Photo taken from Oh Land’s Facebook.
Danish singer Nanna Øland Fabricius aka OH LAND stopped by in Berlin‘ Franzz Club to promote her newest album Earth Sick. With her music being more and more experimental and less candy pop, you can hear the artistic transition during her live sets – there is no real line to follow the musical content. It is a ride from heartache to heaven adn down to earth again. And Nanna herself? She enjoys every minute of the journey.
Where are we?
The Franzz Club is located in the Kulturbrauerei, a cultural centre in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg. The whole place consists of a few buildings filled with bars, clubs and other venues. Before you reach the final gig room you pass another one where people are having dance classes. Do not get confused, there is some kind of audience melting happening in this place, but in the end it is about the art. The Franzz Club itself is a nice, comfortable room. Not to small, not to big. Perfect for an intimate performance.
The best moment of the show
Mrs. Øland had some serious fun on stage, was always able to catch the audience and make them all sing along. But the highlight of the show did not happen on stage – it happened in the middle of the crowd. Suddenly people split to make some room and the singer went down with her guitarist to perform a beautiful acoustic version of her ballad I Will Love You Better. Minimalistic, personal and pure.
The worst moment of the show
Well, there is not much to criticize about a performance where it is really about the music. No too-fancy outfits, no big show, just a couple of songs played live by a totally sweet and honest person. Nanna Øland Fabricius jumped around and did not even look tired, although she carried a very special someone with her during the whole gig. It was a big mixture of musical sounds which where riding somewhere between airplay and experimental pop, including some light electronic influences. Die-hard fans were prepared for that, each album of the singer is very different from one another. There was no real musical string to follow.
How was the audience?
It is difficult to say if every single person on the crowd had a great day or OH LAND just has the talent to make them feel high and come together, but her fans are amazing! Each verse the singer demanded to hear from the audience she got back. Loud and proud. More than a few times. All of them had fun that night – the girl, the band, the crowd. The bar keepers definitely as well.
Can we recommend future live shows by the artist?
Belovers of pop tunes with a certain individuality in lyrics and melodies will find their place in OH LAND’s world. Indeed it is difficult in some point. Her stories are not always about love, but also about nature or being a human being on earth. You also have to like a bit of experimental sound to go with the singer’s flow. Still, do not seek for a whole list catchy hits like Sun Of A Gun or Head Up High, they are unique in the set.
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