By DJ Astrocreep
Another visit to Manchester, this time to take in the traditional folk and black metal stylings of Myrkur, the stage name of Danish talent Amalie Braun. with a single, previously unknown support, there was likely to be a lot to learn and delight in through the evening.
It has been a long while since a support act has enraptured a crowd in the manner that Johnathan Hultén does this evening. For someone supporting who is not a well known name in their own right, he immediately commands silence around the room, with a nature based stage scene, with flowers and wreathes aplenty across the stage and adorning the microphone stands.
Starting acapella with a mixture of harmonic, chorus and echo effects, he immediately spellbinds the entire audience. With three incense sticks burning away, the ambience is just perfect for what feels like a spiritual vision or a shamanic ritual. He brings out an acoustic guitar for some of the tracks, demonstrating a huge level of skill with this, too, adding an even greater air to the entire scene. An absolutely fantastic choice as support.
Now for Myrkur… sometimes the hardest job you can have is to convey in words the beauty of such a performance. Blending blast beats with soft, delicate folk music is not an easy task, but it is one that Braun manages with such ease, even in a live setting, that it seems almost effortless. It’s the sign of someone truly at the height of their powers to perform on such a manner and is a symbol of just how much a master of a craft she is. The entire set, backdrop and the band are so carefully curated and talented that the sum is the perfect foil for the mercurial talents of Braun.
From soft, harmonious folk, we are not too long in the waiting to be drawn into some of Braun’s heavier end, though we don’t get much sight of the more devilish side, though her impish humour does shine through on a couple of occasions when speaking briefly between a couple of songs.
While the likes of ‘Mothlike’, ‘Devil In The Detail’ and ‘The Serpent’ are pretty much must haves in the set, we get a first as Braun calls on also highly talented support artist Hultén to join her for a traditional folk song, something special for Manchester, as she says. It’s clear that she has a lot of love for the city and that is reciprocal, as the love just rebounds both ways.
Braun is absolutely spellbinding and the silence accompanying even the most delicate parts of her music is testament to just how captivated we all are.
An absolutely mesmerizing evening of incredible poise and music.
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