On Thursday, we rounded off three years of concert activity with a performance at the Vedbæk Train Station, north of Copenhagen. This year’s three concerts differed from those of previous two years: we introduced drums, and for the first time the setlist remained the same from show to show. I had promised the band that we would stick to one set, as constantly revising it had been demanding for everyone. What proved fascinating, though, was discovering how much the songs and the overall dynamics of the performance could still evolve from concert to concert, even when the setlist stayed fixed. The Vedbæk show felt like the strongest of the three.

I am deeply satisfied with the concerts we have presented. It no longer feels as though we are merely moving toward a format that might work; it feels as though we have arrived. This is thanks in no small part to our brilliant technicians, Jens and Mikkel, who understand completely what I am trying to achieve with these multimedia performances.

For the Vedbæk concert, Mikkel moved from the lighting desk to the stage to fill in on guitar for Nicolai, who was unable to attend. Mikkel’s playing style is markedly different from Anders’, who performed with us two years ago, and also quite different from my own. His presence on stage gave the concert a character that none of the previous shows had possessed. His place at the lighting desk was taken over by Magnus Dyrhof, though the show was not handed entirely over to Magnus, as all lighting and laser pre-programming had already been done by Mikkel.

Aside from Mikkel’s move to the stage, the lineup was the same as in Thingbæk Kalkmine back in May: Tanja and Julie shared the vocal duties, Jesper handled the bass, and David played drums.

Tanja, who has sung at every concert since we began in 2011, brought along a cast-iron music stand illuminated by two candles. Additional candles were placed along the walls of the old station building, and they remained lit throughout the performance. Under normal circumstances, I would do everything possible to eliminate stray or distracting light. But with the four large stained-glass windows above the stage opening directly onto the brightly lit train platform, the warm candlelight felt not only appropriate but genuinely atmospheric.

The concert in Vedbæk will be our last performance for a while. I hope the break won’t be permanent, but the concerts have taken up a great deal of focus and time in recent years. As much as I’ve enjoyed them — and I truly wouldn’t have wanted to miss any of them — there are other projects I’d like to devote myself to.

For instance, I haven’t released a new album since Thaw in 2019, so I expect to spend a significant amount of time in the studio next year.

And of course, if an exciting concert opportunity presents itself, I certainly won’t say no.