Taiwan has recently seen a surge in psychedelic rock, with bands like Cold Dew, Dope Purple, Valley Hi!, and Shikin Rollin, each bringing their unique flair. Among them, Bremen Entertainment Inc. (referred to as Bremen), with its rising popularity and a name inspired by German fairy tales and Blizzard Entertainment, released its second album "The Great Bremen Show" on November 6. The young members of Bremen, averaging 24 years old, displayed their fearless ambition with this album, heightening my expectations for tonight's show.
Before the show started, the acronym 'TGBS' was projected onto the yet-to-be-lifted stage curtain. As the curtain rose, guitarist Mordecai opened the show with a calm and steady keyboard solo of ‘Untitled 9’. The band explained that the night's performance would be in two parts: the first half featuring songs from their first album "Taured," taking the audience on a journey through the fictional island of Taured, and the second half focusing on the ongoing story of "The Great Bremen Show."
The first half felt like riding a horse, with Bremen and four LED computer lights creating a dim and restless landscape. Guest percussionist Zhong Lin (drummer of I’mdifficult) further enhanced this immersive experience. The first half ended with guitarists Valen and Michael exchanging fist bumps and high fives during a guitar solo, adding a youthful energy to their unrestrained performance, which brought the audience to its peak excitement.
The second half opened with the new album's overture ‘Peace and Quiet.’ The virtual world created by the tech art team XTRUX using Unreal Engine 5 was finally projected onto the large screen behind the band, signaling the start of a new journey. It felt like riding a roller coaster, moving through scenes like amusement parks, jungles, and canyons (reminiscent of the Petra Kaznej temple from the movie "Indiana Jones"), with the band members transformed into virtual characters performing in these settings. The guitar riffs of ‘Riddle Puzzle’ paired with XTRUX's projected mine tunnels made the audience feel like fugitives in a frantic escape.
The show concluded with ‘Princess Back to the Castle,’ slowing down the high energy of the night. The projection's viewpoint retreated, revisiting the night's landscapes and virtual characters waving goodbye. The final scene reached space, viewing the blue earth and a grand chorus filled with love and peace, until the TGBS image reappeared, marking the end of “The Great Bremen Show.” This was undoubtedly one of the most thrilling psychedelic rock performances I've seen in recent years.
