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
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