Ane Brun at Vicar Street – Review

Ane Brun at Vicar Street

Saturday, 16th November 2013

Dressed in cream silk she weaved and waved her way through her band and lamps which were dotted across the stage. Commencing with ‘The Light From One’ from a 2011 album, she sang ‘I am holding your torch, I won’t hold it no more’, as the lanterns flickered and her vocals echoed. Fluttering her arms like a bird, her long silken sleeves resembled wings and she took up her guitar to play ‘The Puzzle’, while the keyboard played quirky chords and beats. She swayed her short blonde hair and her vocal, both so rare and beautiful.

Plucking from a wide array of her songs from a decade of albums as part of the Rarities collection, there were so many songs in store for us she told us she calls her songs her children. Then she played ‘Lullaby for Grown Ups’ taking a country journey and moved on to a folkier slant with ‘To Let Myself Go’. During ‘Rubber and Soul’ drums roll and she asks ‘let me walk on by’ while grooving and dancing for us. At times, it was hard to believe our ears, she sounds close to Bjork in vocal range.

Taking a more traditional slant she sang ‘And the whisper from your mouth through mine, with those words that gently filled my lungs’, poetry – for ‘Oh Love’. With a simple guitar, we meditated along with the echoes of her voice, amidst the calming drums and keys/violin strings.

‘Humming One of Your Songs’ followed, which is the first song on her debut album ‘Spending time with Morgan’ (2003) she finally introduced her vocal support Nina Kinert, and Kinert sang for us with her gorgeous vocal, ending on an inspirational drum roll. Her stage was filled with talent and Brun introduced the band, some were members of Tonbruket. Swirling into piano keys and epic drumming  for ‘One’, this song was like a tango dance.

‘Do You Remember’ popular song with the audience set dancers off in the venue’s aisles, while Brun danced bent backwards, shaking her breasts as the keyboard screeched, she blew us away and there was the sound of a gorgeous country guitar.

Suddenly she exited the stage! We were not ready for this, as her double drummers astounded us with their drumming duet. Then to our delight, she returned like a shadow amidst darkness, suddenly lights, a new silk costume she thanked her sound and lighting engineers and  performed ‘Big in Japan’ which the crowd went wild for. She then played a new song from ‘Rarities’, which is also on the end credits for a movie filmed in Dublin called ‘A Thousand Times Goodnight’.

A special mention to the song ‘These Days’, this song was spectacular live, a song which is so unique in sound, it is highly recommended for further listening to hear her mastery on vocal, musical arrangement and storytelling through poetry – a truly stunning, unique song. She ended on the fitting ‘Don’t Ever Leave’ a vocal similar to Tori Amos, and her harmony with Kinert again mesmerizing. Thanking us, she smoothly grooved off the stage, followed by her band who bowed one by one and exited. She returned on her own and played one last slow song, ‘Undertow’ just her and her guitar and the lights went out.

A breathtaking show by uniquely talented Ane Brun, and her excellent support artists.

Review by Aine Byrne