Bombino – Review

Concert review by Hugh Nicholas:

Bombino in performance (Thursday, 9th January, 5.15pm, Spiegeltent) was one of those unique live experiences to be had perhaps once in a year. By turns humble, graceful, confident, cheeky and professional, the talented group charmed the audience from the outset.

Emerging in authentic Tuareg garb, Bombino et al began with selections from their pre-Black Keys work, relying on traditional instruments, rhythms and vocal styles. Those of us less schooled in the range of non-Western scales and chord structures were treated to a lesson in the complexity of melody, harmony and entrancing repetition. Bombino’s very particular  combination of virtuosic finger-picking and rough strumming produces the tonal quirks of a sitar with the intricate possibilities of a classical guitar – the effect being that it is easily forgotten, in fact, we’re seeing the familiar staging of guitars, drums, vocals and bass.

With a gentle ‘ça va?’, Bombino stood after perhaps half an hour and laid down his acoustic guitar, his bandmates also swapping traditional rhythm instruments for electric guitar and a full drum kit. We were then drawn fully into the more recent work from 2013’s worldwide critically-acclaimed hit album, Nomad, immediately lifting the tempo and filling the tent completely with lo-fi guitar fuzz, foot stomping, clapping and dance-able tunes.

Hardly speaking a word except to thank the audience, the band rounded out the set with a barrage of hits from Nomad, finally closing without encore to raucous applause. Overwhelmingly humble, Bombino himself then greeted the crowd outside, chatting and signing records. I, for one, feel I’ve seen the show of the year – and we’re only in January.

Bombino at the Spiegeltent