Ásgeir (Trausti)
Paradiso
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
4th September 2014 (2014-09-04)
RECORDING:
Type: Audience master, recorded 4 metres back from the left-hand side PA.
Source: Factory-matched pair of Schoeps CCM 41V microphones (DINa mounted) ->
Marantz PMD661 recorder with Oade Concert Mod
(-18 dB gain/44.1 kHz/24 bit WAV)
Lineage: Audacity 2.0.5
* Independently normalised channels to 0 dB.
* Applied variable envelope amplification across recording for
consistent listening experience.
* Attenuated audience noise, including individual hand claps.
* Added fades.
* Split tracks.
* Converted to 16 bit.
-> FLAC (compression level 8) [libFLAC 1.3.0 20130526]
Taper: Ian Macdonald (ianmacd)
SET LIST:
01. [02:54] [intro]
02. [04:41] Head In The Snow
03. [04:01] In The Silence
04. [05:01] Lupin Intrigue
05. [00:26] [banter]
06. [03:34] Higher
07. [04:06] Summer Guest
08. [04:35] Hljóða nótt
09. [05:40] Going Home
10. [05:39] Heart-Shaped Box
11. [00:35] [banter]
12. [04:43] Dreaming
13. [05:32] Nú hann blæs
14. [04:29] Samhljómur
15. [03:54] King And Cross
16. [01:04] [band introduction]
17. [03:34] Torrent
18. [02:02] [encore break]
19. [06:19] On That Day
Total running time: 73:00
¹ Listed on set-list as 'Was There Nothing?', but the Icelandic version,
'Hljóða nótt', was the one performed.
NOTES:
Ásgeir Trausti's debut album, 'Dýrð í dauðaþögn', was released to the
Icelandic market in 2012 and went on to become the best selling debut album of
all time in that country.
Whilst the Icelandic market is small, the achievement should not be
underestimated, with an estimated one in ten Icelanders now owning a copy of
the album.
As a keen watcher of the Icelandic music scene, this was intriguing to me, but
it wasn't until John Grant was recruited in 2013 to translate the lyrics
(penned by Ásgeir's father) into English for the international release that my
curiosity was really piqued.
John Grant's involvement soon led to media attention in the international
press and, before long, the 21 year young Ásgeir was receiving accolades
outside his home country, too.
When I finally heard the record, I was disappointed. Was this really what all
the fuss was about?
To me, Ásgeir sounded like an Icelandic Bon Iver, another man/band whose songs
leave me stony-faced, whilst those around me are reduced to quivering,
teary-eyed puppies.
And as with Justin Vernon's Bon Iver, I decided to reserve judgement until I
was able to witness Ásgeir live. This experience proved somewhat elusive,
however, with the artist's visits to these shores repeatedly clashing with
more pressing engagements.
That finally changes tonight as I take my place by the left speaker stack in a
sold-out Paradiso for the man about whose music so many flattering things have
been written over the last year.
First up, however, is local girl Celine Cairo.
Based on her pedigree as an alumnus of various Dutch talent shows (almost a
contradiction in terms), I haven't bothered to charge an extra set of
AA batteries to record her. My expectations are slung low and turn out to be
accurately calibrated.
Cairo's bland pop songs about love are derivative ten-a-penny bargain bin
fodder. The home crowd lap it up, but then that's not saying much these days,
is it?
Oh, she's having fun up there and I don't begrudge her a thing, but from a
purely musical standpoint, it's a half hour chunk of my life irretrievably
squandered.
Next up is Ásgeir, having dropped the 'Trausti' in the pursuit of his
international career.
It's roasting in the Paradiso by the time he comes on stage. Outside,
Amsterdam is enjoying a well-deserved Indian summer. Inside, it's considerably
less enjoyable.
The gig gets under way. Judging from the delighted squealing emanating from
the girls around me, at least some people here tonight are enjoying the show
considerably more than I.
The band are tight and do a fine job of reproducing the songs in a live
setting, but that's as far as it goes and exactly what I was afraid of.
I wasn't expecting to be blown away or even to enjoy this concert. It was with
the faint hope that I was somehow missing something when listening to the
record, something that would reveal itself to me in the context of an
atmospheric live show, that I purchased a ticket for this gig and came here
this evening.
Alas, Ásgeir still sounds to my ears like a Nordic Justin Vernon with
overtones of Jimmy Somerville; and I'm just not into that
elastic-band-around-the-testicles style of singing.
Superficially, the obvious comparison is with compatriot Jónsi from Sigur Rós,
but Jónsi's falsetto meshes with the unconventional structure of his band's
music and serves to underscore it, whilst Ásgeir's sits uneasily atop his
conventional melodic folk music and soon grates on my nerves.
On the positive side, what we're served up tonight isn't merely a live
rendition of the album, which is always the fear with an artist with just a
debut album to their name.
A B-side ('Lupin Intrigue') is thrown in, there's a new song ('Nú hann blæs')
and even a Nirvana cover ('Heart-Shaped Box') makes its way into the set.
Most of the songs are performed in English this evening, which I think is a
pity. Commercially, it makes sense, of course, but the songs were originally
written in Icelandic, so why not sing them in that language and allow them to
retain that element of authenticity?
In conclusion, whilst this isn't my cup of tea, Ásgeir goes down a storm with
the people around me, just as Bon Iver did when I saw them live; and I'm sure
tomorrow will be no different, wherever the next gig may take him.
In the case of both bands, I unfortunately find myself unable to immerse
myself in the songs, which I experience as predominantly dreary. And rather
than sweeping me up and enveloping me like a warm blanket, the singer's voice
works as a mild irritant, providing further distraction from the songs.
It just doesn't work for me and I feel as if I'm gatecrashing someone else's
religious experience. Well, it was worth a try.
My wife always asks me why I put as much time and effort into producing
recordings of gigs I didn't really enjoy as I do into the ones that blew me
away. The answer, I tell her, is that I would consider it almost arrogant of
myself to treat the music differently, based purely on my subjective opinion
of it.
Just because I didn't enjoy the gig, doesn't mean that 1,500 other people
didn't have a great time. And just because I might think some other music is
inspirational and innovative, doesn't mean that others won't disappoint me by
staring blankly when I play it to them.
And above all, I might even disagree with myself a few years from now, so
I reason that it's better to treat all music as equal and do the best job I
can with the recording, both live at the event and afterwards in
post-production. The music deserves that at least.
All of which can be paraphrased by saying that fans of Ásgeir needn't fear
that this recording is somehow compromised by having been made by someone who
doesn't think the artist walks on water.
On the contrary, whilst I wouldn't hasten to repeat the experience, the
recording is excellent and any fan should be thrilled by what they hear.
As always, samples are included to help you determine whether it is worth your
while.
Images for all shows as well as full size images for this show.
Images for this show:
