A rare treat for a Thursday night, in these pandemic days - a psych gig at my favourite bar in London! I was visiting London for a few days, when I found out Hákon Adalsteinsson would be playing a set at Helgi's, a rock bar in Hackney. Hákon is the guitarist in Brian Jonestown Massacre, played with Tess Parks and has his own projects, such as The Third Sound. For me the gig, organised by Trip The Light was pretty unmissable. Helgi’s proved to be the perfect setting for a sit-down, intimate gig.
The Icelandic guitarist played a stripped down acoustic set accompanied by friends Ruari Meehan on electric guitar and Francesco Parini on keyboard. Though they'd only met to practice the songs the night before, their performance was tight and the small socially distanced audience who attended the bar certainly enjoyed the slow-burn, chilled out psychedelic vibes of the songs, which included a cover of Merle Haggard's Lonesome Fugitive.
The set really felt special and it was a lovely, warm atmosphere, lit by candles and psychedelic lights. Like the Texas Bob gig we covered in Liverpool a couple of weeks previously this gig also felt somehow vital for those who attended, organised and performed it - a small, but important victory for independent venues and artists in our troubled pandemic times. We need music. We want music. There are ways to safely get music.
Despite all the current restrictions, it's still possible to put cool gigs out there - and not even the early start and finish times managed to spoil this Hákon Adalsteinsson gig. It was a privilege to be there. It is difficult for sure, and it is a struggle, but while there are people who want to create culture, live music will survive.
Words: Ivan Thunders (Thee Lucifer Sams), Photos by Lilly Elizabeth Creightmore/Trip The Light (https://www.facebook.com/tripthelightfantasticartshow)
The Third Sound: https://www.facebook.com/thethirdsoundband/
Gunman and The Holy Ghost: https://www.facebook.com/gunmanandtheholyghost/
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