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I Got You on Tape offer dark and intense simplicity
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July 7th, 2012
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This article is more than 11 years old.
***** (5 stars out of 6); July 6 at Arena, Roskilde Festival
Sometimes you just want to hear good music. No half-naked dancers, no strobe lights, no pyrotechnics, just good music. When asked: “What is your fixation when you are standing on stage?“ in an interview before the SPOT festival, I Got You on Tape's lead singer Jacob Bellens answered simply: “Music”. And that’s exactly what it’s all about for this Danish band. With their dark and intense sound, I was a bit worried how that would work out for the audience. But these concerns quickly faded away when they started playing their first song.
The Arena tent was packed, and I struggled to get a glimpse of what was happening on stage. I Got You On Tape combines dark, heavy and slow songs with a catchy feel. Relaxed and unforced, Bellens's characteristic and hypnotising voice worked its wonders. It was the perfect mixture – a bit like a properly mixed rum and coke. Hey, it's Roskilde after all.
While most of the time I enjoy it when a band communicates with their audience, I certainly didn’t miss it here – which might have something to do with your reviewer’s rather poor Danish skills – but besides that, some banter in between songs would have been inappropriate and wouldn’t have fit their music. Their poppy rock songs alone seized the key to the audience's hearts.
After winning the P3 award in 2010 and receiving many five and six-star ratings from Danish media, I Got You on Tape seem at times close to getting their own statue. And guess what, they can now add another five-star review to their list. These Danes are well on their way to becoming big names on the Nordic alternative scene. And with their recent tour through Europe and a few gigs in the US, maybe even beyond that.
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