It’s not every week you get to see Norwegian prog legends up close. However, this Autumn we had a rare chance to see Høst, in their 1974 lineup of Svein Rønning (guitar), Lasse Nilsen (guitar), Knut R. Lie (drums), Geir Jahren (vocals) and Bernt Bodal (bass), very close and very personal at Herr Nilsen’s Jazz Club in Oslo. The room was packed and warm. I don’t think they could have let any more in. Nor was it just people of the same generation as the band – all kinds of people were there and they knew they were going to see something remarkable. The band would play the whole of the 1974 “På Sterke Vinger” record, two tracks from 1976’s “Hardt Mot Hardt”, and some deeper cuts, some of which, if I understood correctly, have never been played live before.
The most striking thing about the performance may have been how tight the band is, even now. It cannot be easy music to play, requiring careful timing on all the duet guitar parts (many of which are echoed in the bassline as well) and while the 1974 tracks lean mostly more towards hard rock than progressive rock, there are plenty of unconventional time signatures. Rønning and Nilsen have not lost either their timing or their touch. The band’s characteristic dual guitar sound depends on their synchronicity, and none of that had been lost. The show covered a broad landscape of guitar voicings, from funk and blues through to more contemporary European sounds. The technical ability of both men is completely intact and it was fascinating watching their very different techniques at close quarters. Nilsen’s solos on “Dit Vi Må” and “Æræeo” were wandering and fluid, modal and intriguing. Rønning on the other hand more typically played bluesier lines, but on “Fattig Men Fri” it was his turn to show off his modal chops, and he produced a solo of power, edge and dexterity. Behind all of this, Bodal and Lie kept the shop together, neither of them missing a beat, and each having moments of brilliance like the bass groove and fills on the unnerving “Svart Fugl” or Lie’s tom rolls on the deep cut “Bilder Av En Dag” or his hi-hat playing on “Satans Skorpe”.
The spotlight, however, has to go to Geir Jahren. He owned the room, no mean feat when you can practically shake hands with the second and third row. His voice remains strong and the tone and depth got better and better as the night went on. He used his delivery, his hands and a range of facial expressions to tell stories, not just sing songs. On “Samhold”, he addressed the lyrics to particular members of the audience, and on the closing “Sirkus”, he was ringmaster, conducting us all.
It was of course “På Sterke Vinger” that got the biggest reception, perhaps the most conventionally melodic piece on the list (unless you count “I Ly Av Mørket”, which Jahren joked was their “ballad”). Most of the crowd were singing by then. They all knew the words. The singalong carried on into the longer, more experimental piece “Sirkus”, where Jahren wore a frock coat and top hat. This wasn’t the only piece on the setlist which was more episodic, and as in all the pieces, the dynamics and transitions were smoothly navigated.
It had been an absolute joy to see good musicians playing music that, while of its time, did not sound stale, because of the commitment of the players as much as its fundamental quality, and playing it well. Hopefully the reception will encourage them to do a few more shows in the town. It is music that still needs to be heard and there can be no doubt the band did it justice. 4.5/6
Text: Alex Maines
Photography: Anne-Marie Forker
