Jovel Music Hall, Münster, Germany
25th March 2011
Tina Dico, Helgi Jonsson
On our explorations for good music off the Goth and dark music trail we’ve come a long way by now. This is not to say we’re close to reaching the end though. There have been good things and there have been bad things. But once in a while you come across an extraordinary milestone. Our path let us to Münster this evening where TINA DICO and HELGI JONSSON were ready to play a little show for us and the audience.
Helgi Jonsson
HELGI JONSSON made his first steps in music in beginning to play trombone at the age of 7. Years later, he was playing in a jazz band and playing in jazz band would be his main interest in the following years while working with such artists as BJÖRK. In 2005 eventually he released his first album ‘Gloandi’, displaying a shift into singer/songwriter direction. He’s also gaining exposure as part of and supporting act to SIGUR ROS. The second album ‘For The Rest Of My Childhood’ was released in 2009, followed by a tour. The most recent release is caled 'Blindfolded' and was out in this year's January http://www.helgijonsson.com/
Music & Performance
I expected nothing to be fair. I read some stuff but didn’t listen to anything in order to be surprised. The first one came in shape of TINA DICO who introduced HELGI JONSSON to us who soon would begin to deliver the first song solely on the piano. With vocals clean as a bell he banned the audience on the spot. Well, that is just a metaphor cause most people were sitting anyway. For the next song ‘Ashes Away’ he would switch to the guitar and afterwards present some of his German skills with an Austrian accent he obtained while living in Austria for several years. ‘Dry Run’ was his next offering for which he turned to the acoustic guitar, and I might be wrong but I think his vocals were shifting from English to Icelandic throughout the song. A rather happy sounding tune came up with ‘Digging Up A Tree’ before he already ended his set with a cover version written for a ROY ORBISON tribute. A cheesy rendition of a cheesy song as he himself put it before. It was ‘Wild Hearts Run Out Of Time’ and he performed it flawlessly as he did with all the rest. I think Gleis 22 will be bursting in October when he will return to Münster. A great guy and wonderful music!
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Sound: 8
Light: 7
Total: 7.9 / 10
Tina Dico
Native of Denmark TINA DICO already early in her life was introduced to the pleasures of music. Later on, that would lead to her playing in various bands. The one called TINA DICKOW AND SHERIFF' was formed in 1998 and released a single with ‘Your Waste Of Time’ which made them a little more popular in their native. Tina’s way eventually led her to England, where she wrote and released amongst others the successful album ‘Notes’, after her debut ‘Fuel’ had been given modest critics. TINA DICO has become a very successful singer songwriter by now. Her recent release is ‘Welcome Back Colour’, just as much retrospection as the start of something new. http://www.tinadico.com
Music & Performance
Hardly five minutes later he would return to the stage with TINA DICO and her band for the next part of the evening. Without any introduction everyone took their places and they started the set with ‘Break Of Day’ to highlight her soulful, expressive voice over a laid-back melancholy assortment of instruments to accompany her. ‘All I See’ was up next and with it came a jazzy flavour and scent that filled the entire venue as did the feeling of having not taken the chance when there was still time to take it on ‘He Doesn’t Know’. Low-key and oppressive the song was flirting with the regrets such a situation brings but as before there was an inner power coming out of it, a dignity resonating in this extraordinary voice. But it’s not all steeped in earnest and grave feelings in the world of Tina. In-between she would often tell stories about a song’s background or joking with her fellow musicians, which was making this show and the persons performing all the more sympathetic.
It all became a little bit more rhythmical later with ‘In Love and War’ before observations of a city in music on ‘Sacre Coeur’ compelled everyone in the room with an imagery that is rarely to be found these days in the way that it gets through to you and wakes emotions so you can in some way connect. ‘Walls’ saw Tina doing a duet with Helgi and it was simply great to hear how those voices melded and harmonized. About 40 people were missing next cause ‘My Heart Is Full Of Hope’ was actually written and performed with an orchestra. But sometimes less is more and a stripped down version offers more intimacy like it did here. With ‘Welcome Back Colour’ a song from her most recent album came up and brought to us uplifting moods and dancing people. Not so much down there with us as on stage. That was, however, nothing compared to the ‘Home’ showcase with her guitarist doing the rocker, rolling on the floor and ding one hell of a show with a smooth transition to an audience favourite called ‘Count To Ten’, loudly sung along. A wonderful evening with a great new discovery found its end at this point for me but I knew I wouldn’t soon forget it.
Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Sound: 9
Light: 8
Total: 8.9 / 10
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.black-cat-net.de / http://www.myspace.com/vorndranphotography / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
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