Fever Ray
A few from Fever Ray at the Bristol Academy.
Fever Ray is Swede Karin Dreijer Andersson, with her brother normally one half of duo 'The Knife'.
Her self-titled debut solo album is one of my faves of 2009, an improvement on 'Silent Shout' (the last Knife album) but even more difficult in places to listen to with its distorted and twisted vocals and arrangements. Both in 'The Knife' and as 'Fever Ray' she refuses to be photographed and often hides behind masks and costumes.
When I heard she was playing Bristol I had to see how she'd do it live. (Karina was due to come with me but cried off!).
So, a Monday night at the Academy. Arrived early (straight from work) to find the sound-check still going on. Security under strict instructions not to let us anywhere we could get a view though.
Support act, name unknown (pictures earlier) were an apt opener. Came on, said nothing and played one piece - 30 minutes of noises.
Even by the time 9.30 approached the place was less than half-full. Apparently only 200 tickets were sold. A good few familiar faces though. Mostly those 'in the know' looking to seek out something different and we weren't disappointed.
The lights dim and the opening drone to 'If I Had A Heart' starts up, slowly building over several minutes. The stage fills with smoke and five strange figures slowly emerge onto the stage. Dressed in different costumes, all covering faces. The percussionist behind a veil, the first guitar / keyboard / noises behind a mask, the second keyboards / guitar behind a headdress and Halloween type costume. The fifth wearing distorted clowns make-up and a huge pointed black hat. Karin herself was wearing a long black cloak with coloured patches and again a huge elaborate headdress, mask arrangement.
Not that we got to see much of the detail of the costumes. The stage stayed smoke-filled for most of the set and always back lit, punctuated by lamp shades. No spots whatsoever and signs prohibited flash photography (which was strictly enforced by security).
If you can imagine this, really austere stage set, then came the lazers, two banks, directed by a series of mirrors, shining out either blinding the crowd or hanging above us, almost creating a low ceiling above our heads, adding to the claustrophobic effect.
As I said, on the record she distorts much of her vocals and she did the same live but without the polish of the studio, the pitched-shifted distorted noises sounding really eerie rough again adding to the effect. All the more strange since her untreated voice (think a Swedish cross between Kate Bush and Bjork) is full of clarity and emotion.
A few in the crowd clearly didn't get it but most of us did and showed our appreciation; deliberately it appeared they still let the applause die down between songs leaving a few moments uneasy silence before eash song. And Karin said nothing all set. Absolutely nothing during the hour long set, mostly longer versions of the album tracks plus at least one I didn't recognise. No encore.
I've been to some 'odd' gigs (anyone seen Psychic TV?) but Fever Ray must rate up there with the strangest. 'Strange' is good ;-)
Fever Ray
A few from Fever Ray at the Bristol Academy.
Fever Ray is Swede Karin Dreijer Andersson, with her brother normally one half of duo 'The Knife'.
Her self-titled debut solo album is one of my faves of 2009, an improvement on 'Silent Shout' (the last Knife album) but even more difficult in places to listen to with its distorted and twisted vocals and arrangements. Both in 'The Knife' and as 'Fever Ray' she refuses to be photographed and often hides behind masks and costumes.
When I heard she was playing Bristol I had to see how she'd do it live. (Karina was due to come with me but cried off!).
So, a Monday night at the Academy. Arrived early (straight from work) to find the sound-check still going on. Security under strict instructions not to let us anywhere we could get a view though.
Support act, name unknown (pictures earlier) were an apt opener. Came on, said nothing and played one piece - 30 minutes of noises.
Even by the time 9.30 approached the place was less than half-full. Apparently only 200 tickets were sold. A good few familiar faces though. Mostly those 'in the know' looking to seek out something different and we weren't disappointed.
The lights dim and the opening drone to 'If I Had A Heart' starts up, slowly building over several minutes. The stage fills with smoke and five strange figures slowly emerge onto the stage. Dressed in different costumes, all covering faces. The percussionist behind a veil, the first guitar / keyboard / noises behind a mask, the second keyboards / guitar behind a headdress and Halloween type costume. The fifth wearing distorted clowns make-up and a huge pointed black hat. Karin herself was wearing a long black cloak with coloured patches and again a huge elaborate headdress, mask arrangement.
Not that we got to see much of the detail of the costumes. The stage stayed smoke-filled for most of the set and always back lit, punctuated by lamp shades. No spots whatsoever and signs prohibited flash photography (which was strictly enforced by security).
If you can imagine this, really austere stage set, then came the lazers, two banks, directed by a series of mirrors, shining out either blinding the crowd or hanging above us, almost creating a low ceiling above our heads, adding to the claustrophobic effect.
As I said, on the record she distorts much of her vocals and she did the same live but without the polish of the studio, the pitched-shifted distorted noises sounding really eerie rough again adding to the effect. All the more strange since her untreated voice (think a Swedish cross between Kate Bush and Bjork) is full of clarity and emotion.
A few in the crowd clearly didn't get it but most of us did and showed our appreciation; deliberately it appeared they still let the applause die down between songs leaving a few moments uneasy silence before eash song. And Karin said nothing all set. Absolutely nothing during the hour long set, mostly longer versions of the album tracks plus at least one I didn't recognise. No encore.
I've been to some 'odd' gigs (anyone seen Psychic TV?) but Fever Ray must rate up there with the strangest. 'Strange' is good ;-)