Hach, this Viennese charm is simply irresistible - but that's not the only reason why Wanda from the Austrian capital exert such a powerful attraction. Viennese is the icing on the cake of their subversive indie pop rock. Italy is also omnipresent in Wanda, who call their albums "Amore", "Niente" or "Ciao" and sing full of longing about "Bologna". One person in particular is responsible for the singing: Marco Michael Wanda, whose real name is Michael Marco Fitzthum. As the frontman, he sings songs about life's big issues in the most beautiful Viennese dialect.
Named after "Wilde Wanda", a Viennese pimp from the 1970s, the band first appeared on the scene in 2014. "Amore" is the name of their first album, which immediately caused a sensation in the five musicians' home country. The newcomers did not go unnoticed in Germany either. Falco, Rainhard Fendrich and Bilderbuch comparisons as well as the often-used Austropop label are obvious, but they are not nearly enough to describe Wanda's music. There is something about these Austrians that distinguishes them from others and exerts a tremendous fascination. When they deliver a follow-up with "Bussi" just one year later, the entire German-speaking world has long been in Wanda fever.
That this fever continues to this day is hardly surprising in view of songs like "Luzia", "Columbo", "Ciao Baby" or "Jurassic Park". While Wanda's music is a mixture of pop, indie rock and rock 'n' roll, the lyrics deal with love and loss, life and death. Subtle humour is just as present in and between the lines as biting cynicism. At the same time, the lyrics always leave room for one's own projections and interpretations. Maybe that's why so many people find themselves in songs like "My two sisters" or "Lascia mi fare".
Bussis and amore? Best live!
As moving and stirring as the songs are on the albums or on the radio, their power is overwhelming live. Of course, this is also due to the way Wanda perform their songs. The guys obviously feel at home on stage, especially Marco takes great pleasure in playing the ramp and crowd-surfing to get close to the audience during "Ich will Schnaps" at the latest. "We always play for life and death," Marco once said in an interview. Anyone who has seen the band live or listened to the live album "Amore meine Stadt" will believe him immediately. You don't forget a Wanda concert that quickly.
Sold-out halls, several top 10 albums, a loyal fan base - Wanda is on! And anyone who got a fright at the title of the fourth album "Ciao" can rest assured: Wanda go "on, on".
