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Wednesday, July 8, 2009: 
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Took an early flight to Rome and were welcomed by our host Ignazio to a fine apartment in the Portuense district. We headed straight for Trastevere, visited the Pantheon and had a rather touristy meal (where "the best spinach I ever had" turned out to be chicory - some foody I am).
Sunday, July 5, 2009: 
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I'd already caught the excellent Eagles of Death Metal live at Vega (review here), but still - or precisely because of that - I wouldn't miss the chance of seeing them again. And their humorously down-to-earth rock'n'roll was just the thing to relieve the traditional Sunday fatigue of the Roskilde Festival crowd. And even while Jesse Hughes tried his best to keep up his ironic badass persona, he seemed to be genuinely swept away by the enthusiasm of the crowd. Maybe not quite as intense as their amazing Vega gig - but good old, dirty rock'n'roll fun.
I went with a friend to see the first few songs by The Bronx. Well, they deliver the goods with maximum intensity - but to me, the whole hard core genre is too much of a cliché, and I wouldn't be able to tell the good stuff from the bad.
One of the major surprises for me this year was Madness. I'd been looking forward to a bit of nostalgia, a happy singalong and some good-time ska beats. But it was even better. Not only did their performance seem to be untouched by the years (how old are these guys now?), I was also (once again) struck by the sheer quality of their songwriting. Even a couple of new tracks from the "Liberty of Northern Folgate" album were instant hits with a crowd to whom they must have been largely unknown. Creating a vibe that is simultaneously silly and genuinely moving, Madness personifies the sweet mix of whimsical fun and heartfelt emotion that makes British music so irresistible.
I've grown quite fond of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's "It's Blitz" album, and looked forward to seeing them live. Unfortunately, so did most other festivalgoers - resulting in a massive crowd inside and around the Arena stage, making it hard to get close to the music. They did sound okay, though - delivering their very personal brand of danceable minimalist rock. And once Karen O decided to switch from self-absorbed screeching to actually singing the songs, they got even better.
Those who know me won't be surprised to hear that I went home before Coldplay hit the stage. Yes, I know, just because I see them as the current apex of rock music gone horribly wrong (a trend I believe was sparked off by The Beatles' "Sergeant Pepper", but that's another story), I should have given them the benefit of the doubt. And maybe in concert they add just a bit of rock'n'roll energy to their squeaky-clean, sub-U2ish whining, but I didn't stick around to find out. I was tired and had to get up early for work on Monday. And - I really hate these guys...
Saturday, July 4, 2009: [
One would think that pleasant pop melodies and tribal rhythms on acoustic instruments was a winning combination. But somehow The Dodos managed to grind to a halt too often, rather than induce the expected trancelike state. And eventually, they left me cold.
Just the other day I was thinking of Steinski and the brilliant 12" "Well Be Right Back" - and suddenly, there was the man himself, playing Roskilde Festival! Listening to his funky, but deceptively complex music was a welcome reminder of a time when hip-hop involved sonic collage and actual experimentation. Feels like years ago - and it is...
I wasn't too impressed by Cut Off Your Hands's imploring vocals and guitar-driven crescendos. Between them and headline name Coldplay I feel like we're in the midst of some early U2 revival - which can't be good for anything. But at least Cut Off Your Hands manage to write a decent song every once in a while.
I was expecting some good synth-rock fun from The Chap, but the concept seems a bit too laboured for my taste. A potentially enjoyable take on pop music is sabotaged by the band's insistence on stiff an unfunky rhythms. Apparently, it takes a particular set of skills to get into the robot vibe and still be funky. The divine Kraftwerk did it brilliantly in their day - The Chap didn't quite pull it off.
I popped by the Cosmopol stage to check out the afro-funk of ex-Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen. Damn good stuff - can't recall ever having heard anyone being so effortlessly funky. No wonder he's been hailed the world's best drummer.
I felt strangely old listening to The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - or maybe just unimpressed. Oh sure, they do a amazing reproduction of a post-punk sound - basically a light version of My Bloody Valentine. But what is the point? Any personal touches are inevitably lost in this all too faithful recreation of a bygone era.
But luckily, the Pet Shop Boys saved my day. Unlike some touring bands, they'd chosen to bring the whole visual experience of their current show to the Orange Stage. The "cube" theme ran through the whole thing - stage set, videos - even featuring dancers and vocalists with coloured cubes for heads. But most importantly, every song from their back catalogue had been reworked (again), fusing with new songs to a elegant musical whole. Quirky and moving - often simultaneously - this was one show I would want to see again.
Friday, July 3, 2009: [
I skipped the Thursday of Roskilde Festival, arriving just in time for the reunited Faith No More on the Orange Stage on Friday. Disappointingly plagued by keyboard trouble (apparently a Macbook/software synth setup) they delivered all the raw energy and quirky inventiveness that made them one of my favourite bands in the nineties. Knowing most of the songs by heart (from hit singles like "Midlife Crisis" to rarities like the brilliant "Surprise - You're Dead") I had a great time. But I couldn't help wondering whether these strange and sometimes complex compositions made much sense to a newcomer.
Staying to the end of the show, I missed all but the last few minutes of Friendly Fires, who apparently had whipped the Odeon stage into a techno rock frenzy. Maybe next time.
I don't know what it is about Roskilde Festival and Nick Cave - but the line for the pit for his show on Orange Stage was the longest I've seen so far. On a bright sunny summer's day, the band opened with the dark, foreboding "Tupelo" and played a rough, rocking set, including a fittingly shambolic version of "We Call Upon the Author" (my favourite track from their latest album) - with Warren Ellis doing his inimitable "Rasputin-crawling-around-on-the-floor" act.
On the Cosmopol stage, Bavarian Labrassbanda made the entire crowd dance with their irresistible brass-based fun. A brass trio backed by rocking drums and bass, they delivered a highly entertaining mix of Balkan brass music, Mexican mariachi, Bavarian Blaskapelle and God knows what else. This is the kind of band that makes you want to throw a party just so you could hire them to come and play!
I'm not sure what to think of The Mars Volta. Yes, they do a convincing recreation of 70es-style psychedelia, but do they actually add any personality of their own to the mix? Anything that makes it more than pure revival? Except of course for today's skilled musicianship.
Only caught a few songs of Norwegian rockers Skambankt (whose brilliant name translates to something close to "Beaten to a Pulp"). Often hailed as "punk", they in fact combine several species of hard rock - I heard distinct echoes of the American south - and enough melody to spark a rowdy singalong.
Oasis seem to be (still) very popular in Denmark - drawing the kind of crowd in front of Orange Stage that causes claustrophobia to detract from my enjoyment of the music. And anyway, I found myself wishing that all those great songs had been written by a more interesting band. Maybe they aren't really a stadium rock band after all - maybe the experience would have been better in a more intimate venue?
Dancehall diva from space Grace Jones seems so rooted in the decadent 80es that a comeback might be considered risky business. But with her sense of humour, a far from embarassing comeback album, a truly groovy band and her (often underrated) voice still intact, she just blew the audience away.
Although they seem to be slightly overlooked in Denmark, I think Nine Inch Nails is one of the most interesting rock bands around today. And their show on Orange Stage was a case in point. To call this sound "metal" is meaningless, and while it does incorporate the grinding noise of that strange beast "industrial", they're in a league of their own: Their unique blend of electronics and rock instrumentation creates soundscapes that are dynamic - at times explosive - and always frighteningly disciplined. And while most metal acts decry the horror and injustice of the world around them, Trent Reznor's lyrics explore the dark and self-destructive workings of the human mind: "It wont give up/It wants me dead/Goddamn this noise inside my head". A chilling performance, yet infused with the beauty and energy that lifts you up.
Sunday, June 21, 2009: [
Yet another remix of the two songs I intend to put on my solo debut single - and I do believe we have a finished product! For those following my work, the songs are "The Same Mistake" and "The Airplane Song". Estimated release early autumn. I'll keep you posted.
