Torsdag, 28 november 2024
Sigur Rós were back in Oslo on Thursday night, 2 years since their last visit. That tour was a blessing for many fans with the return of Kjartan Sveinsson, who left the band in 2013. The band also teased the audience with some new untitled material, hinting that a new album was on the way. Few months later, the band announced the release of their 8th album: «Átta», an orchestral masterpiece where strings and brass carry Jonsi’s voice to an ethereal level.
To support the new album, the Icelandic trio decided to tour with a 41-piece orchestra and explore the symphonic side of their catalogue. Over the years, Sigur Rós have toured with additional musicians, but never with such a big orchestra and… without a drummer.
The first part of the show opens beautifully with «Blóðberg», «Ekki múkk» and «Fljótavík». Then came the majestic «Átta», followed by the popular «Starálfur» and the beautiful and rarely played «Dauðalogn». After a 20 minute intermission, it’s time for act 2. The second part features a few more classics like «Untitled» #1 & #3 and «Hoppipolla». Then came one of the most beautiful moments of the evening with «Ske»l followed by «All Alright». Jonsi’s angelic voice truly shone during that sequence.
The band also brought back to life some deeper cuts like «Untitled #5», «Sé Lest», «Von» and «Avalon»; many of these songs have only been played a handful of times over the years. They also surprised the audience with «Varðeldur», which had never been played before. This tour is an absolute feast for the hardcore fans.
The godfathers of Nordic melancholic post-rock rarely disappoint live, and this tour is no exception. They created a mesmerizing performance where time and space seemed to be suspended for 2 hours. Some fans would certainly have loved to hear «Sæglópur» or «Popplagið» at the end, but this tour is also a breath of fresh air, a beautiful sonic treat. Last year, I flew to London to see the opening night of this tour at the Royal Festival Hall and I left the venue happy, but not satisfied. It was a good concert but it also felt shaky. 16 months later, the show has reached maturity. The band is clearly in sync with the orchestra and Jonsi’s voice never sounded better. Truly exquisite. 5/6
Text: Olivier Fillion Boutin
Photography: Anne-Marie Forker