I remember back in the day when it was evident when bands were known on Myspace. They had a special energy that followed them onto the stage. On Wednesday night in Little Vega, I learned what happens when one has become known through YouTube.
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Disclaimer: Apropos Magazine received access or a review copy. As always, we share our own impressions — unfiltered.
Six stars
Go-Jo, the man behind Mrs. Hollywood, made the tour to Denmark for the first time on its European headline-tour. He became known through viral videos featuring complimentary broccoli, street guitar solos and a sunny Australian energy -- and the concert carried the same mix of gimmick and musicality.
Right from the start it was unclear whether we were at a concert or for a live YouTube stream. A big screen behind the band ran clips from the net, while the show was divided into three acts: The Beginning, The Spotlight and 250 milioni di persone.
The audience was a mixed bunch, and the hall was only half full, but the mood quickly became warm. Opening in a pink crop-top with “Copenhagen” written on with duct tape, Go-Jo set the tone: understated, a little kitsch and very YouTube. Two belts — one hanging loosely around the stomach — completed the look. He looked like a fusion of Napoleon Dynamite, Weird Al Yankovic and Justin Hawkins from The Darkness, and had that 10-second stage presence you associate with viral clips.
The band followed the same energy. Guitarist Ryan looked like a budget version of Nick Valensi and played solidly. The drummer laughed several times in the middle of the show when Go-Jo came up with new inventions. A mini-keyboard was presented as the “world's largest piano” and the audience was involved in both dialogue and improvised lyrics. At one point a wave occurred in the hall, quite spontaneously — impressively in Lille Vega.
The Beginning offered girlfriend mourning songs, a Goo Goo Dolls-cover with community song and a number of more melancholic tracks. They were delivered with an expressive vulnerability that actually hit surprisingly strongly -- even wrapped up in YouTube aesthetics.
The Spotlight topped the show. Mrs. Hollywood was kick-started by Money for Nothingdrums, a kitschet and almost dangerous move, which nevertheless worked perfectly as the intro to the hit. They had put a creative electronic flute on top before the riff came along. That's brilliant. In the middle of the number, they simulated a power failure, after which the audience talked them in for the reboot. A gimmick, yes -- but delivered so convincingly that one forgave the predictability.
250 milioni di persone closed the concert with Milkshake Man woven into other songs, before a full cover of Ghostbusterstheme hit like a surprising climax. It was at once absurd and perfectly placed. It was hard to know how seriously it all had to be taken -- but the band struck the balance where the silliness still felt instilled.
Go-Jo was sincerely excited about playing in Copenhagen, and his humility contrasted with the many offbeat fabrications. It's hard to quite place him genre-wise, but the energy, delivery and personality were enough to carry the gig. It's not certain we'll get Go-Jo to see at stadium level, but he showed he's mastered the art of balancing between silly and serious. Strange small-cover snippets from Feels Like Summer unto Wonderwall made the whole thing feel like I was actually lying at home watching Reels. He's perfect.
The warm-up came from Portair, an Australian artist Go-Jo had met in LA seven years ago. He delivered sensitive, melodic songs with both keyboards, guitar and a strong vocal. Carrying hand-held banner and QR code on stage, he fit perfectly into the evening's YouTube frame.
Let's just put it like this...
Go-Jo in Lille Vega was a concert where YouTube aesthetics and live experience fused. Half show, half performance art — but with a core of pophooks and empathy. We went from there with the sense that this is just the beginning of the next chapter in Go-Jo's strange internet tale.
