Gåte @ Privatclub Berlin

18.12.2024 Privatclub Berlin, Germany

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Wednesday evening in Berlin – not ideal conditions for a concert in a city teeming with options. And if you’re a band performing there for the first time, it’s even more difficult, even if you might be familiar with them from this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – something GÅTE unfortunately had to realize. First of all, their show was moved from the larger Columbia Theater to the Privatclub, which unfortunately wasn’t really full either.

In front of a still sparse audience, the evening started earlier than the tickets said – there was no communication that the band’s own nyckelharpa player JOHN STENERSEN would be opening the evening as support. So anyone who hadn’t heard about it on social media unfortunately missed out and missed a wonderful set full of traditional sounds.

While John is better known on stage with his moraharpa at Wardruna, you could enjoy him here with his nyckelharpa and its pure sound – and even dance a little here and there. Even though there were supposed to be more people there, the applause was all the louder – it seemed that I wasn’t the only one who was delighted to have this kind of support band. John was visibly happy, as was everyone else – so you couldn’t have wished for a better start.

The changeover break on the small stage was very short, and then it was on and off with GÅTE – the intimate atmosphere did the gig good right from the start, the band’s energy was easily transferred to the audience, even if they couldn’t always sing along due to the language barrier and the fact that most of them didn’t speak Norwegian.

The setlist was a good mix of songs from the current album, which most people probably knew, judging by the faces – everything from nodding with pleasure to dancing and headbanging – and older songs. Of course, the current single “På Veg” was not to be missed and was well received – for me personally, not only this song is simply an absolute live song, but also the others. The band has an uncanny stage presence, unposed, natural and engaging – anyone who doesn’t get carried away and doesn´t get to know a whole new side of the songs was standing blind and deaf in the back row.

Everyone in the band was bursting with fun and energy, and a veritable firework display was set off with the songs on the setlist. There were fewer quiet moments, but these were then absorbed even more intensely – for example during “Førnesbrunen” or the very emotional “Liti Kjersti”, which was only performed by two people and yet somehow triggered goosebumps. But no matter which style was chosen, singer Gunnhild impressed with her vocal abilities and versatility. There are rarely singers with this extent of vocal volume and range anymore.

The only thing I found a bit unfortunate was that the sound of the nyckelharpa was often too quiet, even in songs that live from it – a good example of this problem would be “Bannlyst”, which not only shines with a great nyckelharpa start, but also always has solo parts in the course of the song. However, these were only heard comparatively quietly, which also took a little of the energy and flow out of the song as a whole.

All in all, however, it was definitely an evening to remember – the small hall, the wonderful and almost bubbling energy, Gunnhild in the audience, a great show…you could really wish for a repeat performance!

Setliste
Skavarne
Svarteboka
Knut Liten
På Veg
Førnesbrunen
Solfager og Ormenkongen
Hamløypar
Margit
Liti Kjersti (akustisch)
Stengd dør
Talande Tunger
Ulvehamn
—–
Bannlyst
Sjåaren