Laurie Anderson, Nik Bärtsch & Eivind Aarset: Song Conversation

Guest Director Laurie Anderson’s high profile concert in the middle of Brighton Festival saw her play violin and sing alongside pianist Nik Bärtsch and guitarist Eivind Aarset. The trio performed their own pieces along with interpretations of other people’s songs and the music was uniformly strange and excellent. Anderson’s gorgeous violin effect manipulation and sweet vocals were a great counterpoint to Bärtsch’s melodic but disparate piano playing.

Bärtsch’s fantastic percussive piano bassline from the album ‘Lyria’ was a highlight of the evening, and Aarset’s guitar drones and effects were a nice backing, but the audience might have appreciated some more technical musicianship from such a talented performer. Ultimately, there wasn’t much conversation, which probably helped the musical flow of the concert but might have confused some audience members due to how the show was billed beforehand. Anderson’s cover of Lou Reed’s late song ‘Junior Dad’ was a beautiful tribute, illuminating the expert songwriter still present in his more divisive late output. The concert found the rare sweet spot between artistic experimentation and melodic accessibility, and was a fine feast for any music lover.

Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 17 May 2016

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