There is an Australian slant to this edition of Hot Tickets, not only thanks to the columnist’s nationality, but also due to the high calibre of these musicians from Down Under. Let’s start with Wouter ‘Wally’ De Backer, a Belgian-Australian singer better known as Goyte. In 2001, the singer-songwriter started out by recording 50 copies of a four-track CD, handwriting the track list and colouring the cover sleeves with crayon. He sent the CDs to every radio station and recording contact he could find in the phone book, and then followed up each one with a phone call. A decade since then, his song ‘Somebody that I used to know’ – the one with body paint in the video clip – has hit the airways the world over. He’ll be at Falconer Salen in Frederiksberg on November 21. Tickets are 380kr at www.billetlugen.dk.
Another Aussie act getting some much-deserved kudos in the northern hemisphere is The Temper Trap, who are slated to rock out Store Vega on September 23. The indie band formed in Melbourne in 2005 when an enthusiastic busker and two guys working in a clothing store got together. And they’ve gone a long way since then – they were nominated for the BRIT award for International Breakthrough Artist last year and sold out two UK tours. But enough yabbering, you can see what all the fuss is about first hand for 220kr at www.billetlugen.dk.
Tame Impala see themselves as “a steady flowing psychedelic groove rock band that emphasises dream-like melody”, which probably means that they write much of their music stoned. Bearing some resemblance to their medium-sized antelope namesake, the band members look dreamy and dopey when they perform. In fact their live shows feel a little voyeuristic, like the crowd is watching a living-room jam session. When they get into their ‘60s-inspired, psychedelic groove, they go a bit nuts, as if there’s no-one there watching. Go and check out the Perth boys out at Lille Vega on October 22. With tickets available at www.billetlugen.dk for 200kr, it’ll be the cheapest peep show you ever see.
Keeping with the animal theme, Andrew Bird is fluttering to Copenhagen for a show on November 19. From the age of four, the musician began training in the Suzuki method of music – no it’s nothing to do with motorbikes or cars, but more to do with learning music in a positive environment. It must have had some affect on him because Bird plays guitar, violin and glockenspiel brilliantly, not to mention his voice. But the most interesting sound he makes is with his whistle. Like a bird at dawn, he can whistle melodically for a whole song without drying his lips – it’s a beautiful thing to witness. And the weird part – Bird is his real name, not just a clever marketing trick so columnists can write puns about feathers etc. He’s performing at Amager Bio, Storkøbenhavn; tickets are 260kr from www.billetlugen.dk.
Another delicious folk offering comes in the form of Swedish musician Jens Lekman. The singer combines delicate guitar and ukulele with some dark, yet amusing lyrics at times. His song ‘Your Arms Around Me’ portrays Jens slicing an avocado, when his lover walks up behind him, causing him to lose concentration and slice off the tip of his finger. It’s much more delicate than it sounds. He’s playing at Lille Vega on September 12. Tickets are 200kr from www.billetlugen.dk.
And the rest. New York experimental rock band Dirty Projectors will bring their quirky and wonderful sound to Store Vega on October 31 – tickets are 220kr at www.billetlugen.dk. Dream pop duo Beach House have a mesmerising sound that’s definitely making waves – their album Teen Dream was listed as #5 on Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums of 2010. Drift off with their music at Store Vega on November 6 – 275kr tickets from www.billetlugen.dk. For the boot-scooting types, Kris Kristofferson will play Falconer Salen on November 17 – wrangle some tickets for 280kr from www.billetlugen.dk. And the Danes must love Chris Issak – it’s hard to forget the sexy ‘Wicked Game’ video in a hurry, particularly as Danish model Helena Christensen co-starred in it. Remind yourself on October 19 at Det Kongelige Teater’s Gamle Scene. Tickets start from 302kr at www.billetnet.dk. And why anyone would want to see Nickelback at Falconer Salen for 1,300kr is anyone’s guess. But if you are one of the people devastated that their September 11 show is sold out, firstly shame on you, and secondly, you can still pick up tickets at www.viagogo.dk.
