When I saw the latest (re)incarnation of Múm back in August I felt it was very much the start of something,a slightly messy rebirth, band and fans getting used to life post–Kristín. Now, after touring the USA, they’ve developed and honed themselves into an awesome and spectacular unit, though sadly Ólöf Arnalds seemes to have gone missing now too.
This feels a very different band to the one fronted by Kristín – the fragility of her personality has been replaced by something more robust, her playful seriousness has flipped into serious playfulness. Live, there is less electronica – just some samples used for colouration and a bit of knob-twiddling in some of the instrumental numbers, and no fiddling about with strange sound generating devises or digital manipulation. There is less of the brooding sweeping strings, more guitars and drums, and much more melodica. There are some tango like patterns, throbbing beats, and unashamed passion. The sound is more global, and warmer for it.
They mostly play the new album and some reinterpretation of older instrumentals. They don’t play any of the Kristín vocal numbers.
A sold out crowd at the Scala were on impeccable form, quiet during the quiet numbers, crazed in the louder ones. You could tell the band were blown away by the response. It is this feedback loop between audience and band which marks the legendary gigs out from the just great. And the set draws to a stupendous finale – three flutes, then (as members of the support acts rush on) there are five flutes...
then a dozen harmonicas
and finally a fifteen or so kazoo salute. A great encore builds into blistering throbbing sinewaves and everyone goes mental.
This was (heaven!) - an all Icelandic bill, support coming from Seabear (Múmsy but a bit more folky in a fiddly kind of way) and Benni Hemm Hemm (a touch hysterical in a Sigur Róssy kind of way but with brass rather than strings) – both are great and warmly received by the crowd. There is much intermingling throughout the night of members of the 3 bands.
What can I say? Gig of the year, no question.
This was (heaven!) - an all Icelandic bill, support coming from Seabear (Múmsy but a bit more folky in a fiddly kind of way) and Benni Hemm Hemm (a touch hysterical in a Sigur Róssy kind of way but with brass rather than strings) – both are great and warmly received by the crowd. There is much intermingling throughout the night of members of the 3 bands.
What can I say? Gig of the year, no question.
2 comments:
Surprised to see there's no review of the Spice Girls, hopefully you'll be writing about them very soon.
well i thought you were going to get the tickets!
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