Änglagård
Some bands are accused of plagiarism. Änglagård is a band that will never be accused of stealing someone else’s tune. Sure, there was a Genesis tape playing as we walked in, and audience members sported a range of prog rock t-shirts, from Jethro Tull to King Crimson, but the complex, instrumental songs performed by this Swedish five-piece are like nothing else.
The show was an act of love and devotion by Shachar Tal, who crowdfunded the entire concert through an organisation he named Highly Unprofessional Productions, and Kumeran Sahar, who led the production team. The event felt less like a rock concert and more like a bunch of friends getting together to celebrate amazing music. Although it had a very intimate feel, the venue was completely sold out with over 300 people coming to listen to the music of Änglagård.
If you are not familiar with Änglagård, they play unplayable songs with even more unpronounceable titles. The band began in 1991, broke up in 1994, reformed in 2002, broke up again in 2003 and then reformed again from 2011-2012, again from 2014-2017 and reformed most recently in 2022. Three of the current members have been in the band since the beginning (or near enough) — bassist Johan Brand, guitarist Jonas Engdegård and drummer/percussionist Mattias Olsson. They were joined on this tour by Staffan Lindroth on keyboards and Oskar Forsberg playing flute, saxophone, megaphone and shaker.
Tal came on stage to welcome everyone who contributed to bringing the band to Israel and he introduced the band.
Änglagård came on to the small, intimate stage as the tape played Prolog. Then they launched into Gånglåt från Knapptibble. Brand explained that this song was originally recorded for an English prog rock magazine as a floppy record. According to him, those floppy singles are very rare today.
If you are not familiar with Änglagård’s music, they weave patterns of sound with syncopated, odd time signatures. I suppose the best description I can give is organised chaos. If you imagine the more tame, sanitised prog rock bands of the past few decades, Änglagård is nothing like that. They are daring and breathtaking and constantly pushing the limits of what is possible to play and to hear.
Brand played his bass as a lead instrument, often venturing up to the dangerous part of the Rickenbacker neck. He alternated between using a pick and fingers on his Rotosound 606s.
Engdegård switched frequently between electric and acoustic guitar, though he also pulled out a classical at one point. His leather trousers contrasted sharply with Forsberg’s blazer and shorts.
Forsberg’s vibrato-drenched flute sparkled like a diamond, while his saxophone augmented the heavy, bassy keyboards. And he even pulled out a megaphone for “Kung Bore.” Lindroth stayed out of the spotlight, but his keyboards held the entire ensemble together.
Olsson was like a magician, pulling one trick after another out from his drum kit. He played drums, chimes, a gong and a host of other percussion instruments. He even switched to guitar at one point. His rhythms took the band out into the deep, dangerous waters of anarchy, yet remained the bedrock of their sound.
The audience was an interesting mix. There were plenty of middle aged men and women along with a contingent of head banging teenagers in the corner of the stage.
To highlight how personal this concert was, the band came out to chat with the fans (and sell some merch) during the break (yes, they had an intermission). There were a lot of hardcore fans lining up for photos with the guys.
Davidavi (Vidi) Dolev, vocalist for the opening band Subterranean Masquerade joined Änglagård for the vocals on “Kung Bore.”
Olsson summed up the love in the room when he spoke of the songs and the audience as being old friends and becoming new friends. He quoted the Beatles, saying, “We’d like to take you home with us, we’d like to take you home.”
The concert ended with a haunting theme played in flute.
Subterranean Masquerade
I’ve seen the opening band, Subterranean Masquerade once before, when they opened for Sons of Apollo. I was very impressed with them then, and they were even better this time (with a slightly different lineup).
Vocalist Dolev looked like an extra from Fiddler on the Roof and spoke of how he was recently weaned off sleeping pills. He has an amazing vocal range, switching from a baritone to growls and then to a high falsetto.
The band’s analogue keyboard textures transported us back to the early 1970s. The pounding toms ensured it was rocking while the duelling guitars interwove lines in a blend of middle eastern and Celtic lines.
At times, the band were jumping like hasidim at a mitzvah tantz, while at other times they were thrashing and bashing.
The band, comprised of Dolev on vocals, Tomer Pink, Omer Fishbein and Or Shalev on guitar, Shai Yallin on keyboards, Golan Farhi on bass and Jonathan Amar on drums, are one of Israel’s best. Check them out.
Änglagård Setlist
Höstsejd
Ur vilande
Jordrök
Vandringar i vilsenhet
Ifrån klarhet till klarhet
Kung Bore
Encore:
Sista Somrar
The Venue
Grey. Ibn Gabirol 30. On floor minus one of a shopping mall with a parking lot conveniently located downstairs.
Seated venue with capacity for just over 300 people. There is food and drink available.
Tables for four. Best to come with a few mates if you feel uncomfortable on my own.