
CrowdSnapper checked out German rock and metal outfit Future Palace in Gothenburg amidst their frontline tour during the Distortion album cycle. The show took place on Halloween and the Berlin trio honoured their fans with a performance that was truly out of the ordinary.
Three albums into their career, Future Palace has already churned out quite a varied back-catalogue, ranging from emo and alternative rock to post-hardcore and metalcore. The 2020 debut Escape had an accessible emo/alt-rock sound with synth and electronic elements and clean vocals, that shaped a sound reminiscent of early PVRIS. For the sophomore LP Run, the band started incorporating a bit of fry screaming and heavy breakdowns here and there, giving the band a bit harder edge.
My first time hearing Future Palace wasn't until early 2024, admittedly, and with no knowledge of the band, I assumed they must have two singers, judging by the vast range of vocal styles. I was soon proven wrong, however, watching some live performances on the 'tube. Vocalist Maria Lessing turned out to be quite the Swiss army knife of singing, effortlessly switching from crystal clear to brutal, guttural screams on the fly. It's quite impressive and intriguing to behold, for sure. I read somewhere that Spiritbox and Bring Me the Horizon were included on their list of influences. And yeah, I can see the similarity in their later efforts "Run" and "Distortion", as they seem to gradually move towards a heavier sound.
Band Lineup
- Maria Lessing (vocals)
- Manuel Kohlert (guitar)
- Johannes Frenzel (drums)

Halloween Show
The show coincided with Halloween, and the band surely dressed for the occasion, to make the show feel like a proper Halloween party.
Vocalist Maria Lessing came dressed as the Joker in Batman, while guitarist Manuel Kohlert appeared as a faceless reaper and it was quite a miracle he could see at all with his entire face covered up.
Drummer Johannes Frenzel proved to be quite a thespian as he took the role of some sort of demonic nun. He acted like a total cuckoo and managed to stay in character throughout the whole show. Quite entertaining to watch for sure, his facial expressions alone were totally bonkers!
Even though I'm not too keen on horror, I can certainly appreciate the more slapsticky, goofy side of Halloween. Being the first time seeing the band, a part of me can't help but feel I missed out on seeing the actual band as they normally look, however. I mean, for real, I didn't get to see the guitar player at all, lol.
Anyhow, be sure to check out the band VLOG embedded at the bottom of this page, which includes some behind-the-scenes footage from their time in Gothenburg, bringing you along on the ride, as they were preparing their costumes and whatnot.
Photographing the Event
I managed to got a photo pass from the booking agent Revival Booking (cheers, Jesper!). I shot entirely from the crowd, however, since it was a smaller venue with no pit. I mostly shot from the sides for that reason, since the middle section got somewhat crammed pretty fast. I didn't have time to see the whole show, unfortunately, but I stayed for about an hour.
Enjoy the shots!
Gear Used
Wider Shots
- Camera: Sony a7 III
- Lens: Tamron 28-75/f2.8
Close-Ups
- Camera: Sony a7R II
- Lens: Tamron 70-180/f2.8
Concert Photo Gallery

More From the Band
Headline Tour 2024 VLOG
The band made this VLOG during their visit in Gothenburg. Watch some footage from the show, mixed with behind-the-scenes stuff!
Decarabia (Official Video)
Notice the spooky DJ in the video, who also made an appearance at the gig during the performance of this song.