Brikkuni Live at City Theatre

 

As one approaches the City Theatre, the sound of locals shouting becomes louder, leading the way like the star of Bethlehem.

City Theatre is a sterile place, the hotel-like lobby is peculiarly devoid of character. Attendees must climb several flights of stairs to get to the theatre. The standing area is modern and plain, however an effort has been made to liven it up with projected shapes and movie clips running on a loop on the stage backdrop.

At 9.50pm, Alex Alden takes to the stage with percussionist Luke Briffa. Alden’s powerful mastery of vocals is complemented by the country/blues style of music she plays. Her lyrics and the way she sings present the image of an older songwriter. Despite her use of just two instruments, the depth of sound produced is of many more. Alden clearly understands music to the point where she is able to deconstruct it to a bare minimum without sounding empty. She would be very well-suited to performing in a piano bar in some downtown cosmopolitan city. She is young but so obviously comfortable on stage on her own.

 At 10.51pm the main act begins. Brikkuni are a large outfit, with more performers than a standard band. The five guys on stage and the backing vocalists are joined by Mario Vella, the mastermind behind Brikkuni, swaying and bouncing around in the spotlight like a simian pop star.

The first song is about kannoli. I thought I had misheard the lyrics but no, “kannoli bla krema” are indeed the lyrics. The audience really loves this band. The standing area is totally full, and as each song ends the crowd claps and sways boisterously. It is immediately apparent that the crowd is just as much a part of the gig as the performers on stage. Mario doesn’t announce the names of songs, he doesn’t even need to as the audience recognizes them and sings along.

Brikkuni use a strong bluesey bassline with rhythmic drums, joined by several guitarists (I count 7 guitars on stage), 2 synthesizers, 2 trumpets and a violin. The result is a deep and overpowering sound, sometimes like a fanfare or local band club – very noisy and invasive. The crowd loves it. And Mario is something else. His endless energy is reflected by the crowd, as he jumps around they jump around too, in a hypnotic spiral of movement.

The difficulty in using Maltese lyrics is that they tend to be very aggressive and monotonous. Mario’s lyrics and delivery are certainly aggressive, but he uses this to his advantage because together with the depth of sound from the band, the music and vocals come together. The political songs are like a chant for an angry mob.  This aggression is a result of Mario’s use of ultra-Maltese elements (lyrics, topic, band-club arrangement) which suggest that Brikkuni have something to prove - that a band can be Maltese and also be successful; although to date only one band has been signed to a major record label, and they use English-language lyrics. Each song screams “Jien Malti u kburi” (translation: I am Maltese and proud) – and this is why the crowd loves them. It is an identification of spirit. 

Mario’s handling of his own vocals is precise, he only comes off as harsh when he intends to, and he can also hit a few high notes. Mostly, he is on key and very accurate with the use of tone, varying it according to the demand of the song. The sound is very traditional, due to the choice of instruments and the theme.

The large stage is fully-occupied with 10 people most of the time. They are comfortably clustered in little groups, almost like patrons sitting at little tables in a band club. 

The projections change with each song, moving from scenes of urban transport and commuting to vintage Popeye dance routines and an idolization of Arnie Schwarzenegger’s muscle man routine. I am unsure if each clip complements its corresponding song because they could easily be interchanged; however they add character to the room and the music. The most memorable was Popeye and Olive Oyl dancing to Il-Bar ta’ Taht il-Knisja, as the crowd sang along, perfectly may I add. The different layers of the performance – the projections, the band, and the crowd – were very entertaining because of their unifying theme.

Photos: (1) Brikkuni Facebook page; (2, 3, 4) personal photos

When: 15th March 2013

Where: City Theatre, Valletta

Who: Alex Alden, Brikkuni

Price: 8e

The Shh Live at Coach & Horses

Around a hundred people gathered at Coach & Horses for a relaxed evening of live music by local band The Shh. The Shh are (two-thirds of the Beangrowers) composed of Alison Galea on vocals, guitar and synthesizer, and Ian Schranz on bass, drums and vocals. The Shh can be summarised as sweet summery music with pretty melodies and moody lyrics. This gig on the home shore is a precursor to their Italian tour, where they will be playing to audiences in Palermo, Catania and Syracusa, among others. In accordance with custom, the gig starts late at 10:14pm. 

Tonight they will be playing tracks from their EP The Burning Love and other songs. They start with ‘All Things With Love’, a happy indie pop tune, one appropriate for summer cruising and beach barbeques. Using well-spaced and simple but not simplistic chords, The Shh surreptitiously transform the venue into an open air stage at sunset. Alison’s vocals are spot-on as usual, her high notes are reached without strain. Ian's deep voice occasionally joins in providing a contrast.
The Shh introduce a strong eighties vibe on the synthesizer and bass guitar in ‘Song for Now’, which begins like a power ballad. The tracks are very similar in terms of lyrics and theme,  as well as the repeated use of oohs and aahs reminiscent of 60s pop songs, however they are different enough to keep the audience attentive. 

‘Antichrist of love’ begins in a sultry, whispery tone from Alison; the power of her voice gradually increases as Ian joins in. This more serious song about heartbreak is set apart from the other light-hearted tracks by its slower tempo. An area where The Shh continually excel is in describing emotion through music, both with the chords and tempo they choose and their lyrics. These lyrics match the sound perfectly, complimented here by Alison’s powerful high notes at the climax of the song. 

Ian takes a seat at the drums to perform percussion on ‘Just Like You’, another cute 70s style pop song that reminds me of the Monkees. It's great to see some good music coming out of just two musicians. Of course they are the indie royalty of the Maltese Islands, rising to fame as the Beangrowers and now, minus their regular bassist, as The Shh.The duo continue to impress the audience with tracks that can easily stand alone as singles, and this is true for ‘Written in the stars’. The catchy chorus and bouncy drum beat makes this one a stand out track. 

Around halfway through the performance, The Shh played a cover of ‘Nightcall’ by Kavinsky & Lovefoxx. I felt it was an odd choice of song to cover because, despite its irresistible catchiness, the song is rather downbeat. I wouldn’t like to typecast them, but The Shh do upbeat so well that it seems a shame to go for a demure sound. The cover was a very faithful rendition of the original, and while not bad at all, didn't bring the summery goodness of The Shh. 

‘Burning love’ is the title track from The Shh’s EP. It is another slow song that deviates from the upbeat side of The Shh into the dark side of the moon. It follows Nightcall aptly with a continuation of eighties synthesizer chords and slow drums, however it is not a stand out track.  
The penultimate track is ‘So over’, a dull song about breakup that is actually the first track of the 5 on the EP. For the first time the vocals from Ian and Alison don’t harmonize, creating a jarring intro to the song. The guitar and drums are perfectly good but the vocals kind of ruin the song. The reprise towards the end serves as an awkward pause that confuses the audience into thinking the song is so over, but then it returns for another round of the chorus. I am unimpressed but the audience has clearly enjoyed it, cheering loudly. 

Setlist pilfered from the scene

The final track revives the eighties-sounding synth wave that The Shh have mastered and blended into a modern pop sound. ‘God Hates Us’ is a sad song which picks up the synth-pop sound laid down in ‘Nightcall’. The lyrics here are serious and sad but hopeful. The harmony of Alison’s vocals at a higher pitch than Ian’s are soulful and resonating. There is a great little interlude in the middle of the  song where the soft synth stands alone. It was a wise decision to end the night on this darker side of The Shh, as they began with the lighthearted pop and gradually matured into grown-up emotions.  

It would be easy to assume The Shh are nothing more than a summery pop band, but they have shown that they can also achieve a more serious tone. Playing music both from their EP and other non-EP tracks, The Shh have brought a little sunshine to a dark winter night.

Photos: (1) The Shh Facebook page, (2,3,4) personal photos

When: 7th March 2013

Where: Coach & Horses, Msida

Who: The Shh

Price: 3e