Vörsen
13th August 2021
Paisley Stage, Napier, New Zealand.
Review by Rob Harbers, Photography by Andrew Caldwell.
Noise.
It’s a word that carries many connotations, often dependent on context. In unwelcome settings, or in excessive quantity, it can be at best unpleasant, at worst even fatal. It is a by-product of modern living, often insidiously creeping in to our soundscapes, not even noticeable until it is absent, such is its stealthy nature. A chunk of technological innovation derives from its creation, manipulation and elimination. Such is its power in a focused setting that it can bring rest and relaxation, in the form of white noise, or be useful in electronic applications, in various other coloured forms.
In the musical field, it can be a highly contentious subject, with some running from it in all its forms, seeking nothing but purity, while others embrace it as a vital part of their armoury. In this setting, it’s manifestation can range from a slight fuzztone on a guitar through to the extremes of outright walls of noise, such as those produced to greater and lesser degrees by the likes of Sonic Youth, Einsturzende Neubauten, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and many more. These are architects of sonic disruption, using it in highly focused ways to increase the intensity of their expression. But it can still be contentious among listeners, such as the commenter on last week’s Sigur Ros review who described the gig as having “too much self-indulgent distortion”, whereas that’s what I and no doubt many others, were there for! One man’s poison and all that, I guess…
However, to get to the point of this piece and away from my own self-indulgent distortion, Aotearoa’s musical history contains some proud exponents of noise in various formats, particularly in the form of the Gordons and Bailterspace, both of which bands contained the presence of John Halvorsen. Many years after the 1980 debut of The Gordons, John is still treading the boards, treating discerning audiences to his musical offerings. His current outlet is the trio known as Vörsen, with drummer Steve Cochrane and bassist Hayden Ellis, and they are currently touring Te-Ika-a-Maui, touching down on this night at Napier’s Paisley Stage, with a select but enthralled crowd in attendance.
Support act Yes Yes No warmed up proceedings with an energetic set comprised of covers and original material, evoking a powerful echo of the highs of indie/alternative pop, both in the covers selection and their own material. Such is the strength of their abilities that they were invited by Garageland to support them on their recent outing, and are definitely worth catching should the opportunity arise.
On to the main event, Vörsen entered without fuss or fanfare, preferring to let the music do the talking, and this is fully justified by the material provided. A wall of fuzzed jangle, played without pretention or affectation, drawing the audience in to the experience. The noise element is artfully inserted, mostly in the form of crafted reverb and fuzz, and is never excessive nor self-indulgent (that word again!), the songs never outstaying their welcome but displaying an admirable economy of expression. John is clearly the leader of the pack, with the others following in lock-step. Not to imply any kind of overbearing authority on his part, far from it – the mantle sits lightly indeed on these slight shoulders!
The name of the combo, while clearly deriving from that of its leader, also translates directly into the Dutch language as “examine”, and this is quite appropriate for the searching nature of many of the song lyrics, with a common thread of questioning information and seeking one’s own truth – a nice little double-entendre (to introduce another language in to the picture!)
Again, alas, my own self-indulgence threatens to overshadow the point of this write-up, so take this away: this is one of the pioneering figures of Noisyland music, still pursuing a vitality of expression that carries much to recommend it, and playing various spots around the North Island. Don’t try to hunt down the music on line, you’ll be out of luck – just take my word for it and catch them if you can!
Were you there at the Paisley Stage for this great performance? Or have you seen Vörsen perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only.
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Saw Vorsen live in Wanganui, very tight, very impressive