In 2022 Serious Music Alphen already planned a concert of the Italian progressive rock band Karmamoi. Unfortunately this could not take place. Now two years later finally the members of this band could climb the stage at this beautiful venue. However before it was their time another act was there to entertain the audience. The Swedish musician Kristoffer Gildenlöw had the task to get everybody already in the right mood before the Italians would do their tricks on stage. Some people might find it a strange combination those two acts. However everybody present did find out that this was not true at all.
 

Kristoffer Gildenlöw

Kristoffer Gildenlöw (►more photos)

Kristoffer is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who most people do know as the former bassist of Pain Of Salvation. He left the band after his marriage and emigration to the Netherlands in 2006. He started his solo career with a vinyl version of his beautiful debut album Rust (2012, see review). The release of this album on CD in 2013 brought him for the first time to the Parkvilla Theater, however was at the time it was named Parktheater (see review). Also in 2015 he set steps at this venue to do another concert (see review). With a new album in the process of writing, Gildenlöw wanted at the time to round off his debut album before moving on. And now nine years later a third Gildenlöw concert can be added to this venue.

Of course his excellent latest album Empty (2024, see review) was mainly in the spotlight during this concert. Almost the entire album was done by Kristoffer and his amazing backing band. After the show I asked him if he was long time ago inspired by the music of Pink Floyd. Because throughout this entire album and also when

L to R: Liselotte Hegt, Paul Coenradie and Kristoffer Gildenlöw (►more photos)

the band played the songs from this album the spirit of this band was many times present. He admitted that he was way back a huge fan of the band. But also Dire Straits and Mike Oldfield had been an influence on his latest album release. Most of all the way Gildenlöw sings and the excellent guitar playing of himself and the two guitar players Joris Lindner and Paul Coenradie made me think about Floyd many times. Listen for example to the musical piece with the title He's Not Me and you do know what I mean. Most of all Coenradie came close to the way David Gilmour pulls his strings on his instrument. Good examples were the title track, Time To Turn The Page and Down We Go. While saying this I'll have to mention that Kristoffer himself played some amazing guitar parts himself as well. Of course also other songs from his career were done. Like the title track of his earlier mentioned debut album, which got a fantastic live version. But also Fleeting Thought taken from Let Me Be A Ghost (2021) could be enjoyed.

Only too bad that Kristoffer Gildenlöw and his band were not asked back on stage after the final song was performed. They certainly deserved it. Because this was just a top notch performance that just needed a final encore!
 

Karmamoi

Valerio Sgargi (►more photos)

A top notch performance was also the performance that was done by the band that was formed in 2008. They have already 6 albums under their belly and went through several line up changes. However drummer and founding member Daniele Giovannoni is the only stable factor on all of their albums. Nowadays he is assisted on stage by three excellent musicians. Bassist Alessandro Cefalì and guitarist Alex Massari are already since their second album Odd Trip (2013, see review) his fellow band members. New in the band is the classically trained singer Valerio Sgargi. On stage he also handles the keyboard parts and occasionally also does some guitar parts as well.

Also for this band the focus was on their latest album Strings From The Edge Of Sound (2023, see review). This album contains only four new songs and five existing songs that were given an orchestral remake. From this album the band did excellent live versions of Your Name (Orchestra Version), Nashira (Orchestra Version),

Alex Massari (►more photos)

Black Hole Era, Tell Me and I Will Come In Your Dreams. Of course for the Orchestra Versions some backing tapes were running along to make those songs sound really orchestral. For the rest everything was played at the spot. And could the audience enjoy the excellent guitar and synthesizer solos done by Massari and Sgargi in real. Furthermore two brand new compositions from a new album to be released next year could be enjoyed. I'm Not On Your Side and Eternal Mistake proved that the band is ready for the next level in their career. Well the band did during their excellence performance of course not forget their past and did some songs from earlier released albums as well. During those songs it was of course the question how they sounded with a male vocalist. Because all of the vocals on Zealous Man and Drop By Drop taken from Room 101 (2021 see review ) and Sirio taken from Silence Between Sounds (2016 see review) are on the studio versions done by a female vocalist. But I can tell you that Valerio managed to sing them in a perfect way. I have to tell you as well that during all of the performed songs some really great artistic videos were shown at a screen behind the band. After the show Giovannoni told me that he created them all by himself. So thumps up for that!

Only too bad that also this band wasn't asked to do an encore. Everybody just went quiet when the band left the stage after a well deserved applause. Nobody spoke the well known words "We Want More". This way everybody present missed Take Me Home (Orchestra Version). I guess the crowd was satisfied with what they had seen already. Most of them probably wanted to go home because it already was near midnight.

All together the audience and myself can look back again at a well organized double concert done by Serious Music Alphen. So a round of applause for them, for bringing on stage two excellent acts that didn't disappoint at all.

Henri Strik