THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA have recently released an outstanding new record, “Aeromantic.” Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, their tour was canceled and as a result, the Swedes took it their show to the online world. The band organized a streaming concert at The Tivoli in Helsingborg on 18 April 2020 for fans to enjoy.
An atmospheric intro to “Servants of the Air” marked the beginning of the live stream at 21:00. The stage was cloaked in darkness, except for the blue lights lighting up the name of the band. The song definitely served well as the opener of the set. That the new songs sound outstanding live was proved once more during “Divinyls,” one of the band’s first singles off “Aeromantic.” Even though THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA‘s albums are usually top-notch, these songs are meant to be played live.
Admittedly, part of the charm of THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA‘s show is being able to dance away the night with your friends and strangers alike. Unfortunately, staying at home means that part of the atmosphere is taken away from us; however, the band didn’t seem to care as they played through their set with an equal amount of energy as usual. The new songs were followed by “Living for the Nighttime.” The song is a classic by now and always has fun parts live as backing vocalists Anna-Mia Bonde and Anna Brygård elegantly pulled out vintage telephones during the song.
Singer Björn Strid greeted their virtual audience and continued introducing “This Boy’s Last Summer.” The vocalist had hoped for the crowd to dance at their homes and I can’t speak for the rest of the world, but obviously the ABBA-like melodies and energetic disco beats sure got me to my feet. Pumped up with energy, I was able to take a small break from my dancing spree with “If Tonight is Our Only Chance.”
Strid announced “Something Mysterious” and told everyone to clap; a lot of clap emojis entered the screen through the chatbox. The two slightly more mellow songs allowed for a little break from all the dynamic songs and those who were still up for a party were taken by surprise by “Gemini,” one of the highlights of the show. For “Golden Swansdown,” Strid dressed up with a golden cape, as though their outfits weren’t already impressive enough. The stream combined footage from their music video with dancer Ella Snellman with the performance.
The band was joking around before announcing “Paralyzed,” which got the chatbox all hyped up. No big surprise, as it’s easily one of their hits. With its strong and powerful chorus, I’m positive everyone got blown away in their living room by the song spreading some happiness and joy across the globe. Time for an impressive solo moment for the synth player for the night John Lönnmyr, which then continued with the amazing “Can’t Be That Bad.”
The little break had served as a costume change for Björn Strid who had cloaked himself in a black vest instead of white. The song remains one of my highlights from “Sometimes The World Ain’t Enough,” and definitely put a smile on my face. “Transmissions” was next and probably is one of the catchiest songs of the new album. The party erupted with “Satellites,” after which the band read some comments from their audience and also tried out their brand new rum for the first time. Common reactions were someone in the band shouting “oy oy oy”, calling it rocket fuel and guitarist David Andersson finally reviewed the drink as a tad spicy… but wonderful, which probably was the best way to review a drink. Unfortunately, all good stories end and Strid announced the last track of the evening, “West Ruth Ave,” to which the band invited the audience to do the conga, which ultimately, ended the night on a high note.
All-in-all, THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA served a great Saturday night as they played their extremely catchy and fun songs live to audiences all over the world. The new material sounded even better live than on the album and the old songs sounded as energetic as always.
Written by Laureline Tilkin
Setlist
1. Servants of the Air
2. Divinyls
3. Living for the Nighttime
4. This Boy’s Last Summer
5. If Tonight Is Our Only Chance
6. Something Mysterious
7. Gemini
8. Golden Swansdown
9. Paralyzed
10. Can’t Be That Bad
11. Transmissions
12. Satellite
13. West Ruth Avenue
