Gazpacho live @ O2 Academy Islington in London

Score: 9/10

What makes Gazpacho one of the greatest bands around might actually be what their name suggests: a perfect profusion of savoury sounds and styles blended with the finest finishing production.

They are a untraditionally prog band that mixes art rock, world music, folk, ambient rock, celtic, post rock and the list could on forever. Truth is, these guys from Norway definitely know what they are doing and proof is the perfect gig they delivered on the stage of the O2 Academy in Islington, London, on April 15.

Preceded by recording label mates Se Delan, who recently released their new album The Fall with KScope and offered a convincing opening with their solid one-hour show, Gazpacho changed the atmosphere of the entire venue when their first note (the intro from Death Room from their new album Demon) filled the air and the haunting tickling suggested Tick Tock as the opener with the huge clock on the big screen, which offered all along the show picturesque visual commentaries to the band’s multi-layered lyrical compositions.

MORE: OUR INTERVIEW TO GAZPACHO

Jan-Henrik’s soft, warm, delicate tenor took over every breathing particle and in the twinkle of an eye our souls were swept away by the richness that is Gazpacho’s music. Guitars, basses, drums, violins, keyboards, choirs, pipes, all of a sudden they all came together, dancing, intertwining, painting a shimmering weft… You wouldn’t believe their music could sound any better than what it does on CD, and yet their live executions deliver even more complexity and musical opulence, the acme of it being the rendering of the new tracks, which would seem quite difficult to perform in a live show, but, needless to say, it wasn’t the case, as the three songs (I’ve Been Walking, The Wizard of Altai Mountains and I’ve Been Walking Pt. 2) passed the test untarnished.

The alchemy between the audience and the band was very strong all along the show, as every single person in the public simply stood there in awe and it was so evident, by the end of the show, that more music was demanded that Jan-Henrik, Thomas, Jon-Arne, Lars, Mikael and Kristian granted a second encore with an extra song before saying goodbye.

One of the greatest music shows of the last years, highly recommended for live rock lovers.

Complete Set List:
Death Room Intro

Tick Tock, Part 1
Tick Tock, Part 2
Vulture

Golem
I’ve Been Walking
The Wizard of Altai Mountains

I’ve Been Walking (Part 2)

Winter Is Never

Splendid Isolation
Black Lily

Vera

Upside Down

Massive Illusion

Mary Celeste