LIVE REVIEW: Ivar Bjørnson & Einar Selvik @ Islington Assembly Hall, London
Through their work with their main bands, ENSLAVED and WARDRUNA, Ivar Bjørnson and Einar Selvik are two of Norway’s most distinguished and respected musicians. Since being commissioned by their own government to create a musical piece in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian constitution in 2014, the pair have continued to collaborate and expand the project, leading to a short European tour with London’s famous Islington Assembly Hall serving as the only UK date on the run.
With no support acts, the focus tonight is all on Selvik and Bjørnson as these two juggernauts join forces. Their studio output oozes quality but any question marks surrounding whether the pair can replicate their folk-driven odes was instantly squashed as they begin the set with the title-track from last year’s stellar Hugsjá. And from there Bjørnson and Selvik dazzle, marvel and engulf the room through a wide pallet of rich and organic sounds.
Utilising a range of authentic Norse instruments, Ivar Bjørnson and Einar Selvik showed their prowess and backed by their bandmates, they provided an audio spectacle. Heavy drumming combines organically with Einar‘s soaring vocals on Fornjot and the subtle use of Silje Solberg‘s Hardanger-fiddle added an extra layer of emotion to proceedings. Acting more as a centre-piece on Ni Mødre av Sol, the strings intertwine beautifully with Selvik‘s crisp vocals, bringing many in attendance close to tears, whilst the upbeat tempo of Nordvegen added to the band’s momentum in the final third of the set.
Einar Selvik posed a humble figure on stage, taking ample moments to address the crowd providing context to many of the pieces, which only bolstered their impact, and his skill in performing with various instruments and delivering crisp and clean vocals was simply outstanding. So too was Ivar Bjørnson. Whilst Selvik often held most of the attention as the band’s primary vocalist, Bjørnson worked tirelessly behind the scenes, providing ample lines from his guitar and splashes of backing vocals when called upon. The chemistry between the duo was more than evident and it only further bolstered their live impact.
Given that both Bjørnson and Selvik have both enjoyed long and successful careers with their primary bands, the inclusion of covers of their bands was a expected but still a wonderful move. Their take on ENSLAVED‘s Return to Vggdrasil was simply gorgeous upon the ears whilst WARDRUNA‘s Fehu acted as a fine buffer between Kvervandi and Nordvegen, and finale Helvegen ended the performance on a resounding high. As the final notes of Helvegen fade and the packed venue erupts into thunderous applause, it marks the end of a special performance from two of Norway’s most distinguished and respected musicians. A show of special and extraordinary quality.
Rating: 10/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Karolina Janikunaite here:
