Denmark's ten must-see concerts in September

P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }

September is a month synonymous with the buzz of the back-to-school rush and new beginnings for many. As we head into a late Indian summer (which we all hope will last just a bit longer), there are quite a few shows popping up on The Local's gig radar. 

The Charlatans
Amager Bio, September 2 at 8pm
Amager Bio have pulled off a major coup here, reeling in a band whose contribution to rock music for over 20 years has been nothing short of seminal. Despite not being able to steal the Madchester scene's heart with as much aplomb as contemporaries such as The Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses did in their heyday, this is a band that has had all 12 of its studio albums chart amongst the UK Top 40 (three of which have graced the number one spot).

 

Foals
Store Vega, September 10 at 8pm
Probably the only genuine rock booking on Vega's calendar this September, Foals are a quintet that hail from Oxford, England. Stalwarts in any good modern-day rock playlist, theirs is an upbeat and raucous on the genre that features indie-esque vocals in high, jittery pitches. A refreshing addition to late summer.

 

Parquet Courts
Pumpehuset, September 10 at 9pm
Strap in for a whizzing ride through rapid-fire rock laden with a hefty dose of summer campfire material. Originally from Texas, Parquet Courts sound like a a hybrid of Blink 182 and Vampire Weekend tipped with a psychedelic sting from the 13th Floor Elevators. 

 

P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }

Soundvenue Session: Stormzy & Big Narstie
Pumpehuset, September 18 at 9pm
The prodigal son of genres such as garage, hip-hop and drum and bass, grime epitomizes the uncut, rude urban underground of London. Now enjoying a renaissance of sorts following a slight fade over the past years, grime's rise has been picked up by Denmark's Soundevenue magazine, which has booked two of the genre's ambassadors, Stormzy & Big Narstie, for an evening of underground action at Pumpehuset.

 

James Zabiela
Culture Box, September 19 at 9pm
In the world in which superstar selfie DJs such as David Guetta and Steve Aoki are one-eyed men with the stature of kings in the land of the blind, technical maestros like James Zabiela are a refreshing reminder  that good things are hard to come by. Zabiela's musical strengths are expressed through introspective, technically-astute explorations of the electronic music genre. Even by Culture Box's standards, this is a great booking.

 

Vega Club & Borneland presents: Les Loups
Ideal Bar, 19 Sept at 11pm
The Borneland brothers (Jonas and Micki) have become a permanent fixture on the Copenhagen disco and house scene since they made their advances into it half a decade or so ago. Making the transition to music production, Borneland look to be taking other talented outfits under their wing – in this case, Les Loups. Prepare for an evening of pop-inclined house and nu disco.

 

Baby Love & The Van Dangos
Loppen, September 25 at 9pm
Arguably not the most well-known of bands, Baby Love & The Van Dangos churn out the sort of ska that would be at home on a Caribbean island. That they are, in fact, from cold and dreary Denmark only makes them more interesting and with a gig in Christiania, expect them to be entirely in their element.

 

P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }

Seasick Steve
Amager Bio, September 26 at 9pm
Seasick Steve epitomizes what music should be about. A self-trained musician, Steve fled a home eroded by alcohol at the tender age of 14 and lived the life of a wandering hobo for many years (he has since settled in Norway). Now an old and discerning man, Steve performs his spontaneous blues renditions using home-made instruments that lack acoustic perfection and are wholeheartedly brilliant by such virtue.

 

Reptile Youth & Abby Portner
Bremen Theatre, September 29 at 8:30 pm
When I first saw Reptile Youth a few years ago at the Roskilde Festival's Pavilion Junior stage, I was blown away by their immense stage presence and thought to myself, “this band is headed somewhere.” Fast forward a few years and the Danish rock band are playing a more mature, settled sound backed by Mercedes Benz, who've jumped at the content marketing opportunity to support a group that could easily become the latest cult phenomenon. For this particular outing they will be joined by Abby Porter (known for her exploits with psychedelic pioneers Animal Collective), who will take care of the visual and stage setup.

 

P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }

Action Bronson
Store Vega, September 30 at 8pm
The physical appearance of Action Bronson bears a strange resemblance to the hirsute, hip-seeking types of hoods such as Vesterbro. An astute-as-they-come rapper and the son of an Albanian Muslim and an American Jew, Bronson epitomizes the plurality of New York's Queens where he hails from. In under a year, he has gone from being a Lille Vega floor filler to a full-grown stage killer. We have yet to see the best of Action Bronson.

P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }