Árstíðir / Myrkur / Sólstafir – Heimathafen Neukölln, Berlin; December 12th, 2017

An already busy week turned extra busy when I decided to add the Sólstafir concert in Berlin to my schedule. I just felt I needed to see one of the concerts in Germany and this was the only one I could make it to. Unfortunately it started later than all the others which resulted in very little sleep, but I was glad I went. It was brilliant! 🙂

I left work early to get to Berlin in time for the doors opening, only to find out that it was not going to happen until 8 pm, two hours later than at the other two shows I have been to. Oh well, at least I could get some sleep and much needed food before the show. I arrived, hoping to hang out with my friend I. before the show, but she did not arrive until after the doors had opened. Got to see Ragnar for a brief pre-show chat though since I’d brought beer for the guys. They were crazy busy with loading, setting up and giving an interview before the show.

I was looking much forward to Árstíðir’s set. My friend K. had seen them in Cracow and told me they had played three new songs. They had also been borrowing Sólstafir’s drummer and I was curious to hear how that would work out. First there as some time to kill though and I was happy when I. arrived and we could talk for a while. Time flew by after that. 🙂

Suddenly the lights went down and the guys were on stage, starting with ‘Himinhvel’. It felt weird not to have my camera in my hands, I cannot remember the last one of their concerts where I did not have it with me. Anyway, I enjoyed being able to concentrate on the music for once (and took some pics with my phone instead 😉 ). The first moment I thought the sound wasn’t too good, but it improved right away. I wanted to make their music last for at least an hour, but I knew I wasn’t going to get that much, so I worked hard on taking in what I had. I watched them play and tried to understand as much of the new song’s lyrics as I could. Even ‘Passion’, the second song they played and the one I have heard most often by now is not familiar enough for me yet.

They barely announced the songs this night. As Ragnar put it “Less talking, more playing”. They only had thirty minutes. ‘Shine’ was next and I realized how much I have missed the song. It was beautiful and it felt like it had evolved again from the last time I’ve heard it. It might have been my imagination, but somehow it felt different. I was wondering when Hallgrímur, Sólstafir’s drummer, would join them when Gunnar called him to the stage. ‘Things you said’ sounded a lot more powerful with him there and his playing fit right in with the other songs as well. ‘Mute’ was next, reminding me again of how much the band and their sound has changed since I first saw them – we’ve come a long way.

K. had talked about three new songs and the third one was ‘While this way’, which I had never heard before. Like the others, I loved it instantly. The guys never cease to amaze me! <3 The grand finale was ‘Shades’ and the added drums made me forget all about the missing strings. It is so much more powerful this way. I could totally see them in a six man line-up that includes a drummer. 🙂 I did not want them to leave, their set made me really happy. It was so much better than the one they played early on the tour, so much more fitting with their new style and the other two bands of the night. I was already looking forward to Stockholm!

Setlist

Himinhvel
Passion
Shine
Things you said
Mute
While this way
Shades

I. left right after, she did not even want to give the other bands a try so I was on my own for the rest of the night. The changeover went quickly and to my great relief I could finally verify that the members of Myrkur have paint, not tattoos on their faces. That’s what I had assumed, but I wasn’t sure and somehow face tattoos are just really weird to me. Anyway, after a very short break the show continued and I just wished I could fast forward to that part.

It was interesting to watch for a little while, because the bassist played his bass with a bow and the guitar player was playing on his knees right in front of me, but the music still bored me after about 15 minutes and I wanted it to be over. Sorry, Myrkur, I tried, but I cannot relate to this at all.

Setlist

Mareridt
The Serpent
Ulvinde
Onde børn
Jeg er guden, i er tjenerne
Måneblôt
Elleskudt
Skøgen skulle dø
Skaði

Once again they did the changeover quickly and Sólstafir were on stage in no time. By now I knew what was coming and being camera free allowed me to actually watch the whole stage instead of looking for pictures the entire time. It was quite nice. There was no barrier in front of the stage either so they came really close to me several times. The setlist stayed the same so I sort of knew what was coming this time around, everything felt more familiar.

Addi talked surprisingly much this night. Apparently Sólstafir have played many gigs in Berlin and he wanted to know who had been at some of the recent ones. This one was highly energetic and fun, but I was just a little too tired to fully enjoy it. My thoughts were drifting off at times, but I did like it overall, liked seeing them work. They all play well and I got some good views of guitars and bass when they came to the front to play. I could not see all that much of Hallgrímur and Ragnar in the back this time, because they were often hidden by dry ice smoke – whoever thought that was a good invention anyway?

I recognized the songs from the last concerts, but I still cannot remember which is which at least for the first ones. It doesn’t matter to me though, as I am beginning to enjoy them all. Addi’s singing voice took some getting used to for me, but he puts so much emotion into it, that I can feel the songs without understanding any of the words. It took a while, but their music does get under my skin.

For a while I managed to let go of my tiredness and my worries and just be there, feel the music, move in tune, even band my head. It was fun. I liked watching the audience too. Some people really got into it, watched in awe, made connections. Still, I was sad somehow and when it was time for ‘Bláfjall’ even the announcement of taking care about people who suffer from depression got to me. Addi told us that the sadness, the darkness that comes with depression feels like a black mountain and at that moment I felt it too, felt the weight of so many things I’d worried about lately. The song totally killed me and I did not fight the tears. His singing was so emotional that I could feel the pain with every fiber of my being and I just let it be. Crying helped, I felt better after. I even smiled when Addi spoke to someone in the audience “You look sad, are you OK”. It was very caring. 🙂

During ‘Goddess of the Ages’ he went into the audience once again and this time it all went smoothly. Daníel was there holding the microphone cable from the start and he looked nowhere near as worried as in Paris. Must have been routine by now. 😉 At the end of course the whole band went nuts again. Ragnar, who has grown into his role as the band’s keyboarder, took the hammond for a walk in the end, lifting it up on his shoulders. The thing must be heavy, but he still kept on playing. It was quite funny to watch. 😀

Even though it was late already it felt like it was over way too soon. One final bow and they left. I stuck around for a while, chatted with Gunnar and told him how much I enjoyed the new songs and how they’d need a drummer on the next tour. I told Ragnar the same. They both thanked me for the snus and beer I’d brought. Sure, any time. Soon they needed to get back to work and I needed sleep so we said goodbye. One more gig to go. 🙂

Setlist

Silfur-Refur
Ótta
Lágnætti
Ísafold
Köld
Hula
Fjara
Bláfjall
Goddess of the Ages