Venue: The Star Theatre @ The Star Performing Arts Centre, Singapore
Date: 17th August 2022
Promoter: LAMC Productions
Review by: Nate Eileen Tjoeng
Special Thanks: The LAMC Productions team
I remember when Sigur Rós first made me cry. I was surrounded by the walls of my dingy bedroom and the lights were off. The atmosphere was sombre and “Frysta” enveloped my stratosphere, hovering maliciously on my heartstrings. As nebulous as the scene was and lying in the recesses of my memories, the emotions evoked were so poignant I will never forget them. I was drenched in melancholy and the inundation became so overbearing I had to turn off what I believe was my iPod.
That night of the concert, Sigur Rós evoked tears again. This time, I was in the centre of Star Theatre and surrounded by thousands of kindred souls who were occasionally obliterated by darkness and silence while the band arrested the scene with its presence. They permeated the walls of the theatre by starting with “Vaka” and “Frysta”. Arguably the best songs they have ever written, these two tracks plunged me back into the nether regions of melancholia, reviving the power of grim and pensive chords.
However, these were not sad tears. The surround sound reverberated in the premises and the lights danced on stage around the musicians. The performance was one of a musical landscape, and that made one feel that the size of the stage was lacking. While you would be tempted to close your eyes to let the music explode beyond the dimensions of the stage, you wouldn’t because albeit small, what you’d behold in full view would be a light show.
The twinkling and glowing of lights were meticulously orchestrated and synchronised with each song, putting forth a portmanteau performance. Par cans (light cans) could be seen amongst the band as lights radiated from the floor of the stage which makes you wonder sometimes if it was slightly hazardous for the band to be navigating that area in darkness. Light curtains that varied from green to blue strips look like lines or very thin prison bars draped in front of the band at times. In summary, the audience was very busy being engaged both visually and aurally.
Fan or not, it was an immersive experience that will slide you into an ethereal plane. If the melody and visual art are not compelling enough to keep you at the edge of your seat, Jón Þór “Jónsi” Birgisson’s falsetto will. The lead vocalist and guitarist’s persuasive voice delves you into unexplored regions of your soul and when he cracks melodiously (how does one do that?!), his voice beseeches you into feeling that desperation he traverses into. Nevermind if you don’t understand Icelandic or Hopelandic (a language invented by the band), because most of us don’t. Like a hypnotist, Jonsi will lead you into experiencing the emotion that he dictates.
There were just four men on stage, but the sound they produced felt like one was listening to an orchestra. Sigur Rós utilises a wide range of effects to achieve the soundscape, from distortion, reverb to unfathomable effects. Jonsi’s signature sound is created by pulls on the guitar with a cello bow. The double bass drums kicks into the atmosphere authoritatively while ex-keyboardist-musician Kjartan Sveinsson who is with the band again on this exclusive tour ordains the theatre with the main rhythm.
About twenty minutes into the show the band performed “Rafmagnið búið”, a number that you’d listen to on a calm and relaxing evening on your Bose Home Theater System® but the live performance was a cacophony of horn sounds that seemed to impulverise your soul as the song crescendos to the ending. This was the same experience with “Dauðalagið”. This is one perfect example of why live performances offer an irreplaceable experience and they should never be replaced with virtual ones.
For slower numbers like “Fljótavík”, the band huddled into the side of the stage and occasionally sat in darkness to let the video take the focus. There were moments when the performance gets into a meditative state and was a lullaby to some, but they would pull the crowd back quickly to the edge of their seats with the dramatic bow pulls on the guitar. Jónsi probably also yanked you out of slumber when he hollered into his guitar as he buried his face there for a good few minutes.
During this tour, Sigur Rós also treats the audience to their new material. They performed “Gold 2” in their first set. Quite a few were from ( ), which is actually the album’s 20th anniversary this year. The band performed “Smáskifa” before intermission started. Only then the audience realised that their concert was not going to be a short one.
After what seems like 20 minutes, Sigur Rós cheered the audience up with uplifting number “Glósóli”. Picking the momentum where they left off, the continued into “E-bow” from ( ) which I feel is one of the more commercial post-rock sounding pieces. The recognisable guitar riffs of this one reminds me of Mogwai or Explosions in the Sky.
The performance wasn’t all perfect however. Their mojo was disrupted with technical hiccups that caused them to delay parts of their performance. The band was probably unaware that the audience could hear their chatter in between sets at some moments. However, fans were forgiving and patient, because most were still impressed by the overall cinematic experience.
They ended with yet another number from ( ), “Popplagið”. This last number brought the theatre into a crescendo with its majestic ending and intense light choreography. Sigur Rós’ live show either ripped you apart or invigorated you. I am still uncertain what it did to me really, probably both, but I know it moved me to tears.