HEALTH Live in Sofia: A Triumphant Industrial Gig in an Unexpected Venue
The LA industrial trio's first show in Bulgaria on June 22 was a night to remember to both old fans and new heads.
When I first saw the announcement that LA industrial trio HEALTH would be playing in Sofia this summer, I wasn’t sure if I was looking at the right thing. Living in Bulgaria, we’re not used to seeing bands come to us while they’re still at their peak, and HEALTH is one of those names that keeps making waves, first for their unique take on modern industrial music, then for their relentlessness in pushing the envelope with each new single or release, and last but not least for their welcoming online presence and community that makes any nerd feel at home.
So on the day of the show, we arrive at Maimunarnika, an open-air venue in one of Sofia’s biggest parks, which honestly I’m not a huge fan of for various reasons, but this evening somehow feels nice. There’s no support tonight except for two local DJs and it’s a little bit before sunset when we hear the opening tune from Evangelion and we know it’s time for the HEALTH live experience.
The trio opens with “Identity” from their 2022 full-length Disco4 Part II and after that, we’re taken on a journey throughout the band’s whole discography. From recent highlights like “Demigods”, “Crack Metal” and “Ashamed” to older gems like “New Coke” or “Men Today”. That was my first time seeing the band live and I was really curious how their massive production would translate to the live setting and boy did it sound as grand as if not even grander live. The trio controls both the stage and the crowd with nothing else but their massive sound and the passion they pour into their performance.
BJ Miller is a beast behind the drums, singer and guitarist Jake Duzsik is delivering his signature otherworldly vocals while juggling crafty licks or soundscapes with his guitar. Sometimes both he and John Famiglietti (handling bass and electronics live) lose themselves in processed and feedbacking vocal noise outbursts to remind us despite their predominantly catch tunes HEALTH is still a loud and intense industrial band. While interactions with the crowd are put to a minimum, the band looks happy to be playing for us for the first time, which is especially felt when it finally gets dark and somehow everything comes at its place.
When we hear “Ashamed”, which got a brand new version featuring CHVRCHES’ Lauren Mayberry, we know we’re headed towards the end of the show. Before the closer HEALTH let us know there won’t be encores and this is their last track. With their merch sold out at the previous dates, they promise to come back, and they better do because Sofia still needs to hear Children of Sorrow, or Sicko live. After the show, Johnny and Benjamin join the crowd for photos and chat, and it’s the most humble ending to an over an hour-long show of surreal music.
