rock

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

Turboweekend, Lille Vega, November 2009

/ Alan Kortbaek / Leave a comment

4 out of 6 stars, Lille Vega

The crowds poured in to Lille Vega thick and fast on Saturday, drawn from afar by the prospect of being able to listen to some of the hottest electronic music in the country at the minute. It was always going to be a biggie, what with the likes of erstwhile purveyors Kjeld Tolstrup and Le Gammeltoft headlining the show.

And whilst the aforementioned duo did indeed deliver the wares throughout the course of the night, ultimately, few would dispute that the true heroes of the night were none other than a certain Turboweekend, who stole the audience’s hearts and minds with a veritably consistent and charming performance.

Having missed out on Tolstrup and Le Gammeltoft’s opening set, I managed to rock up just in time to catch the band of the moment, “Turboweekend” doing their thing.

There’s a reason why this quartet is as highly venerated as they are at the moment. Brimming with confidence from the word go, Martin Petersen (Drums), Silas Bjerregaard (Vocals) and Morten Køie (Bass), and Anders Møller (synths) took the already warmed up ground on a voyage through some of the most eclectic rock for miles, touring through a quirky mix of dark synth-singed rock with an electronic / soulful tweak.

The response from those present was as manic and as heated as the on-stage fracas; which seemed to get more intense with every passing hour. Highlights from the performance include “Wash out “ “After hours” and “Into you” all of which inspired downright insanity on the dancefloor.

The end of the show culminated with a stage invasion that saw the better half of the front third of the audience auspiciously ushered onto the stage, for an impromptu orgy of chaos; icing on the cake on what was yet another tremendous showing from the rock band du jour.