2Cellos – Who knew two cellos could rock?

The classics met rock and pop on Thursday night as 2Cellos came to Luxembourg for the first time to grace the Rockhal stage.

Classically trained Croatian cellists Luka Šulić & Stjepan Hauser got their big break like so many do these days, through posting a video of themselves on YouTube.

The pair had studied in some of the finest music schools in Europe and had already won many prestigious awards before teaming up and putting up a video of themselves playing a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”. Within a mater of weeks, the video had received millions of views and more importantly caught the attention not just from Sony Masterworks, who signed them, but from Elton John who invited them on tour with him.

5 years on from that video, they continue to surprise and thrill audience all over the world with their take on rock and pop classics. They opened the show with the classical haunting melody of Astor Piazzolla’s “Oblivion”, with such a huge stage and only two lonely Cellos it made it all that more intense.

After the classical start Šulić told the audience that “this is no ordinary classical concert, so relax, you can shout, scream, dance and sing if you know the words” and of course the audience knew the words as they proceeded to play classic rock and pop songs spanning the last 40 years from Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” to Avici’s “Wake Me Up”.

As they delved from U2’s “Where The Streets Have No Name” to Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” there was as much excitement about guessing what they might play next as anything else. But what was never far from your mind was just how incredible their technique and skill was as well as the relaxed nature of the evening, as they took on more of a rock star persona than classical, with Hauser strutting across the stage doing his best Angus Young duck walk whilst taking on AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long”.

There was of course the “Smooth Criminal” cover that launched their careers before being joined on stage by a drummer who filled out the sound that bit more which allowed the crowd to let loose as they launched into another AC/DC cover, this time with “Thunderstruck”.

The night was to end as it began on a slower classical number with Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Air” sending us out into another summer’s evening downpour.

2.06.16 – Rockhal

LUH (Lost Under Heaven) – Spiritual songs for lovers to sing

Experimental gothic pop made its way to the Rotondes on Wednesday in the shape of Dutch & English duo LUH.

Based out of Amsterdam, LUH consists of audio-visual artists Ebony Hoorn & former WU LYF frontman Ellery Roberts. It’s now 6 years since WU LYF were one of the most hyped & exciting bands in Britain. Reluctant to do interviews, their anti-media approach was described as “carefully designed anonymity”. This had the desired effect, building a mystique around the band which made them even more alluring and created more press than they could’ve hoped for. After just one album they were to disband and disappear as quickly as they arrived.

Now Roberts is back with LUH (Lost Under Heaven) and although he might want to
distance himself from the WU LYF name, his unique vocals were the focal point of their sound and there is no changing that with LUH, his reverb laden delivery is an acquired taste but it’s an effective one.

Fortunately, his vocals aren’t quite as abrasive in the live setting as they can be on record. This might have much to do with Hoorn’s vocals which provided the perfect foil as they intertwined between one another with consummate ease, like they did in the opener “I&I” with its anthemic heavy pop.

With much of the set being dominated by the cacophony of crashing symbols and pulsating kick drums, there was a tranquillity in the haunting beauty of the delicate “Future Blues” & “Loyalty” leaving the raw energy to one side, it highlighted the nuances in their sound.

They’re not ones to work within conventional structures as they swayed from orchestral pop with anthemic choruses, to stirring synths with an early 90s tinge and all of this on “$ORO” before some crunching techno came in and took the tempo to overdrive for a few moments. This might have suited the end of the night better or maybe just a livelier evening, but it proves that they’re not willing to be confined by genres, even in the same song.

But it’s the dynamic between Hoorn & Roberts who are a couple away from the stage, which grabs you from the outset and never let up all evening. You feel that they truly believe in the sentiment of their lyrics, after all their debut record is called “Spiritual Songs for Lovers to Sing” which perfectly sums up their sound.

With just the one record to their name it was a short but powerful set, time will tell if this band will last longer than Roberts’ last, however this looks to be a more collaborative project in which there is plenty of room to experiment.

1.06.16 – Rotondes

Garbage – Still full of attitude and energy

20 years on from their first show at den Atelier, Garbage were back on Tuesday night and with it much of the energy that launched them back in the mid 90s.

With the release of their self titled debut album back in 1995, Garbage broke onto the scene right in the middle of Britpop, bringing with them an angst-grunge element combined with melodic pop choruses which set them apart from the rest.

With over 17 million album sales, a couple of Grammy nominations, as well as a Bond theme tune to their name, Garbage had done it all before they took a seven-year hiatus in the mid 2000s, returning in 2012 with “Not Your Kind of People”. This gave them a desire once more, leading to the imminent release of their sixth studio album “Strange Little Birds” next week.

Support last night came from female two piece The Pearl Hearts who packed quite a punch with their rock and heavy blues groove. These support dates with Garbage are their first shows in Europe but by last night’s evidence, I’m sure they won’t be their last. With a bit more swagger & attitude they’ll be tearing up venues like this on their own soon and they couldn’t have a better mentor than Shirley Manson to show them the ropes.

Garbage wasted no time in introducing their loyal fan base to their new record by opening up the night with dark brooding track “Sometimes”, with the lights low, keeping the band in the shadows and the pulsating bass it was an atmospheric start that I wasn’t expecting but very much a welcome one. It didn’t take long to up the energy as they went into “Empty” their first single off the new record, which took them to the grunge sound we’ve come to expect of Garbage. It’s also here where we were reminded just how charismatic a frontwoman Shirley Manson is, taking control of the stage like any good lead singer should.

As well as an introduction to the new album there were plenty of Garbage classics from the ever present “Stupid Girl” to “Only Happy When it Rains” which induced some 90s nostalgia with their grunge pop hooks. But Garbage were always more than the hits, they had more vulnerability and attitude than most from the Britpop era, something they continue to channel today.

One of Manson’s personal favourites, the slow almost chant like “Bleed Like Me” took the evenings tempo down a notch before lifting us back up once more with “Sex is Not the Enemy”, its punk groove leading to Manson bounding around the stage with a beaming smile.

Later Manson went on to discuss her recent spat with a Radio1 DJ in the UK, as they refused to play them because Manson is over 40, which appears to be a misguided policy the station holds. With the energy and attitude Manson still produces she could teach most people half her age a lesson on the artistry she has honed over the years, she’s much more engaging and charismatic than most out there.

Whether it was new or old, each song was performed with the vigour we have come to expect from them, giving us more off the new album on the encore with “Even Though Our Love is Doomed” before finishing on the light hearted bubble-gum funk of “Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!).

With few bands having survived the 90s, and even fewer still releasing and producing music today, it’s refreshing to see that Garbage are still making music that is as relevant today as it ever was. Here’s hoping other stations aren’t as ageist as Radio1 and help the new singles get to as many people as possible.

31.05.16 – den Atelier

Grande amore for Il Volo at Rockhal

Young Italian pop and opera favourites Il Volo came to Rockhal on Friday night and thrilled a capacity crowd.

Self described popera (operatic pop) act, Il Volo have had quite the journey over the last six years since meeting as teens on an Italian televised singing contest. They initially sang as solo artists but it didn’t take long for the creator of the show to see their potential as a trio, in similar fashion to The Three Tenors.

This early experience of televised competition would serve them well as in 2015 they represented Italy in the Eurovision song contest with the song “Grande amore”, finishing in a very respectable third place, having won the people’s televote on the night.

With an orchestra and band on stage, Il Volo came prepared to produce a spectacle and that they did, as Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto & Gianluca Ginoble appeared one by one from the back of the stage, the polite applause turned into screams of excitement. It turns out they have some quite fanatical fans, capable of making enough noise to take on any of the young popstars audiences.

It didn’t take them long to get into the classics such as “Nel blu depinto di blu (Volare)“ which instantly had people swaying in their seats and even throwing the odd arm up in the air in sheer excitement. As the night went on they rotated the line up, each taking on their own solo as well as a couple of duets.

With such a large Italian population in Luxembourg it came as no surprise that when asked what language to talk in there were cries of “Italiano!”. There were even some Italian flags in the audience, so they proceeded to chat all evening in their native tongue and from the crowd’s reaction they are apparently quite the comedians. They clearly have a great bond with each other and their personality came through even if I had no idea what they were saying.

With each song came soaring choruses and full rich vocals, none more so than on “Il Mondo” which had much of the audience scrambling for their phones, some even found it appropriate to film half the show on an iPad, I’m just glad I wasn’t behind them.

One of the highlights of the night was Piero’s solo performance of “E lucevan le stelle” which emphasised just what incredible control and power he holds over his vocals, it was a real hair tingling moment which reminded you that although they joke around with each other on stage and throw in the odd light-hearted cover they are exceptionally talented singers. By the time he was finished the audience were on their feet in rapturous applause.

As well as songs in Italian & Spanish there were covers of Sinatra’s “My Way” & Barbra Streisand’s “Memory” but as the show neared its end, Piero made his way into the middle of the crowd and stood on a chair to belt out “O Sole Mio”. This lured much of the crowd near by to run up and try and take a photo. All except one woman who thought this was her chance to take to the stage and hand a bouquet of roses to Gianluca, she chose her moment well.

They would finish on their Eurovision hit “Grande amore” which had grown women literally screeching with delight as they ran towards the stage, to get up close to their idols for the last time. With its rousing chorus it’s no surprise it won the people’s vote at Eurovision, I suppose if there is a mark of a good song then seeing an elated audience make their way home humming and whistling must be it.

27.05.16 – Rockhal

Charlie Puth – A pop star has risen

Thursday night saw one of America’s newest popstars come to Luxembourg for the first time, as 24-year-old New Jersey native Charlie Puth took to the den Atelier stage.

Puth launched onto the scene early last year with his retro infused debut single “Marvin Gaye” which hit the top spot in France, UK, Ireland and New Zealand. If that wasn’t enough for the budding young popstar, only one month later he was to co-write, produce and feature on the global super hit “See You Again” with Wiz Khalifa which went number one in 26 countries becoming the biggest selling song of 2015 with combined sales and track-equivalent streams of over 20million units. Not bad going for an artist who only a couple of months before nobody had heard of.

The success of “See You Again” helped propel Puth’s career into places he could previously only dream of. Another such act who must be dreaming of hits like that was last night’s support, Scottish pop powerhouse KLOE who has been making waves herself over the last year. Her explosive pop energy burst from the stage and awakened the crowd from the off, with the charisma and confidence she showed I’m sure it wont be too long before she is headlining venues like Atelier herself.

After being suitably warmed up the audience were already in fine voice, as the lights dimmed the sold out crowd began chanting CHARLIE CHARLIE CHARLIE. Puth made his way out onto the stage in a plain white t-shirt and ripped jeans and took his place on the piano stool, he played a few nice jazz fills just to get the feel of the piano before launching into one of his biggest hits, the retro infused R&B “Marvin Gaye”.

It was quite a statement for Puth to kick off with such a big hit and to be honest I suspected the excitement in the Atelier might fall a bit flat for a while after but little did I know that the crowd wasn’t just there for the hits, as each song passed the audience continued to sing their hearts out. However, the exuberance from the audience often meant we couldn’t hear anything Puth was trying to say between songs, as cries of “I love you” drowned out his voice.

With his three-piece band flanked either side of him they dropped in some jazz signatures to spice up the more conventional pop songs like “Left Right Left” and “My Gospel” before bringing down the tempo on “Up All Night” & “Then There’s You” as Puth perched on the piano stool looking out over his adoring fans, accompanied only by the acoustic guitar.

With just the one album out it was of no surprise the set was less than an hour long, but all was forgiven from the crowd as it’s clear he’s a very talented songwriter, producer and when you can get the reaction he did by just smiling and running your fingers through your hair you can play just about what you like. The night wouldn’t be complete without two of his biggest singles, “One Call Away” & “See You Later” which once more had the crowd singing along in harmony.

Puth’s music brought beaming smiles to the faces all over the venue, from the young kids to their parents, who seemed happy enough to take their children along. Shows like that won’t do him any harm as he continues to build on his rapidly growing fan base, who already can’t wait for his return.

26.05.16 – den Atelier

Hans Zimmer – A celebration of sound and vision

Legendary film composer Hans Zimmer took to the stage for the first of three sold out nights at Rockhal on Saturday night.

For the last three decades Zimmer has composed some of the most famous film scores, notching up over 100 movies which have made in excess of $24billion at the box office.

These shows are part of his first ever European tour and the concerts sold out fast, making Zimmer the first artist to sell out three consecutive nights at the Rockhal.

Last night was a celebration of his career so far, as he delved into his repertoire and brought to life the film scores backed by his 20-piece studio band as well an orchestra and choir which brought the number of musicians on stage to over 70.

Despite all those musicians they somehow found space for the man himself, who opened up proceedings with the jaunty light hearted piece from Driving Miss Daisy with the playful clarinet dancing along the top line as the violins and electric guitar all merge in with effortless ease.

As each song began you could start to visually picture the film in your mind, the pounding beat of Tony Scott’s Crimson Tide perfectly encapsulated the tense cold war style thriller building up an epic tension with the orchestra and choir’s fine harmony. Whilst Gladiator evoked the melancholic march with an electronic percussion, pierced by the haunting vocals which carried its own emotional heft to the film.

At around 3hrs (including a halfway break) there was plenty for the Zimmer fans to take in. He was joined on stage by the original vocalist from Lion King, Lebo M, as the orchestra and choir combine once more in perfect harmony taking us on a journey over the plains of Africa.

Throughout the evening Zimmer told stories about the films, directors and even some cast members. He mentioned that he looked into changing the music for the scenes with Heath Ledger after hearing of his tragic death, wanting to give them a less abrasive quality but eventually keeping everything in all its glory. They did play “Aurora” a piece he wrote after hearing of the tragic mass shooting at a screening of the film, this haunting stripped back piece was one of the more poignant moments of the night, brining to it a piece of reality to this fictitious endeavour.

The Dark Knight trilogy was the beginning of another productive and creative time for Zimmer with the likes of Interstellar and Inception following, both of which have become some of his finest work. The sci-fi grandeur and electro crescendo of Interstellar worked perfectly as a companion piece to the epic and tense dreamlike orchestral sounds of Inception.

The evening as a whole took us on a journey of sounds that have helped our viewing pleasure of some of the biggest films over the last three decades and to see first hand the scale of what is involved is quite an eye opener. Next time I watch one of his film I’ll no doubt be paying that bit more attention to just how much is going on off the screen as on it.

21.05.16 – Rockhal

A loud clatter of PAWS at Bar National

On Wednesday night it was the turn of Scottish alt rockers PAWS to take to the stage at one of Luxembourg’s newest venues, Bar National, which opened its doors inside the Theatre National du Luxembourg in March.

With the imminent release of their third album in four years with “No Grace”, PAWS are looking to build on their already impressive output on the wonderful FatCat Records with this new album produced by Mark Hoppus of blink-182 fame. PAWS are currently on the home straight of their five-week European tour and last night saw them return to Luxembourg for the first time since they played Out of the Crowd Festival in 2013, shortly after the release of their debut album.

Support came from local band “Ice In My Eyes” who released their second album “Diamond” just last week at Rotondes. Their blend of melodic indie pop with moments of ascending rock came across well, although there weren’t too many people to warm up at this point.

My optimistic belief that a bus load of folk were about to stop outside the venue and descend were dashed as it became apparent that it was just one of those nights were people decided to stay at home. So it was up to the band to do their best with the modest crowd at their disposal and that they did. They may have been blighted with some technical issues at the beginning (none of which was their fault) but they didn’t let anything get them down as they launched into the set.

From the melodic lo-fi 90s sound of “Sore Tummy” from their debut, to the pop punk of title track “No Grace” from the new album, they showed their progression as songwriters, continuing to develop their sound, bringing with it a more mature polished element.

With such a sparse crowd there were nice moments of interaction as they got the names of each member of the audience, giving themselves some respite from an energetic set. They even played “Get Bent” which they hadn’t played live in years, I suppose when you have that laidback intimate atmosphere you can throw in a few surprise tracks when you want.

Having acknowledged the crowd and given their thanks for those who came out to support them they continued to play like they were in front of thousands, especially bass player Ryan Denver as he thrashed about the stage eventually breaking a string. It’s this energy and passion on stage that makes bands like PAWS and live shows in general so exciting.

With the new album on the horizon and another European tour not far away, let’s hope the next time they come to Luxembourg there will be a few more people to enjoy this raucous live act.

18.05.16 – Bar National

Simple Plan – Still full of high-octane energy after all these years

It’s less than a year since French-Canadian band Simple Plan sold out den Atelier, so with the release of their new album in February they made their way back to the A on Thursday night to play to a hot and sweaty crowd once more.

With the release of their fifth studio album “Taking One for the Team” Simple Plan prove they have the staying power that few of the pop-punk acts of the 00s possess. It’s now over 12 years since their biggest record “Still Not Getting Any…” but it’s clear by the audience that their songs are enduring hits and as much as the crowd is made up of people who were in their teens a decade ago, their music clearly still resonates with the teens of today, as there were plenty in the audience too.

Supporting them on much of their European tour is Roam from England who possess all the energy and enthusiasm you expect from a pop-punk band. Even if a slow number showed up their vocals to be patchy at best, they managed to win over the audience with their stage craft and by the end were conducting the crowd into mass swaying of the arms and even a very civilised mosh pit, they clearly left the stage with a whole host of new fans.

With the audience suitably warmed up Simple Plan took to the stage. Gone are the ¾ length shorts and spiky hair of the day, now they are all in full length trousers and wearing black t-shirts but that was in no way a reflection of their demeanour. They kicked off with the high energy “Opinion Overload” from the new album which showcases the powerful drums and guitar riffs their fans have come to expect and it never really let up all night.

Their knack of still producing big singles was apparent, as all it took was the simple riff from the intro on “Jet Lag” to send the crowd into raptures. Though it was “Jump” that really got the required effect with the first mass jump around.

With an audience who have been with the band for over a decade now, there was a real sense of nostalgia as they delved into the earlier material, with friends singing every word to each other as much as they were to the band. Their fine voices filling Atelier on “Welcome to My Life” with phones aloft and swaying in unison.

As if people weren’t already dancing enough they found some time for a surreal stage invasion from the first band of the night The Bottom Line who were in fancy dress which included a giraffe outfit for a medley of “uptown Funk” & “Can’t Feel My Face”

The encore leaned heavily on the second album with “Shut Up”, “Perfect World” & the rock ballad “Perfect” which saw lead singer Pierre Bouvier take to the acoustic guitar as the rest of the band disappeared into the background to play one of the few tender moments before the band return for the chorus, bursting into high octane energy one final time. At this point Bouvier made his way to the balcony being accosted by plenty of woman on his way. For a band who are so close to their fans it was a fitting way to end, with Bouvier in amongst them.

Having only just released their new album I’m sure Simple Plan will be back in Luxembourg again shortly, so if pop-punk is your thing and you missed them, then make sure you see them next time round.

David Duchovny – The music is out there

Rockhal welcomed an extra special visitor on Sunday night, one who had travelled long and far and goes by the name David Duchovny.

Better known as agent Mulder from the X files, Duchovny, arrived at his new calling as a singer-songwriter later on in life, having only taken up guitar a few years ago. He describes himself as a dilettante, playing music he enjoys – if we like it great, if not it’s fine by him too.

Duchovny might not be the first actor to go down the musician route and he won’t be the last, but he is certainly one of the more surprising actors to stand behind the mic in recent times.

Having found his backing band and production team in Brooklyn based band “Weather”, Duchovny has a stabilizing musical force which allows him to express himself with freedom. Much of the set was from his “Hell or Highwater” album which stumbles along to a Tom Petty inspired country aesthetic, with a dose of Americana for good measure.

Although his vocals might not hold up to most and hitting many notes seemed problematic, he brushed it all off with an air of calm. Maybe it was the willingness from the crowd to see agent Mulder succeed or just the vibe an actor can pull off but after a while the vocals didn’t seem to matter too much.

Throughout the show Duchovny talked to the crowd, mainly to get French translations for each song but he looked comfortable up on stage. He even delved into some covers having acknowledged that many of the audience wont have heard much of his record. His rendition of Bowie’s “Stay”, with its funk groove and delivery suited his vocals. However, they weren’t all quite as successful, like the reggae infused “Hotline Bling” from Drake, where he was at his self-deprecating best, laughing off forgetting lyrics.

As well as covers, he played a couple of new tracks he has already written for his second album, which he is looking to record later in the year.

After that it was back to the covers with Duchovny taking on the intro of Tom Petty’s “Square One” alone with just the acoustic guitar, before the band kicked in. With no band, there was no hiding any mistakes. He joked after “maybe I should leave it to the professionals”, well the acoustic might be one leap too far at the moment.

Their Sly & The Family Stone cover of “Thank You” saw Duchovny invite some of the crowd onto the stage to dance with him as they continued the laidback vibe. At well over 1hr 40mins he could have done with keeping it a shorter, tighter set but with plans to go back into the studio Duchovny is clearly enjoying this new creative outlet and with a busy Rockhal last night, people were certainly intrigued to see what he has to offer. Will the intrigue continue? Only time will tell.

8.05.16 – Rockhal

Birdy – takes flight at den Atelier

English singer-songwriter Jasmine van den Bogaerde, better known by her stage name Birdy took to a sold out den Atelier on Friday night.

Having shot to fame with her cover of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love” at the tender age of 14, it’s easy to forget that Bogaerde is still a teenager. With three albums and world tours to her name, she has accomplished more in her teens than most will in a lifetime. Her new album “Beautiful Lies” has been her most well received to date by the critics and the British public, as it shot up the charts leading to her highest charting record in the UK.

Support came from Dan Owen who looks to be part of a conveyor belt of British singer-songwriter talent. With a voice beyond his years, I’m sure it won’t be too long before we hear his warm rugged vocal tones singing of love lost over the airwaves. Along with his vocal delivery, his affable persona seemed to catch the attention of the crowd from the start, after all it’s not often a musician gets an applause from the crowd when they mention the have CDs for sale at the door.

With the crowd suitably warmed up Birdy took to the stage where she was to find an audience who were there to really listen. You could hear a pin drop in the more delicate moments, even the people at the bar kept it quiet, which is no mean feat but when the haunting ethereal vocals of Birdy took hold it seemed like everyone was under her spell.

It was a great gig for fans of the new album, as she played all but three tracks from it. That’s not to say there wasn’t space for plenty from the first two records, with a set spanning over an 1hr 30 minutes, including 21 songs, there was plenty for all her fans. For a night filled with piano-led confessionals it was left to the eastern feel of “Growing Pains” to open her set.

Tracks such as “Wild Horses” & “Keeping Your Head Up” show there is a new found maturity in her song writing as well as an evolution in her sound, giving it a grander anthemic folk pop feel.

Having spent most of the evening behind the piano, Birdy ventured to the front of the stage for “Words as Weapons” & “Take My Heart”. Leaving her comfort zone, you would expect the shy young singer to look vulnerable but far from it, she looked just as composed with the mic at her hands as she did the keys.

As you’d expect she left the song that launched her career to the end, the cover of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love”. This ended up being her least inspiring performance of the evening but which in turn just highlighted how far she has come since she was launched into the spotlight at such a young age.

Throughout the night her band barley missed a note, they were so tight It felt like someone had put on a CD and pressed play and that’s not a criticism here, I was genially impressed from the sound all evening, the levels were perfect and it was a joy to hear all the musicians in complete harmony.

It’s good to see that Birdy is still progressing and finding her feet as an artist, if she continues on this trajectory she will surely develop into a special songwriter in years to come.

29.04.16 – den Atelier