Live: Falconer Salen

Copenhagen, Denmark (November 4, 2015)

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Sometimes for reasons unknown things don’t quite go as you want them to.

As I look around the venue I wonder whether this is the oldest crowd I have ever experienced at a Mew gig. Things have definitely happened since those early concerts in 2006 where you would have lines of teenage girls in the front rows screaming at Mew, completing the most genuine of rock clichés. Tonight at Falconer Salen in one of the slightly expensive areas of Copenhagen, Mew attract a far more mature audience as a kind of juxtaposition to those nights in KB Hallen almost 10 years ago. Mew too have grown slightly more mature and with that comes a certain amount of predictability, I guess. Have you read the live reviews preceding this one, you are up to date. There’s no reason for me to tell you that again.

Which moments do I enjoy the most then? Introducing Palace Players is one of my absolute favourite tracks. Finally getting to hear it live again is a pleasure despite the absence of the intro. Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy features a female live saxophonist whose name I don’t catch. She does a nice job. The visuals might be displayed with the highest resolution I have experienced at a Mew show. Crystal clear and big. During Making Friends I find myself totally immersed in the visuals. I am not certain if new stuff has been added since Roskilde, but it definitely feels more attention grabbing tonight. Rows still makes me shiver. So grandiose. Throughout the concert Mew seem at ease. They have grown into their set, and the new songs, since May and Roskilde.

Normally the predictability is not a problem for me. Mew, more than any other I know, can make me feel nostalgic and let me zoom out on my own life in a very specific way. They have been there following me through most of my life. Tonight I just cannot get into that nostalgic state of mind and at the same time Mew is not forcing me somewhere new. The more mature crowd around me looks happy and satisfied though. Have I seen Mew too many times? Is the setlist too similar? Am I too stressed to enjoy myself this evening? For whatever reason this concert experience does not quite turn out as I want it to.

Text: Frederik Voss
Photos: Lizethe Rivera
Photo Gallery

Setlist: Falconer Salen
Witness / Satellites / Special / The Zookeeper’s Boy / Introducing Palace Players / Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy (w/ saxophone) / Water Slides / Snow Brigade / She Spider / Medley / Making Friends / Rows / Am I Wry? No / 156 — My Complications / Comforting Sounds

4 thoughts on “Live: Falconer Salen”

  1. Very interesting read!
    The new animations are brilliant, and especially the one for making friends. It was like watching a better sequel to an already perfect movie.
    I can relate to the disappointment. I have had similar experiences at a couple of shows with mew.
    To me, Mew have been capable of the producing in me the most extreme emotions. And I think it’s like a drug: once you have tried it you want more, and the usual dose might not suffice..
    I definitely think its because I have been a very frequent frenger at certain periods, while simultaneously been completely absorbed in a mew-universe of only listening to mew and thinking about mew. It is really crazy at times. Actually I’m amazed at how much mew I can take at once without getting numb.. But I guess there is a limit.
    Another thought is: Maybe there is not limit to the greatness of mew and we just need Bo back.
    I was at this show in falconer and I do get ‘distracted’ when looking at Mads Wegner. I have lived with Mew guitar sound coming from a guy I ‘know’ through shows, interviews etc and suddenly a strange man is standing in his place and ‘doing his job’.
    Mew have lost something, so it is not all you.

  2. The first time I heard Mew live! Even though I see myself as a calm person I went completely overboard with the screaming, haha. Maybe it is a characteristic every sixteen year old have in them. But I don’t remember the crowd as that old? I went with my 17-year old friend and danced besides other teenagers 🙂

    1. Hi Annika 🙂
      I’m happy to hear there are still teenagers boarding the Frenger train! The future looks bright after all then 😉

      To elaborate a bit – this was not a critique of teenage fans nor older fans. Rather it was simply an observation.

      I’d like to quote a bit of writing about Buddhism (I’m an atheist, but I quite like this insight):
      “Insight into change teaches us to embrace our experiences without clinging to them — to get the most out of them in the present moment by fully appreciating their intensity, in full knowledge that we will soon have to let them go to embrace whatever comes next.”

      I guess the pain of change only occurs, when you cling onto memories. I for one have not managed to let go of those past Mew memories that I hold so incredibly dear 🙂

      Maybe that explains my review a bit better 🙂

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