Baby Woodrose

support The Good The Bad
author BV date 30/05/15 venue Loppen, Copenhagen, DEN

It’s summertime or something very similar once again, meaning that it’s just the right time of year to get crammed in to a tightly packed Loppen to watch one of my all-time favorite bands perform a sold out show. Having seen Baby Woodrose play a sold out show at Loppen once before, I decided in advance that I would do all in my power to secure a favorable position where I’d actually be able to breathe whilst also enjoying the music, as Loppen shares many qualities with those of a sauna, once tightly packed. Supported by a band that has always intrigued me, yet I’ve never seen live, there seemed to be no question about getting stoked for the show – sauna-like conditions aside.

Unfortunately there are no photos available from the gig.

The Good The Bad

The Good The Bad initially intrigued me with the release of their debut album “From 001-017” which consisted of twisted spaghetti-western music and warped new-school flamenco sounds. That the band has since continued to intrigue me and maintain my interest is therefore also commendable – making it strange that this would be the very first time I would get to experience their live show – something they are actually quite renowned for. Playing a solid mix of tracks from all three of their albums, it was entirely evident that Adam Olsson, Manoj Ramdas and Johan Lei Gellett are quite the powerhouse when on stage together. Everything, from the positioning of Gellett’s drum-kit at the very front of the stage, to the wild demeanor on stage made for an energy-laden performance which, in spite of minor technical issues, progressed remarkably well. “It’s up and down in show-business” remarked Adam Olsson as Manoj Ramdas went off stage to procure a new string for his guitar – ending up with a borrowed guitar instead, as the show had to go on. There’s something to be said of The Good The Bad’s music and that is the remarkably catchy quality of it. There are no vocals, yet the melodies of each track tend to stick to mind for extended periods of time after listening. This, coupled with the band-members’ superiorly cocky attitude on stage made for a remarkable show that I don’t doubt most people in attendance will remember fondly.

Baby Woodrose

Following The Good The Bad’s rowdy show, Baby Woodrose went on stage to great applause from a now fully-packed, sweating Loppen. Opening with the words; “are you ready for the sauna?”, the band kicked off with “Information Overload” – a track I have come to grow quite fond of in the live setting, as it contains just the right kind of punch to kick off a show. Following up immediately with a barrage of well-known tracks like “Disconnected” and “Let Yourself Go” the band was cutting loose and taking the crowd with them on a sweaty journey through most of the band’s repertoire. With the inclusion of an old On Trial song (the title of which complete eludes me), the band went on a trip through time that had more than a few of the attendees floating away to either fond memories of On Trial as a band, or simply the period of their lives associated with the track. It was a powerful performance, and one quite welcome in a set which usually has its ‘must play’ tracks.

That, however, would not be what the night was all about. As front-man Lorenzo Woodrose stated that this would not be an evening of hits, he instead announced that the band would try something new; eventually working their way through four brand new tracks. One of those, “Mind Control Machine”, sounded like the bastard child of the “Money For Soul” and “Third Eye Surgery” recording sessions – resulting in a spaced-out, highly acidic garage rock track with a catchy riff, memorable melodies and a killer vibe. Another one of the four was a re-worked cover of the traditional called “Freedom” or “Motherless Child”. With a version the band claimed leaned on the one performed by Richie Havens’ performance at Woodstock, the band pummeled through a lengthy ode to freedom, complete with fuzz, echoing vocals and an unmistakable drive that made the track fit perfectly into the set-list as if the band had actually written it themselves. What defined the four new tracks the most was the energy they were delivered with – leading me to amass a tiny sense of hope of them being recorded as a full band instead of the way the most recent Baby Woodrose albums have been recorded. I respect and adore the spirit of doing everything single-handedly, but I think these particular songs would benefit greatly from being recorded live.

As the band concluded their main set with crowd-pleasers like “Baby the World Ain’t Round, it’s Square” and “Born to Lose”, the vast majority of the crowd had not been entirely satisfied – yearning for more in spite of the heat wave that ran through the sweaty crowd. Returning for three encores, Baby Woodrose ran through the classic “Pouring Water” with a mild sense of ferocity which was only amplified further by the rambunctious “Live Wire” which I’ve never seen performed live – much to my surprise as it genuinely kicked ass with its face-melting riff and fast pace. Closing down the proceedings with the ultimate crowd-pleaser, “Blows Your Mind”, it’s hard to think that anyone would leave Loppen disappointed after a show like that. It might not have been a hit parade, but a band this tight can never really disappoint – nor did they. The new songs were a very pleasant surprise and I’m looking forward to hearing the end result of how they’ll turn out.

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