To start the 2nd concert season of Compass Bar Nils Burri played on Wednesday in duo with Philipp Bühlmann on at the small location in the middle of the Bernese oldtown. You remember, I’ve been there for the first time seeing Luca Little’s concert. First I almost didn’t go, but then I would have definitively regreted it, if I had decided against this concert visit. It was definitively the best decision of the day!
Shortly after 8 pm the two of them started the first of two sets. There was a relaxed, good-humoured atmosphere. Almost like in the living room: With dimmed light, flickering candles as well as excited discussions and interaction. Nils played guitare and sang lead vocals. Yes, he just got such a nice voice, was one of my first thoughts again. Philipp played bass as usual and sang backings. Usually they are touring as a trio, but drummer Dave Jutzi couldn’t be there on this evening. So Nils had this “stomping percussion pedal”, foot bass – oh well, no clue how you call this wooden pedal at all?! – with him. From the beginning this thing kept acting up and the cable fell off all the time. Quickly one of the spectactors got simply obligated as helper.
They kept teasing each other all the time and kept talking – as they said themselves – a lot of nonsense. They knew to entertain the audience. We got to know, that you better should avoid McDonald’s visits shortly before the concert and that Nils either needed new trousers or the socks were too shortviously wasn’t all clear 😉 Working conditions have been demanded and discussed, how the collect will be split. Shopping was talked about, even music sales and streaming services were topics. In addition to these not too seriously taken incidental remarks, the both of them played some older songs from the first two albums, but also the EP, which was released almost a year ago.
I indeed was a little shocked. It’s almost a year ago? I really haven’t been to their concert for such a long time?
Actually they had a setlist with them, on which you could find next to “Be With You”, “Maybe Someday”, “Breath it in”, “Danny”, “Wake up” or “Somebody Missing You”, even some covers like “Use Somebody” or “Free Fallin”. They didn’t exactly follow it then, skipped some sometimes. They were trying to respond to the audience during the concert. I think it’s great. You don’t have to play the exact setlist each time. Changing some songs or the order, they play what they like – don’t mind it at all.
Somehow the second set was a lot sooner over than the first one. But it was a super nice and funny evening. Absolutely successful. My “spirit” definitively lifted. And I will immediately check the dates. Hopefully it won’t take a year again to the next concert.
Infos you can find on www.nilsburri.ch
