Tommy Tokyo (Tommy Lorange Ottosen) with backing from Lise Voldsdal and Gøran Grini gave us a sacred evening last night in Veavågen. It was his second of two shows at Smio and the reports from the first night were very positive, “magic” was the words that kept coming up. Could he re-create the magic this Saturday night? He could, and he did. It was magic.

Tommy Tokyo has, on his last solo album (We blister and we bleed), written songs about more personal issues than on his first proper solo album (And the Horse Came Riderless…) The first album dealt with global issues and is in many ways a protest album. It seems like Tokyo is on a journey from sonic soundscapes with his band Starving For My Gravy to global themed songs on his first solo album to the close at home and more personal themed songs on his last record.

The concert was concentrated around his last two records but we also got three re-arranged songs from his album with Starving for my gravy, Smear your smiles back on.

It’s an exiting journey and he also gave us a taste of where he might be heading next. He sang two songs in Norwegian, two very naked and intense songs. An album in Norwegian would be very nice and the two songs, Jenta (The Girl) and Bli som ny (Becoming new or be as new) were, for me, two of the highlights of the concert.

The concert was intimate, sometimes almost “gospel like” and it felt very special to be a part of the event. We were about 70 lucky people having a wonderful evening at Smio in Vea, Norway.

So, a big thank you to the people at Smio who set up these small and wonderful events!

– Hallgeir

PS: If you use the pictures please include a link to Johannasvisions. They were taken on my trusted compact, Nikon Coolpix A.


Set list, first set:

There was a boy
Snow White Ford Coupe #2
Petunia and the big kid
If there ever was a paradise
Far between highlights (and further distance grew)
Derail and Demise
Exile (?)
Mighty Mother
Torture behind the door
The Void behind the mask
Pale Irish blue eyes
Until the Chimes of Danny Boy
Alberta
Rattlesnake

Set list, second set:

Exploitation picket fence (I think, it was very different from the one on record)
Let us pray (wonderful version and the highlight of the show for me)
Jenta (new Norwegian song)
Ida
Early summer (but we all did freeze)
Canada
Dear Ann
Bli som ny (new Norwegian song)
Streets of Bakersfield (wonderful cover last seen on the TV-show, Trygdekontoret)

Streets of Bakersfield (at Trygdekontoret):