In many ways, Dagny’s appearance at Birmingham’s Hare and Hounds pub on Monday night shouldn’t really happen. After a vigorous touring schedule supporting Sting at various venues across the UK including parks, castles and open air theatres, the Norwegian songstress and her band should be enjoying some downtime, relaxing with a glass of vino or suitable libation, re-charging the batteries ready to go again at Halifax’s 5.5K capacity Peace Hall on Tuesday. But no, because as the flaxen haired beauty professes early on in the set – after a rousing rendition of her 2016 track ‘Fools Gold’ – “We don’t like days off much”. And so, to the delight of her fans, the collective decision to hop in the van and drive up the M5 results in what can only be described as a “love-in”.
From the moment she strides onto the stage in a black and white playsuit that looks like it has been piped on with icing and delivers an effortless sugar pop vocal for recent single ‘Heartbreak In The Making’ Dagny Norvoll Sandvik captivates and illuminates the room. She flicks and kicks her way through a set list of songs that quite literally pop, imprinting the music with her delicious personality. “Tonight is all about the music, not the lights or the show” she says revelling in the opportunity to perform to a small room of diehard fans. For every slick movement, every kick in her white rubber boots, every paradiddle of air drumming or tinkling of air piano, there is a tip of the mic towards the adoring crowd who sing every word, “whoa” or whoop in unison. The Robyn-esque certified banger ‘Same Again For Love’ soars on Scandi-Pop wings propelled along by an infectious drum beat. ‘Bye Bye Baby’ morphs out of a synth haze into an electro groove, part early Daft Punk, part Radio Ga Ga Queen that finds it’s own frequency for the room to tune into. With the guitarist making one of a few choice forays to the front of the stage to “rock out” , it is one of the standout tracks of a standout night. “This track was written for festivals” Dagny informs after the mania has stopped. “Is it too full on?”
In an evening chock full of serotonin inducing pop ecstasy, there is only space for one down tempo, reflective track – ‘Highs and Lows’ – which offers a moment of pause amidst the high-energy set. Then it is back to business with the smattering of fans in the room living out their best lives as backing singers rather than just devotees. For ‘Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda’, a track off her 2020 debut album “Strangers / Lovers” and named with exactitude after Season 4 episode 11 of Sex And The City, Dagny divides the room into three sections for total audience participation. As if things couldn’t get any better, she declares that we have now reached her “favourite part of the evening” and gets down off the stage merging into the crowd, a circle of cell phones forming around her as she bops and weaves for “Love You Like That”. Back on stage she announces “I’m your karaoke machine”, before launching into ‘Backbeat’, her 2016 debut track, which receives the now customary huge cheer and signals yet another mass singalong for the joyous Dagny faithful.
Sounds like a great night!