FULL album HERE
The big tours are back! Looks like we are getting back to normal step by step.
Two years ago, Madrugada not only celebrated the 20th anniversary of their debut "Industrial Silence" on their extensive European tour, but also their reunion as a band. After the Norwegian indie rock formation broke up in 2008 after 13 years of history, they returned to the stage together ten years later.
Sivert Høyem's band presents their latest album “Chimes at Midnight” on this tour that ended yesterday, April 4th, in Hamburg.
I was lucky enough to witness his magic last Saturday in Dresden, here is a summary of what I experienced.
Madrugada could not be better accompanied on this Tour. Those responsible for opening each evening have been Darling West, also Norwegians. A duo formed by: Mari Kreken and Tor Egil Kreken. They delighted us with their Cosmic Folk, full of sublime melodies and exquisite voices. Accompanied by 2 excellent musicians: Torjus Gisnås Nevland and Sander Eriksen Nordahl.
An impeccable opening that couldn't have been more accurate.
Darling West has 4 studio albums and a live one released in 2020. To find out more about them, you can read the interview I did before the concert HERE. And get to know this great formation better.
Approximately 30 minutes in which they won over the audience, proof of this is the great final ovation.
An impeccable stage performance. The four musicians dressed in white at the front of the set, one next to the other, very attuned and allowing us to see and appreciate the mastery that each one has of their instrument with a single glance.
On Sunday I spent the whole day with the “Better than Gold” melody in my head!
The next day, I learned that they had won the song of the year award for “Hey There” at the Norsk Americana Forum awards, congratulations!
Punctual. At 9:00 p.m. the lights and background music stopped. Madrugada jumped on stage.
The event had been sold-out for weeks. The room, with a capacity of approximately 3,000 people, was overflowing and impatient to reconnect with the Norwegian formation.
They opened the night with 3 songs from their latest album -Chimes At Midnight-: “Nobody Loves You Like I Do”, “Running From the Love of Your Life” and “Slowly Turns the Wheel”.
A perfect sound and an impeccable stage performance. Each cut sounded thunderous, with a force that flooded every corner of your body. The emotion that overflows at a Madrugada concert is too difficult to describe in words, you have to experience it.
They didn't miss: “Electric”, “Black Mambo”, “Imagination”... When playing “Majesty” the public borders on Nirvana!
The band did not forget to pay tribute to the great Mark Lanegan, who unfortunately left us very recently. They dedicated “Only when you're gone” to him, a great gesture for a musician who will always be in our hearts.
The lights went out and with just the illumination of a blue flashlight, “Strange Color Blue” sounded. Wonderful!
And then they said goodbye with “Dreams at Midnight”. But people really wanted more. Both: the audience and the artists. And very soon, they returned to the stage.
Nothing more and nothing less than 7 extra songs.
2 hours and 5 minutes of absolute happiness!
“Blood Shot Adult Commitment”, sounded ultra rocker and made everyone dance to a frenetic rhythm. “The Kids Are on High Street” sounded next and finally and as a masterful culmination: “Valley of Deception”.
Nothing more to add, describing it as sublime falls short. Madrugada is synonymous with excellence.
Thank you so much to Alter Schlachthof (Dresden), for making possible a show where no one was discriminated against. Bravo and a thousand thanks for your courage and great organization!
In a world where gray men* want to deprive us of practically everything, nights like this make it clear that love and passion always win. Thanks to Darling West and Madrugada for helping us keep dreaming and showing that love is the engine that moves the world.
Looking forward to enjoying both formations as soon as possible.
Until then, don’t stop listening to their music!
Keep dreaming and fighting to be free and happy.
Because we want to have a world full of people like Momo and without gray men!
*Literary reference to the gray men from Michael Ende's book "Momo" 1973.
