We don't play dice here at PULS, but if we had, it would have been a seven - with one dice! That's how fantastic yesterday's Sixteen Horsepower's concert was.

I don't have a number on how many concerts I have attended in my twenty-eight year old life, but it's a lot - and there are many concerts that stick to my brain as great experiences, but I think the performance Sixteen Horsepower delivered at John Dee Sunday night, probably is the best, absolutely the best!

A crowded room experienced a concert containing everything! An unbelievably fresh Eugene Edwards did not give 100% on stage - he gave at least 200%! The fact that he said Thank You several times, gives the impression that he was evidently pleased with the response from the Norwegian audience. No wonder - I've rarely experienced a more responsive and enthusiastic audience as Sunday's.

The concert was mainly characterized by material from the latest album "Folklore", with additions of the best from the band's earlier albums. It opens with the same song that starts "Folklore"; "Hutterite Mile" in a divinely beautiful version, followed by "Outlaw Song" from the same album. From there on, one hair-rising lovely song is followed by others like "Black Bush" from the album "Sackloth'n'Ashes"; "Beyond The Pale", "Sinnerman", "Alone And Forsaken" and "Blessed Persistence" from "Folklore"; before we get the first feature from the great "Secret South" - record with a superior version of "Clogger".

I have earlier described David Eugene Edwards as a quite scary gentleman, but during the concert I could, believe it or not, see him smile! Not for long, but still a rare moment to my knowledge… The man is one with his lyrics, and via his facial-expressions he gives a clear picture of a person really meaning what he sings. Desperately and manically he delivers a picture of a seemingly disturbed person, it is exactly this which makes this band something quite unique - in addition to making a large heap of devilish great songs, of course.

Edwards is an incredible good vocalist. With his psychotic doomsday-voice, he varies between the well known bullet-microphone and an ordinary microphone. Even though he is not in the least talkative, he gives an impression from the stage that really marks us.

Everything is performed with the outmost precision, by five fantastic musicians, and John Dee deserves credit for the unbelievable good sound throughout the concert. With 16hp's unusual use of instruments, it's often a problem to get the sound right, but yesterday was perfect in every way.

"Splinters" ends a huge set before we, as a bonus, get four extra songs, the last one being a magical version of "Horse Head Fiddle". An overenthusiastic audience would want the band to go on for a couple of hours, but that was it.

I feel truly sorry for the poor "bastards" outside John Dee, trying to buy black-market tickets, without succeeding… A larger venue is perhaps demanded next time they visit Oslo.

Translation by Jorgen