I’m mostly a classical music kind of guy. Symphonies, chamber music, opera, you name it, I pretty much like it. And Stockholm has plenty of opportunities if you like classical music. So when I go to hear live music, it’s the usual classical music venues - the Royal Opera, Stockholm's Concert Hall, Berwaldhallen.
Photo by lewis chaplin
But I make one major exception: Swedish popstar Robyn. I have my reasons, most of which I won’t go into here. But let’s just say the woman is the bomb. I adore her, and there’s nothing more fun than going to hear her sing.
Crowd at Mosebacke Photo by rsms kopimi
The first time it was at Mosebacke, probably five years ago, and the place was packed and she was rocking. Mosebacke has its own, uh, beatnik style – poetry readings, offbeat cabaret and weird theatre pieces. But Mosebacke was when she had just bought out her contract and really struck out on her own and hit the big time, indie style.
Concert at Nalen
So it was even more exciting to see her do her thing a few years later at Nalen, one of Stockholm’s great smaller venues with a wide range of music, everything from heavy metal cult band The Haunted to folk-pop-indie favorite Martha Wainwright to the Angels in Harlem Gospel Choir to old-fashioned dance nights. And Nalen has been a hot spot for seeing great acts since the 1930s although the building itself dates from 1888. Robyn, in top form, blasted down the house, and we danced and screamed our way through the evening.
Robyn in action Photo by victoriapeckham
Then this past spring we went to see her at the Astoria in London. Bigger, better, wilder. And soon we’re off to see her open for Madonna in Spain, which will no doubt be even bigger. She just seems to keep moving upward and onward.
But really, it will be hard to beat seeing her at Nalen, when she looked out at the crowd, singing her heart out and we looked back at her, close enough to touch.
Go further: Find more reasons why Francis adores Robyn here and where in Paris Meg goes for the the best free concerts in town.