The surroundings are akin to a stately home hastily converted for tonight's show, with black speakers out of place next to the crystal chandeliershanging above our heads, but despite the decor it feels like a welcomingrelaxed place to be, an almost festival like atmosphere with half of crowdsitting at the front near the stage and rest squeezed in to get the best view.
Having savoured the slow sweet Americana of the support act, THE BELLES,the night has already been a success. Declaring their intentions from thestart: "Hi we're the Belles, we play sad pretty songs for ya." Christopher Tolle the lead singer has the appearance ofa 70's science student, but with writing partner Jake Cardwell the chemistry gels and they perform some of the most lush sweet home made Kansas tunes. The songs flow brightly and prove along side bands like Wheat,you don't have flex your muscles to win over a crowd and this set us up for nicely for MAGNET.
Even Johansen is the font man of Magnet, he appears quietly to the
stage without a grand fanfare, he greets the crowd like old friends
rather than a room of strange faces, "Good evening is anyone alright?" Heasks, taking his phone out and realising he has a missed call from his wife,he stops "just a sec" after a quick redial he requests the crowd "say hello", we're only too happy to oblige. "Can someone hold this in front of the speaker?" he asks and the gig begins.
"Everything is Perfect", the same song starts the set. Magnet's fragile and mournful debut album 'On your side', filling the room with a haunting atmospheric melancholy. After all, this is Even is in his element, the Norwegian singer/songwriter is from the top drawer. He plays a lap steel guitar without sounding too country,
mixing in a sample without sounding to electronic, but he manages to get his voice to echo effecievtively thoughtout the small and intimate Bush Hall.
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The band join after a few solo songs and add a real backbone and
grandeur to tonight's concert; the story behind the bands name is that after suffering iron deficiency Johansen was advised by his doctor to have a tattoo depicting a magnet which was thought to attract the iron to his body.
Johansen perches on a high stool before a screen showing
short movies of middle America and New york, invented skies, film reels that burn in and out and finally the story leads us to the album coverartwork. These images really add to the beauty of the music being performed tonight.
Half way through the set Even still needs assurance that the gig's
working and asks if his wife, who is still on the phone is
"enjoying it?" The answer is an assured "yes", but he knows the crowd is already on his side.
Eight songs have already passed when 'Smile To The World' arrives, which has an eerie charm similar to Thom Yorke's voice. it has an energy-charged, emotive vocal which soars and sways around our heads.
"Thanks for coming and thanks for staying," he says. We fear the set is heading to the end, and after a brief exit he returns with 'Nothing hurts now'. By this time the crowd has crept forward and was hanging (magnetised) sucked in to every note that Even was singing.
It is so easy to compare Even to a Norwegian Ryan Adams, this evening is his night, full of passion and magic to fulfil the promise of his debut album 'On Your Side' which for tonight's show is truly alive.
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