SYD FOR SOLEN
“Step into the forest and find yourself cradled between the trees of the beautiful surroundings of Søndermarken” was what we wrote in the past when we reviewed Syd for Solen 2022.
This year, on top of yet another great line-up, Syd for Solen changed its location, which was a major shift from previous years, but some other things stayed the same. Read more about what Clang experienced at Syd for Solen 2024, this time in Valbyparken.
Thursday started in complete contrast to ‘solen’ (the sun). The day was rainy, and the first part of the program was also semi-wet. When I arrived, around 16:00, there was a huge crowd of people walking through the tree-lined alleys of Valbyparken, which is actually quite beautiful. This crowd made me a bit worried about how fast I could get in to see Charlotte Day Wilson. One rather major and confusing issue was finding the press accreditation center, which was indicated in a completely different location on the map we were provided. However, after asking a few volunteers, I knew where to go—kudos to the informed staff!
I moved from concert to concert, I appreciated that it was fairly easy to get from one stage to another, so I didn’t have to miss half of a concert while going from one to another. The concept of these city festivals has become quite popular in the past few years, but if it continues, future festivals need to come up with unique line-ups and concepts. Thursday felt overcrowded, and I know that it was because of Fred Again, who was the headliner that day. This was the main reason why the first day received criticism, and we would offer some minor critiques as well. It felt like queues were everywhere, and the change of location did not alleviate this, even though, to me, it had the potential to make the space bigger. Friday and Saturday definitely felt better, with more breathing room and fewer queues.
Since its inception, Syd for Solen has always had a great line-up. This year, that trend continued. I like the concept of each day having a different umbrella genre. From Thursday’s aforementioned Fred Again and Sampha, to Friday’s Andre 3000, Michael Kiwanuka, Jorja Smith, or Saturday’s Jack White, who replaced Queens of the Stone Age, Big Thief, and AIR with their 20-year anniversary of Moon Safari.
While Charlotte Day Wilson felt a little misplaced among electronic music bands, she delivered a groovy concert with her super interesting voice… and saxophone playing. Kenya Grace brought some UK jungle vibes for those rainy moments we were experiencing. The sun came back before Sampha started his alchemy on stage, and for me, this was the highlight of Thursday. It was wholesome, soulful, complex, but very easy to connect with. Sampha has been showcasing his talent over the years, and this was just another example of his knack for music. Fred Again made people go crazy, and that's the main thing I want to convey here.
COPENHAGEN
2024
Because why use 1,000 words? From switching between 10 different synths to being on the plateau where many people did not notice him, he played all the bangers for people who wanted to dance and party. To me, every time I was at one of the concerts that day, I felt like I encountered rude audience members—shouting when musicians were speaking, talking during the performance, or even not clapping after Kenya Grace’s biggest hit that everyone knows from socials, ‘Strangers.’ I was shocked.
Friday, musically, felt calmer and groovier. Calmer because there were fewer people, but groovier due to the line-up. I will pinpoint Andre 3000’s New Blue Sun live, which made me feel, for most of the concert, like “Oh man, they are just improvising the whole thing using the instruments they used on the album,” to the moment when Andre himself said that they were improvising—feeling what people brought to the concert and reciprocating it, converting it into music. This felt magical to me. Our hearts started beating in the rhythm of Yussef Dayes. It was jazzy, it was groovy, it fit perfectly into the moments of sunshine and the freedom of Syd for Solen that people could feel much more that day.
The magic continued with Michael Kiwanuka, where I stood almost in front of the stage. Michael Kiwanuka has this secret enchantment—coming to the stage and transporting us to a different layer of reality, making our emotional strings resonate. The vocalists were exquisite too! We also saw eee gee, whom I had seen the same week when I reviewed The National, and I liked their sound much more on this stage compared to Royal Arena. I also managed to catch a bit of the band MRCY, which brought happiness to my mind. Their sound was like happy music with a high quality of instrumental mastery. Jorja Smith brought a diva vibe to the stage, with strong vocals and a cute humbleness. I felt that it took some time for her to warm up or be okay. I sensed something off at the beginning of her performance—whether it was tiredness, sadness, or just not a good day. About halfway through the concert, it felt much better.
Saturday’s music was aimed more at people who love guitars. The vibe of the bands was like a sine wave, from the better to the less good. The Raveonettes were not so impressive; they seemed bland and nothing special. On the other hand, The Kills had a great presence and a great music performance. Viagra Boys are definitely one of the best bands we like in our team. They are fun to shoot, and their music always gets us pumped—not to forget their sense of humor. A broken arm injury happened because of the audience going gaga, but everybody is okay—the dude has another story to tell.
AIR, who played a tribute to their own release of Moon Safari, had weird futuristic cubicles but cool lights. While some of us love their music, some people from our team were not so impressed and felt that it sounded like fancier elevator music. Meanwhile, New Dad's music and gig were cute, with indie vibes and a very chill and nice set. Jack White, who was a replacement for QOTSA, did not allow any photographers into the pit, so we did not allow him to be on our IG story. From hitting his guitar waaaayyy too many times, which is, in my opinion, disrespectful to the instrument (but oh well, he can afford plenty of them), to playing new stuff that is not our cup of coffee, we left the concert feeling ambivalent.
Syd for Solen, you have a great line-up; that is something we cannot deny. We love it. However, the organization could be much better—from the entrance queues to the beverage and food stalls. Valbyparken is big enough that you could make it bigger. This is the only thing we did not appreciate, and neither did your audience. Perhaps you can level up to your line-up by improving the organizational side of the festival?
We are excited to see what next year brings and to watch this festival get better and better. The music you choose is already there, so the organization should be too.
Photos: Laura Ioana V / Thomas vraaby
Syd For Solen Gallery 2024