence makes it very clear that those from their new album “Pirouette” are fantastic groovy and catchy songs if you listen to them in the studio, but it’s the insane mixture of no-wave chaos and industrial heaviness from their debut album, ‘Dogsbody’, that is most striking and perfect for their brutal, unforgettable live show which really makes their fans ecstatic.
Building the Climax
Following the driving, quasi-techno rhythms of “Audience” (and another characteristic dive into the crowd by the fearless Haden), the band strategically unleashes their two most climactic and utterly animalistic songs as a powerful one-two punch: “Crossing Guard” immediately followed by “Slate.” During an extended outro section in “Crossing Guard,” Haden decisively takes full control of the audience, commanding them: “We are doing the Cha-Cha now!” He then energetically directs the entire crowd: Two deliberate steps to the right. A sharp, synchronized clap. A collective jump! Then two quick steps back to the left!
The crowd is eager and wholeheartedly involved, hence, they are obviously aroused by the instant, while Haden is smiling from ear to ear as an utterly charming boss of his own wild-no-circus. Consequently, this creates an incredibly campy, purely fun, and distinctly gay moment within the show, offering a stark and deliberate contrast to the serious, almost stern perfectionism displayed by the musicians behind him; this juxtaposition generates a profoundly surreal atmosphere – the Lynchian effect permeating the entire event feels so thick and tangible, you could likely scrape it right off the venue walls with a spoon!
Explosive Finale
Finally, as Haden masterfully builds up towards a final, screaming vocal climax, the band cuts sharply and without warning into the opening notes of “Slate.” Immediately, the reaction arrives from the room. The audience goes wild, engaging louder than before and more wildly with the frenzy of their moshing, thus totally immersing themselves into the crushing and overwhelming final verse of the song. Such a communal letting go offers a neat, cathartic finale to the band’s brutal barrage of sound.
Unexpected Shift
After the vigorous burst, “Departures” features a distinct change in mood with a slightly melancholic, and somewhat rhythmically reminiscent of Radiohead work, calming the atmosphere for only a short minute. Suddenly, however, the band decisively goes off-script – an action particularly notable because everyone observing the planned tracklist immediately remarks upon this unexpected change. Exactly what transpires during this segment is widely debated afterwards (did they actually play “Poppy”? Was that “Ring Road”? What exactly is happening right now?), but the undeniable standout moment arrives when the band unexpectedly adds “Acid Rain” to their set!
This track, arguably the best song from their album ‘Pirouette’, is a heartbreaking ballad that suddenly and powerfully bursts apart the accumulated tension within the room. Its nakedly emotional and deeply humane delivery creates a stark, intentional break with the preceding machine-world aesthetics defined by no-wave chaos and harsh industrial sounds, offering a moment of raw vulnerability.
Final Crowd Interaction
When the band finally resumes their planned set-list, Haden fearlessly jumps into the crowd one final, wild time for the song “Cinderella”. During this intense performance, he gets exceptionally close with select audience members, creating moments of charged intimacy within the chaos. The closing number, “New Face” – a strange, early track originally from their 2017 EP ‘No’ – arrives with vibrant energy, yet feels very much like an intentional, final salvo before the end. As the band is about to leave the stage, Jack Wetmore, the guitarist, comes out to the front with his impressive step. He threw up a keffiyeh scarf, toying with it in a deliberate force of a proclamation, then he draped it over the microphone stand with his still hand and went off stage with no rush, leaving the symbol behind.
Lasting Significance
Consequently, witnessing a group like Model/Actriz, whose very existence makes such a profound statement – politically, spiritually, and emotionally – operating right at their peak is a genuinely rare experience. This rarity stems precisely from the harsh reality that most bands operating at this level of raw, potent power tend to burn out intensely and quickly, vanishing before achieving longevity. Truly, there are very few enduring forces like Sonic Youth; conversely, there are many bands similar to DNA, Scratch Acid, or Big Black – incredibly influential but fleeting presences where only a lucky few ever get the chance to recount the legendary experience of having been physically present, of bearing direct witness to something so undeniably special.
Therefore, existing as part avant-garde art performance and part foundational legends within a burgeoning genre, Model/Actriz firmly stands as vital innovators, necessary provocateurs, and the very beating hearts of artistic resistance and creative perseverance in modern music.
