MOTORPSYCHO – Trondheim – Byscenen

As I have missed all the cool Motorpsycho concerts this year – they have performed Demon Box in full few nights in a row at Rockheim and most likely in a magical setting at Slottsfjell festival, I decided to invest in the tour to Trondheim to catch their sold-out yule concert at Byscenen, on December 12th.

The bonus of the decision was the fact that the opening act were no others than the space rockers known by the name of Seid. I really enjoy their crazy ‘space rock’ and never had the chance to see them live, until actually 2 days before the Trondheim trip where they played a similar concert on a stage 10 times smaller than Byscenen – Kampen Bistro in Oslo. It was such a cozy experience and so much fun was had by all, on stage or in front of it. The music doesn’t let you stand still, and even if the same tunes were being played on Saturday evening, the effect was not the same due the bigger size of the venue and the less personal overall experience. In Oslo one could go around, have a look at the playlist, at the funny spaceman-suit shaped mini lamp, at the pedals used by the bass player…While in Trondheim all these were out of reach. Not that the concert wasn’t enjoyable, but I’m really happy I got to enjoy Seid in a smaller venue and with more intimacy. And way more intense applause level at the end.

A nice chat while the stage was being set up for the headliner, and we notice the evening was going to offer at least one or more guests, since there were 3 keyboards (I think) on the stage. All started with the usual 3-members lineup and without much introduction they started serving the dose of intense and heavy music that everyone was waiting with excitement. I’m not sure I understood much of the first song due the sound being a bit messed up, but it got somewhat better on the coming ‘On a Plate’ and the following tunes that took us to various stages in the band’s life. Including a future stage when Thomas Henriksen is invited halfway through the concert and the four musicians perform an upcoming song from "Here be Monsters", a song that leads away from the familiar and pictures a special landscape with its intensive usage of three keyboards. But then again, sound wasn’t really on their side on this one either, so I’d much rather wait to hear it on tape before I make any other comments.

Henriksen continued to perform on upcoming songs and this offered the chance to hear some nice mixes of keys and guitars on songs such as Serpentine. But altogether the mood seemed lower than what I expected from a Motorpsycho concert on home ground. I spotted one enthusiast dude jumping around during some of the songs and few clapping louder than others, but nothing too exciting altogether. I was happy to hear the dancy Hell Part 1-3 and was super thrilled when I recognised the next song as ‘Nothing to say’. That one actually seemed to lift the spirits in the audience altogether and had some really nice sing along moments.

I didn’t get any of the words that were said on stage (mainly due the fact that I always took the earplugs out after the mini speech was over), but I could figure out the goodbyes were said and then the band returned for a long comeback song – the ending tune of Timothy’s monster – The Golden Core. But it didn’t feel like the most inspired choice at that moment, even if the song is really beautiful and has an ending which slowly grows in intensity and power. So once the last beat was performed and the band rewarded with cheerings and clappings, there was no small regrets of the fact that the concert has reached the end and you have to go home. Off I went and I am least very curious about the upcoming material.