Copyright business-review
10 years ago, the band Goodbye to Gravity was preparing to launch their second album, Mantras of War, with a concert. The enthusiastic reviews in the specialized press and the success of the first three singles promised an exceptional album, with a strong anti-corruption message, with lyrics about resilience and courage. After the first show, the band was going to go on a national tour and was making plans to play abroad. The artists’ horizons for a successful career, both locally and internationally, were open, and they were close to the moment they had always dreamed of: changing the world for the better with their music. However, this dream was shattered by the very evil that Goodbye to Gravity fought against through art: corruption. The fire in the Colectiv club, on October 30, 2015, killed 65 people, both directly and as a result of the precarious conditions in hospitals and the concealment of nosocomial infections. Another 180 were injured. It was the greatest tragedy of modern Romania. Alex Pascu, Vlad Țelea, Mihai Alexandru and Bogdan Enache, the band’s bassist, guitarists and drummer, were among the victims. Andrei Găluț, the band’s vocalist, was seriously injured. His chances of survival were minimal. The irreparable human losses silenced the music of Goodbye to Gravity. The silence of mourning fell over the families of the killed, over the suffering of the injured and over the band’s creation. The story of a metal band eager to contribute to the evolution of Romania seemed to have ended forever. But the power of Goodbye to Gravity’s music was not destroyed by the flames. “The day we give in is the day we die” transformed from an underground single verse into an anti-corruption slogan, and the band’s songs rose from the ashes as anthems of a generation fed up with Romania’s murderous dysfunctions. Now, GTG’s creation is more relevant than ever, as tragedies did not stop with the club fire. On the contrary, they followed each other year after year, terrible and avoidable, highlighting Romania’s huge need for change. 10 years after the Colectiv club fire, as a symbol of resilience in the face of suffering caused by corruption, Andrei Găluț, together with 10 surviving musicians, launches The Memento Project, a charity project dedicated to paying tribute to the victims of the tragedies that have marked Romania in the last decade. It is an acoustic and re-orchestrated recording of two of Goodbye to Gravity’s iconic songs, The Day We Die and The Cage, presented in the form of a video with studio footage. The project’s composition brings together famous names from the Romanian underground and is as follows: The Day We Die: Cristian Răducanu (Bucium) on drums, Vlad Bușcă (L.O.S.T.) on bass, Cosmin Lupu on guitar and vocals, Mircea Becherescu on guitar, Mihai Grecea on guitar, Alex Penescu on piano, Costin Dumitrache on mellotron, Mihai Balabaș (Bucium) on violin and Andrei Găluț (Goodbye to Gravity) on vocals & guitar. The Cage: Pavlos Popovici (The Longest Heartbreak) on drums, Andrei Zamfir on bass, Cosmin Lupu on guitar & vocals, Mircea Becherescu on guitar, Mihai Grecea on guitar, Costin Dumitrache on guitar and Andrei Găluț (Goodbye to Gravity) on vocals & guitar. The songs were recorded at Mihai Grecea’s studio, El Studió, where the video was also filmed. The songs were mixed by Dan Georgescu, and mastered by Costin Dumitrache at Constantine Mastering. The Memento Project represents the first public appearance of the soloist Andrei Găluț after 10 years of absence from the music scene, due to medical treatments, traumas suffered and reconstruction surgeries, to which he is still forced to submit. The artist explains the motivation for the commemorative initiative in a comprehensive message: “The two songs represent both albums of the band. The Cage was the single for which we made our first artistic video in 2012, and The Day We Die is the song that became emblematic in the anti-corruption civic movements in the country. I saw its lyrics written on banners and cars, embroidered on clothes and carried in the souls of people who want to change Romania for the better. I started working on these versions of the songs as part of my recovery process, while still in the hospital bed. I used the guitar both as support in the painful medical procedures to regain the mobility of my hands and arms and as psychological support in the turbulent and extremely difficult years that followed the fire. The project of the songs Goodbye to Gravity re-orchestrated in an acoustic manner debuted with Back to Life – Acoustic Reprise, released in 2014 through a video on Youtube. Later, I noticed that people turned it into a bittersweet symbol of the joy of discovery the more melodic side of our music, but also the regret that they didn’t do this sooner, before the tragedy. This perspective inspired me and led me to put into action the message of resilience of the lyrics I wrote for Goodbye to Gravity. I have always encouraged listeners not to give up. I took this advice to heart and decided to do everything in my power to keep our music moving forward. So, this summer, when Mihai Grecea invited me to see his new studio, I took my guitar with me. From the very first visit, we started recording the ideas that are found in this project. They were enriched and orchestrated together with the other 10 surviving musicians, whom I would like to thank for their courage in accepting such a collaboration. I know that it was an almost impossible project, considering that we are not a cohesive band and we had not worked together before. together. But, despite all the challenges, we managed to give the songs this unique form. I am sure that the passion we put into the endeavor and the huge meaning it has for us will reach the listeners and resonate with them, regardless of whether they know our story or are just learning about it. The idea of the name Memento seemed appropriate to me for this musical project, which comes to mark the 10th anniversary. I believe that people need to remember what happened to us and I hope that this tribute will inspire them to bring their share of good to the world. Only together can we leave this place more beautiful, safer and more honest than we inherited it.” All funds raised as a result of the exploitation of the video and the songs will be donated to the “In the Name of Alexandru” Association, founded by Narcis Hogea, the father of Alexandru Hogea, the 19-year-old who died from nosocomial infections contracted in Romanian hospitals. “In the Name of Alexandru” provides support to people who have suffered burns and their families. Those who wish to make direct donations to the association can do so in its IBAN, directing 3.5% of the income tax or 20% of the company’s profit tax. All details are available here: https://www.innumeleluialexandru.ro/doneaza/. Beyond being a musical endeavor, The Memento Project is a testimony to the resilience of people, but also of artistic creation, in the face of the most terrible circumstances that corruption can create. 10 years later, 10 surviving musicians, along with Goodbye to Gravity lead singer Andrei Găluț, pay tribute to the memory of the victims of the fire, but also to that of all those who died or were injured in the tragedies that have not stopped happening in Romania, as a heartbreaking sign that we are far from having learned anything from Colectiv. One can listen to the songs here: https://GoodbyeToGravity.lnk.to/ThisIsGTGPR, and the video can be accesed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbqep_dbt9o The day we give in is the day we die.
