This time they did not put up a sold out sign – you see, they didn’t have any! But otherwise the result was the same last night in Vienna as with the previous SPOT On Denmark in Brussels in November: the venue packed with excited music fans and the local music business, doors closed and a tremendous and triumphant atmosphere.

With its capacity of 200 paying spectators the club B72 is not among the biggest venues in Vienna, but in our eyes: rather packed to the brim and buzz feel, than a half-empty venue here on this first attempt at building a new market. This night all three Danish acts Kiss Kiss Kiss, Ginger Ninja and When Saints Go Machine got to play at a full house and in front of an extremely attentive audience – from the edge of the stage to the bar at the end of the oblong room.

Actually the Austrians had warned us beforehand that the some members of the audience might be tempted to leave around midnight when the last act of the night When Saints Go Machine were to enter the stage, because normally many Austrians in fact start heading home before the subway closes. Well not so on this occasion: everybody stayed and partied all night with the Danish acts.

 

- It’s been a pleasure to be part of this, said the Die Presse reporter Holger Fleischmann, who together with the 40 other music business people (most of them Austrians and the rest were Danes) had been invited for a little speed-eating session so that they could start networking before the gigs.
- As for the results we will have to see, but the concept is definitely a good idea. I know a lot more about Danish music now after having first met the Danish industry people and then experienced the music live. The acts were very diverse, and the fans that they might get down here won’t be the same, but their level was definitely high – a notch higher than down here, I guess. When Saints Go Machine is a band with their very own identity and sound.

FM4’s head of program, Andreas Gstettner, said, “It has been excellent to meet so many people – and well to just watch so many people from two countries meet and talk. In this age of web and mail for us to meet in this way is in fact quite a rare occurrence. This night we all knew why we were here and what to talk about.”

“The music? Kiss Kiss Kiss surprised me – they were very young and seemed cheeky – in a good way that is. It was hard to believe that this was Ginger Ninja’s first gig on foreign soil. They seemed really confident!”

Manuel Fronhofer, editor, TBA Magazine:

I think, it's a great idea, to bring people from Austria and Denmark together. I definitely got to know some new and interesting people, but there could have been more Danish representatives (from labels etc). I see of course, that it might be pretty expensive to get them to Vienna. Maybe
you could combine Spot-On-events in different countries and bring along people from the industry to meet people from other European cities on consecutive days?

All the bands were pretty good. I think, they all have potential to gain an audience in Austria. When Saints Go Machine were my personal highlight, they do something very special, they have a distinct sound, which is emotional and synthetic at the same time, and rather daring, nonetheless they rocked the venue with their club-affine tracks. They were really great!

- The concept in itself – letting people meet this way – was definitely unique, said Wolfgang Mitter from Miooow Booking. The returns on the night are long term-ones, and therefore only time will tell, but the project is exciting
- I don’t think I would sign any of the three bands, but their artistic level was high. In my eyes the first two bands (Kiss Kiss Kiss and Ginger Ninja, ed.) were not quite as original as When Saints Go Machine who were a bit too 80s-like and masculine according to my taste. However, I did notice that the girls liked them….

At two AM, MXD leader Thomas Rohde, who was extremely satisfied, summed up the event, “This first SPOT On Denmark in Vienna has been the object of overwhelming attention from Austrian music business and all sorts of media – ranging from major newspapers to TV, radio and magazines. He continued, “It goes to show that if the wrapping is right, there is definitely a healthy market for our product in Austria.

“Many media down have seen us as a case story for how to make music export, so a lot of the interest is due to their eagerness to get a close look at the Danish model – and obviously to hear the music”, says Thomas Rohde and adds, “A lot of people praised the event fulsomely – both the organization and the focus, so it’s hard not to be happy”