Ad Orientem Novus Ordo Mass in Warsaw Old Town

What a nice surprise this was, running into an Ad Orientem Novus Ordo Mass in Warsaw Old Town:

Despite being said in Polish, the priest, servers, and congregation all faced East together during the Mass, in the same way as the Old Latin (Tridentine) Mass.

A couple of years ago, I caught an Ad Orientem Novus Ordo Mass with the Oratorians in Oxford.

The Ad Orientem Novus Ordo Mass that I caught in Warsaw Old Town was on a weekday evening at the Church of the Holy Ghost:

Of course, the Ad Orientem position is viewed as especially important during the consecration, when the Holy Sacrifice (of Christ's Body and Blood) is offered to God the Father in reparation for human sin.

Bokka - Warsaw Stodoła (5th December 2025)

 Most probably my last gig of 2025, Bokka at Warsaw Stodoła on Friday evening:

Have been curious about Bokka for quite some time so it was good to finally get round to seeing them:

And enjoyed every single minute of it, a wonderful audio-visual experience:

Not massively well up on Bokka but found that I knew far more of their tunes than I realised (Town of Strangers; 900; On Your Side etc.).

How would I describe Bokka? 

A massive eclectic mix of such things as Electronica; Indie/Alternative; Rock; Dance; Trip Hop etc., I guess.

What I found is that the music is perfect for a kind of slow but beautiful style of dancing (swaying side to side without being self-conscious).

Love the Liz Fraser/Massive Attack song, Teardrop, and Bokka do a really good version of it:

Yeah, really enjoyed seeing Bokka, the singer (Karolina Kozak) has an incredible voice, she reminds me a lot of Siouxsie Sioux (I mean this as a massive compliment). 

Yeah, I can now most definitely count Bokka amongst my four favourite Polish bands, alongside Riverside, Mikromusic, and Dikanda.

Stodoła

Stodoła

Czech Beer in My Kernowfornia Festival Glass

 A nice shot of a wonderful Czech beer sat appetisingly in my Kernowfornia festival glass:

It's nice to be able to put this glass to use 6-7 weeks after the great Kernowfornia Music Festival in Looe, Cornwall (south-west England). 

Roasted Pumpkin Slices

A shot of some roasted pumpkin slices, covered in pepper, from around All Saints and All Souls days:

Like with sweet potato, the first few slices were absolutely delicious, but after that, they became too rich-tasting.

Still, the first few slices became delicious again at the next sitting, of course.

Lesoir at Warsaw Potok (9.11.2025): A Magical Kind of Tale

 And finally, the fifth of our gigs in 10 days, Dutch Prog band, Lesoir, at the Potok in Warsaw:

The Potok is a nice club, under a group of shops, not far from where I live in Warsaw, it was the first time I'd visited the place:

And in a small room, Lesoir put on a truly wonderful show doing Dystopia; Aeon (a wonderful dancing tune); The Drawer; Under the Stars etc.

Yeah, in this small room, the audience received something special.

And the gig was kind of magical for me as a few weeks before, I'd seen Lesoir at the Kernowfornia Festival in Cornwall (south-west England) where unfortunately, the band had suffered technical problems, and I'd come away wanting to hear them do a longer set, and within a week back in Warsaw, hey presto, I'd seen the Potok gig advertised.

And my intuition was right, as myself, and all the others in the Potok room, were treated to a fantastic set, loved every moment of the Lesoir gig, as did my good old friend, Wobbler, who was over from my hometown, Bury (near Manchester):

The Spirit of the Beehive (Warsaw Chmury 6-11-2025)

Our fourth concert in a ten-day period was The Spirit of the Beehive at the Chmury in Warsaw: 

The Chmury is next door to the Hydrozagadka and one of the few and far between places where you can enjoy your beer in a real glass at a gig:

The Spirit of the Beehive played Manchester while I was over there in late February, but unfortunately, it was the same day as Laibach who I already had a ticket for.

So, it was great to catch The Spirit of the Beehive in Warsaw:

Really like their quirky but highly melodic sound, and, at almost 60, found myself jiving around.

To tunes like nail I couldn't bite; LET THE VIRGIN DRIVE; and THE CUT DEPICTS THE CUT.

A nice shot of the band just before hitting the stage:

And of my good old friend, Wobbler, reflecting on things outside, after a great gig:

Also turned up in time to catch the Polish opening act, Kisu Min, who we also enjoyed:

So we had a wonderful evening all round.

Ronnie Romero and Gus G - Warsaw Hybrydy (4-11-2025)

Concert number three out of five in 10 days was Ronnie Romero and Gus G. at the Klub Hybrydy in Warsaw:

Where we were treated to a nice selection of cover tunes: The Mob Rules (Dio-era Black Sabbath); Highway Star (Deep Purple); Cold Sweat (Thin Lizzy) etc.

Plus some great Romero (e.g. Chased by Shadows) and Gus G. (e.g. Quantum Leap) songs, of course.

With my good old friend, Wobbler, loving it:

Especially during the Ozzy Osbourne song encores (Shot in the Dark; Bark at the Moon; and War Pigs).

 Yeah, this gig had a really good atmosphere and old school feel about it.