Paal Nilssen-Love’s Circus

“The cheering lifted the roof during this concert and it’s a miracle that we didn´t all descend to civil disobedience, kicked down the tables and started dancing.” - A. Vinger

“the presence of vocalist Juliana Venter, an actor who brings plenty of drama to her mix of written and improvised melodies and texts.” - the Quietus

A hurricane of sounds - raw, playful and bubbling with energy

Norwegian drumming phenomenon Paal Nilssen-Love presents a new band and a total experience: Circus. Do not expect a tightly orchestrated spectacle, but a vibrant carnival of rhythmic outbursts, free improvisation and colourful melodies. The music is bursting with energy and unpredictability, with influences from Ethiopia, Brazil, free jazz and punk.

With Circus, Nilssen-Love builds on the fireworks of his Large Unit, but with a sextet he opts for a more compact line-up with just as much intensity. The band moves effortlessly between delicate melodies and rousing grooves, each time with the drums as the engine. A feast for those who like to push boundaries. Their performance at KAAP Ostend was one for the history books, with the audience screaming and cheering after an atomic set. 

Paal Nilssen-Love Circus
Juliana Venter (vocals), Thomas Johansson (trumpet), Signe Emmeluth (alto sax), Kalle Moberg (accordion), Christian Meaas Svendsen (bass), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums)

Photo © Geert Vandepoele