The double-bill tour finishes its
Scandinavian leg in Trondheim, Norway.The sky is extraordinary and I
take a number of photos (b+w, color)by the water. The V5 open the
concert and play well, but the response is mixed- as Dave Rempis
says, “It felt like we were playing an audition.”
I can’t decide if it’s more disconcerting to hear cellphones going
off during a show or watching people in the front row texting someone
as we play. Atomic hit the stage and the listeners (a mostly young
crowd, conservatory students?) are clearly there to hear them- an
energetic, enthusiastic response from the crowd throughout Atomic’s
excellent set. The evening closes out with an improvised trio: Kent
Kessler, Paal Nilssen-Love, Haavard Wiik. Each night I’m mixing up
the material on the V5 sets, different pieces/different order; Atomic
has been focusing on a half dozen compositions, developing them each
night. Perhaps my need for ongoing variety is too demanding, or just
framed differently. V5 play “Desireless” at Elastic in August, care of
Brad Winter:
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