FEEL is a bar and restaurant in Horsens with a capacity of about 100 people on the ground floor and all tables were filled with people, who were finishing their "Tramp menu" when we arrived. The show had a very intimate feel and though Michael, Borg, and I had a seat right at the back, it was like being right in front of the stage.
At quarter to nine, Mike Tramp entered the café and squeezed through the tables to the stage, where he quickly set up and greeted the audience, thanking us for coming when there was so much, almost as exciting stuff, on the Danish Television.
The show began with White Lion's Going Home tonight and right away, I was impressed with the way Mike handled himself on the small stage. He was relaxed and confident and his voice was strong with a touch of emotion. It stayed this way for the duration of the concert. I felt happy, just sitting back and listening to his performance, which was spot on.
Mike worked his way through his whole catalogue with focus on songs from his earliest albums with White Lion and Freak of Nature. Several songs from his solo works were also played. Mike entertained the crowd with a guitar and his voice for three hours with only a 10 minute break in between sets. Between the songs he was telling stories of his life and journey through the music world, cracking many jokes along the way.
Rescue Me, second song of the evening, was very different in its acoustic adaption and worked extremely well. Afterwards Mike confided that he never imagined that he would play this song live in an acoustic setting. Other songs from the Freak of Nature included What am I and The Gathering, which led into a really wonderful version of Candle.
A highlight of the evening was the White Lion ballad Broken Home, which blossomed in its acoustic adaption. Mike’s performance was heartfelt and moving, and I felt that chill all over, which only comes when something magical happens.
Have You Ever was another song that rose in an acoustic setting. A good thing about this acoustic show was the honesty, which pervaded the entire performance. Mike just had an air of honesty and real love for music about him. This made the show rise or fall on his musical delivery, which incidentally was beautiful and impressive. Bottom line is that it was great to experience a show which was so musically grounded.
Other White Lion classics that were played included The Battle at Little Big Horn, Broken Heart, the audience favorite, Little Fighter, Tell me, Warsong and of course, When the Children Cry. Best of all, we got a fantastic version of Cry for freedom, where I felt the chills spreading again.
From his solo albums, More to life than this and Wait not for me were other standout moments.
Mike told a lot of stories between songs, from his time with Mabel, their escape to Spain after winning the Danish part of the Eurovision song contest in 1978, his adventures in America with White Lion, his return to Denmark and everything in between. There were several interesting stories and I made a note to check out the movie "The Money Pit" where the band plays a small part.
One silly audience member who was rather drunk provided much entertainment throughout the show, by commenting loudly on things Mike said. At one point she offered to boil an egg for Mike and at another she offered him a place to stay for the night. I sincerely hope that she will not become a sidekick.
When Mike struck the last chord of his guitar, it was midnight and three hours had passed at the blink of an eye. Mike Tramp could have played a whole day and I wouldn't have tired of listening to him.
I’d highly recommend catching Mike Tramp on this acoustic tour. It was a special experience, both memorable and intimate. His joy for music showed and it certainly infected me.
Check out the rest of the tour dates at the official website
Written By Steen
Online: Saturday, September 22, 2012
Comments
Legacy Comments
Monday, September 24, 2012 - Arie
What a superb review! I enjoyed it from the first untill the last sentence!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012 - Steen
Thanks!
Sunday, October 7, 2012 - John van Luijk
great review from a fantastic gig,I went to Helmond,Holland and it was awesome!!!!