Of Monsters and Men

The Year in Review: Best Concerts of 2013, Denmark

/ Alan Kortbaek / Leave a comment

The Year in Review: The top 10 gigs of 2013 in Denmark 

1) Sigur Ros, Roskilde Festival, July 6

I didn’t see Sigur Ros, I experienced Sigur Ros. The Icelander’s music is some of the purest, soul-searching music you will find for miles around; a trance-like journey that rekindles deep-hidden fond memories with an edifying caress that no other band can muster. Sigur Ros were shamanic at their show at Roskilde.

2) Charles Bradley & his extraordinaires, Lille Vega, June 17

The Screaming Eagle of Soul rocked Denmark to its core on his encore at Lille Vega this year. For a man in his sixties who only just rocketed to fame, Bradley’s teary, nervy, sweaty, emotional soul trip is the story of a man who made it in America, after decades of bad luck and strife. James Brown would be proud.

3) Crystal Castles, Store Vega, March 2

Crystal Castles pulled off a seismic show at Store Vega towards the end of the winter, a chaotic, cathartic experience that saw lead singer Alice Glass crowd surf her way to what looked like the middle of the audience at Store Vega. I have never seen anything like it before or since

4) Modeselektor, Store Vega, Feb 14

Berlin’s Modeselektor have been making music since the wall came down a good while ago. As driven today as they were back then, the electronic duo are a symbol of the German capital and frontrunners in the world of electronic music. Props for their party-starting credentials and props to Vega for a very well organised show (which included an ‘artist chat’ session in ideal bar).

  1. Chinese Man, Roskilde Festival, July 4

French turntablists Chinese man were on cue at their show at Roskilde Festival, taking the audience on a journey through dubstep, drum & bass, hip hop and everything in between with a prowess that made it seem as if the genre of turntablism has been around since the dawn of time. Witty, daring and exceedingly cool.

BEST OF THE REST

  1. Shantel & The Bucovina Orchestra, Lille Vega, Nov 28

  2. Reptile Youth, Lille Vega, March 8,

  3. Of Monsters and Men, Roskilde Festival, July 5

  4. Tame Impala, Store Vega, Aug 9

  5. Animal Collective, Roskilde Festival, July 4

Of Monsters and Men, Roskilde Festival Arena July 2013

/ Alan Kortbaek / Leave a comment
Of Monsters and Men **** (4 stars out of 6), July 5 at Arena

When Icelandic chamber pop maestros Of Monsters and Men performed on Danish soil for the first time last September at Store Vega, there were not that many people who had heard of the band and fewer still who defined themselves as fans.

Fast forward a few months. Roskilde Festival is kicking into gear on its second day and the event is alive and awash with a cheery vibe to suit all tastes. Of Monsters and Men are the third act of the day to perform on the Arena stage and the first to open the evening’s merry making.

The Icelandic quintet opened proceedings with the sun high in the sky, playing a set that consisted predominantly of songs off their 2012 debut album My Head is An Animal. Rather surprisingly they opted to unleash one of their marquee tracks ‘From Finner’ very early into the show, which was initially not that well received but by the end of it all had become an essentially catalytic element that set the tone for what would be a memorable evening.

In similar vain to ‘From Finner’, it took time for Of Monsters and Men to well and truly woo the crowd, but once they did, they had the concert in the palm of their hands, playing with a musical mastery that complemented the uniqueness of their folk-influenced music.

Similarly, as was the case with last night’s final show at Arena by American psychedelic trio Animal Collective, poor acoustics at the start of the show tainted things somewhat, as lead singer Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir seemed to struggle to make her potent vocals heard.

The acoustics did improve however, and with the crowd enjoying themselves as much as they were, Of Monsters and Men went all in and unleashed their signature track ‘Little Talks’ at the peak of the proceedings, much to the delight of the partisan crowd who danced and shouted with approval.

This and ‘Mountain Sound‘, another banger off the same debut album, underscored Of Monsters and Men at their best, an act who took up the baton from chamber pop pioneers Edwarde Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros and popularised a genre of music that may well become a familiar fixture on the global music stage.