Efterklang @ The Barbican, London (Live Review) Featured
- Written by Captain Stavros
Efterklang
@ The Barbican
Pics by Jac Taylor
Danish trio, Efterklang, currently composed of Mads, Casper and Rasmus, and hot on the heels of their latest release, Things We Have in Common, take the stage at the Barbican Hall. Legendary musicians such as Iggy Pop, Lambchop and The London Symphony Orchestra to name a few (that we’ve seen here, low-key brag), have all graced the stage at one time or another, in what used to be Europe’s largest performing arts centre. Over the past 20 years, Efterklang has had a roster of rotating members as their sound has evolved. The latest three albums, Altid Sammen, Wildflowers and the aforementioned Things We Have in Common, explore themes of belonging, the human condition and spirituality. Tonight, they will not only play from their latest albums and back catalogue, but also invite former members and new friends to join them on stage.
Efterklang spill out into the hall like loose crayons shaken out of the box. Clad in various forms of pastel (is pastel-core a thing?) garb, the aesthetic is upbeat and mellow. A few songs into their set, ‘Dreams Today’ and ‘Alike’, form the inclusive melodies that echo and bounce off the towering ceilings, launching rich, enveloping acoustics that wrap around the fanned-out audience in their rake seating much the same as the rich, mahogany walls of the hall do. It’s the last sunny day here in the big smoke, with a forecast of showers and thunderstorms for the rest of the week but, tonight, the grey and dark is pushed back one last time by the shimmer resounding in front of us. On the near outskirts of the stage shone a satellite of vocal and cello excellence with seemingly effortless skill, Mabe Fratti (of opening act Titanic) blows in with bandmate Hector Tosta mid-set, adding a layer of musical umami.
The performance thus far, albeit wonderful, started to feel, for lack of a better word, indulgent. In a sickly-sweet sort of tooth decaying way. Pontificating non-sequitors and theatrics by front man Casper deep-throat sucking and blowing on what looked like a mechanical w(h)ine bladder instrument was in a monogamous relationship with himself on-stage. Rather than engaging with his audience and fellow bandmates, he leaned heavily on theatrics and pandering. In what was confirmed to be an audaciously nauseating and shameless display of self-love by fellow Muso’s contributor Jac, Casper at one point retreated to the back of the stage and began banging away on a stool, poorly complimenting (massively detracting) from ace percussionist Tatu Rönkkö’s performance. A low point on a raised stage. Tatu’s (honestly, with a name like that how could you not become a drummer?) performance was massively underappreciated, subtlety rarely isn’t. We’ve never seen a snare muted with an oversized French cut work wear shirt, but we’re here for it. He was the unsung hero of the evening and easily blew away the lot, without upstaging a single member. Casper seemingly, on the other hand, could not stand being upstaged, even if inadvertently, and squeezed his way into an already anemic spotlight, poor show. Even Mabe had a hard time keeping a straight face as Casper blathered sophomoric lyrics into the mic.
If you could get over the mother of all muffin-top set midsections however, Efterklang really did manage to pull off a great set after reining it in during the encore. What we feared was going to be an indulgent and gluttonous return to stage turned out to be the highlight of the performance. The audience were treated to an alfresco performance (no, they stayed in the building and didn’t go outside, just out-stage, you know what, just shut up, you know what we mean) with the band hopping off stage, weaving itself between the hall’s seating, and stripping down to an acoustic kum-ba-ya session where Casper begrudgingly dropped the theatrics and leaned heavily on sincerity. The audience ate it up and we were no exception. For the duration of the encore, those who were physically able to, stood up and danced throughout the last leg of the performance.
By the end, the sit-down performance received a standing ovation, from us too. What started off with caricature-sized classical guitars slowly evolved into something much larger, pulling in cellos, saxophone, keys, sensational percussion. Even founding member Rune Melgaard, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere and like an apparition with the voice of an angel, belted out a few bars. Special shout-out to Hector Tosta and Mabe Fratti of Titanic who opened and then joined Efterklang completing the line-up. Sum up, an engaging and heartfelt performance where an entire hall was brought together and harmonised all whilst standing up at a sit-down venue for the entirety of an encore which lasted longer than 20 minutes with zero complaints. An unmissable performance? Debatable. A message and show swathed in pomp, theatrics and top-shelf musicians worth remembering? Undoubtable.