UNT's review of Salem in Uppsala - 27th December

In his review at http://www.unt.se/kultur/konsert/skojfrisk-salem-med-ljudeffekter-1175557.aspx Stefan Warnqvist awards three stars to the first of Salem's two shows at Katalin in Uppsala.

The reviewer noted a "special chemistry" between Salem and the Uppsala audience, as he sold out two gigs there in the summer and performed an almost sold out gig last night, which the reviewer described as "...a spirited celebration. Al Fakir gave us hit after hit and was greeted by singing along with almost every song. The tempo was high and enthusiasm on stage was both tangible and contagious. Visually, it was spartan. Al Fakir recently had a haircut and has grown a moustache, but otherwise he was content with Katalin's usual simple decor. But his own charisma was enough."

When it came to the new songs from "Ignore This", the reviewer said: "They went to Katalin and made the songs more danceable, but it sounded mechanical with a dated '80s feel. The versatility that otherwise characterizes Al Fakir's music also went into the background behind all the sound effects. The song "Split My Personality" was with its slower tempo and melodic guitar loops, a welcome contrast. This gave more space for the soulfulness of Al Fakir's distinctive voice."

The reviewer went on to say : "The set ended with a brilliant version of "Keep on Walking" and the jubilation afterwards knew no bounds. The song stood out already in Melodifestivalen and the high energy of Katalin gave it a stronger nerve and intensity."We have not prepared anything," joked Al Fakir when he and his musicians came back for the encore. The audience were asked what they wanted to hear and the choice fell on "Good Song", the big hit from his debut album." The reviewer ended: "..the bottom line: an energy-fuelled and spirited show, but with too many synth layers. Maybe next time Salem Al Fakir might like to cut down on the pre-programmed sound effects".

If you were there, do you agree with this review? Let me know what you think.