Pumpehuset

Denmark’s Must-See Concerts in November

/ Alan Kortbaek / Leave a comment

Original article written for The Local, available here

All hail the return of the dark days! It’s not all doom and gloom however, with many promising concerts on the billing for November.

As we head into the dark abyss of yet another Danish winter (sigh) there is, believe it or not, a lot to look forward to. Musically, November tends to be a month where a lot of things happen, as bookers and venues fill their arenas for one last time before the always-expanding Christmas season fully takes hold.

This November’s billing has got the likes indie superstars Kurt Vile and Death Cab For Cutie, drum ‘n’ bass dons Rudimental and the exceptional Lianne La Havas for what should be an entertaining month. Here are The Local’s concert picks for the month ahead.

The Prodigy
Tap 1, November 5th at 8pm

The Prodigy are one of the greatest electronic outfits of our generation, holding the baton high alongside other greats like Faithless, Disclosure and The Chemical Brothers. Theirs is a familiar sound best played to an audience of 60,000-plus at Roskilde Festival’s Orange stage but we’ll make do with the industrial confines of Tap1 this time round.

Chelsea Wolfe
Loppen, November 6th at 9pm

After delivering one of the best concerts we witnessed at this year’s Roskilde Festival, Chelsea Wolfe will bring her hypnotic gothic folk to Christiania’s Loppen. The intimate setting should provide the perfect vehicle for Wolfe’s dark and beautiful music, which has reached a new creative peak with current album ‘Abyss’.
Hymns From Nineveh
Pumpehuset, November 7th at 8pm

The music of Danish band Hymns From Nineveh is both richly-layered and easy on the ears. One of many domestic bands who sing in English, Hymns From Nineveh are something of a household name on the national scene and command a strong following amongst fans of indie rock and folk pop.

Kurt Vile & The Violators
Amager Bio, November 7th at 9pm

American singer-songwriter Kurt Vile returns to Denmark on the strength of his recently-released ‘b’lieve i’m goin down’. Often compared to giants like Tom Petty, Neil Young and Bob Dylan, Vile will hit Amager Bio at the top of his game so it’s little wonder that the gig has sold out. It’s definitely worth pulling some strings to see if you can still land a ticket.

Death Cab For Cutie
Amager Bio, November 8th at 8pm

Death Cab For Cutie started off as a garage band and are now one of the most successful indie acts of their generation. Despite hitting the jackpot, they remain firmly grounded in their indie roots, from which their universe of gentle rock revolves. Their latest album ‘Kintsugi’ makes for very pleasant listening so you can look forward to hearing new material on the evening.

Rudimental
Store Vega, November 12th at 8pm

How has this not sold out yet ? England’s Rudimental are one of the best (and most accessible) drum ‘n’ bass bands around at the moment. Riding the crest of the wave generated by their latest album ‘We The Generation,’ Rudimental are in good form at the moment. Prepare for epic drum ‘n’ bass with vocals good enough for a Disclosure song.

Nicolas Jaar
Store Vega, November 12th at 1am

For the night owls out there (and those lucky enough to score a ticket) Nicolas Jaar will be rounding off what promises to be an epic night at Vega, following Rudimental’s aforementioned gig. Fusing jazz, minimal techno and ethereal beat complexity, Jaar is also known for his productions as part of the enigmatic band, Darkside.

Lianne La Havas
Store Vega, November 15th at 8pm

Brit Lianne La Havas joins a long list of epic female singers from an admirable production line that has turned out the likes of Adele and Emili Sande . Having stunned the masses after her appearance on Jools Holland’s show a few years ago, La Havas has grown from strength to strength, receiving praise from everyone from Prince himself to Bon Iver.

Cunninglynguists
Pumpehuset, November 18th at 8pm

In the world of lesser-know rappers (where sheer talent as opposed to how many stacks of cash defines success), Cunninglynguists stand out as consistent stalwarts with a knack for reflective texts and rich instrumental beat backdrops.

Anti-Flag
Pumpehuset, November 28th at 8pm

If you are in the mood for a riot (or a long-winded rant at the system and its injustices), your November frustrations may have found an outlet. Anti-imperialist and politically heavy, The US’s Anti-Flag would probably have been a  seminal punk band were they of another epoch. As it stands, they play fiery, fist-pumping rock that makes you think about the state of our world with every drum thud

Denmark’s ten must-see concerts in October

/ Alan Kortbaek / Leave a comment

Original article written for The Local Denmark, available here

The October concert calendar has plenty to entice you out of your house before the winter’s dark and cold fully descends upon us.

October in Denmark is often a month of Indian summers and sunshine surprises before the big chill sets in. This time around, Copenhagen music venue Pumpehuset has secured several mammoth bookings whilst Vega have acquired a curiously mainstream sensibility for the next month (bar Of Monsters and Men and The Tallest Man on Earth both of whom are, with good reason, sold out and thus not included here). Here are The Local’s picks for the best gigs in the month of October.

Youth Lagoon
Jazzhouse, October 4th at 8pm
Trippy and psychedelic, Youth Lagoon’s music is a bit of an opinion divider. Like fellow psychedelic enthusiasts Animal Collective, theirs is a universe of bright, radiant colours, strange clangs and faraway thuds from faraway places.


Gramatik
Amager Bio, October 10th at 8pm
Slovenia’s Gramatik is all about experimentation. It’s electronic music wed with the wildness of hip-hop in the church of funk. The result is something you have to see for yourself.

The Waterboys
Pumpehuset, October 13th at 7 pm
Vintage rock fans take heart! The mercurial, seminal Waterboys have been around for over 30 years, during which time songs like ‘The Whole of The Moon’ have made big waves in the ocean of quality music. Interpretations by the likes of Ellie Goulding and Prince are a testament to their quality.

The Vaccines
Pumpehuset, October 15th at 8pm
English rockers The Vaccines will wring you inside out with their feisty, high-BPM infusion of The Clash meets The Ramones. Armed with a newly dropped album that has already got the attention of many a critic, The Vaccines are on top form currently.

TopGunn
Store Vega, October 15th at 9pm
Cheff Records kingpin TogGunn has an indefatigable grip on the Danish music market, commanding millions of views on YouTube. Digital age stats aside, his ability to capture the hearts and minds of the young public he attracts is admirable.

Atmosphere
Pumpehuset, October 16th at 8pm
The godfather of Minneapolis’s underground hip-hop scene, Sean Daley, aka Slug, brings his energising stage show to Denmark yet again. With eight studio albums stretching back to 1997, Slug and his partner Ant may no longer be on the cutting edge, but there is no doubting Atmosphere’s ability as entertainers of the people.

The Orb
Pumpehuset, October 24th at 8pm
The Orb are a slice of music history in themselves, as chief purveyors of the genre of ambient-house – acid house’s younger and more pleasant little sister. Expect gorgeous snippets of Brian Eno-esque sound universes merged with sedated Chicago house influences that will keep you ticking for days to come.


Jedi Mind Tricks
Store Vega, 29 October at 8pm
Philly rap duo Jedi Mind Tricks are some of the most technically astute rappers in the game – waxing lyrical in a rapid-fire tirade backed by dramatic beat landscapes that set the stage for a heavily critical narrative. Expect to be blown away.

Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats
Amager Bio, October 30th at 9pm
This booking seems tailor-made for Halloween. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats’ mix of classic metal riffs and psychedelia is paired with imagery that looks like it has been pulled straight out of 70s horror films. Throw in references to notorious killers like Charles Manson, and if you got the workings for what is sure to be a ghoulish time.

Music Listings, Copenhagen Late August 2013

/ Alan Kortbaek / Leave a comment

Music listings, August 30th- September 5th

CocoRosie: If you’re one of the many nostalgics who long for Roskilde festival-esque experiences, or anything remotely similar from the second you leave the festival grounds every June, CocoRosie’s concert at Vega on the 3rd of September may well be the last such moment of the year. The American sisters sound like a user-friendly version of Icelandic standout Bjørk, albeit with far more indie influences demarcating their identity. CocoRosie are the sort of band that you’d hear shattering the silence of a dark European forest at the peak of summer. You’ll have to make do with experiencing them at Store Vega this time round, though their introspective sound will give your imagination plenty of leeway to run wild.

CocoRosie: Store Vega / 3rd September . 250 DKK

Lulu Rouge / Djuna Barnes : Lulu Rouge is one of the most well-known faces on the Danish deejay circuit, within which, along with the likes of Trentemøller and Mike Sheridan, he’s managed to carve a niche out for himself. A headliner at the annual Stella Polaris chillout festival, Lulu Rouge will most likely venture into a more dance-inducing setlist than his festival forays. He’ll be backed by one of Vesterbro’s most revered personalities, Djuna Barnes, who is no stranger to the world of deejaying and electronic music herself. Los Angeles based Awesome Tapes of Africa will be adding a tribal element to the proceedings with their funky, ritual-like sounds, making for quite a good mix of genres on the evening.

Lulu Rouge / Djuna Barnes / Awesome Tapes From Africa : Rust. 30th August. 60 DKK

Signe Eeg: Signe Eeg’s music is the sort of thing you’d listen to on a Monday night after work. Her soothing voice is as calming as it is captivating, softly flanked by gentle piano accompaniments and the occasional flutter of contrabass. She’ll be performing at the bastion of all things jazz in this city, Monmatre, in a Matinee concert that’ll sooth you softly into September on the 1st of the month. Signe will also perform the evening before, if a Sunday afternoon of jazz is not to your taste.

Signe Eeg quartet, Jazzhus Monmatre, 31st Augustt (20:00) and 1st September (Matinee / 15.00) 375 DKK

Alain Apoloo / The Juke Joint / Modjo’s Blues Bar : Modjo’s Blues Bar is practically the only place that’s worth going to on a Monday night in this city (that is unless you’re into chanting karaoke and getting sloshed with tourists at Sam’s bar). Alain Apoloo may well one of the best guitarists Copenhagen has ever seen, and many in musical circuits wonder why he’s not signed to a major American music label touring the world. Luckily for Copenhagen, his feisty guitar-plucking and cocky vocal skills can still be heard every Monday at the Juke Joint, where many other underground talents strut their stuff in the open jam session.

Alain Apollo: Modjo’s Blues Bar, 2nd September : 20:00 / FREE

Katolysik / Jazzhouse, 30th August 60 DKK

A bit of a wildcard this one. If you’re into spoken word, Katolysik are a dynamic duo who combine poetry (some freestyle) with a guitar and effects pedal. Their lyrical themes seem to capture the imagination of the Danish zeitgeist quite well, hence their popularity. There are also few other rivals in the spoken word category of music in the city, so expect a unique experience but do brush up on your Danish, as some of it can be a bit hard to understand for the untrained ear.

Tina Dickow / Tivoli, 30th August. 95 DKK

Few Danish singers can compete with Tina Dickow at the moment. In fact, if you’re one of those in search of high quality “local” music, look no further. The Århus-born Dickow has gained popularity both locally and abroad for her adventurous forays into the world of the singer-songwriter, producing her music through an independent label. Tivoli is a great place to see her whilst there’s still a slight chance of sun and good weather.

Tina Dicow_ http://www.backseatseattle.com

Twista / Pumpehuset, 31st August. 180 DKK

A couple of years ago, Pumpehuset was headed for bankruptcy and catastrophe therein. Fast forward and the hard work of getting the venue back on its feet is paying off, with many quality bookings being made at the moment to restore the venue’s profile. Twista holds the coveted accolade of being the world’s fastest rapper, capable of “spitting” a bewildering 598 characters in 55 seconds according to the Guinness Book of Records. A seasoned veteran in the world of hip hop, Twista, or “Tongue Twista” as he was known in the past will be supported by Dj Hornes, Realz and Denmark’s uncrowned pop Prince, Joe Moe, the latter of whom has a new album out on the streets currently.

Rub a dub – SRF afterparty / Pharfar single release: 1st September / Stengade. 50 DKK

This year’s very first Scandinavian reggae festival is likely to be a grand affair with the likes of Albarosie, Raske Penge and Mr Vegas performing on Refshaleøen. If the deserted island is too far off, catch a snapshot of the action at the official after party which has been bound with one of the most exciting nights on the monthly calendar, Rub a dub Sunday’s. Danish Dancehall don, PharFar will be releasing an eagerly anticipated new album on the evening which will also feature appearances from the Donkeysound record label, one of the powerhouses behind the upsurge in Danish dancehall at the moment.

Downbeat Impact Vs Larica, BolsjeFabrikken (LÆRKEVEJ, Nørrebro): FREE

The legendary Candy Factory on Lærkevej or BolsjeFabrikken as it is known locally will soon be closing. Before it does however, some of the house’s veritable patrons, cult Ska Outfit Larica will probably tear the roof off it with what will surely be a mammoth evening. Larica will be backed by a host of local and international names on the evening. Did we mention that beers cost a meagre 10 DKK ?

Troels Abrahamsen : Bipolar release party, 30th August, Culture Box, 70 DKK

Troels Abrahamsen is better known as the leader of Danish electronic rock outfit Veto. The charismatic frontman combines lazy, high pitch vocals with trippy albeit lightweight beat structures that are more ideal to sway along to than they are to going amok. Abrahamsen will be flanked by popular trouble maker James Braun and names such as Erosion Flow and Walk Live. As usual, there are 2 rooms to choose from, the larger, more spacious Black Box and the basement Red room, with its low ceiling and lo-fi aesthetics.