IN PHOTOS: Of Monsters and Men rocks Manila

Stephen Lavoie

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IN PHOTOS: Of Monsters and Men rocks Manila

Stephen Lavoie

The Icelandic band thrills the Manila crowd with their folk pop style of music. 'Think Björk meets Mumford and Sons with some chamber music thrown in for good measure. It's a wonderful match which you don't experience often,' writes concert photographer Stephen Lavoie

MANILA, Philippines – There’s an old saying that goes, “Two heads are better than one.” Generally, it’s in the context of two people working together to solve a problem, with the greater odds of finding a solution than one person working alone. The same holds true for five-piece Of Monsters and Men, who put on quite an impressive show on Thursday night, May 12, at the World Trade Center.

Most bands have one lead vocalist, but this group hailing from Iceland has two lead singers/guitarists, Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson. Their voices blend together seamlessly, Nanna’s lighter, wispy voice scraped every single high note throughout the whole set, while co-singer Raggi blended his smooth, folk pipes with a magical ease. (READ: Interview: A ‘little talk’ with Of Monsters and Men)

Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

RAGGI AND NANA. Of Monsters and Men's two lead vocalists and guitarists perform at their Manila show. Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

They thrilled the Manila crowd with their folk pop style of music. Think Björk meets Mumford and Sons with some chamber music thrown in for good measure. It’s a wonderful match which you don’t experience often, with the skill level of each singer measuring out equally. 

They started out the night with a shadowy lighting scheme, performing a “Thousand Eyes,” “Empire,” and then “King and Lionheart,” one of my favorites and the crowd’s as well, which was evident as the fans perked right up after the first few notes.

 

You couldn’t also help but notice the number of performers on stage – 9 in all – with the remainder of the core of the band: guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, bass player Kristján Páll Kristjánsson, and drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson.

 

Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

There were also four other musicians playing several different instruments during various songs – including a trombone, trumpet, flugelhorn, tambourine, keyboards and even an accordion. This is a great deal of sound coming off of one stage, and it can quickly turn into one hot mess, but this was not the case here. Along with the perfectly harmonized back vocals, this variety of instruments added more texture and layers to the songs. 

For some reason, too, their sound reminds me of a Grimm fairy tale, which is something a bit dark and almost otherworldly, yet tells a recognizable story and is still kid-friendly. 

The lights and effects matched the ethereal mood of the music, yet didn’t distract from it. You actually don’t need much effects here, considering the songs themselves have such depth. 

The band progressed from their slower opening songs with modest accompaniment, to their more notable tracks with a bit more razzle-dazzle – firing strobes, pulsing purples, yellows and blues, along with plenty of stage fog.

Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

As the concert forged ahead, you could sense a crescendo building. The two vocalists began hitting their stride in “Mountain Sound,” which featured Nanna singing the chorus with Raggi deftly assigned to the verses.

There wasn’t much banter in between the tracks, and they just let the music do the talking. Their sound is acoustic guitar-driven, and much of it builds with a thunderous percussion – all while Nanna captivated the crowd, swaying rhythmically on her guitar without missing a beat.

Their music is suited for large arenas and festivals, and they’ve hit all the biggies – including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Glastonbury – so it was quite a treat to see them here in a modest-sized venue. 

Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

By the middle of their concert, they kept things rolling along with a standout track, “Crystals,” following it up with the engrossing “Hunger” and “Wolves without Teeth.”


 

 

The night began to peak towards the end of the show with “Lakehouse,” while there was no mistaking the amount of fun the band was having as the crowd bobbed their heads back and forth with their every “La la la.” Nanna even jumped off the stage to interact with fans.

When the energy peaked, they broke into their infectious song, “Little Talks” from their debut album, My Head Is an Animal (2011) – the track that pushed them into the international spotlight. At the bridge of the song, two musicians in the brass section tore it up with a jazzy, riff-laden solo, and the crowd was electrified.


 

From there it began to wind down, ending the show with an encore performance of “Dirty Paws” and “Yellow Light.” The entire concert flowed well, with Nanna beginning and ending the event by banging her heart out on a floor drum.

Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

Of Monsters and Men delivered a solid performance – a combination of stunning vocals and a layered, complex sound impeccably executed. Combine that with gracious and highly-skilled performers playing in an intimate venue, at a well-organized event by Karpos Multimedia, and you have a recipe for success. 

Finally, top it off with an enthusiastic Manila crowd that warmly accepted them by singing along. Well done indeed, so if you missed it, the next time you get the chance – don’t! 

Photo by Stephen Lavoie/Rappler

Were you there at Of Monsters and Men’s Manila show? What was your favorite part? Let us know in the comments. – Rappler.com

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