Jónsi – Live at The Palace : Gig Reviews

Fresh on his first solo tour, Jónsi came to these shores with a fresh new album, new sound – and this time without his beloved Sigur Rós.

The new album Go, [Read The Album Review Here] as stated by Jónsi himself, started off as an acoustic record, yet somewhere along the way spiralled out of control. And after getting experimental electronic composer Nico Muhly, the end product eventuallyresembled a complex blend of upbeat and unabashed electro-beat rock-outs built upon slow moving ethereal musical landscapes.

While a few long-time fans were not totally understanding of this opposition of sound on Go, the sheer number of people who turned up to see him in his only Melbourne performance pointed to an overall acceptance of his slightly re-adjusted style.

Jónsi had managed to convert The Palace  into a burnt-down Parisian taxidermy warehouse, something which if you give it much thought, you’ll realise soon enough that it probably isn’t an easy thing to achieve. Yet, Jónsi and his band were able to recreate a world that transported the audience beyond the Palace walls to another universe with suprising conviction. As was the intention of the set creators, it felt as though we had stumbled upon Jónsi playing in a hidden warehouse by happy accident.

To much applause, Jónsi began the night with nylon string acoustic guitar in hand, and playing the delightfully tranquil  Stars In Still Water. The quiet that enveloped the Palace at that moment was simply haunting. The audience clung to every word, all starey eyed as they remained relatively motionless. No one could really understand a word, if indeed they were words at all -  but it didn’t matter in the slightest. For those who knew it, and for those who only needed to be reminded, there was now universal understanding that Jónsi makes some of the most beautiful music that could ever possibly be produced.

Moving along to Helinglas, and sneaking a few spots forward to get a better vantage point for my less-so height gifted girlfriend, the night was now slowly forming.

Prior to the show I was a little worried about how the more complex and percussive songs on Go would be recreated in a live setting where the luxuries of a recording studio aren’t so easily afforded. However my fears were laid to rest because every member of the band, including Jónsi’s partner Alex Sommers validated their existence on stage.

As they formed their way through a few of the aforementioned percussive songs, there was a realisation of just how these songs contrast so beautifully with the ethereal and atmospheric masterpieces. Go Do was a crowd favourite, as was Animal Aritmatic and they both expunged from the audience some of the more innovative dancing that I’ve seen to date.

Standing there with several hundred like-minded fans, all mesmerised by the man with the perculiar dress sense, I came across a thought that in all honesty made me shiver for the briefest of moments: Jónsi’s new songs, mixed with his stage show is not far off Eurovision material. It’s vibrant. It’s energetic. It’s familiar – and at the same time it doesn’t really make any sense. But the difference with Jónsi is that he has the ability to bring a song back within his control and give it his personalised touch of reverence and child-like innocense.

Boy Lilikoi was one of the finer moments of the night, and shocked a few people with how well he managed to interpret the recorded version into a stage performance. Towards the end of the song when Jónsi breaks into his signature falsetto mid-line, a group of keen fans behind felt obliged to join in, making me appreciate his most unique vocal prowess even more.

As he soldiered on through the rest of Go, there was some light audience intertwinning, which inexplicably resulted in the guys huddling together to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ – in Icelandic. Just when it appeared the night couldn’t get any better, Jónsi gave us the familiar line that indicated this would ACTUALLY be his last song, and soon after began the opening of Grow Till Tall. Having already guessed this particular song would be the set closer, I felt instantly compelled to inform my girlfriend this very fact, to which she replied with astonishing indifference.

I’m extremely happy that he decided to close with one of his more ambient and heavily atmospheric tracks, because as well as Jonsi can brighten up the stage with complex and colourfully percussive dance rhythms, his stage persona I feel is better described by his epic and slow-burning ethereal masterpieces – and let me tell you, Grow Till Tall is EXACTLY that.

Never before have I been so overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of sound that was being made right before me. As they continued to build, the stage become a dark and destitute place, with the lightening effects becoming increasingly prominent. I would have been happy for them to keep going, yet they soon finished – and the crowd, now resembling rabbit in a headlight, broke out in rupturous applause. It was a fitting end to the night, and all was right with the world at that moment.

Grow Till Tall – Live

This was taken from a show in the U.S that kind of shows what I’m on about. Although I don’t condone the filming of shows – largely because it’s freaking annoying and I want to throw things at people who do – I couldn’t resist the temptation. Enjoy. Oh, and just a hint – turn it up LOUD!!!