©Satu Kuosma
review by Teague123
So... this I went to Norway to see Anneke Van Giersbergen and Danny Cavanagh perform together... A little over a year ago I thought I had seen the best show I was going to see in a very long time, I was wrong.
Sunday came and I found the venue at around 3, and as it was a nice little bar I decided I may aswel go and buy myself a nice, cold beer... Now, Norway is extremely nice but my god, its expensive! As the currency there has no real similarities with ours, I handed over the money for drinks without really thinking how much they cost... it worked out to be around £9!!! For one pint!!!! And it was Heineken!!!
Anyway, nevermind... my first suprise was when I saw on the poster that Kristin Fjellseth (Pale Forest) would be supporting, she has a nice band and a great voice... so I was looking forward to that too...
A Burger King, nap and shower later and I returned to the venue to find Kristin sound checking... moments later both Anneke and Danny had arrived and were as nice as ever... It always amazes me how Anneke seems to remember every fan and takes such an interest in them.
So it was time for the show... we all sat on the floor and on chairs around the tiny stage as if we were in a school assembly or something, the place was packed and the atmosphere was great.
Anyone who has ever seen Anathema will know that it is an incredibly emotive show, and Danny alone felt very much the same, if anything the stripped down versions applified it a little. In England, Sunday was Fathers Day which made songs like 'One Last Goodbye' send a pretty massive shiver down my spine...
Next, it was Anneke's turn... most people who know me at all are aware that for me Anneke's voice is the most incredible thing ever... after a few quarrels with a keyboard that obviously wasn't hers, she did a fantastic job. The main thing for me was the fact that...
1) It was the first time I had ever heard her voice so clear, with no distortion from heavy guitars or drums... just Anneke, her a keyboard/acoustic guitar and the silent crowd.
2) As most times i've seen Anneke headline a show was in Holland, I could never understand a word she was saying between songs. She would always tell stories and I would just stand cluelessly... this time I understood, and they were great!
The highlights for me were 'She's Only Happy In The Sun' (Ben Harper cover) and 'Locked Away'... Incredible.
Anneke's Setlist;
1. Lost and found
2. Day after yesterday
3. Dunken soldiers ball
4. Trail of grief
5. Beautiful one
6. Yalin
7. She's only happy in the sun (Ben Harper)
8. (new song) "Men" ?
9. Locked away
After a short break, Annie and Danny took the stage together... their chemistry showed instantly as they laughed and told jokes together... they played so many songs... The Gathering, Anathema and some nice covers... One of the most incredibly emotive, beautiful parts of the show was when Danny told us how there was a song that was extremely important in his life and that he had asked Anneke to perform it with him... The crowd sat in perfect silence as they played Eva Cassidy's 'Songbird' and if the building had a spine it would have shivered too... That was followed by a powerful 'Leaves' and finished with Massive Attack's 'Teardrop'.
The venue was newly built and the barman had told me earlier that they had yet to build a backstage are... so Annie and Danny left the stage and stood just beside it as the extremely respectful applause went on and on and gave them no choice but to take the stage again.... They changes the tempo a little with a version of Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' and had the crowd singing along, smiles throughout.
Again they left the stage, and again the applause carried on and would not stop. After quite a while I watched them deliberating wether or not they should play anymore, and they came to the stage confessing that they didn't expect this and hadn't rehearsed anymore together... as people in the crowd started shouting their request for one of The Gatherings classics 'Nighttime Birds' Anneke appologised and said they couldn't... her and Danny hadn't reher..... her face was a picture as she realised that behind her. Danny was playing the intro to Nighttime Birds perfectly, but alas - they decided they didn't know it well enough and we settled for hearing the perfect 'A Natural Disaster' for a second time.
Annie and Danny Setlist (probably in the wrong order and im sure its incomplete - I hate remembering setlists!)
My Electricity
Parisienne Moonlight
A Natural Disaster
Blower's Daughter (David Gray cover)
Songbird (Eva Cassidy cover)
Leaves
Teardrop (Massive Attack cover)
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Jolene
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A Natural Disaster
And that ended the evening, and it was the most magical, beautiful gig I have ever seen... I have seen bands with massive stages, light shows, fireworks and a thousand other gimmicks but not one of those came close to matching the incredible atmosphere that was created by these 2 incredible people and their modest keyboard and Acoustic Guitar.
