Review of the "Light and MRock" concert

As the days grow shorter and the sun spends less time in the sky—when, as it does every year at this time, darkness prevails over light—it’s worth looking back on a truly exceptional concert that drew a crowd of true rock music fans to the Atlas Arena in late October. And once again, it proved to all the skeptics that nothing is impossible—not even in the realm of music. For here are two legends of the Polish music scene—Piotr Rogucki and Katarzyna Nosowska—who spectacularly brought their plans to life.

A musical experiment

Neither Rogucki—the longtime frontman of Coma and a participant in many other projects, most notably the Karaś/Rogucki duo—nor Nosowska—the longtime lead singer of Hey and a participant in various other projects, including Męskie Granie—needs much introduction to any fan of Polish rock. Since the 1990s, both have set musical trends, and as soon as news broke that they were joining forces in a new venture, it was clear that we were in for something we had never heard or seen before on the domestic scene.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Rogucki and Nosowska—along with the guests they had invited—subjected their otherwise familiar audience to a unique experiment after several months of preparation. Instead of the usual formula—we sing, you listen—they managed to create a show in which every person in the audience could feel like a co-creator. All thanks to the benefits of new technology—at designated moments, fans had a real influence on the course of the concert. And although the “Światło i MRock” tour, with a fairly similar setlist, visited several of Poland’s largest cities, each of these shows differed from one another precisely because of the choices made in real time by the audience.

Two worlds to choose from

What did this interactivity actually entail? Well, the audience had access to two different arrangements of the songs—“light” (brighter, more subtle) and “dark” (heavier, more dramatic). And as soon as the appropriate message appeared on the speakers and big screens, everyone in Atlas Arena could indicate which version they preferred. And they eagerly took advantage of this. Especially since the visual presentation went hand in hand with the sound—either the lighting effects were livelier, more joyful, and optimistic, or they were dominated by melancholy and a certain unease.

In Łódź—which was to be expected—darkness dominated the instant polls. But first things first… The show, which lasted over two hours, kicked off with Piotr and Katarzyna performing Radiohead’s “Creep” together. The song, a sort of anthem for all those who feel different and are searching for their place in the world, immediately sent shivers down the audience’s spines. “Creep” is an undisputed classic from the early ’90s, but the event’s program also included songs much less frequently played on the radio. Such as, for example, “Hella Good” by No Doubt, which Nosowska performed next with her innate charisma.

Photo: Radoslaw Zydowicz

Phones Straight from the Darkness

Later in Łódź, it was time for a song… written in Łódź. The track “Spadam” is one of the biggest hits by “Roguc” and his bandmates from Coma, but this time we got to see how a voice hailing from Western Pomerania—where Kasia Nosowska is from, after all—would handle it. Kasia herself made no secret of the fact that, for obvious reasons, this song stressed her out the most out of the entire set. But despite her fears, the 54-year-old singer handled it flawlessly. In fact, Coma’s home crowd seemed to be delighted with her interpretation.

Finally, the moment came to make the first decisions. Using their smartphones and a QR code displayed on the big screens, the audience could express what their “instincts told them” and “choose the kind of energy that would fill the space.” The choice fell on Mrok, and thus “Telefony” by the late Republika was played and sung in a somewhat psychedelic rendition. And here, we must immediately tip our hats to the two arrangers present in the hall. Both Michał “Fox” Król and Paweł Cieślak did a fantastic job, crafting the individual versions of the songs that made up the entire show.

The Dark Side of Love

In the next QR code vote, “Światło” won—likely out of curiosity to compare the vibes of the two musical styles prepared especially for this evening. Now, for a change, the stage belonged to Piotr and his musicians, who soared to new heights with an emotionally charged cover of The Smashing Pumpkins’ “Disarm.” After that, we witnessed a beautiful musical rematch—Rogucki reached for “List,” Hey’s iconic track from exactly 30 years ago. “Hey accompanied me through my musical coming-of-age and has stayed with me ever since,” Rogucki admitted just before the first notes of the song, and then sang it verse by verse in a deeply moving way. Interestingly, for this particular song, the stage was dominated neither by white nor black, but by… fiery red—just like on the covers of the Szczecin band’s first albums.

“The next song will be dark, even though it’s about love. Because, paradoxically, a lot of love songs are actually filled with darkness,” Rogucki announced with a twist. This time, however, he wasn’t referring to a hit from years ago, but to a very contemporary one: “Nie chcę prawdy” by the Tri-City band Mjut. It was probably the least recognizable song on the entire setlist, but it still drew thunderous applause at the end. As for the next two songs, there was probably no one in the entire Atlas Arena who didn’t know at least their choruses.

The most famous passenger in the world

The first of the invited guests took the stage—Kazik Staszewski—who first captivated the audience with a rendition of Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger,” before moving on to a daring performance of “Celina.” Performances marked by darkness, we should add, because in the meantime the audience once again had the chance to express their preferences on this matter. By the way, “Celina” is, of course, the song that topped the charts thanks to Kult—Kazik’s main, though certainly not only, band. It is worth noting, however, that the song was written by Stanisław Staszewski, the father of the now 62-year-old singer, who was born in Pabianice, just a dozen or so kilometers from Atlas Arena.

After Kazik’s performance, we had another light-and-dark vote. This time, all we had to do was hold up a lit phone screen or… do nothing. Within a few dozen seconds, the hall became quite bright, but even that wasn’t enough. The “dark” side prevailed once again, and the verdict influenced how the Rogucki–Nosowska duo performed the song “W deszczu maleńkich żółtych kwiatów” (“In the Rain of Tiny Yellow Flowers”), which the band Myslovitz recorded nearly 20 years ago—with Artur Rojek still on vocals. The harmony of these two distinctive voices was once again a delight to hear, though it would be difficult to argue that this was one of the concert’s key moments.

Kurt's spirit lives on

Without a shadow of a doubt, their joint performance of the next song was a highlight. The bar was set high, because “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is, after all, the anthem of all grunge fans, and the memory of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana hasn’t faded despite the passing years. But what Piotr and Kasia did with this song was absolutely explosive! The sight of seemingly sedate 40- and 50-somethings energetically bouncing to the beat in front of the stage will remain one of the highlights of the evening. The artists themselves also radiated an extraordinary emotional intensity. After all, Cobain is one of Nosowska’s greatest teenage idols, as the singer herself emotionally recounted from the stage.

After such a spectacular performance, the stars of the evening—who were also the hosts—took a brief break and handed the stage at Atlas Arena over to the musicians from the bands accompanying them that day. The performance of the ballad “Do You Realize?” from The Flaming Lips’ discography, delivered by such a highly original lineup, was warmly received, which must have been quite an experience for each of the dozen or so people involved.

Entrance… Doda

Later, everyone had another chance to have a say in the fate of the next song. And quite literally so, because this time sensors installed in the hall were measuring the noise level. The rule was simple: if it’s quiet, we’ll get the light version. And if any noise or murmurs were detectable, the audience would once again get the dark arrangement. And that’s exactly what happened. Kasia Nosowska, with the help of her accompanying musicians, found her way perfectly through the dark corners of Blur’s “Song 2.”

And when she finished, she introduced the second special guest. A guest who has been successfully performing solo for over a decade, though her musical journey began with the now-forgotten band Virgin. We’re talking, of course, about Dorota “Doda” Rabczewska, who immediately brought an extra burst of energy to the stage at Atlas Arena and raised the temperature in the hall by a few more degrees. As befits the Queen of Polish show business… the 41-year-old first performed her version of “What’s Up?” from the 4 Non Blondes repertoire, and moments later treated everyone to a lesser-known arrangement of one of her latest hits. “Melodia Ta,” in a more edgy version than the one usually played on the radio, immediately brought to mind Rabczewska’s first major hits (still under the Virgin label) such as “Tylko Ty” and “Mam tylko Ciebie.”

In the drops of November rain

Once again this year, the Łódź audience bid Doda farewell with thunderous applause (just like at her birthday concert this summer at Błonia Park), and immediately afterward, she resumed her role as a judge. However, the decision to be made was something radically different than before—not the “type” of song, but the title of the upcoming track. The choices were “Szare miraże” by Maanam and “Zaopiekuj się mną” by Rezerwat. There were no surprises—at least for me. The majority voted for the song by Marek Jackowski and Kora. The lyrics, brimming with ambiguity, gave Nosowska and Rogucki great freedom on stage, which they both eagerly took advantage of—to the benefit of the song itself. And Kora and Marek, if they were watching from above, could have been proud that their song not only received yet another sensational interpretation but also continues to stir up a lot of emotion in the audience.

“After all these years, we’ve learned to read the audience’s reactions, and these ones tell us everything’s okay,” “Roguc” said with a smile to the crowd before the next song. As it turned out a moment later, it was by far the longest song of the evening. And one of the most technically difficult. And at the same time, one of the most beloved—both for those on stage and those around it. Sounds like a challenge, doesn’t it? But challenges are, after all, meant to be taken on… And preferably in masterful style. And that’s exactly what happened at Atlas Arena for the next nine-plus minutes. In my opinion, “November Rain” (the note that this is a Guns N’ Roses song seems unnecessary, but I’ll leave it just in case) was the most magical moment of the entire show. With the strong support of his guitarists, Rogucki made us, for a few moments, travel back in time to when CD rental shops were thriving (and their contents were copied onto cassette tapes at home), MTV was still the most important music channel, and the streets were still dominated by Polonez, Fiat 125p, and “Maluch” cars.

Photo: Radoslaw Zydowicz

In memory of Maestro David

The Guns N’ Roses classic could have been a great finale to the entire evening, but fortunately, the script had other plans. Thanks to that, we were once again able to enjoy the privilege of helping shape the events on stage. In accordance with the majority’s choice, Piotr Rogucki performed David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream,” following the glow of the lights. And the result was a moving tribute to the great master. Bravo—our hands just naturally clapped in applause!

To wrap up the main part of the show, Nosowska and Rogucki saved one more grunge gem. Or rather, a massive gem in the form of “Would?” by Alice In Chains. It was energetic, at times downright diabolical—just right for a first farewell. Because after a few minutes, they reappeared on stage and presented us with yet another fantastic gift. For the encore, we heard “Creep” again, but this time in an acoustic version. Intimate, painfully delicate, almost intimate. A beautiful musical conclusion to an unforgettable evening!

We look forward to hearing more

With their “Light and MRock” concerts, Piotr Rogucki and Kasia Nosowska fulfilled yet another of their musical dreams. And in the process, they also fulfilled the dreams of thousands of fans who, together with them, could reminisce about the wonderful musical end of the last century, see their long-time idols perform a different repertoire than before, and pay tribute once again to several geniuses who are no longer with us. “We chose songs that evoke specific memories. Or remind us how long we used to have to wait to hear them on the radio or on TV,” Rogucki said during the performance, impressing the audience with his vocal prowess from start to finish. The same can certainly be said of Kasia Nosowska.

It’s hard to believe, then, that neither individually nor with their bands are they eager to create new music. Without their distinctive personalities, the music scene in our country will be significantly poorer in the near future. Or perhaps, in that case, they’ll at least join forces once more to prepare “Światło i MRock 2”? There are surely another dozen or so songs that have left a strong mark on them at various moments in their lives. And the audience certainly wouldn’t mind hearing such a set live—and, while they’re at it, exercising their right to cast their concert votes once again…