Review and Photography by Manuela Langotsch
Scandinavian countries have historically produced great musical artists and this is no exception.
TORA is a Norwegian Grammy-nominated pop/rock band fronted by guitar heroine and Instagram phenomenon Tora Dahle Aagård, who is subject to worldwide praise and popularity due to her playful virtuosity and mesmerizing stage presence. The band is celebrated for their raw and energetic shows.
Following my interview with Tora (read here), I was invited to the band’s only London date to review and photograph the show.
Kicking off the evening were UK’s finest Blues/Rock musicians The Lucky13s who did not disappoint and got the crowd going. Lead singer Jamie Johnson’s husky voice is just wonderful to listen to.
Once TORA came on stage and started their set, the venue, although not completely packed, was not a bad place to be. The majority of songs were from their third and current album ‘Seventeen’ and some from their previous album ‘Girls’ which received a Norwegian Grammy nomination. It had everything from ballads to funkier and rockier tunes which had the audience dancing and clapping along.
Tora’s songwriting is honest, relatable and even funny. As an openly gay young woman, Tora doesn’t shy away from saying how it is and how she feels about the world we live in.
The in between songs stories had the crowd smiling, thinking and agreeing with her. We listened to pre-recorded audio clips with quotes/statistics about being female and were even treated to a childhood recording of her singing with her mum. For no good reason!
Tora’s voice is bluesy at times but can also be comfortable in the rock section. She showed off her guitar skills and you could tell, she feels right at home with a string instrument around her neck.
Tora is an International Ambassador for Marceau Guitars with her very own limited edition signature guitar model designed for her. Being influenced and inspired by Jennifer Batten (she jammed with her at a Norwegian Festival!) who played with Michael Jackson, it is no wonder that she loves giving her fans numerous guitar solos who in return were captivated.
She also surrounds herself with highly talented musicians from her home country with whom she has lots of banter on stage and had the audience laughing out loud. Guri Tranås’ backing vocals and harmonies were second to none and at times you could hear a pin drop. Absolutely gorgeous!
Having never performed as a band outside of Norway until now, this 2 dates mini UK tour gave them and British audiences a taste of what will hopefully become a regular occurrence and we will see and hear them on these shores again very soon.
The crowd was made up by people who already knew them or Tora but mainly by Blues/Rock fans who just love to experience new artists they’ve never heard of. And judging by the gathering at the merch table afterwards, they were delighted and couldn’t wait to chat to Tora and find out more about her and the band.
This is definitely a band that is worth seeing live and listening to. I hope we will see them again next year with more UK dates on the tour calendar.
TORA
Tora Dahle Aagård – guitar/lead vocals
Isak Seltveit – bass guitar
Guri Tranås – backing vocals
Anders Brøndstad – guitar
Magnus Galguften – drums
Set list:
This is it x
Money GIRLS
I love you x
One more drink GIRLS
Cry for me GIRLS
Girls like me x
When she falls in love x
Higher x
Hey girl GIRLS
Nice girls finish last x
You chose me x
When she leaves x
I don’t funk with you x
Desire GIRLS
Army of rainbows x
Call it a trend x
Boy x
Encore:
Waste of a pretty face x
