Platonick Dive – A night of sun drenched electro and arresting post rock

Wednesday night saw de Gudde Wëllen welcome Italian post rock / electronic 3 piece Platonick Dive to Luxembourg for the first time.

Having shared the stage with the likes of Jon Hopkins, Four Tet & Efterklang you get an idea where Platonick Dive would sit in your record collection. With the release of their second album “Overflow” the band are already pushing the boundaries of where their sound can go, progressing from the more ambient electro first album to a harder post rock edge on this release.

Support last night came from Luxembourg’s own chillwave musician Sun Glitters who has been flying the flag for Luxembourg in the electro scene for a good few years now. Seeing that he pulls quite the crowd on his own, it was of no surprise that it was already busy for his arrival.

As soon as he started you are hit by how much heavier his sound is live than on record, with the bass reverberated through the venue and shaking you to your core, this was certainly a bad night to forget earplugs. The warm synths mixed with stuttering beats, punctuated by choppy samples took you from a hypnotic trance one minute to alert clarity the next. With the change in tempo he managed to keep the intrigue in a set which could quite easily have drifted away in a wash of ambient glow, which in itself is no bad way to spend a night.

As the show started a bit later than scheduled, due to some technical issues at soundcheck there was not a minute wasted before Platonick Dive took to the stage. Their warm electro built an ambient atmosphere from the start with the drums perpetrating through and synths which before long took their sound up a notch creating visual soundscapes, building up to a wall of sound reminiscent of a “Godspeed You! Black Emperor” crescendo.

Their blend of experimental electro with post rock live instrumentation gave the show more urgency and energy, with the drummer barely able to contain himself frequently jumping from his drum stool to clatter the skins in explosive bursts.

This energy emanated to the crowd as their effortless marriage of vocal samples and driving guitar had the audience swaying along, before once more the driving riffs had heads bobbing to some more classic post rock soundscapes.

It was quite an impressive wall of sound the three piece created. With the building of layers, including samples they managed to create a cacophony of noise that blended into a kaleidoscope of sun drenched electro before knocking you back with their sheer power.

With this knack of creating such epic sounds through a mix of genres it will be interesting to see what direction Platonick Dive take on their next record but no matter what, I’ll be keeping my eyes out for them in the future.

13.4.16 – de Gudde Wëllen

Melody Gardot – More than just the one thrill

A sold out Philharmonie welcomed American jazz and blues singer Melody Gardot to Luxembourg on Saturday night.

Having received Grammy nominations for her 2009 album “My One and Only Thrill” Gardot has gone on to delve into a more expansive blues and jazz groove with her new album “Currency of Man” which saw her experiment in the studio with frequency and tuning, producing an edgier, warmer tone to her sound, all of which she brought to the show on Saturday night.

Arriving to a dimly lit stage all dressed in black with her hat creating a shadow over her face, Gardot and her 6-piece band kicked off with the soulful snarl of “Same to You” which bounded along with the pounding bass and thunderous drums creating the all encompassing beat for Gardot’s voice to tread upon.

Although it’s Gardot’s name on the ticket the band were a joy all night long, with the baritone sax and trumpet taking up the tempo on “She Don’t Know” before the sensual tone of Gardot’s vocals intertwined as the rest of the band came in with real purpose.

With more than just a nod to Tom Waits the slow southern drawl of “Bad News” filled the room as the metronome pick of the electric guitar guided the song down a long and winding road through a dark sleazy night, with the horns once more punctuating the air breaking through a dreamlike hypnosis.

They continued on the darker gospel blues vibe with “Goodbye” as they introduced the double bass to great effect as always before delving into the French jazz inspired “Les Etoiles” accompanied by a washboard, cajón and muted trumpet.

By the end of the evening Gardot asked for some help and conducted some crowd participation of her own as she split the audience into three sections, giving them all parts to sing before taking on the slow build of one of the stand out tracks from the new album with “Preacherman”. The crunching guitar and rock edge epitomised her new change in direction and saw her let loose that bit more. As they finished and prepared to leave the stage the audience of the Philharmonie rose to their feet to give them a standing ovation.

Inevitably they would return to finish a triumphant evening with “It Gonna Come”. And we were treated to a rare sight at the Philharmonie, with the audience spilling out into the aisles dancing and clapping away as they were all swept up in a wave of soulful jazz to finish. As Gardot vacated the stage, she left the band to play her out and to lap up the well deserved applause.

Although her new album might not have had the commercial success of the others, its more experimental approach makes it an altogether more intriguing experience which came across in her performance last night.

09.04.16 Philharmonie

Weekend highlights

With the unfortunate cancellation of DIIV at Rotondes this Saturday, here are some other shows over the weekend to keep an eye out for.

The Chap are playing newly launched Bar National inside Théâtre National du Luxembourg on Friday night. The Chap lean heavily on the bizarre, with their wonderfully eccentric art pop audio visuals, this should be an exciting evening of synths, strings and hooks.

American jazz, acoustic & blues singer Melody Gardot returned to the limelight with her new album “Currency Of Man” last year. Once more she drew plaudits from critics marveling in her ability to explore new genres, brining in an electric more visceral element which has translated particularly well in the live environment. Head along to Philharmonie this Saturday to see her live.

You can finish off the weekend with some psychedelic garage rock from Meatbodies. Chad Ubovich began ripping up the rock scene in 2011 as guitarist for Mikal Cronin before releasing some well received bedroom recordings on cassette through Ty Segall’s label GOD? Records. With too of the genres leading men showing such support, it wasn’t long before the public took note. Now releasing under the moniker Meatbodies, Ubovich has well and truly set himself up alongside the genres leading men. Check them out at Rotondes this Sunday. 

Mariah Carey – proves her diva credentials once more

It has been 13 years since the international superstar diva Mariah Carey last toured Europe but this time she included one special place for the first time, Luxembourg. Who would have thought after all these years, last night’s show at Rockhal was her first ever in the country?

There are few artists that can boast as many record sales as Mariah, selling in excess of 200 million, making her one of the highest selling female artists of all time. Success on that scale now guarantees you a money making Vegas residency later in your career, which Mariah is currently on a brake from as she takes to the road for this 25 date tour.

After waiting more than 20 years for Mariah to come to town the crowd had to wait an extra 50 minutes before Mariah’s voice appeared over the speakers “It was raining in London, they wouldn’t let me leave, give me ten minutes” thirty minutes later the lights dimmed to more than a few boos from a slightly disgruntled crowd but as soon as the music began, all was forgiven.

Mariah is clearly aware of her pop diva status and if turning up an 1hr and 20 minutes late wasn’t enough she was happy to poke fun at it herself, taking to the stage on a chaise longue lifted aloft by six muscle bound dancers in sequence jackets before launching into “Fantasy”, shouting “better late than never but I love you”.

After some recent barren years, you can be forgiven for forgetting just how many hit singles she has, including the ballads “My All” & the Jackson 5 cover “I’ll Be There” where she was joined on stage by Trey Lorenz who took over proceedings to do his own Michael Jackson cover “Rock With You” as Mariah disappeared for one of her many costume changes.

Halfway through the set she delved into her resurgent R&B years of the mid 00s with “Touch My Body” which saw a fan plucked from the crowd to receive a suggestive lapdance whilst blindfolded on a chair. All this before snippets of the sultry rhythms of “It’s Like That” & “Shake It Off”.

For her 1999 Oscar winning song “When You Believe” she duetted with a video of Whitney Houston, as two of the greatest pop vocalists in recent times were reunited once more. It’s here where Mariah’s famous vocal range came into its own, still managing to hit most of the notes all these years later.

She was to finish on the tearjerkers of “Hero”, “We Belong Together” & “Without You” which had couples embracing and swaying side to side as they sang every word to each other.

Seeing that it has taken Mariah this long to come back to Europe, it wouldn’t surprise me if this is her last full scale tour on these shores and although her finest years may be behind her, she will always be pop royalty.

26.3.16 Rockhal

Larry Carlton – Brought the right tone to Atelier

Each year as the Printemps musical festival rolls into Luxembourg it brings with it a wealth of talent from world music and jazz. Wednesday night it welcomed legendary jazz guitarist Larry Carlton to den Atelier.

In a career spanning more than 40 years, Carlton combined his roots in blues and jazz to become one of the most influential and in demand session guitarists in the industry. He brought his signature warm tone to artists such as Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt. Over this long distinguished career his catalogue of work includes film soundtracks, television themes and work on more than 100 gold records. Not to mention being nominated for a Grammy 19 times, taking away the trophy on 4 occasions.

First up last night was local blues act Kid Colling Cartel who, from the sound of things, have been influenced by the Carlton tone themselves. Having seen Colling play around Luxembourg before it was good to see him now with his full band as they delved into the blues with no restraint. After playing a few tracks from their past EPs, they gave us a taste of things to come with a new track off the forthcoming debut album and if this is anything to go by, the album is sure to enthral all the blues enthusiasts out there. Look out for the album later this year.

Then it was time for Carlton, he took to the stage in rather unassuming manner with just his trusted Gibson ES335 for company. As he got into position front and centre you could hear a pin drop in the venue as the crowd waited with baited breath for that first note and when it sparkled out from the stage you could hear the collective appreciative sigh. His signature tone resonated with the crowd, as anyone who is familiar with his work will know it’s as much how he plays rather than what he plays.

The band followed Carlton to the stage and instantly kicked into the classic smooth jazz timings of “Bubble Shuffle”, it all looked so effortless as they weaved in and out building up the layers before the band made up of Klaus Fischer on bass, Jesse Milliner on keys and Hardy Fischötter on drums would take turns going off on solos themselves.

With over 30 albums of his own material to choose from you never really knew what was coming next, but as soon as the funk bass of Fischer kicked in you knew it was time for “Oui Oui Si” as he led the band with some slap bass before they all joined back in with perfect timing.

The band went from jazz to blues with consummate ease with Carlton still proving that you don’t need a mound of effects pedals to be a great guitarist, just great technique. On “Burnable” they took their turns laying down their own solos and as you can imagine Carlton doesn’t just employ any musician but some of the finest jazz players around, so you get an idea of the quality solos emanating from the stage.

They would finish on the unmistakable “Room 335” which drew cheers of from the crowd, it optimised the smooth jazz we had been treated to all evening with the guitar punctuating every note. This might have been one for the aficionados but sheer technique and rhythm kept the rest of us thoroughly entertained.

23.3.16 – den Atelier

Lianne La Havas – Is on unstoppable form

Sunday night saw the return of British soul singer Lianne La Havas to den Atelier. It’s been a few years since she was last here but from the show of hands we could clearly see she has amassed a whole new fan base since then.

With her debut album “Is Your Love Big Enough?” peaking at number 4 in the UK charts as well as being nominated for an Ivor Novello & Mercury Prize it was of no surprise there would be more pressure on her second record. Could she deliver the same blend of folk and soul on the notorious difficult second album? Well she delivered, and with the new album took on a neo-soul and jazz style, with elements of R&B, reggae and gospel and with this winning blend she has amassed critical acclaim along with a Grammy nomination.

La Havas took to the stage on Sunday night in a bright red jumpsuit with just her guitar and a solitary spotlight as she kicked in with the delicate “No Room for Doubt”. It was a brave if somewhat surprisingly bare song to open with. There is no hiding on such a fragile track but she didn’t need to hide anywhere as her effortlessly smooth vocals undulated between the subtle yet pronounced guitar.

After such an intimate opener she was swiftly joined by her backing band, who were nicely balanced all evening, never overdoing their fills just keeping it all together whilst still adding enough groove and energy to lift the songs when required. Like when “Green & Gold” & “Tokyo” needed that soulful groove to elevate the songs.

If anyone hadn’t already been won over by her effortlessly cool aura and sultry vocals, then they surely were by her radiant infectious smile which was beaming all night long. She clearly had a lot of love for her band and you could understand why as they launched into “Unstoppable” the lead single from her new album. The smooth groove teetered on the fringes of her jazz influences whilst her sweeping uplifting vocals balanced carefully along the rich velvety rhythm guitar.

Throughout the night the band would come and go from the stage leaving La Havas holding the attention of the crowd all on her own, like on “Fairytale” & “Ghosts” where her light breathy vocals would would sit among the the delicate guitar.

As much as those moments had their own appeal she never really showed off her vocals to their true potential on her own, it would take for the band to return before she really let loose and allowed her powerful voice to come to the fore. As on “Midnight” where the upbeat neo-soul groove drove her to belt out the chorus finding the crowd were in fine voice too, singing back to her.

The upbeat and playful “Age” took us on a Parisian stroll with its breezy jazziness before finishing on the rockier riff of “Forget”. The good news for anyone out there who missed the show, she promised new music and new concerts soon. Although with her recent album not even a year old yet I’m not sure how soon that will be. If her next record can continue on this upward trajectory, then you’ll surely have to buy your tickets quick as her reputation is only going to continue to soar.

20/3/16 – den Atelier

Vessels – Warm immersive electro from post rockers

Few bands can change genre halfway through their career and still be as relevant in their new field as they were in their last. Vessels are one such band and they brought their newfound sound to Rotondes on Friday night.

Having their foundations rooted in post rock, Vessels built up quite a reputation as a formidable live act as well as a hotly tipped band during the release of their debut album “White Fields & Open Devices” in 2008. Since then they have moved away from their post rock roots and gravitated to a more minimal electro sound, leaning on influences from John Hopkins to Four Tet.

With their new set up consisting of two percussion kits that almost fill the entire stage, accompanied by three keyboards and a Telecaster at the back, the band delved straight into the new album “Dilate”, from which much of the set consists. Although they may have moved from their post-rock roots they still have that inherent drive for the fine detail and there is little left to chance with the intricate weaving of beats pulsating through the crunching groove which has the crowd nodding away in unison.

Their new sound is a warm and immersive strain of electro which gives you the longing to be in that dark dingy club you love at 6am all consumed by the beat. Tracks such as “Echo In” built from sparse beginnings to become a multi-layered floor filler, again getting the crowd collectively nodding away. Whilst the likes of “The Sky Was Pink” lifted you into a dreamlike state with its pulsating synths and driving drums.

It’s hard to change genre and for it not to look like an opportunist’s move but with this it feels in some ways a natural progression. Fortunately, they’re self-aware enough to acknowledge their electro lineage whilst still bringing in elements of their past work allowing for a seamless navigation.

Now with a new album in the works under the Belgian label PIAS it will be interesting to see the direction Vessels look to take once more, will they look to consolidate on the new fan base they have built or will they decide to mix it up again? Whatever they choose to do it is heartening to see that they are willing to break out of their comfort zone and try and – by last nights’ evidence – succeed.

18/3/16 – Rotondes

Gregory Porter – Has a Sunday night ever sounded so smooth?

What better way to spend a Sunday evening than listening to the deep soulful baritone vocals of Gregory Porter serenading a sold out den Atelier.

Having recently announced a forthcoming follow up to his 2013 Grammy winning album “Liquid Spirit”, Gregory Porter is back on the road and dazzling audiences once more in preparation for his new album “Take Me to The Alley,” which will be released on May 6th.

Coming onto the stage wearing his trademark black cap, he opened up proceedings with “Holding On” a track he co-wrote with British electro duo Disclosure for their last album. His clever reworking turned this floor filler into a delicate and emotional smooth jazz croon. It wasn’t to be the only track from the upcoming release, as he gave us another glimpse of what to expect with the title track blending in some more smooth jazz.

All night the sound was crystal clear, allowing us to pick out every note which is a joy when you have such talented musicians working the piano, double bass, saxophone and drums. Their feather light touch and restraint in not overpowering Porters vocals is a skill in itself.

The ever sensual double bass started off the intro to the Temptations cover “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” as Porter casually leaned against the grand piano nodding his head and feeling the groove just like everyone else in the venue. As much as it’s Porter’s name on the ticket, the band are every bit as important, each of them taking their own moment in the spotlight throughout the night.

From their up tempo soul to funky jazz, they had it all last night. Porter’s affable personality had the audience in the palm of his hand as the band intermittently delved into solos. The vintage soulful groove continued on “Musical Genocide” as he sang of refusing to sell out, improvising lines declaring that James Brown & Nat King Cole would have been on his side in his struggle for artistry, with the crowd chanting words ‘I do not agree’.

Their restrained style meant no note was wasted, even when they jammed there was never a feeling of it being too much and when vocals such as Porter’s dropped back on top, it all felt so effortless.

The punchy cultural alertness of “1960 What?” combined with its mean groove was a highlight, getting the crowd shuffling along to the double bass whilst the funk groove of “Free” finished off the proceedings, complete with a 10-minute instrumental outro.

In a recent interview Porter said people shouldn’t assume they don’t like jazz and that they should go and see it live, as when it works it’s genius. On last night’s showing he couldn’t have been more spot on, I think you would be hard pushed to find anyone coming away from that show not feeling warm and enriched from the experience.

13/3/16 – den Atelier

Scorpions – Rock ‘N’ Roll Forever

Saturday night saw thousands of rock fans pack into Rockhal to celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of Germany’s most enduring hard rock bands, Scorpions.

There are probably only a handful of bands who have sold in excess of 100 million records and are still rocking out half a century after their formation but Scorpions are one of those select few. After an ill fated attempt of retirement back in 2010 the band have been on their 50th anniversary tour for the last year now, whilst at the same time releasing their 18th studio album.

As they took to the stage in front of a near capacity Rockhal, the giant curtain fell revealing an enormous screen stretching the length of the stage and rising around 50ft (15m) high with James Kottak sitting about 15ft (5m) up on his own stage above the band with his drums.

With so many albums under their belt, they have notched up their fair share of hits but it’s reassuring to hear that tracks such as “Going Out with a Bang” from their new album “Return to Forever” held up next to their classics such as “The Zoo” & “Coast to Coast”.

You’d even be forgiven for forgetting that Rudolf Schenker on guitar & Klaus Meine on vocals are 67 as they bounded about the stage like men half their age, running up and down to Kottak’s raised platform as well as perching at the front and holding their best rock poses for their adoring fans. As well as an abundance of energy, Meine’s vocals have lost almost none of its trademark melodic power as he still manages to sit upon the electrifying riffs all these years later.

After starting off at breakneck speed they took a few moments to slow it down, walking to the end of the runway – or ego stage as some call it – to play a few acoustic numbers in “Always Somewhere”, “Eye of the Storm” and classic ballad “Send Me An Angel”. Even in such a vast venue with a huge stage set up they managed to make these moments feel intimate and intense.

Then from nowhere, through the dark you could hear that unmistakable whistle and with that the crowd cheered knowing what was to come. “Wind of Change” was the track that launched the band onto the global scene and as they sang with help from the crowd there were powerful images of the Berlin wall up on the screen, which has become synonymous with the song.

It was then back to no holds barred rock as they delved into the blistering instrumental of “In The Line Of Fire” before the “Kottak Attack” which saw Kottak’s drum riser lift from the stage and hoisted halfway up to the roof of the Rockhal as he took us on a 5 minute drum solo.

After a couple of more riff heavy, hard rocking tracks with “Blackout” & ‘Big City Nights” they returned with the inevitable “Still Loving You” & “Rock You Like a Hurricane” giving us a dose of classic hard rock at its best, with the band still running around the huge stage, posturing and shredding up the chords just as they did in their hayday.
Most bands would be delighted if they still had their energy and enthusiasm after 10 years never mind 50 and if they keep performing like they did last night there could be yet many more years to come, after all as they say, Rock & Roll Forever.

12/3/16 – Rockhal

Kodaline – Searing choruses and emotional ballads in abundance

Irish indie pop rockers Kodaline returned to Luxembourg on Friday night to play to a sold out crowd at den Atelier.

Since they burst onto the scene back in 2013 with their debut album “In A Perfect World” Kodaline have cemented themselves as one of the few marketable indie pop acts that can deliver enough melody to appease the casual listener whilst throwing in a good few hooks and choruses to catch the attention of the young adolescents.

After extensive tours following the success of their debut, the band wasted no time in getting back into the studio to record their second album “Coming Up for Air”. This produced another host of radio friendly tracks which found them once more back in the charts and notching up the airplay.

First up last night was Irish indie outfit All Tvvins who come with a fair bit of hype themselves, having already supported the likes of Pixies & Arcade Fire over the last year. Their electro tinged indie rock certainly hit the mark, getting swathes of the audience shuffling along. Their mix of melodic pop and effervescent riffs gave them an element of intrigue without being disjointed.

Kodaline arrived on the stage to rapturous applause and ecstatic screams from the audience. Their opener “Ready” didn’t pull any punches but then again that’s not what the band are about, it’s all about those hooks and sing along choruses and they have them in abundance.

“Way Back When” even threw in a good foot stomping beat to get the pace moving along nicely before a few shouts of “Luxembourg” from frontman Steve Garrigan got the obligatory cheer.

Garrigan’s falsetto vocals shone on “Lost” with the atmospheric synths enveloping his voice as the track built with the shifting of gears as it took on an electronic groove, something they moved towards on their new album.

The first note of “High Hopes” got the crowd screaming and brought about a scramble to ones’ pocket as a sea of camera phones appeared, all swaying in unison. Then the driving percussion and simple hook of “Honest” saw them delve into a grander, more complex sound which was a welcome change to proceedings.

Of course it’s fitting that they should end with the song that launched them to fame, the teary sing along “All I Want” had the crowd swaying and singing one last time.

Kodaline might have a few too many clichéd lyrics and far too many weepy choruses for some but it’s clear they connect to a huge demographic and when they can produce engaging performances like they did last night, they won’t be losing any of their fans in a hurry. On the other hand, they won’t be winning any new fans either if they fail to develop their sound further on their next album.

11/3/16 -Kodaline