Nearly a year after selling out their two concerts in the Tivoli, Wardruna is back for another sold-out show, and this time they brought a supporting band from the ByNorse label.

Kaunan is a collaboration between three artists: Oliver S. Tyr is the frontman for German folk-band Faun, Boris Köller is an Austrian painter and composer specialising in the Nyckelharpe, and Göran Hallmarken is an exceptional Swedish hurdy-gurdy player. Together they present the audience with a celebration of traditional Nordic folk music, often blending two songs together in their composition. While the melodies are mostly driven by the Nyckelharpe, the hurdy-gurdy and bouzouki add up to an unexpectedly full sound, and the waltzes and polkas are lively and crisp. The band has great audience interaction and likes to explain the meaning of the songs, as well as giving the audience some tongue-in-cheek reminders that they finally managed, after nine years, to make an album. They certainly caught on with the attendees, as the length and sheer volume of the applause convinced them to play an encore.

Then it was time for Wardruna to once again enthrall and delight the audience. The opening with the bronze lures is magnificent as ever, and on the whole, the set list and presentation was mostly the same as the previous tour. However the energy and atmosphere were different, more like a welcoming of old friends than a shiny new tour, and the audience lived and breathed every word and every note. Einar Selvik himself remarked towards the end that playing in the Netherlands feels like coming home. Musically the band was on point, as usual, with the percussions, woodwind instruments, horn, taglharpe, lyre, and nyckelharpe giving a solid foundation for the vocal prowess of not only Einar’s solos and the ensemble singing, but also the stunning voice of Lindy-Fay.

While the entire show was well performed, the majority of the audience interaction came towards the end, and the obvious passion for the music inspired the audience to even greater enthusiasm. They chanted along to the ever-popular “Helvegen,” the song of singing the dying to the other side, and the ensuing applause was so great that Einar felt compelled to give an encore. He concluded the show with a preview to his now-released EP Snake Pit Poetry (ByNorse), which contains music and poetry he composed for the hit tv-series Vikings (History Channel). No matter what musical futures lie ahead for Wardruna, the audience present for this show will welcome the band back with open arms.

WORDS BY LORRAINE LYSEN

PHOTOS BY SUSANNE A. MAATHUIS PHOTOGRAPHY