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support SiM + Siamese
author AP date 01/02/24 venue Amager Bio, Copenhagen, DEN

We’re one month into the new year, and the concerts are already piling up. Next on my agenda is a band I’ve been meaning to see live in Denmark the last three times they visited our shores in 2017, 2018 and 2019, but failed to do for a variety of reasons: Nothing More. This time there are no other plans blocking the date, so I plot a course for Amager Bio and step onto my iron stallion, racing through the mild winter evening in order to be there on time for the opening act: Siamese. Although the venue is not close to its maximum capacity when I arrive, plenty of other people have nonetheless made the effort to watch their hometown heroes kick this show, and indeed the entire tour off with their R&B-infused post-hardcore.

Siamese

As the clock strikes 19:30, a tense, industrial intro track befitting the “Command & Conquer” PC game soundtracks erupts from the speakers as the five musicians of Siamese emerge, blending into their opening track “The Shape of Water” without further ado. It seems like the band’s vocalist Mirza Radonjica might be reeling from a recent illness, as his usually stellar falsetto singing in its verses sounds a bit hindered tonight. He also seems less prone to engaging in his characteristic, energetic antics, even as the following “Numb”, with its propulsive screams of “Save us, save us! Or kill us, kill us!", shifts the concert to a higher gear. Fortunately, the rest of the musicians’ batteries appear to be fully charged, with bassist Marc Schultz Nommesen and drummer Joakim Stilling in particular putting in the work. The latter lets his sticks gleefully swivel and fly through the air in the likes of “Holy” off the band’s 2021 outing “Home”, while the latter is often seen racing across the stage in throes of passion. Meanwhile, the multifarious Christian Hjort Lauritzen rotates between rhythm guitar and violin, breathing a sense of drama into the band’s unique brand of post-hardcore and contributing to their overall showmanship with his more measured and elegant style.

“This is in many ways a new era for the band”, announces Radonjica after a clap-along has brought “Holy” to its conclusion. “I’ve bought boots, I’ve grown up!”, he continues, alluding to the next song “Vertigo”, which premiered last month and unveiled the next step in the evolution of Siamese’s signature sound. It is riddled with electronic touches, not least a series of bass effects that send powerful vibrations rippling through the floor, and positions the five-piece closer to R&B music than they’ve ever been before. This is perhaps why Siamese have opted not to include any of their heaviest tracks on tonight’s setlist, focusing instead on their catchier, poppier cuts such as their radio hit “Can’t Force the Love” and “On Fire”, the latter of which features much better, Usher inspired falsetto singing by Radonjica in the beginning. As the concert approaches its conclusion, Radonjica reveals that the band will soon be announcing their biggest headlining show in Denmark yet, taking place at Store VEGA in Copenhagen later this year. And if tonight’s concert is anything to go by, Siamese are ready to conquer that venue, and cater to what is almost certain to be their most diverse audience yet. There are some kinks to be ironed out to be sure, just as we have not experienced Radonjica in his prime here, but as “Ocean Bed”, taken from the outfit’s 2019 record “Super Human” brings the show to an end, the stars seem to have perfectly aligned for Siamese to step into the major league of Danish music.

SiM

While the Japanese outfit SiM (an acronym for Silence iz Mine) are a brand new acquaintance for me, they seem to have a considerable following here in Denmark. Indeed much to my surprise, a sizeable portion of the audience seems to be in on the gist as soon as “Do the Dance” is unleashed as the opening track, moshing and singing along to this eclectic tune. The four musicians bristle with energy as they traverse through nu metal, punk, grunge, reggae, and virtually everything inbetween, showcasing an agnosticism toward the concept of genre that is as intriguing as it is confusing. There is some secret here that I am unable to unlock, watching with bewilderment as the four musicians thrash around the stage, stitching together bits of conflicting influence from Slipknot and Bob Marley in the following “Kiss of Death”, which, like the opener, resides on the band’s 2023 album “Playdead”. Hellbent on satisfying my curiosity, I google my way to the revelation that the next cut “The Rumbling” was featured as the main theme on the final season of “Attack on Titan”, a popular anime series — and judging by the surging response from the audience as this track is aired, it must be the primary reason why SiM are not being treated as strangers, but as heroes arriving to meet their disciples at last. The reciprocal energy is absolutely riveting.

I have seen my share of exhilarating live bands though, and even if this quartet’s antics are a sight to behold, with bassist Shinya Shinohara in particular putting on a mental performance, unhinged showmanship does not suffice on its own to maintain intrigue. There are several notable moments in the music itself to be sure, such as the heavy, groovy riff, reminiscent of Korn’s “Y’all Want a Single”, in “Red”, or the infectious chorus resembling those of Sum 41 in the standout “Killing Me” off 2011’s “Seeds of Hope”. But the overall impression I am left with is that SiM’s music is all over the place in the worst sense, twisting and turning and jolting with the same vigour as vocalist Manabu Taniguchi but leaving little by way of memorabilia behind it. I can’t blame the audience for getting carried away by tried-and-tested trickery such as the crouch down and jump up ritual that is Slipknot’s trademark during the penultimate “f.a.i.t.h.” off 2013’s “Evils” EP, nor by the wild impulses of guitarist Shouhei Iida in the closing track “Devil in Your Heart”, taken from the band’s 2020 offering “Thank God, There Are Hundreds of Ways to Kill Enemies”. It’s a visually energising show, but I am left unable to find head or tail in SiM’s musical exploits. Perhaps some deep diving into their repertoire might change that?

Nothing More

Just before the headliners are set to conquer the stage, the crowd is treated to a feel-good moment as John Denver’s classic 1971 ballad “Take Me Home, Country Roads” erupts from the speakers. It bears no resemblance whatsoever to Nothing More’s hi-energy brand of alternative rock and metal, but I suppose it does provide an opportunity for people to warm up their vocal chords for the many sing-songs that are about to commence... starting with the title track to their latest full-length album, 2022’s “Spirits”. Armed with a phenomenal sound mix, the band’s customarily shirtless and chiseled frontman Jonny Hawkins delivers a pitch perfect vocal performance in both this and the subsequent early highlight “Tired of Winning”, while guitarist Mark Vollelunga, bassist Daniel Oliver, and drummer Ben Anderson lay down riffs and grooves in droves to drive the movement on the floor. Towards the end of the second song, Hawkins is possessed into throwing his cup of beer into the air, and he does so with slightly too much power, causing it to bounce off the ceiling and, miraculously, be caught by a perceptive fan in the midst of the mayhem. This is a good example of Nothing More’s showmanship, which is rowdy and loose, albeit never coming fully off the hinges like SiM just before. “Don’t Stop” and the recently premiered single “If It Doesn’t Hurt”, both of which see Oliver showing off his skills as the driving force in a heavy mix, continue what already feels like a hit parade even for those of us who are not particularly well-versed in Nothing More’s discography.

Indeed, it speaks to this band’s abilities as entertainers that even though only about half of the crowd have seen them live before (judging by a show of hands requested by Hawkins), every person here seems to be having a blast and even latching onto some of the lyrics without too much effort. Longer standing fans are treated to a brand new track called “Angel Song”, which bodes well for the follow-up to “Spirits” that Hawkins reveals will arrive later this year, though without verging on spectacular. And that is actually the best way to describe both the live and the recorded experience that Nothing More provides as far as I’m concerned; songs like “Do You Really Want It?”, taken from 2017’s “The Stories We Tell Ourselves” and the somewhat proggy “Valhalla (Too Young to See)” are easy on the ears and effective pleasers that encourage every form of participation by the crowd, but to say that they push the envelope somehow would be a stretch. Fortunately, music needs not always challenge in order to entertain, and if there is one word that perfectly encapsulates Nothing More’s show here, it is entertaining. The likes of “Face It”, which invites the spotlight onto Anderson by virtue of some cool percussion patterns, and the power ballad that is “Fadein / Fadeout”, which enables the frontman to show off his singing voice in full glory, keep people smiling and bouncing throughout, and once a medley of “Ocean Floor” and “This Is the Time (Ballast)” from the group’s 2014 self-titled sophomore outing has brought the evening to its conclusion, I have finally understood why our former writer TL and indeed others too have been so endeared by this Texan quartet.

Setlist:

• 1. Spirits
• 2. Tired of Winning
• 3. Don’t Stop
• 4. If It Doesn’t Hurt
• 5. Go to War
• 6. Do You Really Want It?
• 7. Jenny
• 8. Angel Song
• 9. Valhalla (Too Young to See)
• 10. Let ‘em Burn
• 11. I’ll Be OK
• 12. Face It
• 13. Fadein/Fadeout
• 14. Ocean Floor
• 15. This Is the Time (Ballast)