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Rating: Nyon, Switzerland, 30th edition of this six-day open-air festival.
For four days, I've been bouncing between the 5 stages where, among many others, Lenny Kravitz, The Posies (like dynamite live!!), Jamiroquai, George Clinton, Hollywood Porn Stars, Franz Ferdinand, Starsailor (with a James Walsh in splendid form), Rammstein, Blues Explosion, and Nosfell have performed. The fatigue is really starting to set in, whether from the sleepless nights (despite vain attempts to rest amid the nocturnal noises of the camping "friends" banging bins) or from the waves of beer my guts have been surfing on for days...
But then Saturday arrives, and I'll finally attend the concert of a band that, although I don't know them in depth, has always intrigued and fascinated me quite a bit, given their experimental ambitions.
At 10:00 PM, I'm just a few meters from the stage under the beautiful Chapiteau tent, which, for the occasion, is filled enough to honor the band but not so much as to stifle the concert. By the group's choice, the concert will not be projected on the giant screens, which will instead serve as a backdrop for a whole series of almost dreamlike images that will flow throughout the performance. And then the beginning... not of a live act like others, but of a real experience...
The lights dim, and a gloomy sound begins to fill the air with its vibrations. On stage, in the twilight, appear Jonsi, Kjartan, Orri, and Georg, who enter the scene silently, like four elves hiding among the branches of a tree... Behind them, the Amina Strings, a young female quartet armed with violins and violas, stealthily take their places, almost as if they don't want to disturb. Now the journey begins in earnest, an hour and a half during which Jonsi's falsetto voice blends in perfect harmony with the other instruments, creating an atmosphere that simple words cannot describe. The sounds flow melodious and ethereal, almost heavenly, at times calm and soothing and then open and symphonic, as in the finest orchestral tradition.
Long ambient introductions, with touches of refined electronics, break suddenly like the waters of a river at the edge of a waterfall, thundering into decidedly rock passages, on tumultuous rhythmic carpets offered by a grace-filled Orri. And while Jonsi tortures the strings of his guitar with his bow, the ecstatic audience sways and nods their heads to the rhythm, erupting in roars at the end of each piece and...
Unfortunately, reality crashes down on me suddenly, reminding me that time has run out, ironically, during a performance that transcends time...
With style, the eight creators leave the scene once again in twilight, while the tent vibrates with the energy provoked by the emotional communion of those present, who express their gratitude with heartfelt applause and shouts that saturate the atmosphere for several minutes. The band returns to the stage a couple of times, receiving the deserved ovation with bows reminiscent of those theater performers make at the end of their shows.
Then silence and a veil of nostalgia mix with enthusiasm, awaiting the chance to encounter these four Icelandic elves live again.
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