Teitur, Live at The Danish Ambassador’s,
Knightsbridge, London, 6/11/08
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The ambassador’s receptions are noted for their host’s exquisite taste... or rather his son’s friends’. It wasn’t made overly clear how the Danish ambassador, Mr. Birger Riis-Jorgensen came to
hear about the Faeroe Islands
’ “cultural gift”, Teitur but apparently his son’s friends were gutted to miss him. It all resulted in an intimate showcase
performance by the man they call
‘The Singer’ in the plush west London residence of the ambassador.
Dressed in the casual musician’s favourite, tweed trousers and a shirt, Teitur began his set with solemn
number,
‘You Get Me’- a progressive melody with thoughtful lyrics, making full use of the ambassador’s grand piano. Although he may not have the best voice you will ever hear, there
was something quite subtle and moving about the way he uses the seemingly
old-fashioned instrument to create a touching mood.
Song two was created for the Dalai Lama and is arguably his most famous track, ‘All My Mistakes’ from the ‘Songs for Tibet’ album. A mantra about peace and very much following in the sombre footsteps of
its predecessor, its clear Teitur
’s talent is in writing such understated numbers that will see genre comparisons
made of the likes of Damien Rice. Confident, charismatic and quirky, he built
good rapport with the audience before playing the more jazz-orientated
‘Katherine the Waitress’.
Inspired by many different experiences, Teitur connects as a subtle but quite
honest performer, sure of his own talent and the impact his songs make, even in
this relatively unplugged environment.
‘The Legendary After-Party’ introduced a good change of pace as he let the piano again do most of the work
backing his monologue lyrics. And it was after this that Teitur proved his
all-round musician status by pulling out the acoustic guitar for a song about
train tracks, sung in Faeroese.
Stand-out track, ‘Josephine’ followed a reminiscent tale of childhood companionship which made the best of
Teitur
’s voice with a heartfelt delivery. Although difficult to pinpoint, its main
appeal is perhaps the simplistic, yet touching nature- which epitomizes Teitur
’s work. The Faeroe star treated the audience to two more tracks including
title-track of the upcoming album
‘The Singer’ in an appealing 40-minute set. Though such a subtle style can find it hard to
break down mainstream doors, it is not inconceivable that Teitur could enjoy a
successful UK base. He definitely has the raw talent and old-fashioned natural
knack for simple yet beautiful melodies.
8/10 CM
(c) ChrisOnline.biz 2008
