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Signe Tollefsen, Marissa Nadler
October 9th 2007, dB's UtrechtBy O.S. & D.M.K.
All images by O.S. / Evening of Light
This show was a rather last minute addition to our schedule, but a perfect opportunity to put together our very first concert report. When we learned that Marissa Nadler was paying a visit to the Low Country on her extensive tour, we couldn't stay at home, of course. Add to that the chance to see some talent from our own country, and the decision to make a short trip to the (for O.S.) familiar dB's in Utrecht was quickly made.
It turns out dB's not only hosts nice rehearsal rooms, but also some nice small gig venues. The small room was appropriately decorated with a few tables, chairs, benches and candles, though most of the space was reserved for a standing audience. The stage was roomy enough for most bands, so these two solo ladies had more than enough space to move around.
Signe Tollefsen was up first, and this half American, half Dutch young woman with the Scandinavian name proved to be quite the hidden talent. She played well written songs in English in an accessible and familiar singer/songwriter style. The sound was excellent, and that boosted her already very warm (and flawless) voice, resulting in a very warm set. Signe has a wide vocal range, varying from soft near-whispering to intense and powerful, high to low. Most of the time, we found the songs and lyrics a bit too conventional for our tastes, but the track where Signe starts experimenting with loops was an excellent exception. Besides that, she is a very pleasant stage presence, and the interaction with the audience was intimate and often funny. So, this is not something we'd pop in the CD player normally, but a very pleasant live experience nonetheless, by someone who deserves to be far more well known within our country.
Then it was time for Marissa. At the start of the evening, she was already in the room, standing by herself at a table: a scene that could come straight from an old movie. It turned out her reputation as a very insecure artist is correct, because the nerves seemed to have gripped her before it was time to go on. However, if there's anyone who has no need to be insecure, it's Marissa. Once she gets on stage, magic happens. Even the soundcheck - a messed up version of the 'hit single' "Diamond Heart" - sounded excellent, and elicited the first applause as well. From there it was smooth sailing. Despite monitor problems in the first few songs, not to mention health problems, Marissa gave away a very good show. Modest when she speaks, but adventurous when playing, her tracks were generally a bit more loose than on the albums, both in the vocal department and in the guitar playing. Like Signe, Marissa was a very pleasant host as well, modest and sweet. And a true lady, as she felt it was improper to sip her whiskey-and-coke in front of the audience; so, she simply turned her back. We heard tracks from all the albums, which prove to all work perfectly combined in a live setting. Highlights were the Leonard Cohen cover "Famous Blue Raincoat", the tragic murder ballad "Mr. John Lee", and most of all the unsurpassed "Fifty Five Falls", this time with spaced out guitar effects that lend even more of a ghostly atmosphere to the song than on the original. An excellent gig, to be sure, and that's why it's very sad that Marissa has been forced to cancel her French part of the European tour for health reasons. Our condoleances to the people who were waiting to see her there: now we know what you're missing!
It turns out dB's not only hosts nice rehearsal rooms, but also some nice small gig venues. The small room was appropriately decorated with a few tables, chairs, benches and candles, though most of the space was reserved for a standing audience. The stage was roomy enough for most bands, so these two solo ladies had more than enough space to move around.
Signe Tollefsen was up first, and this half American, half Dutch young woman with the Scandinavian name proved to be quite the hidden talent. She played well written songs in English in an accessible and familiar singer/songwriter style. The sound was excellent, and that boosted her already very warm (and flawless) voice, resulting in a very warm set. Signe has a wide vocal range, varying from soft near-whispering to intense and powerful, high to low. Most of the time, we found the songs and lyrics a bit too conventional for our tastes, but the track where Signe starts experimenting with loops was an excellent exception. Besides that, she is a very pleasant stage presence, and the interaction with the audience was intimate and often funny. So, this is not something we'd pop in the CD player normally, but a very pleasant live experience nonetheless, by someone who deserves to be far more well known within our country.
Then it was time for Marissa. At the start of the evening, she was already in the room, standing by herself at a table: a scene that could come straight from an old movie. It turned out her reputation as a very insecure artist is correct, because the nerves seemed to have gripped her before it was time to go on. However, if there's anyone who has no need to be insecure, it's Marissa. Once she gets on stage, magic happens. Even the soundcheck - a messed up version of the 'hit single' "Diamond Heart" - sounded excellent, and elicited the first applause as well. From there it was smooth sailing. Despite monitor problems in the first few songs, not to mention health problems, Marissa gave away a very good show. Modest when she speaks, but adventurous when playing, her tracks were generally a bit more loose than on the albums, both in the vocal department and in the guitar playing. Like Signe, Marissa was a very pleasant host as well, modest and sweet. And a true lady, as she felt it was improper to sip her whiskey-and-coke in front of the audience; so, she simply turned her back. We heard tracks from all the albums, which prove to all work perfectly combined in a live setting. Highlights were the Leonard Cohen cover "Famous Blue Raincoat", the tragic murder ballad "Mr. John Lee", and most of all the unsurpassed "Fifty Five Falls", this time with spaced out guitar effects that lend even more of a ghostly atmosphere to the song than on the original. An excellent gig, to be sure, and that's why it's very sad that Marissa has been forced to cancel her French part of the European tour for health reasons. Our condoleances to the people who were waiting to see her there: now we know what you're missing!
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