The Fear Factory tour hit Pumphuset in Copenhagen with a real sense of Urgency this week, most likely due to the new vocals of …… but more on that later.

For the warmup, First up we had Ukrainian band, Ignea. With their blend of Metal, Melodic and grandiose symphonic styles, they kicked things off in style with singer Helle Bohdanova fantastic range of vocals a real highlight.

We then had the Butcher Babies hit the stage and deliver a 'batshit' crazy and fun set. Despite missing one of their singers (Carla Harvey out due to eye surgery) they still managed to deliver a fun high energy set with crowd interaction next level.

With Fear Factory we had an interesting Dynamic. Dino Cazarez is the only Original member of the band, although a key creative one at that but a lot of the recent internet rumblings had been about Mio Silvestro taking over vocal duties from Burton C. Bell.

If anything, adding Silvestro to the mix has added a new lease of life to the band. With material in the set comprising everything from 1992s debut “Soul of the machine” to the latest material, it was a fantastic set, brilliantly set against a harsh industrial lightshow of bright ice white strobes.

Oh, and dare I forget the driving Riffs of Dino, of course the highlight for me.

With this being the last gig of the year for me we ended on a high.

2024 is already looking tasty!

FEAR FACTORY - PUMPEHUSET, Copenhagen - 09.12.2023

Photos & WORDS: jp molloy

Greta van Fleet is an American rock band that has gathered a lot of attention in the last decade. Namely, even legends from the one and only Led Zeppelin have noticed this young band’s talent - and that certainly says something.

Greta van Fleet consists of three brothers: Josh, Jake, and Sam Kiszka, and also Danny Wagner - who is clearly not one of the Kiszka brothers. The band is heavily inspired by the previously mentioned Led Zeppelin, and this can be seen in the crowd.

Forum is a big venue and the band managed to fill it up with a very diverse crowd including both dad rock listeners and younger fans. There is something very sweet about seeing such different people being fans of the same band and being just as excited to share this experience. For the very last 15 minutes every one of these fans seemed to struggle to control their excitement anymore and just wanted the show to begin.

Thankfully the band started perfectly on time and believe the entrance was worth it. From the rising anticipation to the dramatic drop of a curtain relieving the band behind it waving to fans - you could really feel that we would get to see a great show in the following couple of hours.

And so we get to the actual gig. Very simply and shortly: Greta van Fleet is insanely good live. All the band members are impressively talented and Josh’s singing would send shivers through anyone’s spine. All of them ooze a certain type of charisma and fabulousness that is incredible to watch.

Their joy of being on stage, pure talent, stunning outfits, and of course the crowd having a great time manufactured a magical night. The setlist included songs from many of their albums focusing on their biggest hits such as Black Some Rising, Heat Above, Highway Tune, and so forth. All of the songs were accompanied by all kinds of effects from fire to rays, glitter explosions, and anything else you could imagine.

This gets me to one of my personal favorite moments of the gig (and this whole fucking year): Greta van Fleet performing Light My Love. I knew that it was going to be beautiful and powerful due to the meaning of this song to Josh Kiszka (Google it, my friend) and how it’s commonly performed but I was still not prepared. I really wish I could be taken back to this moment and experience the power, the emotion, and the beauty once more.

As a venue, Forum is alright. It’s big so it can fit a lot of people and has a possibility for some great effects as previously mentioned. Though due to the size of the venue, you can notice when people start to leave. And yes, unfortunately, that did happen during Greta van Fleet’s gig. Especially in the last 30 minutes, people were vanishing faster than in Area 51.

The reason seemed to be very clear - people started to get annoyed about all the solos. I am assuming this because I first overheard people complaining about them and also people were only leaving during them. Quite a Sherlock, aren’t I? At least I had something to entertain me during the fourth solo.

I do enjoy listening to the band showing off their talent and skill, but even I got a bit tired of them. I would tell you how many solos there were, but I truly lost count around the fourth one. Not to forget, that most of them were at least 10 minutes long, and no - there wasn’t an outfit change every time. No wonder the gig lasted for 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Shortly - the band sounded even better live than on Spotify, even though the sound system was not constantly optimal. Nevertheless, if you are not a fan of solos, Greta van Fleet might make you feel restless waiting for Josh’s singing. Still, I would certainly push through the restlessness again if it meant I would get to experience this fabulous band live again.

GRETA VAN FLEET - FORUM, Copenhagen - 26.11.2023

Photos: Laura ioana v

words: hanna koivunen

I stood impatiently waiting in line, as I heard the first double drums smash their way through the thick brick walls to Pumpehuset.

The line ran all the way out to the main street, as everyone started pushing gently towards the sound. Jokes were passed along, that they had to start early because they were old men by now.

Luckily for me and everyone else, we only missed mere minutes of the opening act. The Arizonan groove metal band, Incite, absolutely killed it.

They had the atmosphere just right, when the lead singer screamed at the top of his lungs “put your horns up… get ready… for Max and Igor!!”

It was a beautiful sight, hundreds of devil horns being thrown in the air, as everyone was head banging their way, to experience true icons of thrash metal.

The Brazilian duo Max and Igor Cavalera, have seen ups and downs throughout their careers.

After a whirlwind of success with Sepultura in the 90s, the band broke up and started independent projects.

But fans were quick to buy tickets when the two brothers announced a tour.

The show was sold out, because who doesn’t love a legendary family, coming back together?

The crowd started chanting for Igor, as the brothers came out on stage. The venue was packed to the brim, and even a couple of little kids were decked out in denim vests with metal band patches.

I felt like I had walked into a multi generational celebration, and the show did in no way disappoint.

Well known Sepultura hits like ‘’Antichrist’’, ‘’Troops of Doom’’ and ‘’Bestial Devastation’’ were amongst a few highlights of the evening, with Max’s vocals hitting every note on point.

The depth and intensity of his growls had the potential to turn even a non-metalhead towards the dark side. Igor was also in top form, hitting his way through the drums with lightning speed.

Most impressively, they didn’t seem to lose momentum at any point.

Another highlight came about an hour in, as the dramatic classical choir piece “O Fortuna” started playing from a completely darkened stage.

No one knew what was about to happen, but the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement.

Two screens portrayed the image of a beautiful elderly woman covered in tattoos, as the text read “In loving memory of Vania Cavalera”.

The homage to their late mother could have turned into an awkward cliche, but it felt natural in the family theme of the tour.

Although Brazilian thrash metal might be an acquired taste, there’s no denying that these guys still got it. And whether you would skip their music while cooking at home, experiencing metal with this level of technical skill, is an experience I would highly recommend to anyone.

Cavalera conspiracy - pumpehuset, Copenhagen - 20.11.2023

Photos: JP MOLLOY

words: NINA METHLING

Mockery or realistic ambition, the name of the band that might evoke one or the other. Dream Wife came to Copenhagen as part of their tour and there is no better place than Loppen where this concert could take place…. Even though, I am pretty damn sure that Dream Wife would make a banger loud concert anywhere… loud not only sonically speaking.

There is one thing that I always appreciate and that is flat hierarchy, if done genuinely and correctly. Seeing that what we usually call a ‘support band’ was in this case called ‘Special Guest’, made my heart warm. So the special guest tonight was the Danish band UBLU. UBLU (meaning included in Danish) has been appearing on several occasions throughout Denmark, but not only. This band was also seen live in Vienna earlier this year.

Queer Club Rock band that is on the right path to being known by listeners and making change while they pass by. The spirits UBLU brought was great, together with the choreographies and outfits. Occasionally, I felt that something in the sound mix was off as sometimes the cymbal was overpowering. Singers were switching the lead and it might have sounded to one as each singer sang a different genre. Genre fluidity might work for some and might not work for others, but if they want to convey the message of fluidity, it makes sense. The performance with the meaning that was successful.

The powerhouse of Dream Wife with energy. Sharp drums and guitar riffs that were crisp. This was not a concert only about music. We left the inhibitions of just standing and listening, but more proactively participating in more than a concert and that was a revolt.

What started as a mockery of benign a band is now the quality sound of a rock band that is also a band of activists themselves.

What is great about Loppen is that the audience can be very close to the stage and there is no distance. It emphasizes the less of power relations between the musician and the audience.

Since bands started to make their way to the major festivals, topics such as sexual objectifications, body image, gender roles, and generally feminism took place forefront in their lyrics and music.

Obvious was the confidence and some sort of dominance in the singer that took our attention, but at the same time gave us space to decide.

I personally really loved the energy, kicks, and spins off the bass player Bella, who showed me at least proof of their dedication to the live performance. I want to see movement, emotions,.. Also, the guitar and bass moving around, certainly it made the audience move as well. People were jumping, dancing, and making out.

Dream Wife released an album called Social Lubrication which was produced by their very own guitarist Alex Go… on this note, I want to praise the guitarist. Being only, one guitar on the stage, I love how Alex makes the sound of the guitar so full that you don’t even think about missing another guitar on the stage.

The album is very well done and it was great to hear the songs live. 7 songs of the set were front the new album and then filled up with some songs from the self-titled album plus the cover of All The Things She Said I could compare to the bands that I can hear in Dream Wife, but I won’t as comparison is not always a productive thing to do.

The highlight, at least for me, was the song Leech which seemed to be one of the strongest manifestos for the message and purpose of Dream Wife. I love that some bands can make poetry out of the song and song out of poetry.

If you ask me, Dream Wife definitely ticked all the boxes of my dream wife, at least sonically. So let’s have some freaking empathy and look around what is happening around us.

dreamwife - Loppen, Copenhagen - 14.11.2023

Photos: Laura Ioana v

words: Karolina Čurová

Having first witnessed the “uneasy listening” (Sonically and lyrically) of SKYND at Copenhell this year I was keen to have another go around. Are they an industrial-style band? Metal? Alt rock? God knows, but there is considerable depth to their music and trying to pigeon hole it will leave you scratching your head.

Not a mainstream act and most definitely an acquired taste.

There is a definite darkness here, in the musical form juxtaposed with poppier moments but lyrically? This is a band that embraces the darker parts of humanity, macabre serial killer focus predominantly built around death, suicide and murder of the variety that pops up all too often on streaming services. Serial killers like Richard Ramieriez or the Columbine killers are topics of songs for example.

Typically true life murder and serial killer “entertainment” is not for me. I like my horror and violence old school (Aliens and killer sharks thank you) but SKYND has some great head bangers and earworms, all wrapped up in a very theatrical package.

Skynd herself has an incredibly variable voice, sometimes soft and gentle, sometimes like an old-time 20s cinema actress, the next screeching like a banshee. But damn she has a powerful set of lungs when called for with incredible power and balance in her voice.

With “Father” on base and various other synth duties and a drummer (Whose name I have no idea of) laying down the beat, it is a very well polished set with the costumes, lights and sound design all coming together in a weird dark package.

With all the hits like “Robert Hansen”, “Columbine” as well as newer song “Bianca Devins” in the setlist the crowd of SKYND diehards at VEGA were in serial killer heaven.

Personally I would like to see the band branch out lyrically. There is a risk that the similar topics will become a bit “one note” but for now I am enjoying the ride and look forward to whatever they put out next.

SKYND - LILLE VEGA, Copenhagen - 11.11.2023

Photos & words: jp molloy

It was not that long ago that Halestorm visited Danish shores. Their phenomenal set at this years Copenhell was a highlight for me and the first time seeing the band so I very much looked forward to seeing them in a more intimate setting at VEGA

Opening acts Mothica & The black Veil Brides did a solid job in warming up the crowd but it was clear most people were here for Izzy and the crew. And VEGA was bouncing with all walks of life represented from, old school rockers, young, old and everyone in between. Halestorm truly has a wide fanbase.

As strange as this was for myself who frequents a wide variety of hard rock and metal shows where there is crowd participation on the crazier side, it made for an incredibly enjoyable experience to just watch and absorb this chilled out crowd, just rocking out and singing along to every word.

Main event time and they came out with a BANG, opening with “I miss the Misery” and it was then banger after banger all night with a selection spanning old and new with the like of “Love bites, “Bombshell” and “Back from the Dead”

With an intense light show and lead singer Lizzy Hale's mighty lungs in impressive form, the energy was electric from the first note.With Drummer Arejay Hale, Guitarist Joe Hottinger and Josh Smith on Base every song was tight, and with the obligatory solos, First time song performances and scaled back more intimate guitar and vocal sections, Halestorm masterfully navigated the crowd through the nights journey.

Good job Halestorm. Can't wait till next time.

HALESTORM - STORE VEGA, Copenhagen - 10.11.2023

Photos & words: jp molloy

When it comes to the genre of country music, it is not so known to me as of who are the interpreters of the moment. Not in the DK scene, not worldwide. I do believe that as a music writer and reviewer, one needs to attend the concerts of various genres in order to get better and has broader knowledge. Country is not the music of my first choice, it has never been. I felt like an outsider, coming to Ideal Bar in my ‘normal’ clothes, when I entered and saw people in their attire, imagine clothes of people when I tell you words: country-rock. Getting into the gig of Kassia Valazza was definitely a surprise.

Support for this US singer and songwriter, was local rising star in the genres of folk and country - Penny Lundborg. Penny performed as a duo with another guitarist that switched between electric guitar and transforming the guitar into the sound of banjo.

The music did not hurt, and was a nice introduction into an easy-listening country without the usual stereotypes.

Country and folk without the usual stereotypes continued with Kassi Valazza. Arizona-born, Portland based singer caught the audience of Ideal Bar by being approachable, simple, yet musically interesting.

What I found warm on a human level was that the front rows of Ideal Bar were asked to sit down, so the rest could see and that scored a lot of good points. It made the atmosphere alsmot like at home in the living room.

I almost felt like I was teleported to the 60s-70s hippy times, where you could see the folk band playing on the stage, while people were mesmerized, sitting down around, co-creating the community of the moment. I loved it. I could not live in those times, but it is always ncie to have a glimpse of how it could feel.

Moments of the concert were like Reminiscences of mixing Nick Drake, Alela Diane and I would dare to say, early Joni Mitchel mix of melodies, emotions and lyrics. The use of modern keyboard and soundscapes gave her live performance a nice twist, made it deifitnitely more ibteresting for listeners like me.

The small bites of psychedelic folk-rock with the mix of country ingredients, the set that had 14 songs was not boring.

Songs like Johny Dear, Chino or Watching Planes Go By gave us a nice showcase of so-far released music. We were even graced by a few tracks that will come to the ears of the world.

Besides things that I mentioned above, I really appreciated the contact with the audience, very familiar and informal reciprocity of words and tones. The conversation about topics of aliens and even nothing were part of the lyrics of her songs - and I can respect the bravery of poetic, out-of-this-world topics that some people might not understand or even dare to go towards.

The conversation about music and art making people uncomfortable was prevalent throughout the concert…. And I think it should be, in most cases. One cannot just be without opinion and challenging status quo, not in this age and time.

kassi Valazza - ideal bar, Copenhagen - 06.11.2023

Photos: thomas vraaby

WORDS: Karolina Čurová

There is a dilemma I face when I hear the sound of bands like ‘A Grave With No Name’ that borders the line where you cannot truly judge if this is OK singing or just the latest trend on TikTok for emotional nu-hipsters of Gen Z.

It makes me feel ambivalent that we got to the era or music where yes, it is easy to make songs with a gadgets on budget, but a lot of it that gets a space might not hold the value of that space.

It is interestin as the recordings of the songs are much nicer than live performance. Even the live performance samples were pretty good, but the singing was throwing me off quite often. 2-member-band as performing in Lille Vege was somewhat fitting with genre and mood of Youth Lagoon.

Youth Lagoon gave us a little more than one hour long set, which was about 3-member performing band of synth/piano, bass guitar and drums switching with guitar.

Songs were predominantly from the latest album Heaven is a Junkyard, that Trevor revealed is about many things. We could hear the songs from different albums sound differently. I can say that that attest to a journey of this musician. As I remembered the music from other albums. Especially the Wondrous Bughouse, where my favourite song of this musician is ‘Mute’. These songs sound more colorful and psychedelic, they sound more complex and playful.

What the new albums sound is very easy-listening music, with less complex music ornaments, but positive and calming.

I almost wish this concert was the sitting one. On the balcony where I stood most of the concert were people actually sitting down and enjoying the concert like that.

I really like concerts like this one - not crowded, smaller, cozy, … It is one of those concert you dont regret, it is the better average.

Maybe the fact that this was the first concert of European tour and them admitting that they are jetlagged, cause that energy of this concert was more sit-back and relax. If you like dreamy-pop sound of music to relax, the latest album of Youth lagoon is for sure it.

Youth lagoon - lille vega, Copenhagen - 31.10.2023

Photos: Kasper Pasinski

WORDS: Karolina Čurová

Elder Emos rejoice - Enter Shikari is here! Enter Shikari is a British rock band formed in 1999 and they are true emo legends. In fact, the most common response to me going to the gig has been “Oh yeah, I used to listen to them when I was 15.” Well, some of us have made a full circle back to listening to what we did during our emo phase, and some of us never even stopped.

Even though the band has been active for multiple decades - Store Vega was not even close to being full. This was quite surprising to me because I thought more people would have wanted to live their teenage years again through some live music. Well to those who thought about buying the ticket, but didn’t end up doing so, I can tell that you made a horrible mistake. This shit was just as good as one could imagine. Or actually, even better.

Even before the gig started, the fans were shouting Enter Shikari’s songs, excited to get to see the band live. The energy was extraordinary before they even came out on the stage, and once they did… It truly felt like a small explosion went off.

Throughout the gig, Enter Shikari took us through their whole discography and this is certainly a journey I won’t forget for some time. Starting with “(pls) set me on fire”, it really did feel like the band lit something in all of us - and this fire was not going to die in the next 1.5 hours. Through every album and a seven-minute-long quick fire round consisting of four songs ending with great crowd-pleasers like “Live Outside”, the setlist was just insanely good.

Everything from the band’s charisma, Rou Reynolds’ funny dance moves, and a collection of absolute bangers ensured that the night was one to remember. And when I say funny dance moves, I mean it as the biggest compliment. It was adorable to see the lead singer hopping around like a bunny and wiggling his hands in the air in the most joyous ways. I hope more people would dance like this.

The bunny hop dancing aside, the gig had a lot to see. Literally. During every song, we got to watch a video clip in the background while the lights were going insane with lasers and shit - a true ADHD daydream and I absolutely looooved it!

As I mentioned, the band is very charismatic and they connect well with the crowd. Also, they are a pleasure to watch interacting with each other - either all the band members are actually really great friends or they are really fucking good at fooling people. Regardless of the case, it was a pleasure to watch them teasing each other and seriously speaking - I will copy all of the dance moves I saw.

In the beginning, Enter Shikari informed us that this will be the shittiest gig they have ever had, and I have only one thing to say about that. If that is the shittiest gig you pull, it’s no wonder why you are still so adored by all the elder emos (and ex-emos alike).

ENTER SHiKARI - store vega, Copenhagen - 30.10.2023

Photos: Anna Borgkvist

WORDS: hanna Koivunen

I have to admit, I hadn’t heard of King Krule prior to attending the show Monday night in Vega.

Now, I clearly must be living under a giant rock, as I realized the show had been sold out only two weeks after its announcement.

The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement, with a fan base ranging from bright-eyed teenagers to retired punks. And oh boy, did I not know what I had signed up for.. in the best way possible.

By the first strum of the guitar on Perfecto Miserable, King Krule got into a seemingly combat-like mode and the crowd went wild.

Every note was meticulously well thought out, and his laid back lazy vocals, felt like an instrument in its own right. Maybe because it was difficult to understand most words that was mumbled. I didn’t mind though, it had a laissez-fair attitude about it, that went well with the uptempo ‘fuck it all’ of the music.

Three songs in at Dum Surfer, I almost felt taken back to the underground hardcore punk shows of my youth. The band rolling around on stage, the strobe lights hitting us out of sync.

It was an impressive spectacle, and it sounded fucking amazing.

It wasn’t all just attitude though, halfway through the show, the set changed to its jazzier counterpart.

At the perfect time, King Krule had the audience in his palms, when he asked us to stretch our arms as far as they could go. Waving in beat with the music, everyone was mesmerized.

And although this might sound counterintuitive, every note was so meticulously planned, it resulted in a grandiose, almost psychedelic, coherency.

King Krule has definitely earned his own right as a brit music icon. But it served the show well when he paid homage to Mike Skinner (Of The Streets), with a graceful rendition of Empty Cans.

I felt a tad somber, when the laid back, but incredibly sincere voice mumbled “time to say goodbye”.

I had completely forgotten about time and space, with a guy I didn’t even know, two hours prior. And in my humble opinion, those are the most talented performers around.

king krule - store vega, Copenhagen - 23.10.2023

Photos: THOMAS VRAABY

WORDS: NINA METHLING

LOUD, that was definitely one of the outcomes of me attending the concert of SWANS and Norman Westberg in Vega. It was so loud that not even my earplugs felt sufficient, and I could feel the music resonating in my chest.

Norman Westberg is a former on-and-off member of SWANS. His supporting performance lasted a little less than an hour and was a journey from noise to ambient guitar. If you are interested in guitars, the sound, experimenting with the guitar's sound, and bending its sound, then this performance was all about it. It was a matter of one person, a guitar, and a few pedals, showcasing the artistry of using the instrument to its full capacity.

After a slight delay from the usual starting time of the concert at Vega, we had six musicians on the stage. An interesting thing to note was that the frontman, Michael Gira, asked not to shut down the lights in the audience, just to dim them, which I really liked. It made me feel the genuine interest of the musicians in seeing the reactions of the audience and creating closeness.

On many occasions, the music gave me the impression of chaos - not because the musicians didn't know what to play, but as an artistic expression. It conveyed the current situation of chaos in the world. The drums also reminded me of gunshots, which might have been a bit triggering. I have to mention the bass, and there were not only one but two bassists. They played some great riffs with mastery.

Amongst the noise and post-punk sensibility, there were hints of new age music as well, which brought a sense of hope and lightness. What was demanding of the listener was to handle the loudness and the very particular way of Gira's singing.

I noticed a lot of movement in the audience, including myself, from the Vega hall to the bar lounge as it became very intense at times. When it comes to motion, many people also left the concert at approximately the middle of it. I think this experience speaks much more than the words I can write; it was a very ambivalent experience.

There is a long history of SWANS, which attests to their fan base and experimental sound that appeals to a specific and niche audience. With 16 albums, there's a lot to choose from. The road SWANS took us on was mainly about their latest album, "The Beggar," but they also threw back to albums like "Leaning Meaning" or "Is this Really A Mind?"

Perhaps some listeners expected the concert to be more like the recorded songs?

The concert might have sounded like one constant song, putting some people into a trance, while leaving others ambivalent about it.

swans - store vega, Copenhagen - 17.10.2023

Photos: THOMAS VRAABY

WORDS: Karolina Čurová

The term “Supergroup” has a somewhat mixed history. For every “Cream” you have a “Ringo Starr and his all Starr band or gods forbid “Hollywood Vampires”

Fortunately “The Winery dogs” lean more on the good side of the scales of supergroup justice.

Formed in 2012 the 3 band members are Richie Kotzen (guitars, keyboards, piano, lead vocals) known as a former member of bands Poison and Mr. Big. Billy Sheehan (bass,backing vocals) known for playing with Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Talas, and Mr. Big and Mike Portnoy (drums, backing vocals) is known for being the original drummer of Dream Theater. So some pretty solid credentials then.

I must admit that I only recently became aware of the band and my exposure to date was limited to a smattering of songs across their first two albums and a deeper dive on their 2023 release III, which came out on February 3rd and while I certainly enjoyed the albums you really must see them in the flesh to really appreciate the skills and songwriting talent on display. That old chestnut “they are better live” is no cliche here.

With a blend of Blues, funk, progressive elements and a strong slap of early 90s Alice in Chains or Soundgarden grunge vibes they really are hard to pin down in terms of style. All three band members assaulted the crowd with blistering fingerwork on bass and guitar and complex, energetic drumming but never at the cost of a good old solid rocker. Richie Kotzen backing that up with his Chris Cornell tinged vocals gave the whole thing a level of gravatas worthy of the genre offerings. And god damn, did some of the solo instrument sections just kick some serious arse.

With familiar offerings across their catalog it was the more recent songs like Xanadu that stuck with me. And judging from the crowd lapping it up and The Winery Dogs next gig wont come fast enough for many in attendance

The Winery Dogs - Pumpehuset, Copenhagen - 16.10.2023

Photos and words: JP Molloy

The first time I saw Bonobo was in August 2014 at Vega, sold out, it was such a strong musical experience that I remember precisely where I was standing. He came back to Copenhagen again, and again, VEGA was sold-out.

As opened by local DJ - Tea, who warmed up with a great groovy set, I was positively surprised that from her set we went smoothly without the break to Bonobo, who just casually switched. Starting with one of the most popular hits Bambo Koyo Ganda, the set was an indefinite journey with definite genres. Genres that swayed from melodic EDM to house and groovy, to techno, hints of trip-hop and world music, and back to the house. Even a remix of Gypsy Woman by Crystal Waters - yes, the one we sang “La Da Dee La Da Da”, which personally did not work for me, but worked for the rest…

All these genres might sound like a LOT, but oh well, there is certain artistry and craft in DJing, especially when it is done well. It was definitely a more positive-sounding set compared to other DJs and music producers we know from the UK scene… which to be honest, I do feel we need.

I switched between being in the middle of the crowd to being in the back and I have to say the back worked for me well, I still had great energy around, but more space to dance. Looking around, I saw people making out and getting it on, dancing almost in an ecstatic way, and even meditating on the music, which felt universal and good.

The lighting was simple but effective, yet not putting the DJ on the spot, which reminded me of the club scene of dancing and being in the moment, rather than focusing on the DJ, being present with the people, or focusing on the music. He did not even say one word on the microphone, yes seemed very grateful.

I preferred his concert in 2014. Maybe it’s because I’m a musician and the last time I saw him he had the whole band present and a guest singer, but that concert was a concert with a totally different atmosphere and not so much a DJ set. A DJ set that was an auditory treat.

bonobo- store vega, Copenhagen - 12.10.2023

Photos: Kasper Pasinski

words: Karolina Čurová

Grandson was originally supposed to perform in Lille Vega, but due to his popularity, this American-Canadian singer’s gig got moved to Store Vega. He might have not ended up completely selling out the tickets but the venue had a lot of people - and all the leftover room was filled with energy anyway.

Grandson combines rock and rap with some intense beats, creating a perfect combination to jump around and get properly sweaty. A big part of his music is about US politics and mental health issues, so you can imagine that quite a lot of it is angry and sad. The gig certainly leaned more on the angry side rather than the sad, and the night felt almost therapeutic through jumping and shouting out a lot of rage.

For the first 42 minutes (yes - I checked the time) Grandson, AKA Jordan Edward Benjamin, was not having almost any breaks at all. He went from one song to the next one almost so seamlessly that they seemed like one long-ass song. The only break he had was when he told us a short list of “rules” (basically to have fun and be safe in the pit). I almost forgot that I was supposed to review this gig. I got into it so much, I didn’t really have any breaks to catch my breath.

This changed drastically after those already mentioned 42 minutes. It almost felt like he now wanted to have a long speech before every bloody song. I often like it when bands chat a bit, especially if it fits their vibe, but this was just too much. But hey - at least I had finally time to write some notes down (which is not something you look for in a rock gig right?)

Nevertheless, Grandson is a very charismatic artist and he certainly got the crowd completely wrapped around his fingers. The vibe was already fantastic before he started (also thanks to the support, DeathbyRomy, getting everyone warmed up), and the energy just kept on getting higher during his gig.

Sure - Grandson could shorten his speeches a bit or just drop some of them completely, but even during those moments, he didn’t seem to lose his touch. I have been listening to Grandson since 2017, so pretty much since he started, and this was the first time I saw him live. I am very happy to say that I was not disappointed at all - even though I hope that next time we will have a little less speeches and even more chaotic but sweet energy.

Grandson - store vega, Copenhagen - 10.10.2023

Photos: Laura Ioana V

wORDS: haNNA kOIVUNEN

I If this had a title it would probably be "Photographer 's Laura's first review that's also very biased cause she loves this band but it was really great anyway". Ps: I'm not a writer, so go easy.

The night started slow though, despite my expectations of a lot more people like me, excited to see the post punk band from Dublin, The Murder Capital. It did get better and a lot more people filled the room after the support band "University" finished their set.

To be fair, I quite liked the lads even though I didn't understand why there was a guy playing counter strike on stage and only interrupted his game to hold up poorly written A4s of the song names. Who needs a setlist when you can have a mate that wants to be in your band but probably doesn't play any instruments? Who fucking knows who he was but I was damn curious.

Anyways, as I was waiting in the photo pit and The Murder Capital took to the stage, a super fan front row excitedly says "Now that's a beautiful man" and he starts yelling while leadsinger James charismatically slow walks to his mic stand and they start playing "The Stars". The crowd warmed up slowly but by the time the 4th song hit, one of their famous ones, Don't cling to life, the crowd was energetic and there was even a small moshpit, even though it's not necessarily a band that makes me think of moshing.

The gig was such a good mix of these darker more melancholic songs and more angry energetic ones, it felt like it was impossible to get bored. Great stage movement from all band members especially James that has a very charming dance that I call the drunk poet moves.

The very static simple light setups in one light temp (which I gotta say not ideal for photos) usually all red or all blue also worked so well with their performance that was raw and very intense and expressive. It really didn't need more.

The peak of the gig started during the song Feeling Fades, when James told everyone to come closer and said something along the lines that the great thing about a moshpit is that if you do it once then second time comes easier, like the first day at school. Everyone got into it, people were swinging, a mosh started in the middle so it was even more perfect when "More is less" started, which is definitely their most moshy song.

People were already hooked but then James went down in the audience and climbed over everyone while singing and yelling "MORE" full of raw power, and that was pretty much the epic moment of the night in my eyes.

I'm 'fangirling' about this band, I know, but it was time to end it and I thought it was a perfect ending when lead said "ok we're gonna fuck off now but we love you and we always wanted it to be like this", which are some of the first lyrics from Ethel, one of my favourite songs from the new album "Gigi's recovery". Literally got goosebumps when singer collapsed on the floor on his knees while singing the chorus in quite a display of emotional turmoil.

Do I even need to draw a conclusion or does it pretty much show that I fucking loveeed it? And it's not only me, at the end I asked a young man front row if I can take a picture of the setlist he took for the magazine and he said "it better be a good article cause this was amazing".

The Murder Capital - amager bio, Copenhagen - 06.10.2023

Photos and words: Laura Ioana

I I must admit that I was quite surprised about how empty Loppen was. Even though it was a Sunday evening, I assumed that Algiers would have pulled more people to the venue. But apparently, I was wrong.

Algiers is a post-punk band from Atlanta, formed in 2012. Their music combines many forms and exceeds the limits of genres. The music is experimental and uses everything from hip-hop to rock and soul as inspiration. The band consists of four talented members, all of them playing an impressive number of instruments on stage. Therefore I think Algiers should have much more recognition from the public than they do now.

Even though the band is very talented and entertaining to watch, their bass player (who also plays the piano/keyboard) Ryan Mahan absolutely steals the show. His energy and moves are contagious and he managed to get the small crowd to wake up.

Indeed, if it wasn’t for Ryan, the night would have had a very different energy. The crowd was even timid in the beginning, with most people standing back, leaving a huge space in front of the stage. All this changed when Ryan jumped in the crowd and literally told everyone to move up - and of course, we did exactly that. From then forward, the energy kept on increasing more and more until the very end.

Ryan’s moves came in handy otherwise as well. There were some weird moments during the gig, especially between the songs. It was almost like the gig was more of a rehearsal and we were all just hanging out and waiting for the band to start practicing the next song. Thankfully, these moments weren’t long and when the next song started and Ryan started dancing around, everything was quickly forgotten.

Unfortunately, the end was a bit of a lackluster. The band had put on a good show and lifted everyone’s spirits, but now it was their time to go. Oh well, the lights were not put on so we did what any crowd would do - started demanding an encore. We kept on cheering and clapping for quite a long time until we realized that they were not coming back, and only when people started to give up, the lights were put back on and the music changed to the “gig is over” tunes. Some disappointed looks were shared by the crowd and all of it felt a bit anticlimactic.

All in all, the night was a bit here and there. The energy was great, but it took some time for it to get there and then it sadly dropped down again at the very end. Algiers as a band are fucking great, but their gig left me hoping for a little bit more.

ALGIERS - LOPPEN, Copenhagen - 25.09.2023

Photos: Laura Ioana

words: Hanna Koivunen

I must admit that I was a bit scared before TALK’s gig in RUST. The artist has only been releasing music since 2021 so he is not yet as well-known as he deserves to be and the venue is not the best at marketing their gigs.

Thankfully my fears fled away immediately when I entered their basement. I was there in good time before even the support artist started, and the venue was already pretty packed and obviously, it kept on filling out more and more.

TALK’s music is strong and emotional and still combines some raspy rock vibes. Therefore I was expecting a very sentimental evening, full of belting songs accompanied by talented band members. Of course, I got all this but I couldn’t have even known to expect for everything else we got.

TALK has an incredible connection to the crowd - seemingly noticing absolutely everybody in the audience. This combined with how fucking funny and charming this dude is led to one of the best gigs I have experienced this year. He freestyled a song with us (looking for “Melt Together” to pop up on my Spotify) and kept on asking cute things about Denmark and the culture here. The whole night felt like a comedy show finished with absolutely outstanding music.

So what about that music then? TALK is just as good live as he is on any platform you use to listen to music. His strong tones are just as powerful and his raspiness is still as delightfully clear as they would be through your headphones. This combined with the performance I explained before, you can be sure that his music is worthy of hearing in real life.

Stronger notes during How Long sent such intense goosebumps through my body that I could feel them in absolutely every nook of my body. Singing his hit song Run Away to Mars with everyone at RUST felt almost overwhelmingly beautiful and A Little Bit Happy made me cry, smile, and sing - all at once.

The support artist of the night, Reveal Party, is a Copenhagen-based queer artist. I thought that they are famous in Copenhagen, but I fit the target audience in quite many ways, so it could be just that. Anyways, their part of the gig was also very surprising and absolutely hilarious in the driest way possible.

Reveal Party makes sad indie songs which they perform beautifully. They have very dry humor, which clearly amused everyone in the crowd, so much so that in the end all of us found ourselves singing their social media handles with them (marketing geniuses should take notes here). All this combined with some surprises, such as them jumping off stage and starting to wander around while singing got everyone in the best of mood already.

Although I am still a little confused about where did they all go when they left the room, I am just happy that they got back and never stopped singing.

In total these two fantastic artists created a fantastic experience - serving us with much more humor than I was expecting. I truly hope that TALK will keep on getting more recognition all around the world. Not only because he is an incredibly talented singer, but he’s also so fucking funny and charming and just seems very down to earth. I sincerely believe that there should be more performers and musicians like he is.

talk - rust, Copenhagen - 12.09.2023

Photos: Thomas Vraaby

words: Hanna Koivunen

It seems like Lime Cordiale managed to gather the whole Australian community of Copenhagen to Lille Vega this Sunday - or at least the younger part of it.

Lime Cordiale is an Australian indie pop rock band, formed by the Leimbach brothers (Oli and Louis), James Jennings, Felix Bornholt, and Nicolas Polovineo. The five together form a band behind some absolutely superb holiday tunes. Their debut album is literally called Permanent Vacation, which tells basically everything you need to know about the style of their music.

The band played all the crowd favorites like Temper Tamper and Robbery, but these weren’t the only tunes that got the crowd vibing. Everyone was dancing and singing through the whole gig, which is always fun to see. What is even better is a band that genuinely loves performing. The dudes even got some cute moves that they had clearly practiced many times before. Everyone from the crowd to the band was just having the best of time.

The crowd was absolutely adorable and everyone simply seemed to be in the best of mood. Then again, you would actually need to try to be in a bad mood or to feel anything other than fantastic when the music is this good.

The band is full of talent, but I especially need to highlight the number of different wind instruments we got to experience during the gig. From trombone to clarinet, trumpet, and even a kazoo - this band really knows their breathwork.

Their support band TORS was completely unknown to me - but clearly not to other people. They had many admiring fans singing all their songs loudly and dancing around all the time. And actually, I am not surprised that they have so many devoted fans. This English indie band was absolutely charming, and they really had the ultimate beachy boy band energy - very complimentary to Lime Cordiale.

All TORS’ members are talented, they put on a great show and I certainly got warm right away. Their lyrics might have not been the deepest, but I don’t think they really needed to be. It was a perfect start for chill (but sweaty) vibes.

Back to the holiday mood, when I tell you that the vibes were fucking chill - I really mean it. Due to the always-pressing heat in Lille Vega, you could really imagine being somewhere tropical if you just closed your eyes. I have never dreaded upcoming Mondays this much, and I feel like I should be somewhere beachy with a coconut drink in my hand.

Lime Cordiale did put together a fantastic show and I highly recommend it. The only thing that you should consider is that there is a serious side effect of their gig and that is a severe need for a holiday.

Lime Cordiale - LILLE VEGA, Copenhagen - 11.09.2023

Photos: Laura Ioana

words: Hanna Koivunen

We are enjoying some surprising sun on this beautiful Monday evening, and what is a better way to celebrate it than going to a sweaty and dark gig venue? Well, if the gig in question is The Struts, it actually might be the best way to celebrate anything.

I have a bit of history with the band because I was listening to them a lot when I moved to Copenhagen fivish years ago. Their music is ultimate good mood music to me, which is why I was surprised to find out that not so many people know this fantastic Brit band. Even though they don’t seem to be the most famous band in Copenhagen, they still have managed to attract a cute and diverse crowd to Lille Vega.

Since I am already familiar with the band, I obviously had high expectations. I was looking forward to experiencing this highly energetic band live, and seeing if their show will be as fun and cheeky as I imagine.

I can immediately say that the band absolutely met all my expectations and was even much more fun than I thought. I have not sweated like this ever since I have been back in Copenhagen this month and I can still feel the ache in my cheeks from all the smiling. I finally feel like my serotonin levels have been lifted to be suitable for Pride Week, and I am so glad to have been able to experience such a joyful gig.

The band is incredibly talented in every way possible - everything from the band playing to Luke’s singing and not to forget the performing. The crowd was not the only one dancing, but so was the whole band and it almost felt like we were all just partying together. All this joy was balanced by beautiful and more emotional moments, like all of us singing together an acoustic version of Mary Go Round.

The Struts were very appreciative of their fans, and everyone working with them, which is always very nice. Basically, the whole evening was just full of love. And fun, but I think I have covered that now a million times.

Now I get to the support band. Usually, I love listening to support artists, because I find it a great way to find new artists and bands to listen to. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case this time. When the support artist, Oliver Springer, started, I thought that this was a bit bizarre choice for The Struts. Unlike this fun British rock band, Oliver Springer’s songs were much darker lyrically and in every other way as well. Usually, this is certainly not a problem for me, it was just a bit weird choice.

Sadly, this was only the beginning of the support gig. The more I listened to the artist, the less I was enjoying myself. The lyrics were okay, but for trying to be political or almost shocking, they certainly were not even close enough to either, and the singing was simply not good. Sadly this time I didn’t find a new great artist to listen to - quite the opposite.

Thankfully The Struts fixed all this and made me feel happy again. Seriously. I can’t say this enough times. If you EVER get the possibility to see The Struts live, take it. Unless you hate having fun, then you can excuse yourself while I will certainly start blasting the band’s full discography for the millionth time today.

THE STRUTS - LILLE VEGA, Copenhagen - 14.08.2023

Photos: Laura Ioana

words: Hanna Koivunen

It’s an August Thursday right before 9 pm, and Spillestedet Stengade is dead quiet. The crowd resembled more church folk than a bunch of rockers waiting for the support band ‘68 to begin.

To be fair, it had been much louder right before - but the closer we got to the band entering the stage, the quieter people got. This made the sudden change in energy even more noticeable. It was so sudden that it almost felt like a joyous (and consensual) slap on the face.

To be completely honest here, I didn’t know either of the bands that well before the gig. I knew one or two songs from The Fall of Troy, which is an American rock band from Washington. I would say that they can qualify as “an emo band”, meaning if you are an angsty emo, most likely you would like their music. And even though I don’t think I am either of those things, I enjoyed their music as well.

The band was great, the singing was good, and the screaming was fantastic. The Fall of Troy seemed to have a lot of fun on stage, and their interactions with the crowd were very entertaining. I mean, it’s not every day you get to see a random dude from the crowd getting up on stage and singing a song with the band, but nothing seemed to be impossible during this gig.

Regardless of their charismatic stage presence and overall fantastic show - The Fall of Troy did leave me wanting a bit more. They were great, but did I find them extra special? Not really. But the gig was great for a Thursday night emo rock concert.

The Fall of Troy was not the only funny band on stage that night. Their support band, ‘68, was really fun. I mean that the duo was fun to watch and that the dudes were super funny. Or at least their stupid jokes fit perfectly my dumb sense of humor.

‘68’s music is a bit hard to describe. It’s undoubtedly rock, maybe noise? According to Wikipedia, the band plays noise rock and punk rock so I guess we will go with that. Regardless of what type of rock it was, it was fucking fantastic. It felt new and fresh and something I haven’t heard for quite some time - and who doesn’t love discovering new music?

There were some technical issues during the gig, but due to the style of music, it actually kind of played into the performance. This is not a criticism at all, I actually found it quite fun that it all played so well together. Overall both bands were fantastic, but ‘68 did make a bigger impact on me.

Spillestedet Steengade was a cute and cozy venue, but earplugs are an absolute must here. The music is super loud (Captain fucking Obvious over here) and in such small venues, it can feel extra intense. So if you want to somewhat keep your hearing - take earplugs with you or get some from the bar (they give them out for free, which is nice).

FALL OF TROY - SPILLESTEDET STENGADE, Copenhagen - 10.08.2023

Photos: Laura Ioana

words: Hanna Koivunen

Sticky Fingers managed to get much more than just our fingers sticky during their gig in Vega. If you thought I meant anything dirty with this - you need to get your mind off the gutter, we just got really fucking sweaty. Okay, I don’t know if that is any better way of putting it so better just give up and get to the actual review.

Sticky Fingers is an Australian indie rock band, influenced heavily by reggae, so you can imagine that their music is perfect for a sunny summer Sunday. I thought that I was going to a super chill gig, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Before any of the gigs started, Vega was surprisingly cool compared to its usual AC-less furnace-level temperature. It’s almost as if they would have known to put some extra ventilation beforehand as a preparation for one of the sweatiest gigs I have been in so far this year.

Sticky Fingers had gathered an absolutely insane crowd - much more energetic than I would have anticipated from this very chill band. They were screaming, clapping, shouting, and doing absolutely everything else to show their appreciation to the band from the moment they entered the stage. And you can be sure that the night just kept on getting better and better.

The band played a stunning set of beautiful ballads, faster rock, and of course reggae fusion. The atmosphere was overall very warm, friendly, and just happy, which you could see from the band as well as the crowd. It all felt almost like a big party, with Sticky Fingers as our host, who would keep on surprising us throughout the whole night. They clearly know how to entertain a crowd and make the night special for the location. This combined with absolutely fantastic lights, made me feel as if I would be somewhere else - completely without any worries or stress.

As I mentioned, before anyone entered the stage, Vega was surprisingly cool. Nevertheless, this changed pretty much immediately when the support band came out. Tonight’s support was a Danish delight, The Jürgen Clubs. Yes, I might have just described them like they would be candy but that is how sweet they were!

I was not familiar with the band beforehand, but clearly, others were. The crowd was incredibly loud and excited just from seeing this young Danish band enter the stage, and now I am not surprised. They were so fucking fun! Funny lyrics and just pure joy - what else could you need? The Jürgen Clubs didn’t just warm us up for Sticky Fingers, they made us go through a whole fucking workout!

Rarely I can say that I was sweating constantly just from sitting down - but these two bands and their fans made it happen. Now I know that even if I am expecting a chill reggae gig, I might get proved completely wrong in the couple first of seconds!

Sticky Fingers - store vega, Copenhagen - 25.06.2023

Photos: Laura Ioana

words: Hanna Koivunen

On the very end of this hot and humid day in Copenhagen, Clang attended a sold-out show of Puscifer, a concert full of mystery, parody, and high-quality music performance. The concert is part of an EXISTENTIAL RECKONING TOUR, hmm, well the title of the tour seems very deep and philosophical, which I was not prepared for as I have not had previous experience of listening to Puscifer… is it just me that the name of the band connotates Lucifer?? Anyway, Maynard James Keenan - the singer of bands TOOL and A Perfect Circle came to Copenhagen with, as he calls it “Puscifer - his creative subconscious project”, and Clang was there to eat it.

Sold out Vega gave me the feeling that I should be excited about this gig, honestly said, I did not know the work of the band beforehand and I think that can be a tricky position - as the experience can go both ways. I took this unknown as one great opportunity to sonically explore and indulge into the flow of whatever happens.

The support for Puscifer was a band called Night Club - an electronic duo from Los Angeles, that has brought some strong electronic synths and beats for people awaiting for Puscifer. If you have not seen or heard Night Club live - you owe it to yourself as this was a great choice of support. Setting the vibe of dancing, seduction, and darker energy.

During the night of strictly NO PHONE POLICY, which was actually nice and I give kudos to the musicians for that, felt like the moment where if you haven’t been, you missed out on something really exceptional. Out of courtesy to the craft of music, I could see most of people actually did not take any pictures or videos, until the last songs of the sets of both bands, when people could take some pictures or videos. I think in this heavily digitalized and social-media-run era, it was hella good to take a break and resist the risk of being thrown out. Perhaps, more musicians can set this kind of policy…

Puscifer started with visuals of Dick Merkin - the agent in black with bright red lipstick - searching for intelligent life. Sort of retro, parody-like visuals took place at the beginning, in the middle (intermission), and at the end of the show. These visuals were screened on three big LCD screens on the stage. You can imagine that the stage had 3 big screens, drums in the middle, above the drums there was a scaffolding to stand on and on the sides several light poles - in front (and middle) of it all - huge space without any gadgets, as opposed to conventional concerts, where you have tons of cables, monitors, microphones, etc…

After the first song - Maynard - dressed like the Dick spy-intelligence officer kinda covered up that they are not spies but just a metal band, which struck me as I thought - are you talking about TOOL or ??

The visuals and costumes, even the stage setting made me think of Men in Black, Matrix and Back to Future having a child, and then the baby would be Puscifer concert.

One of the many great things about the band is the advantage of having two main singers whose voices complement each other smoothly in the harmonies they sing. The bonus is that it seemed like the singers are having fun with each other. Here, I want to highlight besides Maynard, the female singer Carina Round.

I can always appreciate the variety of ‘power relations’ - in music - fame relations of the bands. If we talk about flat hierarchies /(which is something we should strive for), Puscifer is definitely proof of it. There is no one band member that is always the highlight, it is the whole band that makes the performance and the sound. At some points, the singers were in the darkness, we couldnt even see them, which was so opposite to the usual singer being in the spotlight. It was even more visible when you could see this in the locations of the band members and how it has been changing throughout the show. As a musician myself, this band was great at letting everyone shine and let musicians complement each other, to some sense that it sounded to me like a conversation, which not always is the case in live shows.

Having said that, I must though highlight the drums. I got goosebumps and felt like my attention was drawn to them a lot during the show, a show with a great quality of music. It was in many ways unconventional drum playing from what one can expect in the conventional bands - skipping the beats, playing the main accents on the drums that you would usually play it on… The drums also played a huuuuge role in setting the mood of sensual seduction almost feeling sexual energy there, which I loved. Imagine heavy but sharp drums with some really electrified synths and connecting onto the support band - darker atmosphere and unconventional song structures.

This was definitely a concert with a concept that could be seen and heard. From spy attire, visuals of cloning, and alien-looking / Fantomas people on the stage to the songs. It was refreshing to see the band that puts more thought into the concert and visuals.

I felt that the aliens on the stage were a bit redundant, but that is just a very minor thing.

Audience responses were a loud singing of the lyrics, especially when The Remedy song was played, to a guy playing air drums or two male-looking people hugging out of the ecstasy of the concert, to people in the sitting area giving a standing ovation.

Deservedly so, this was an experience that I didn’t expect and I have not experienced in a really long time. I was surprised myself how much feeling and stimuli and inspiration I got from this… and I have been to many concerts.

Going through my written notes and memory recollections, I would say there are still 2-3 pages of content I could write about. This electro-rock conceptual presence is something to remember and experience. The arrangements of also some songs that are recorded in different ways were surprising, the songs I am talking about are e.g. Indigo Children, Humbling River, and Vagina Mine.

Ending the concert with the letter “of the Mayor” saying that we should all do one act of kindness per day; leave this place better than we found it…, does not sound so much lucifer-y and dark to me and speaks the truth about what state the society is in right now.

If Maynard says that this is his creative subconscious, then, I want to be part of it.

puscifer - store vega, Copenhagen - 20.06.2023

Photos: FRANCESCA GARATTONI

words: Karolina Čurová

The very first time, I heard the music of SPOON was when I was in my early teens, watching one particular TV show that took place in California, in a very rich county where one underdog comes - weirdly, I have been re-watching this show past few weeks. Apart from giving me the dream of hopefully once moving there, this TV show introduced me to many indie bands whose songs were used there before ‘they became cool’. One of them was SPOON.

But hey, before we get to their gig, let’s talk a bit about the support band MALL GIRL that set the mood.

I was curious what kind of genre will they play as I already experienced various mish-mash of genres for the headliner and support. I can definitely say that MALL GIRL was a great choice for many reasons. Some might have seen Mall Gilr at Roskilde Festival at Rising Stage in 2019, but now they came back as a warm-up and they warmed up pretty well.

The reasons such as - energy, guitar riffs, drums, and guitar conversion between each other, and the singer complimented all of it.

It is very interesting to change locations during the concert. One reason is due to the sound of the music, the other the perspective of the band versus the audience.

Spoon started when I was right next to the stage and I have to say that I could mostly hear the amplifier from the stage - in music words - monitors that musicians have to hear themselves. What I found great was that the singer Britt Daniel noticed several people in the front row with me that made DIY shirts - one of them was a buy celebrating his 11th bday - standing in the front.

After the third song, I had relocated and that was a great decision. This decision was because I could hear the instruments in a better quality actually.

The band positively overwhelmed us by the thick, full, sound of guitars - well, most of the songs, they had three guitars playing.

The concert that lasted over one hour and a half definitely proved that SPOON was many times referred to as one of the best and the most enduring indie rock bands.

The tour they are having now is called their last release: ‘Lucifer on the Sofa’, which I think is a very daring name.

However, the concert was a mix of songs from 6 different albums, most of the songs were from ‘Gimme Fiction’. Other than that, the songs that they played were from Gimme Fiction, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, They want my soul, and Kill The Moonlight.

I also loved the demographics of the concert - from teens to people in their 20s - 30s, to the supporters in their 40s and 50s. This shows that the title of the best indie rock band has its place.

SPOON has definitely its place in the indie rock scene, it is due to its great guitar sound, lyrics that people can relate to, and the charisma of the band members.

spoon - pumpehuset, Copenhagen - 16.06.2023

Photos: FRANCESCA GARATTONI

words: Karolina Čurová

Even if the name Ron Gallo wouldn’t ring any bells, I am pretty sure many people have heard his song “Young Lady, you’re scaring me”. And I am certainly sure that more people enjoyed it so much that they would have loved to come to Rust to listen to it live. That is if they would have even known about the gig.

Truly, Rust had managed to gather barely 50 people to come and listen to this American singer perform. This is certainly a shame because Ron Gallo’s gig was fun, intimate, and chill but still full of dance - so basically perfect vibe for a Tuesday gig.

Before the concert started, the venue felt more like a cozy jazz bar. There was no electricity in the air of people anticipating a gig. More like friends chilling and enjoying their delicious cocktails, without knowing who is going to even start playing. Only when Ron Gallo entered the stage, people moved (admittedly slowly) to the dance floor.

As one could guess, the crowd took a bit of time to loosen up and start dancing. Slowly but steadily people started to move more and more while listening to Ron Gallo’s old hits and newer tracks.

This kind of slowness did fit very well because in the beginning he barely said a word. The more songs he played, the more we started to move and the more he would interact with us. Towards the end, the crowd was dancing and jumping, and Ron Gallo was making stupid (but funny) jokes.

Ron Gallo’s and the band’s performance was quite chill for the most part, with some more high-tempo moments. This fits perfectly his music since it alters also between these two ends.

Also, given the fact that one of the four people on stage had broken ribs, it makes sense that nobody was going super crazy up there. Besides, as I said before, the vibe was simply perfect for a great Tuesday gig.

Ron Gallo did not have a support band, even though he was supposed to. Another American indie band, Moon Panda was supposed to take over the stage before Ron Gallo, but this never ended up happening. It was a pity because I was excited to hear what this band sounds like.

I gave them a listen afterward, and now I am even more bummed about missing them. Hopefully, I get to hear this chill indie band some other time then.

I hope that in the future, the venue will do much better work with marketing for their gigs. I loved Ron Gallo’s intimate gig, but I would have loved to see more people on the dancefloor - not to forget that the artist also deserves that.

RON GALLO - RUST, Copenhagen - 22.05.2023

Photos: Laura Ioana

words: Hanna Koivunen

No ny vittu mennää!

I mean c’mon, how would I ever say no to going to a Finnish rock gig, even if it was a Sunday after an exhausting weekend? And a little spoiler: I didn’t and I am very happy about it.

Teksti-TV 666 (pronounced like ‘cous cous cous’) took over Loppen on a Sunday right after being in Malmö the night before, and they served an intense gig to finish our weekends.

The venue was so empty that we got to even take our own jackets to the wardrobe, but in this small venue, the lack of people is not always a bad thing. Quite the opposite, even though there weren’t that many people, the gig was still incredibly fun. The crowd was having a great time from the beginning and kept on warming up more and more through the night. This went quite perfectly hand in hand with how the band was performing.

In fact, in the beginning, Teksti-TV 666 was clearly focusing on playing, without saying anything else. To be fair, I wasn’t that surprised - finns are famously not fans of talking too much. Nevertheless, the more they played and we danced, the more the band was also communicating with the crowd. In the end, they were telling shitty dry (very Finnish) jokes and got quite many laughs.

The band had no support, but I didn’t miss one this time. The gig started with one of the many guitarists playing behind the crowd getting all of us hyped. Slowly but steadily the music got more intense, and with it, the crowd got more hyped. In the end, I was so excited that I was on the tips of my toes, ready to start jumping around. And then it fucking finally did.

Teksti-TV 666’s music is kind of like dad rock but punk, and it’s just really fucking fun. It’s more about having a great night rather than meaningful lyrics. This is my way to say that you really don’t have to understand what they are singing about to enjoy the gig. Especially if you like focusing on the actual instruments because this is clearly something Teksti -TV 666 shines on.

They obviously focus on the guitars, but also drums are highlighted and we even got to experience some cool saxophone solos played by Hilla Kohtamäki. At some points, the music even got a bit ‘weird’, and I could see some people in the crowd feeling a bit off about it. This is obviously a taste question, and I must say that I did enjoy even the weirder parts.

Since the band members shout some Finnish here and there (and all of the songs are in Finnish), I am sure that as a Finn, you get a bit more out of the experience. Still, I certainly wasn’t the only one having fucking fun, even though I might have been one of the only ones able to understand everything.

When Teksti-TV ended their gig, they got well-deserved applause and whistles from everywhere in the venue. They even got me kind of missing Finland… Or at least small gigs like this.

All in all, the gig was short and sweet - and if dad punk with a cool twist is a cup of your tea, Teksti-TV 666 might be just what you need.

teksti tv 666 - loppen, Copenhagen - 07.05.2023

Photos: Laura Ioana

words: Hanna Koivunen

Not every band could get me to drag my ass all the way to Vest Amager on Tuesday - but Måneskin clearly could. Was it worth it though? Let’s see.

I certainly was not the only one who came all the way to Royal Arena - the queue outside was there to tell that. Because the queue outside was so long, it was a bit surprising that the gig was not sold out even on the day.

Not only because the band is great and has a lot of fans but also because the bassist, Victoria de Angelis, is half Danish. And if you know anything about Danes, you most likely know that they love anything even slightly close to Danish and Denmark.

This Eurovision-winning band didn’t have a support band which was… a choice that was made. I personally like listening to support bands bc it’s also a fun way to find some hidden gems and I was kind of hoping that Måneskin would have a cool support. Anyways for some reason, they decided not to have one.

Even without the support band warming up the crowd the people were clearly ready for Måneskin. When the lights went down and we could see the band’s silhouette on a red curtain the energy almost boiled through the roof. Then the curtain finally dropped, bringing great drama for the gig as one could hope for someone as entertaining as Måneskin.

The band played a stunning combination of English and Italian songs - changing between fast rock songs and stunning ballads, creating a simply stunning and memorable set. I was having a simply amazing time, and everyone else seemed to as well.

The band has amazing fans, who clearly adore the band. In the very end, the fans started even to worship the guitarist Thomas Raggi, when a bunch of them got asked to party on the stage with the band.

This is why I was very surprised not to be able to hear the fans sing during most songs! Of course, I came to hear Damiano David sing, but even when he asked the fans to sing - I was barely able to hear them. This could have been either that the instruments were just so loud or maybe the crowd was feeling shy. I could see people around me sing all the time, but I could only hear them during Beggin’.

The fans possibly feeling shy is obviously not a bad thing at all. Simply surprising because Måneskin is anything but that. They are raunchy and sexy, and their music is thirsty as fuck. And their performance fits this perfectly.

Damiano has an incredible hold of the whole stadium and it’s ridiculously entertaining to watch him and the rest of the band perform. Not only that all of them are charming as fuck, but we also got to see every trick in the book. The stage had literal flames, and the only person who didn’t jump into the crowd was Ethan Torchio, and I mean he is the drummer. That would have been a hell of a trick to do.

Truly; gigs like this make me not understand people who are ”not into rock”. The incredible talent of these artists is absolutely insane and any of them could burp more charisma than most of us can even dream of having.

So was it worth it to drag my ass all the way to another part of the city on a Tuesday? Fuck yes, it was. For these sexy motherfuckers I would do it over.. over… and over again.

Måneskin - ROYAL ARENA, Copenhagen - 02.05.2023

Photos: Joe Miller

words: Hanna Koivunen

Step into the weird and wonderful world of Bostons' fearsome and fearless, Ice Nine Kills, and get ready to be frightened and thrown off your feet and to hold hands with Freddie Kruger and the cast from Halloween!

Pumpehuset played host to what would turn out to be a well orchestrated horror show but one we were happy to be the shaken victim of and a show that wreaked of terror and destruction.

Ice Nine Kills bring an array of costume changes and murder tools to the stage and the theatrical aspect of the show would be better spent in some gothic graveyard, deep in some dark and misty forest in the middle of Transylmania but Pumpehuset fits the bill when it comes to dark and sinister looking venues, so the scene was set for a chilling evening, which we shockingly observed.

From the offset, the vocals and music seemed to be tweaked to perfection to amplify the feel and expression of the music and 'Funeral Derangement' belted out to greet the crowd and set the tone for the evening ahead.

The charismatic, Spencer Charnas, entered the fray dressed like Patrick Bateman in American Psycho and it's easy to get caught up in the fright and malicious intent of the music and theatricals, which we duly obliged.

They follow with 'Wurst Vacation' and we are thrown from side to side with the 'on rush' of the crowd and a swagger of hysteria from the idolising audience, which we are now battling against to save our lives and keep going until the end of the concert.

We were never at risk of missing a song and with an ever growing sense of something special brewing in the venue, we took cover from the side wing of the pit to fasten our eyes on the performance and enjoy the raging sounds of the Boston stranglers that were about to feast on their prey like predators!

We were treated to pounding treats in the form of 'Stabbing In The Dark' and 'Shower Scene' and the crowd seemed to be caught up in the romance of brutality that was delivered to us both in the music and show and it was a welcome sight to be in the grasp of INK, with no chance of being released from their clutch of distress.

Overall, it was hard not to be engaged with the band and all the theatricals from start to finish. Sound in the venue can differentiate from one gig to another but having a fantastic sound team, really enhanced the dynamic of the performance and the general feel of the concert.

A special mention to industrial rock band and support for the night, Skynd, that happily contended on tearing up the crowd with a crazed sway of confusion, grim thoughts and murderous tones to get the crowd in full swing and their disturbing references to death scenes and murders from the past, gave us a chilling intro to what would turn out to be a harrowing but enthralling evening.

Let's hope to see more gore and greatness from these sick mother f*****s again someday soon!

ICE NINE KILLS - PUMPEHUSET, Copenhagen - 01.05.2023

Photos: Laura Ioana

words: Mathias Meulengracht

Is there a better way to spend a Friday evening than going to a metal gig? Especially when that gig includes three different bands, all putting on a fantastic show.

Starting off with the main star of the night, the one who we all came to see - Imminence. This Swedish metalcore band absolutely killed it from the very beginning as one could expect. They served us absolutely everything one could wish for, and the crowd absolutely devoured it.

Obviously, the night included jumping, screaming, headbanging, and moshpits, but that’s not all. Since the vocalist Eddie Berg is also a violinist, we got to experience some short violin solos, whereas commonly these would be performed with guitar or drums. The violin-accompanied acoustic version of ‘This is Goodbye’ was so heart-wrenchingly beautiful that it felt like a bittersweet gift, which I will never get to experience for the first time ever again.

All the members of the band are incredibly talented, which leads to an even more incredible experience. I mean, what else can I even say? Imminence was fucking good, and if you like harder rock, I highly recommend checking them out.

Basically, the only con was that they started a bit late and the waiting got a bit annoying. Still, it wasn’t too bad, I think we were just really fucking excited for them to finally come.

Now that the main star is handled, we can move to the two supports, Fixation and Blood Command. Fixation had the job of kicking the whole night into action - and they did this very well! Their music is more “pop metal” or “radio metal” than Imminence, but I enjoyed it a lot. It was a great way to start the night, and people were clearly feeling it. The crowd started clapping to the beat even without them needing to say anything, which tells a lot about how they were received.

This brings us to the other support, Blood Command. The Norwegian punk band was doing absolutely everything and their energy was insane. This Adidas-wearing ensemble was crowd surfing, kicking, and jumping while playing and singing. I feel like the Nikki Brumen’s (the lead singer) spit she threw at the crowd has more energy than I can even dream of ever having.

Talking of Nikki, the only bad thing was that she was very difficult to hear. This certainly had nothing to do with her, but more with the tech. This was quite a bummer since the tunes I could hear sounded fucking great. Other than that, Blood Command was fantastic.

To answer the very first question - no, there is no better way to spend a Friday. Even though my neck, back, and legs might hurt like a motherfucker tomorrow, experiencing one great band after another is fucking fantastic way to spend a night. Thank god I remembered to pack my earplugs with me, so at least my ears were saved this time.

Photos: Laura Ioana

words: Hanna Koivunen

Imminence - pumpehuset, Copenhagen - 28.04.2023

Rarely do I wonder if the floor is going to break during a gig more than once, but hey now that has happened! The fantastic Faroese punk band, Joe and the Shitboys were truly testing Loppen’s limits - and it was fucking amazing.

The vegan bisexual Faroese punk band got everyone jumping and screaming from the get-go. To be honest, this is exactly what I was hoping for so I am very happy that I didn’t get disappointed. The so-called shitpunk is super fun to dance to, and you could spot all kinds of moves from the people. Even though Loppen is a relatively small venue, there was still room for people to also take it more chill, if they needed a break.

Joe and the Shitboys’ music is intense and the songs are short. This makes the whole gig extremely high-tempo and fast, and the night truly flew by. The band connects with the crowd in amazing ways, which is also more possible at the venue. They could take people from the crowd to the stage easily and send them off again when they pleased. Whether it was due to having fabulous nipples or just screaming loud enough - any of these reasons could be enough to share the stage with Joe and the Shitboys for a minute.

Of course, since Joe and the Shitboys are political (it is punk in the end) there were some guests who came on the stage to give a word. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to keep up due to my bad hearing and even worse Danish - but as I understood it was something smart and important. A nice very short break before continuing with headbanging.

When I say that people were having a blast, I think I am still underestimating the experience. The crowd was up to do absolutely anything - including singing “Hey Baby” by Bruce Channel as loud as they can. Actually, the crowd didn’t seem to want to stop singing this old song and kept on going back to it afterward, which was adorable.

The support band, Sauna Senere, traveled all the way from Aarhus to Copenhagen to perform in Loppen and I am happy they made the trip! As a Finn, I obviously appreciate the name, but thankfully this was not the only thing I liked about them. Their music is extremely fun, and it mixes so many things it’s kind of hard to explain. You just need to experience this combination of punk, pop, some retro vibes, beats… Simply everything.

I wish it was a summer night and I was dancing alone in nature to Sauna Senere’s tunes. That is how their music comes off to me, and I absolutely love it. The band is very cute and gives off carefree and fun energy. Exactly what I needed this Thursday, tusind tak!

Anyway, the whole night was fun, electric, and overall fantastic - let’s see how my neck handles this much headbanging.

Photos: Laura Ioana

words: Hanna Koivunen

JOE & THE SHITBOYS - LOPPEN, Copenhagen - 27.04.2023

Yo La Tengo or ‘I’ve Got it’ (translated from Spanish) played a gig in one of Copenhagen’s great venues of Bremen Theater as part of their ‘This Stupid World Tour’, on 21st April 2023, and we from Clasng were part of it.

The trio from Hoboken, New Jersey has been active since 1984, and it showed, as Bremen Theater was sold out. Indie Experimental band left their trace in this field of alternative music with the trace of trying out and making indie rock interesting.

The concert was divided into two sets, as no supposed band happened, started with the opener ‘Sinatra Drive Breakdown’ which is a record part of the latest album THIS STUPID WORD which is the name of the tour they are part of.

First of all, I have to say kudos that this concert was a sitting concert, for those who know Bremen Teater. I was curious how this will play out with the music, we know or expect, but it fits very well. Why? Because the first set, except for the opening abovementioned song was full of energy, upbeat drums, and very experimental guitar and the use of pedals, where one might think, is he improvising or is it intentional? It sounded like a noise-like song of the guitar that went on top of the same beat of the drums and base.

The rest of the first set was carried by very nice, relaxing, almost dreamy-like songs, especially when they played ‘I’ll Be Around’.

This first set declared that simple patterns on the instruments as opposed to overcomplicated instrument riffs showed that there is beauty in simplicity.

I also adored that all three members got to switch around not only the instruments but also the singing of the songs.

How I felt, was that there was this positive melancholy present in this first set.

But, after a short break, we started the second set.

The opening song of the second set ‘This Stupid World’ resemble the opener of the first set - in the sense of intense drums and energy and very experimental guitar. Using a lot of pedals, plus using the amplifiers to create a noisy genre-like sound made my ear drums suffer a bit.

…And this song, actually set the tone for the second set as a whole, as there were many songs that were great and greatly performed, but I have to say that in the second set, the sound was a little bit too intense.

Most of the time, I had to cover my ears, as I forgot my earplugs, but to be objective, I had my bandmate sitting at the back of the venue and to her, the sound of the second set was just perfect, which brings us back to the venue itself. Bremen Theater is great in my opinion, but perhaps not for this kind of music, where you have to really adjust your ear to different levels of sound.

The second set was definitely more up-tempo while using more guitar pedals and synths that were present.

My conclusion about the concert is that it was great. Yo La Tengo is one of the bands that indirectly shaped my musical journey. The trio with a very simple set up created such a wholesome sound, while switching the singing position and instruments, with a very suitable sitting venue. Interaction with the audience was great and that was to be experienced when they asked what song to palsy in their encore.

At some point during the second set, I looked around, and even though this was a sitting concert, I could see people nodding their heads, almost like in a trance-like stare, but that is great as this band deserves to have people enjoying the sound and lyrics and experimenting that happens under full control fo the musicians. Just perhaps the sound division of the venue was a little bit off when it comes to people closer and further away.

But This was a great Yo La Tengo that you should listen to, in order to get into the dreamy and positively melancholic state of mind. It is a ‘stupid world’ we live in, but why not make it more bearable?

Photos: Francesca garattoni

words: Karolína M. Čurová

YO LA TENGO - BREMEN TEATER, Copenhagen - 21.04.2023

Royal arena and entrance to the hall full of people and big screens gave an impression that this was going to be a show worth attending. (Clang was) Attending the second farewell concert in Copenhagen of Roger Waters: This is not a Drill Farewell Tour.

I heard before something little about Water’s shows but did not know what to expect, apart from hits of Pink Floyd. Before the show started, text saying ‘If you are one of those ‘I love Pink Floyd but can’t stand Roger’s politics’ people, you might do as well fuck off to the bar right now. Thank you.” This opening line already gave a glimpse of what will be the main topic of the concert.

The show was a bit scattered visually and musically. From the great visuals of the retrospective of Pink Floyd concerts and ‘personal’ videos to societal issues of screwed-up politics, police brutality, oligarchy, anti-war, anti-nuclear weapons, and overall power relations. Musically, switching between Roger Water’s songs and the songs of Pink Floyd, where the focus was mainly on Pink Floyd’s greatest hits.

The great opener of the show was remastered ‘Comfortably Numb’ where the band was still facing the screens in a diagonally divided stage which gave a later 360 experience and the vocalists really showed their qualities, there were goosebumps present for sure.

Visuals for this opener were in great quality comic-like graphics or people walking down the dark street, some tied to their phones, perhaps being numb over the current societal issues or maybe the decay of society. When later the camera went up to see the oligarchs, almost like in the Parthenon up in the sky.

The atmosphere was lingering between nostalgia, personal experience throughout the years of Pink Floyd, and heavy rock riffs with rage. Rightfully so, there is so much crap happening in society right now. Just one might have been confused in the first part of the show, as some of the big texts or more like protest chants if these chants Waters is pro or against, given his problematic history.

The concert, visually dazzling but also very triggering, meaning real-life videos of brutality were sometimes difficult to swallow.

However, this was exchanged with quite a personal, retrospective almost poetic part looking through the journey of Waters and Pink Floyd. This being Farewell Tour, makes sense that we glimpse over the 60s, 70s, and 80s in not only the musical sense but also a personal journey of Waters. ‘Wish You Were Here’ - on the screens, there is a story written as if By Roger Waters on a typewriter, remembering his bandmate and friend Syd Barret. From deciding to make a band to being in the car driving through Hollywood.

The sound of the band was most of the time great, but for a few moments, I felt like the microphones were muted, but not intentionally. However, one cannot doubt the great talents and qualities of the band members, in which one of them was Jonathan Wilson that took over to give Water’s break and sang the song ‘Money’. One must say that Waters still manages to sing within the great capacity that he has been singing for quite some years. However, the performance of ‘Money’ blew my mind and it was one of the peaks of the gig. The energy of the performance and song itself was transmitted strongly towards the audience, which gave back.

Roger at the beginning of the concert started by making us imagine that we are at the bar, where he even had a bottle of Mezcal on his piano and a few shot glasses, saying that people in the bar are different and people should have conversations and when a disagreement comes, we should listen and talk instead of sending a person to the jail.

This makes sense, as there was a variety of people attending the concert, so maybe, he wanted to have people feel included. The concert ended up at ‘the bar’, where they actually had shots of that mezcal. I liked him circling the story back to the beginning.

From sheep and pig floating around in the hall to a mish-mash of the issues and retrospective of Pink Floy - made me experience a lot of impulses that in this space of the review I cannot express and comment on. DON'T GET ME WRONG, WE HAVE TO HIGHLIGHT the societal issues and try to cause change, but maybe it could have been done in a more cohesive way.

It was a show worth visiting if you are a music lover or a Pink Floyd fan. Pink Floyd is a legendary band that has a definite spot in the history and present of music. It was just maybe too many of these topics and impressions that might have been confusing.

Photos: Kate Izor

words: Karolína M. Čurová

ROGER WATERS - ROYAL ARENA, Copenhagen - 18.04.2023

It has been 10 stunning (okay, some less great) years since the Danish indie band, First Hate, was formed by two friends. And for this beautiful reason, we get to experience an anniversary gig at Pumpehuset. 

The crowd was clearly very excited for the band to be back home, and every time the lights dimmed even a bit everyone got excited to welcome them on stage. After a little bit of waiting, the moment was finally there, and it was certainly worth the wait. 

Before the band entered the stage, a person with a huge white flag performed to the music. Did I completely understand the purpose of this, besides that the flag obviously had the 'First Hate' logo? Absolutely not, but I completely ate it up and was enjoying the show. The flag-waving part was only a tiny bit too long for my taste, but I was also very pumped for the actual gig to begin.

When it comes to the actual part of the friend duo being on stage and performing, it was just like you could assume. Simply fantastic. The beats are amazing, and Anton’s singing is incredible so obviously the live combination of everything is outstanding. The duo did minimal talking and simply played hit after hit served with Anton’s cute dance moves.

Everyone was trying to keep up with his dance moves, and at least I was completely sweaty in the end. The whole experience was incredibly serotonin-lifting which helped to deal with the crowd.

As this already hints, the crowd was certainly not the best. Of course, most people were great, but there were surprisingly many assholes. People were absolutely hammered, but even this shouldn’t be an excuse for behaving like a prick.

From a girl falling over people and elbowing my face three times, to two young idiots being disgusting towards our photographer to another drunk idiot jumping on my leg in the wardrobe and not apologizing after I squealed from pain (and I was wearing fucking Doc Martens), I was really quite fed up with everyone in the end. 

Don’t get me wrong - there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting tipsy and frisky during concerts, I certainly do that all the time. This still doesn’t give you a go with being a fucking prick in my opinion.

Back to more positive aspects - the supporting artist, The Bird, was great! I didn’t know at all what to expect and to be honest I kept on being surprised time after time again. Starting off with a DJ set, then combining singing, and then transforming into … everything?

The music was kind of like some hyper-excited party music that would be played on the radio, and his vibe fits this perfectly. Even if I was high on speed and drinking Red Bull, I think I would still be slower than The Bird. At least I woke up completely, and overall he was a great support.

So basically, minus the crappy people in the crowd, this gig was absolutely fantastic. First Hate has just released a new song “Run Down Love”, and now I can’t wait to get some more from them.

Photos: Laura ioana

words: Hanna KOIVUNEN

FIRST HATE - PUMPEHUSET, Copenhagen - 14.04.2023

I am really happy that Shame didn’t live up to their name last night. 

On the contrary, the night was fucking great, once it finally started. Everything was running a bit late, which would have been a bit annoying if I was alone. Thankfully after approximately 20 minutes, the night eventually kicked off.

Vega was surprisingly empty for a Saturday night, but maybe the English post-punk band Shame is not just that famous here. That is a bit of a pity, not only because their music is great, but also because the band’s performance is absolutely fantastic.

The band had an insane amount of energy throughout the whole night, from the beginning until the very end. After maybe 5 minutes, Charlie (the lead singer) jumped into the crowd for the first time, and this didn’t stay like the last time. He wasn’t the only one jumping on stage, because the bassist, Josh Finerty, was running around and jumping on stage as if he would be trying to break some sort of record for playing bass while jumping 5 million times. 

The band wasn’t left alone with this energy, because of course everyone in the crowd was also jumping around, dancing, and moshing. The energy combined with half of Vega being closed due to the small crowd created a kind of intimate show.

Almost like we wouldn’t be in Store Vega anymore, but in a rocker pub, listening to a band that hasn’t made their big break yet. This is not a bad thing, completely opposite. It means that the whole evening was intense and just very f**king fun.

Shame isn’t the only band with a fun name performing last night. They were supported by a rap duo “They Hate Change”. Yes, you read correctly, this English rock band was supported by a rap duo from Tampa, Florida. To be honest, I was quite surprised by this choice, but I got over it very fast.

And thankfully I did, so I had time to appreciate the duo. They were great, and I wasn’t the only one thinking this. The rest of the crowd was also wooing and dancing around just like me. The energy of the duo was great, and they seemed to also have a lot of fun performing in Copenhagen. 

Basically, last night felt like two separate gigs due to how different the music was from support to shame. Both of them were great, and especially shame was of course fantastic, but it was a bit of a funny combination of artists.

Regardless of the bands being late and this weird combination, the night was absolutely f**king fantastic. After Charlie had crowd surfed the very last time for the night and told us that it was time for the last song, I was honestly a bit bummed. Not because the band did anything wrong or stopped too early, I just could have kept on going for much, much longer.

Photos: JOE MILLER

words: Hanna KOIVUNEN

SHAME - STORE VEGA, Copenhagen - 01.04.2023

“I write songs about 3 things: drugs, people peeing on me… so I write songs about two things!” 

Sebastian Murphy, the lead singer of Viagra Boys, might have exaggerated a little bit with this statement, but I think it rounds up pretty well the vibe of their gig. Not that the gig included either of these activities, but it was just full of dumb jokes, great music, dancing, moshing, and all-over tomfoolery. And is there a better way to spend a Wednesday evening? I don’t think so.

Immediately when this Swedish post-punk band entered the stage they brought the energy with them. Everyone in the crowd was super hyped, and the whole night was just simply said so fucking fun. Sure, my whole body might be a complete wreck today, but it was absolutely worth it. 

Viagra Boys’ way of performing is very entertaining, filled with stupid jokes, and also very … interesting moves. I don’t think I will ever forget the image of Sebastian, a heavily tattooed grown-ass man dancing around like a bird. I certainly hope not, because that combined with their rock songs was just a fantastic combination. 

To be honest, I was not surprised at all that I had this much fun at a Viagra Boys’ concert. I have only heard great things about their gigs, so I am happy that I wasn’t disappointed at all. 

It’s only fitting that their support, Boko Yout, was also fucking fantastic. Also from Sweden, their vibe fits very nicely with Viagra Boys, even though their music is a little different from each other. Everything from their fits to the connection with the crowd was simply top notch and fantastic. The crowd seemed to be almost mesmerized by Boko Yout, and everyone was clearly up for doing anything we were told to do. 

The artist had style, humor, and everything else you could basically wish to have. I haven’t seen the crow light up their phones’ lights before for support, but hey, I have now. Boko Yout and their performance were absolutely fabulous, and if you haven’t heard of this band before, I highly recommend checking them out. 

Sure, if you are not a fan of stupid jokes or songs about babies smocking crack, maybe you should buy tickets to Viagra Boys’ gig. Thankfully I have a bad sense of humor, so I was thoroughly entertained. Both bands got me laughing, dancing, and sweating for the whole Wednesday night, and I really hope we get to do it all over again soon. 

Photos: Laura ioana v

words: Hanna KOIVUNEN

VIAGRA BOYS- STORE VEGA, Copenhagen - 29.03.2023

It's been quite a long time since I was asked to write some words about a concert I've attended but it's an easy task when you go to a gig full of entertainment, guile and excitement from the moment Snoop strutted on stage holding aloft his trademark blunt and puffing away to the sound of The Next Episode and a particular favourite of mine.

I had already tucked into a cool 6 pack before the gig and joined by a group of people that had planned this gig from its' originally planned date a couple of years back, we went there knowing this was going to be a fun night, albeit, one we would have to try hard to remember.

The smoke trails were in full force leading up to the venue and we were surrounded by clouds of smoke inside which we were told security were having a job trying to contain. I think the best approach was to let the folks get on with their fun and do it in a respectful way, or at least, that's how it looked from the crowd around me, some distance back from the stage but in great view of the entertainment on the big screens either side of the stage and the raptuous cheers from the crowd either side of me.

Not to let the occasion spill over without creating an amazing spectacle for the audience, Snoop trailed through his opening songs with an array of scantily clad ladies pole dancing and twerking either side of him and we were thankful the big screens were in operation!

Some guys next to me had clearly consumed too much alcohol and were constantly breaking into loud shouting and some kind of elbow pushing dance that was starting to annoy a few around us... for the majority, the entertainment out rode this and the music kept us in 'high spirits' from start to finish.

I can't begin to tell you how many of the classic hits Snoop threw our way as the constant 'hands in the air' waves and trips to the bar kept us in good stead but with tracks such as 'Gin & Juice' and 'The Shiznit' gave me reason to put on some slippers the next day and relax my toe tapping and aching feet, a sign that I had shaken off some of my older years in life and stepped back to a time in life only Snoop can take us to, like hanging out with mates at a local park, sippin' on drinks and ordering too much food at the local pizza store.

By the time 'Drop It Like It's hot' came on, the stage was pumping and Snoop was still swinging his way through the stage like a chilled pied piper, floating on a cloud of rhythm, with the crowd following him down a hazy trail... I for one, was one of them and perhaps the excitement of the evening was taking its toll on my mental health and stamina!

A special mention Versitile, which I managed to catch in moments but given the fact it was St Patricks day in Ireland, it seemed very fitting for the occasion to have this up and coming irish rap act on stage and parading the Irish flag through the early parts of their set. They definitely got me and the crowd on our feet and kept us there until next suuport act, D12, showed us an example of how rap music has formed such an integral part of our lives for generations.

The music that just keeps giving, I think we can all agree that D12 has given us some music over the years, especially when it comes to those Eminem collaborations and the music at this event was the perfect partner to get us smoke ready and crazed and hazed, just like the good old dayz!

In summary... Snoop still delivers when it comes to entertainment and down right cool attitude.

Let's hope we can find our way venue the next time he lands on these shores... at least, by the time my munchies have worn off!

Photos: Joe Miller

words: nene ramzid (edited)

snoop dogg - royal arena, Copenhagen - 17.03.2023

I don’t think I have ever seen Vega this empty before. I am not sure, whether it was because of the weather, the fact that it was Monday, or maybe people are not aware of Dry Cleaning well enough to get the tickets.

I think it is their loss. Dry Cleaning is a fantastic English post-punk band that has some very interesting songs, with even more interesting lyrics. They are weird in all the best possible ways, which was actually fun to experience with a small number of people. Since half of Vega was closed, the whole gig felt more intimate and cozy.

The crowd who had done the smart decision to come to Vega was clearly excited to see Dry Cleaning live. People were getting louder and louder with their excited screams and cheers for the band between the songs.

During every song, everyone was respectfully jamming around while enjoying the music. The crowd’s energy fitted well with the band’s vibe. Sure, nobody else seemed to be as much in their own little world as the singer, Florence Shaw, was. Then again, I wasn’t too surprised that she seemed to be living in a little different universe than the rest of us.

The bassist, Lewis Maynard, on the other hand, was full of energy. He almost stole the show with his moves that were more fitted to a heavy metal gig. I didn’t mind them at all, it was very entertaining to watch him moshing on stage while others were much more chill and low-key. I could see other people in the crowd also taking more videos of him than anyone else, so I am sure that I am not the only one, who was focusing on him.

I had never heard of the support band, Dead Finks, before. I am very happy that I did now because I really liked them. This Berlin-based punk band really has some tunes! Their performance was great, but not without issues.

When the band started, even half of Vega was still quite empty and people were pretty quiet. They also had some technical issues, but thankfully these were fixed. The members of the band are also very funny, so laughing at their funny but dumb jokes made everyone loosen up a little bit. In the end, everyone seemed to be having fun, and ready to listen to Dry Cleaning. 

All in all, Dry Cleaning and Dead Finks were both great, and this was a great way to start my week. It is a bit pity that Vega was so empty, but as I said, they really missed out on a nice Monday gig.

Photos: Laura ioana v

words: hanna koivunen

dry cleaning - store vega, copenhagen - 13.03.2023

Last night felt like a real jump back in time. The Don Broco & Sleeping With Sirens duo gig filled VEGA with emos, scene kids, and obviously all other types of alt-rockers.

I have not seen so many people with chequered vans and all other emo wardrobe-stable pieces in years, which made seeing them even more nostalgic.

The two bands, Don Broco and Sleeping With Sirens created a fantastic show, and my body will be paying off for the screaming and jumping I did for couple more days. Don Broco started the gig, and they certainly got the shit going on from the very first moment! The crowd was screaming “Yippee ki yay motherfucker“ with the band from the first song and the whole energy was absolutely explosive.

Don Broco’s songs are on most of my gym setlists due to their high energy, and I am thrilled that the band's performance suited this vibe. The singer, Rob Damiani, was a delight to watch because of his fun dance moves, and thinking of them still makes me smile.

Still, this high energy doesn’t mean that Don Broco’s part wouldn’t have had some very sweet moments. In fact, Rob’s brother was in the crowd which lead to one of the cutest sibling moments I have seen. Michael (the brother) got to crowd surf, while his brother was on stage telling how we need to be careful so their mother won’t get angry.

After Don Broco’s performance and a small break, Sleeping With Sirens entered the stage. Their performance was incredibly intense in all the best ways from this very moment, and the crowd was absolutely living for every moment. I am not surprised that my neck hurts due to all the head banging but I am still not regretting anything. The atmosphere was absolutely fantastic, and everyone was jumping, screaming, and moshing (safely obviously).

The whole band is full of fantastic performers, which made the show extremely entertaining. Everybody was clearly having a blast, but I think this random kid might have had the best time of everyone there. The guitarist, Nick Martin, made even sure that the kid got his plectra, which was a very sweet moment. Talking of more emotional moments, Kellin Quinn singing, while Nick was playing acoustically was absolutely stunning moment to experience.

Kellin can certainly fucking sing, and I might have cried my eyes out during their acoustic cover of Iris. His singing was simply so beautiful. Since both of the main bands were so fantastic, the support band had a big job to do.

Thankfully, Ocean Grove didn’t disappoint at all. They kicked off the concert right away with so much high energy, that I felt like I had just jugged down a Redbull. Some of their music gives off Linkin Park vibes, whereas others could have been used on a 00s movie’s soundtrack.

I mean both of these comments as the highest compliments, and I clearly wasn’t the only one feeling their music. The whole crowd was jumping from the literal second they started and basically only stopped after all three bands were done. During one night, I saw three different bands and I would see all of them again.

Absolutely fantastic show and their love for being on stage could be seen and felt from the very beginning until the very end.

Photos: Laura ioana v

words: hanna koivunen

don broco/sleeping with sirens - store vega, copenhagen - 25.02.2023

If you are surprised about Lizzo’s Special gig being absolutely fantastic, raise your hand! No hands up?

That’s what I fucking thought. Lizzo is known for being an absolutely incredible performer, and I still wasn’t emotionally prepared enough for the experience. I can honestly, say that Lizzo didn’t only meet all possible expectations, but she annihilated them.

The energy in Royal Arena was tangible even before the mysterious smoke filled the stage, telling the crowd that the time will finally be here in just a mere moment. And the moment when Lizzo finally entered the stage in her fabulous bejeweled outfit, the pent-up energy exploded.

The crowd’s excitement, love, and adoration were very clear to everyone, and even Lizzo got visibly emotional because people just couldn’t stop cheering her name.The theme for the Special tour is love for oneself and others, which was a nice touch.

Not that it was unclear at any point, but Lizzo telling this out loud and reminding us all throughout the concert to love ourselves and others was still very wholesome. Overall, Lizzo’s connection to the crowd is absolutely insane, especially considering that this was a humongous arena concert.

Obviously, all of the performances were fucking breathtaking. or maybe it was just my experience since I was basically belting to most of the songs during the concert. Lizzo on the contrary was dancing, singing, and playing a fucking flute with such ease that you could almost forget that it’s not an incredible physical achievement.

he set was an amazing combination of feel-good songs that you can shake your ass to and more emotional songs you can sing your heart out to (and most likely lose your voice the next day). I am still getting goosebumps when I am thinking about Lizzo’s performance of “cuz I love you”, and I really hope I never forget how fucking good that was.

The support artist, Bree Runway, was a completely new one for me, but I am happy to have finally heard about her. This was her second arena tour ever, and I was honestly very surprised to hear this; she seemed so natural on that huge stage! Even her wardrobe malfunctions only inspired her to freestyle a bit about the situation.

Bree Runway is a talented performer and incredibly funny, which makes her performance very entertaining. I loved every moment from the cover of Paparazzi to cracking jokes and fixing makeup with lipgloss that was securely hidden in her corset.

Everyone who has heard about Lizzo knows that she is a performer with a capital P, but I really don’t think this is even enough. The concert was both explosive and also very intimate, and creating this type of experience tells a lot about Lizzo’s talent as a performer.

I really think that shaking your ass to Lizzo’s songs creates some sort of magic because the feeling I had after this gig was absolutely incredible.

Now I truly feel very special and obviously 100% that bitch.

Photo: 4 year old girl from Sweden

words: hanna koivunen

Lizzo - Royal Arena, copenhagen - 18.02.2023

There is nothing to be Sorry about with a gig like this!Okay, I will try to stop making fucking dumb puns before I even get fully started because this fantastic English indie rock band deserves more than that.

I absolutely loved how Sorry entered the stage, and I clearly was not the only one. It was simultaneously cool, weird, and funny. In other words, it was even more than I could have imagined it to be, and it perfectly set the mood for the rest of the performance.

From the very beginning until the end, everyone was just vibing around. I caught myself many times by just closing my eyes and enjoying the music and swinging calmly from side to side. Sorry’s music is perfect for this kind of vibing, but it also fits some more extravagant dance moves.

This means, that you can enjoy Sorry’s gig easily, regardless of how much energy you have or how you like to vibe.Loppen was so full of people, that I was stuck staring at one pillar for a quite long time.

Then again, when I can enjoy listening to great music, even watching just a pillar works perfectly. The crowd was a very interesting combination of people.

The age range was everything from people in their 20s to easily over 50s and 60s. It was quite funny to see, how everyone in the crowd, regardless of their age and style was kind of vibing and enjoying the concert in a similar way. Most people were just waving around to the music, just like I was as well.

At some point, a woman behind me shouted “STOP IT” to one of the funny funky parts at the beginning of a song, but I must say I disagreed with her completely.

These parts were great and fun! Sure, sometimes I didn’t quite get if it was in between two songs, beginning, or maybe ending a song, but does that really matter? I really don’t think so.The support band, Poptones, was clearly not sorry for anything (ok now I stop). I wasn’t familiar with this danish band before, but I must say that I am very happy that I am now!

Their music manages to be very chill, but moody and even angry in some moments. People were nodding their heads immediately in an accepting way. At some points, this changed to almost moshing, when the songs took a little heavier side.

Overall, a great support that in some moments even had some Placebo vibes, certainly can’t complain about that.

All in all, Loppen worked again as a great venue for really good bands. The venue gives a very specific atmosphere to the gigs, and it fits perfectly with both Sorry and Poptones.

I did get told by some random man that I shouldn’t use a phone on the gig when I was just taking notes. To be honest, I think he was just trying to be funny after having a couple of beers, but also please just leave me to enjoy the gig, thanks.

Photos: Laura ioana v

words: hanna koivunen

SORRY - LOPPEN, copenhagen - 16.02.2023

The Kooks is a legendary alt-rock band and their 15th-anniversary tour selling out was not even that surprising. That’s how known and loved their debut album Inside In / Inside Out still is, 15 years later.

This is why it’s quite disappointing to say that their gig in Vega was … fine. Obviously, it wasn’t bad, it is still the Kooks, but when I left out I felt very underwhelmed. The whole experience was simply missing something, maybe a little extra oomph, or more energy, I am not sure.

Even how they entered the stage was a little… boring almost. I wasn’t bored per se anymore when the band started playing, but that was also because the crowd was so excited that I could hear them over the band easily.

The sheer excitement of other people just transferred to me as well. In the couple of first songs The Kooks played, there were some technical issues. The mic was making sounds that nobody should hear from a concert venue sound system. This did decline the mood everywhere, but only for a tiny moment. Soon the sound was fixed and the gig would continue again.

To be honest, I think was one of the moments that took the experience down a bit. Not because there were some technical issues, those happen and that’s that.

But how the band reacted to the issues was a little bizarre. The singer, Luke Pritchard, just stopped singing and otherwise, it kind of continued. I mean I get it, he couldn’t sing because his voice was covered by horrible screeching sounds, but the whole thing was just a bit bizarre. Anywho, as I said, this was fixed fast and without any apologies or even a quick joke about that, the band just kept on going.

Even though all this happened, the crowd at this gig was clearly having fun and knew all the songs by heart. But then again they have had over a decade to practice them. The only time people seemed sour was when these technical issues happened, but to be honest, everyone just kept on dancing and singing right after. Seeing people having a blast at a gig is always fun, and these tipsy random people dancing and shouting The Kooks’ songs were certainly the best part of this Sunday evening.

The support, Stone, was fine, a very British rock band from Liverpool. Their music fit The Kooks’ style nicely, and their performance kept on getting better and better with each song. In the end, it was almost electric, and the band was clearly full of energy.

I would totally see these guys again, especially at a festival or in a smaller pub concert.Back to the main rockers of the night The Kooks. Maybe they were just tired, and after 15 years, who wouldn’t be?

Basically, the party really seemed to start 10 minutes before the whole gig ended, which was way too long on a Sunday evening.

The Kooks came, sang their debut album, and left the stage and me wanting something more.

Photos: Niklas Rosen

words: hanna koivunen

The Kooks - store vega, copenhagen - 12.02.2023

Wallows really managed to do something I thought to be impossible. They lifted my mood so high, that I forgot that we still have a couple more rainy months to go.

This was the very first time this American alternative rock band came to Copenhagen, and they really seemed to enjoy the city. At least they kept on mentioning how great and beautiful it is, which is always nice to hear.

Actually, the most times anyone from the band talked, it was to mention something about Copenhagen. Hopefully, this will mean that they will come back again!I have rarely heard the crowd scream this much just from the lights going black. Then again, they had been waiting for a long time outside in the queue and the crowd was surprisingly young.

I don’t know how I didn’t realize before that most Wallows fans are part of gen z. Not that I complain, a younger audience often leads to a fucking great party and this time didn’t disappoint. The vibe was amazing from the beginning until the end. I think this was because of both the audience and the band.

As I mentioned, the crowd was young, and everyone was just simply having the time of their lives. Everyone (besides the parents who came in as guardians) seemed to know every line perfectly and had the energy to jump, dance and sing until the very last encore song. This great crowd combined with a fantastic band can only lead to unforgettable results.

I really don’t think I have gotten this excited about someone playing harmonica before, but the way it mixed with “I don’t want to talk” was simply exhilarating. And just like many other great indie bands, Wallows is also full of great performers. The band is very enticing to watch, and the crowd obviously went crazy when Dylan (the singer) jumped off the stage. Overall this gig was a very cute, fun, and dancey indie concert.

If you didn’t really pay attention to the lyrics, you wouldn’t even realize that most songs were about breakups. Everyone seemed way too happy for the songs to be about something sad. My sincere apologies for the support of the night. I full-on thought that I didn't know the band MAY-A before, but I was very wrong.

They are behind many great hits that I have heard before It even took me embarrassingly long to realise, but this is certainly not the band’s fault.

The band is very Gen Z. In other words, they are really fricking cute. MAY-A got the whole crowd extremely pumped, by playing a combination of their original songs with some fun covers. Their performance was giving very “young Paramore”, but make it queer. If that doesn’t say a lot to you, don’t worry. It just means that they were really fucking great.

The band certainly knows how to rock and make a show happen, and it doesn’t surprise me at all that some of the members clearly already had some fans. So back to my original point. For the name Wallows, the band surely managed to pick me up.

In the case, that they will come back, I highly recommend buying a ticket and getting some serotonin while dancing to happy breakup songs. Until then, at least pop their cd on and have a dance party to brighten up any gloomy day.

Photos: kasper Pasinski

words: hanna koivunen

Wallows - store vega, copenhagen - 02.02.2023