Taken By Trees – Kägelbanan, Stockholm 06/12/09

A little more than a minute. That was all it took for ex-Concretes member Victoria Bergsman to be heard all over the UK when her version of Guns n’ Roses ‘Sweet Child O Mine’ appeared in an advert for John Lewis (debuting on ITV during the X Factor, no less). The influx of posts via her message board also acts as a great example of her sudden new found popularity – how many of them will actually attend her gig come Sunday in Glasgow or Monday in London when the short Taken By Trees tour hits the UK, is not clear. But anyone attending will be more than pleased, whether they’re a Taken By Trees fan or just someone who stumbled upon Victoria’s wistful music.

The show in Stockholm seems near sold out. A projector shows a film shot in Pakistan where the album East of Eden was partially recorded, whilst the chant from something that must be a field recording of Pakistani children out in the streets starts playing through the speakers; and so begins ‘Anna’ – which, unfortunately isn’t a great example of how good the new album actually comes across live. Coupled with the fact that the projector isn’t working as it should, a let down Bergsman notices after the band wrap up ‘Anna’ and sighs at the response from the technical guy answering the question about it’s shape with a short: “it’s broken”. The second song, ‘The Greyest Love of All’ one of the most modest songs on the album comes to life in its sublime live incarnation. The immense drumming together with the amazing guitar play by Andreas “Ass” Söderström (who visited Pakistan with Bergsman), the thundering bass and the claviature in symmetry with Bergsman’s voice is simply put, magical.

The songs from the first album, Open Field, with a scent of the Pakistani and Sitar influenced East of Eden is amazing. ‘Too Young’ resembles the Tough Alliance remix more so than the original, but is ten times better. A couple of songs in, Bergsman says she’s sorry for the broken projector since she wanted the audience to see the film. A few seconds later someone is shouting what everyone, all fascinated by the music, are already thinking; “There’s no need for a movie!”.

Leaving The Concretes might’ve been the toughest and hardest choice Bergsman has ever made, but after this show it’s impossible to see it as something negative.