Post Description

Sigur Rós 

Paradiso 
Amsterdam 
The Netherlands 

28th August 2012 (2012-08-28) 


RECORDING: 

Type: Audience master, recorded 2½ metres back from the left-hand side PA stack. 

Source: Factory-matched pair of Schoeps CCM 41V microphones (DINa mounted) -> Marantz PMD661 recorder with Oade Concert Mod (-18 dB gain/44.1 kHz/24 bit WAV) 

Lineage: Audacity 2.0.0 
* applied minor amplification 
* attenuated sections of loud applause 
* added fades 
* split tracks 
* converted to 16 bit 
-> FLAC (compression level 8) [libFLAC 1.2.1 20070917] 

Taper: Ian Macdonald (ianmacd) 


SET LIST: 

01. [07:59] Í Gær 
02. [09:09] Ný Batterí 
03. [06:37] Vaka 
04. [11:00] Svefn-G-Englar 
05. [07:24] Sæglópur 
06. [10:03] Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása 
07. [07:38] Olsen Olsen 
08. [06:31] Hoppípolla/Með Blóðnasir 
09. [07:52] Festival 
10. [06:33] Varúð 
11. [07:39] Hafsól 
12. [02:00] [encore break] 
13. [06:20] Ekki Múkk 
14. [00:41] Glósóli (false start) 
15. [06:41] Glósóli 
16. [14:54] Popplagið 
17. [01:56] [curtain call] 

Total running time: 120:56 

NOTES: 

After a month spent hiking over the remote, beautiful hills and combing the 
secluded beaches of Shetland, there can't be a more fitting gig to return home 
for than that of Sigur Rós, themselves returning to live work after a four 
year hiatus. Jónsi's solo work was pleasant filler in the interim, but this is 
the real thing. 

Although it felt as if I hadn't been to a gig for several months, it had 
really only been a little over one month. Actually, it hadn't even been that 
long, because whilst in Shetland, I went to see Maggie Adamson and Brian 
Nicholson playing at the Fiddle Frenzy in Lerwick's Garrison Theatre (a gig I 
sadly wasn't able to tape). 

After a month of 16°C or lower, Amsterdam feels horribly muggy. The Sigur Rós 
gig had sold out within minutes and I knew it was going to be packed to the 
rafters tonight. 

The last time the band were here, they played in the much larger Heineken 
Music Hall and easily filled it. This time, rather surprisingly, the band have 
instead opted for two nights in the Paradiso. Given the paucity of dates the 
band are playing on the European leg of their tour, I feel extremely lucky 
that they have chosen to play not one, but two of them in Amsterdam. 

The band take to the stage at 20:30 sharp with no support. It's nice to see 
that they have swollen to include a string section again, along with some 
brass. The stage is packed with musicians and equipment. Bassist Georg Hólm's 
younger brother, none other than For A Minor Reflection's Kjartan Hólm, 
replaces Kjartan Sveinsson on this tour, the latter having had enough of 
touring. 

For every fan, there's a unique, ideal set-list; but it's never the one 
actually played. Tonight, however, the chosen repertoire comes close to 
approximating my dream set-list for the band. Off the top of my head, I can't 
think of any changes I would make. Or is that just because I can never 
remember the titles? 

Old material nestles harmoniously next to new, the transitions from one period 
to the next effortless and natural. Surprisingly, new album 'Valtari' donates 
only two of its eight tracks to the cause tonight. 

It's hard to pick highlights, the band peaking during the first number and not 
letting up until the lights came up after the customary curtain call. 

If I had to choose highlights, I would picky 'Sæglópur' and 'Hoppípolla', my 
personal favourites. After those had been performed, everything else was 
merely icing on the cake. 

The set was closed with an astonishingly powerful, fifteen minute rendition of 
'Popplagið' that has the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end as I 
listen to it now on the recording. It's a veritable avalanche of sound, Jónsi 
thrashing the guitar with his bow, bass and drums thundering the song along to 
its inevitable cathartic crescendo, heralded by brass. Dazzling. 

My batteries were running on vapour by the end of the two hour set. I didn't 
think I was going to make it to the end, but somehow stayed afloat to catch 
everything. Bless you, NiMH. 

The Paradiso was roasting hot last night. I was glad to get out onto the 
street and bike home for a cold shower before mastering the gig. 

Very little has been done to the recording, because very little was needed. 
I've attenuated some audience noise between songs, but the supercardioids did 
a good job of that at source, anyway. 

The band were mixed to perfection and the recording reflects this. There's not 
much I can say about this record of the gig, other than that it sounds 
fantastic to my ears, on a par with the Patti Smith recording I made in the 
same venue before the summer holiday. 

This recording is, without a shadow of a doubt, amongst my very best work. I 
have no hesitation whatsoever in strongly encouraging you to worsen your share 
ratio to acquire it. And, should there be any doubt in your mind, samples are 
provided to whet your appetite. 

I'll be back in the Paradiso again this evening for more of the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WQX4Tgxfao
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPeyOUwLo7g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsemWq8ahmo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZnm0r7AZy8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4hgtUZWqgA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjvoy8PQJj0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjdyjFE4kqc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjm43DqSuBc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl1czRyFJx0