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support Fireside
author PP date 15/10/23 venue Lille Vega, Copenhagen, DEN

At first, it was just a solid announcement. The legendary Quicksand coming over for a rare Copenhagen gig. Then just a few weeks ahead of the concert, the band revealed that they would be performing their seminal 1993 album "Slip" in its entirety and that Stephen Brodsky of Cave In fame would be filling in on guitar. Both are excellent reasons to purchase a ticket if the initial announcement wasn't enough. But, as we all know in Copenhagen, Sunday shows can be tough: Lille Vega is barely half full despite vital rock music history being performed here tonight.

Fireside

Fun fact about Fireside: vocalist Kristofer Åström started the band in the early 1990s after listening to a Quicksand EP and decided to start a band that sounded sort of like that. Tonight's supporting slot for Quicksand playing "Slip" is therefore a full circle of sorts. They've been around the block quite a bit stylistically, having played everything from post-hardcore to pop punk to indie rock during their career. Tonight, their first two songs are sacrificed to a dire sound where the guitar drowns everything underneath and the vocals echo somewhere in the background. The backing vocals by Kate Breidener can't be heard at all.

Fortunately, things improve by the third song where they demonstrate some of the aforementioned indie rock with some alternative rock flair. At this point, I'm ready to write them off, but I'm glad I didn't, as their set slowly progresses and their sound wins you over with its subtle depth. It's a grower, as some might say.

The older, heavier post-hardcore pieces are awesome: "Smokerboy" is an early highlight full of emotional charge. It's loud, and abrasive and features off-tune, unpolished melodies, which are coupled with passionate percussion (the drummer has to lose his shirt due to sweating so much) and small, but energetic movement by the rest of the band.

Some moments echo Jimmy Eat World's emo-laden late 90s alternative rock, and elsewhere their soundscape draws parallels to the likes of Fightstar and Funeral For A Friend in places (and other bands from the mid-2000s Give It A Name festival era). The heavier material is better and more interesting than the indie rock stuff, because it hooks you in right away, and luckily these are also in the majority tonight.

They do a weird encore where everyone goes off the stage except the drummer, who calls everyone a dinosaur and explains that's why he's up there talking while they're taking a breather. He's a new guy in the band, apparently. At 50 minutes, the Fireside warmup slot feels a tad long though, but their sound sure made me curious to check out their back catalogue.

Quicksand playing "Slip"

Full album shows are my favorite, especially when it's classic records with songs that essentially never get played live these days. In Quicksand's case, "Slip" was never a huge commercial success, but it was one of the foundational albums within post-hardcore that went onto influence countless bands that came after them. To get to witness it live in its full glory is a rare and awesome opportunity, and as such, the Sunday crowd is electric from the get-go.

The album opener "Fazer" launches the crowd into a sing-along straight away. Walter Schreifels delivers his vocals pitch-perfect as if they were recorded yesterday, while the guest star Stephen Brodsky takes it all in by going crazy together with bassist Sergio Vega in the background. Smoke effects fill the room, creating an ethereal ambiance while the two thrash against each other behind Schreifels. The crowd is in near-ecstasy with people throwing their hands in the air as if they were just saved by Jesus Christ.

"Head To Wall", for example, is one big sing-along. "Dine Alone" likewise draws a huge reaction, especially during its "concentrate on what people say" bits. The title track "Slip" reminds us how cool its riffs are, while my personal favorite, "Freezing Process" shows how an unforgettable post-hardcore melody should be done.

The band is playing the songs non-stop without uttering a word in between, which fortifies the atmosphere even more. It's a special moment for many, which is obvious when you browse the audience and look at the smiles and looks of passion on everyone's faces. Thankfully, Quicksand is equally energetic on stage, where Brodsky and Vega are in constant movement, exchanging positions behind Schreifels and causing all sorts of havoc. Whenever possible, Schreifels joins them during instrumental bits, where especially "Baphomet" proves to be a sight to behold.

The sound is perfect, so the album sounds exactly as you remember it sounding like on the record. The band's energy on stage is fantastic, which makes for an awesome experience, especially during the segments where they go mental together.

"Thank you". These are all the words said by the band at the end of "Transparent" to finish off the album set.

Once the record is done, it's time for a combination of new material and classics. "Lightning Field" and "Colossus" are aired from the excellent "Distant Populations" from two years ago, before the band deep-dive into their 1995 album "Manic Compression" and finish off with a trio of "Thorn In My Side", which draws a sing-along, "Landmine Spring", and "Delusional" after a short encore.

Lille Vega might have been only half-full tonight, and a 23:30 finish is a bit much for a Sunday, but it's not every day you get such a solid performance of a post-hardcore classic from the years gone by. Consider yourself having missed out, if you didn't attend this one.

Setlist:

• 1. Fazer
• 2. Head to Wall
• 3. Dine Alone
• 4. Slip
• 5. Freezing Process
• 6. Lie and Wait
• 7. Unfulfilled
• 8. Can Opener
• 9. Omission
• 10. Baphomet
• 11. Too Official
• 12. Transparent
• 13. Lightning Field
• 14. Colossus
• 15. Thorn in My Side
• 16. Landmine Spring
• --Encore--
• 17. Delusional