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Opening act: The Black Angels
Concert Start: 22.15 Encore: 23.45 End: 23.55

When Wolfmother takes the stage at Berns in Stockholm, it is the beginning of a tumultuous couple of hours. As the band launches in to Dimension, I immediately realize that due to the very low stage, and the fact that everyone in the audience but me is 10 feet tall, I won’t be able to see a thing. So the first four or five songs are ruined while the missus and I search for a spot where we can actually see the band. Finally we end up next to the bar where you can stand on the little foot rest that runs alongside the counter.

When Ian Peres fires up the organ intro to White Unicorn, I can finally get in to the show. Speaking of Mr. Peres, he’s sporting an afro much like singer and band leader Andrew Stockdale, and is playing the organ and bass like mad, especially during show highlight Colossal, and closing number Joker and the Thief, where Peres is actually standing ON the organ while playing.

The band sound great, and I must say I really like this new incarnation of Wolfmother. The addition of a rhythm guitar really fills out the sound. Aidan Nemeth plays a Les Paul Gold Top with P90’s most of the show – nice choice!

Apple Tree was one of my favorite songs from the show. The intensity was great, with Stockdale wailing away Jack White style. I also really enjoyed Back Round, especially the break where Stockdale sing “The tickets sold and the man got rich with a seven year itch…”. Towards the end of the concert my right arm was getting so tired, since I had to use it to hold on to the bar while balancing on the foot rest in order to see good. I would hoist myself up during the songs, and then rest during the fairly long breaks between songs.

Andrew Stockdale is an amazing front man. His singing is great, and his guitar playing is out of this world. It wasn’t until I saw Wolfmother live that I realized that Andrew use a Whammy pedal for many of his guitar solos. I find it funny how I am somehow drawn to practitioners of this fine guitar effect like Jack White and The Edge. Stockdale is feeding off the audience’s energy and plays most solos at the edge of the stage, and takes every chance he gets to make the audience wave their hands in the air and clap along.

For the last song of the encore, Joker and the Thief, Stockdale, as well as Peres goes mad, playing his guitar above his head and making the guitar spin around his torso on the guitar strap. He doesn’t seem to want to leave the stage and stays on to play a melody on the organ after the other members have left. Unfortunately I can’t remember what song it was that he played. I tried to tape the show on my iPhone in order to get the setlist, but it shut off without me noticing, so I don’t have the full setlist, but it seemed quite similar to the sets they’ve been playing during the fall of last year, and previously on this European tour. The most notable difference was that they didn’t play Far Away, which I thought was always in their set.

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On this last day of 2009, I’d like to list my five favorite albums of the year, in no particular order.

Band of Skulls – Baby Darling Doll Face Honey
This is what The White Stripes would sound like if they were a three piece. I love the vocal interplay between guitarist Russell Marsden and bassist Emma Richardson, and Russell’s guitar sounds are great. Favorite track: Death By Diamonds and Pearls

Chickenfoot – Chickenfoot
This was a surprise to me. I had no expectations whatsoever on this album, but it turned out to be really great. You can tell that they’re really enjoying themselves. I can’t imagine that neither Van Halen or Red Hot Chili Peppers could pull off an album this vibrant at this stage in their careers. It just goes to show what working with new people can do for your inspiration. Favorite track: Future in the Past

The Dead Weather – Horehound
Jack White’s third band The Dead Weather put out a dirty blues-rock album. This is one of those albums that needs time to grow, but once you get familiarized with it, it is fantastic. I find myself listening to it at least once a week. Favorite track: Treat Me Like Your Mother

Muse – The Resistance
Just like Horehound, The Resistance needs time to grow. But it turns out that Matt Bellamy and Co have once again created a masterpiece. Favorite track: Uprising

Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
I love the electro-rock sound they’ve taken on with this album. Favorite track: Lucid Dreams

I’ve had this album since mid September but I’ve held out on reviewing it because frankly, I hated it at first. I guess I was really expecting Black Holes and Revelations part 2, and was quite surprised by the bombastic sound present in almost all songs on The Resistance.

That being said, deep down I knew that there was no way Matthew Bellamy and Co had messed up so badly. The greatness had to be there somewhere, so I kept listening and searching for clues. Gradually, the album grew on me, and the final push was when I saw Muse live three weeks ago. Finally I understood the brilliance that is The Resistance!

The strongest song on the album is probably the first single, Uprising. This uptempo anthem is sure to be a Muse live favorite, along with the title track. But what really defines the album for me is the three part symphony that closes The Resistance, Exogenesis. Here we get fantastic string arrangements mixed with Matt’s charismatic voice, as well as classical themes mixed with the heavy rock Muse is known for. It’s a bold move by a rock band to write a symphony, but Muse pulls it off. When I saw Muse live they opened with the first part of Exogenesis, and it was one of my favorite parts of the concert. I wish they would perform the entire symphony live!

So for the people that didn’t get The Resistance yet – go get it, you won’t be disappointed!

Jump to: Setlist (w/ videos) Pictures Videos

Note: Click on the links in the setlist to see videos of almost all songs from the concert!

It’s hard to believe how many good concerts there’s been this year, and The Dead Weather was yet another one. It was originally scheduled to take place at Cirkus at midnight, but was moved to Kägelbanan, due to a “scheduling conflict”. I’d say due to lack of ticket sales. But that was all fine with me, because Kägelbanan is a really intimate venue that takes no more than 500 guests.

I stood in the second row, on Jack Lawrence’s side, and had a great view of the stage. The band took the stage to Sure ‘Nuff ‘N Yes, I Do by Captain Beefheart. First song was Horehound opening track 60 Feet Tall. Nice touch to open with a slow blues that gradually builds to a frenzy. This was followed by Hang You From The Heavens, and now the crowd went nuts! From this moment on I was crushed against the people in the front row for the rest of the concert. But I didn’t care, it was just so great to see this band live for the first time, and particularly to see one of my absolute favorite musicians, Jack White. Speaking of Mr. White, for the third song, it was time for Jack to take center stage. Backed by a drum machine they did You Just Can’t Win, a b-side from the Treat Me Like Your Mother single. The drum machine was used a lot when it was time for Jack to sing, and I thought it was a really great solution. Judging from the sound it must have been a vintage type of drum machine, fitting for Jack’s appreciation of old style recording methods and vintage instruments. Every time they were going to use it Jack would turn away from the drums and fiddle with the drum machine for a while before it would start up! Much credit to The Dead Weather for not using any pre-recorded tracks which could have easily been done instead.

Alison Mosshart, rail-thin and wailing away, was a great lead singer. She was very intense, and you could tell that she got completely lost in the music. For the fourth song, which was the Mosshart penned So Far From Your Weapon, she donned her square white Gretsch guitar. …Weapon, which is one of my favorite songs off of Horehound sounded great in the slowed down version that they do live.

For A Child of a Few Hours Is Burning To Death one of the band’s roadies took over the skins for a while as Jack joined Alison on vocals. When done singing, Jack went back to the drums and continued the song. It is worth mentioning that just as when Jack White plays with The White Stripes, the roadies all wear suits and hats!

For main set closer, Will There Be Enough Water?, Jack White took center stage once again and shared lead vocals with Alison. Jack Lawrence took over the skins, and Dean Fertita played a mellow Fender Rhodes-esque piano. White did a great guitar solo and got so into it that he knocked over one of Dean’s guitars! The stage hands rushed out quickly to pick it up. Towards the end of the song, Jack and Alison kept singing “Just because you caught me, does that make it a sin?” far away from the microphone, their powerful voices carrying over the venue without amplification, at least for us in the front. It was a magical moment! Dean kept rocking the keyboard stand back and forth in beat with the music.

The encore featured what may have been the coolest guitar solo I’ve ever heard live. Accompanied by the drum machine once again, they played the new song I Can’t Hear You with Jack on guitar. The solo was just amazing. Jack was using his Whammy pedal to alternately raise and lower the pitch of the notes during the solo. He is truly the master and inventor of this technique, but I’ve never heard him go back and forth in pitch so much before. With The White Stripes he usually just raises the pitch an octave and leaves it there, but this was something completely different.

The last song of the night was Treat Me Like Your Mother, and the entire audience was jumping up and down. It was just so much fun, and I couldn’t stop smiling. As the band was thanking the audience I locked eyes with Jack and gave him a thumbs up. After the concert I had to go buy a Dead Weather shirt, mainly to have something to change in to, since my t-shirt got completely soaked during the concert!

We hung out in the bar having some beers after the show, and then we actually went outside and met the band as they were leaving. Jack and Alison both signed CD covers that I had brought, and they were both very nice. Jack said “I see we have a lot of Americans here”, commenting on the fact that three out of the six fans there were from the States. I told Alison that I really enjoyed the show and she said thank you and seemed genuinely happy to hear it. The only bummer was that neither one wanted to pose for a quick picture. But that’s alright, it was still one of the best concerts of the year, and I finally got to meet Jack White, briefly.

Setlist: (I’m not sure about the songs in parenthesis)

Start: 20:35

01. 60 Feet Tall
02. Hang You From The Heavens
03. You Just Can’t Win
04. So Far From Your Weapon
05. Bone House
06. (No Horse)
07. A Child of a Few Hours Is Burning To Death
08. Rocking Horse
09. No Hassle Night / I Just Want To Make Love To You – Snippet (Muddy Waters cover)
10. Jawbreaker
11. New Pony
12. Will There Be Enough Water?

Encore:
13. I Cut Like a Buffalo
14. I Can’t Hear You
15. Treat Me Like Your Mother

End: 21:55

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The following pictures were taken by majstoffe. Check out his great videos on YouTube!

Swedish newspaper reviews:
SvD | DN | Aftonbladet