Rotown, Rotterdam
14/05/04
Sitting bolt upright at his drum kit, Minco Eggersman shot an icy stare outwards in an attempt to silence the talkative audience so they could get on with playing the music. Primarily the tactic failed, as did the vocal requests to lay off the noise, as well as perpetual “shhhing” from the floor as well. Fortunately, in the end, the obstacle of background noise wasn’t enough to prevent them from fulfilling a strong live set.
With Eggersman centred at the front of the stage, singing from behind the drums, whilst flanked by bass and guitar, their stage layout is certainly not typical. However, neither is the music, and the trio create a subtle sound that carries waves of emotion – waves which seem greatly amplified by the rawness of their live performance, unleashed from the confines of studio technology.
As latest album The Silja Symphony is inspired by the Estonian ferry tragedy, a lot of the music lacks a happy ending. However, smiles aren’t always necessary to provide a satisfying experience. The depth of the songs speaks volumes alone, and when they reel out the rockier songs like ‘The Maria Tales’ and ‘September Grass’, the mood of the room becomes clearly transformed. Then when the songs are reduced to sparse acoustic arpeggios, the prettiness is laid open for all to see.
Does the band enjoy the battle of being heard above a talking audience? Probably not, but for those fans there for the music, the powerful effect of the last five songs flowing together so smoothly was reward enough for the evening.
Steven McCarron
Photo: Band Website
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