On Stage: Tamino @ Melkweg

Many times when I go to concerts I will check to see who the support act is and if it's worth rushing to make it early to the venue to catch it. Sometimes I'm simply not able to make it and other times I actually make it but don't know who are opening that night. The best nights are the ones where the support act simply blows you away by surprise.

Tamino at Melkweg Amsterdam, May 22 2017

This is exactly what happened when I saw Belgian rising star Tamino play a support show about half a year ago. His melancholic music but especially his amazing voice was very impressive. He released a self-titled EP at the beginning of this month and plays the small stage all the way in the top of the Melkweg. I couldn't wait to see him again.

In his home country he's causing quite a stir already but over here he still is relatively unknown. Although small, the show did sell out so I guess more people already know about this amazing new artist after all. The charming singer starts out all by himself on stage, only strumming a guitar. His voice blows me away once again. It is so versatile with a very broad range and he seems to be able to bend it any way he likes. His songs are dark and poetic and it's hard not to bring Jeff Buckley to mind.

The first time I saw him, I did notice that it needed a bit more variation and a backup band would probably bring that. It is nice to see that is exactly what he did and he brought a drum player and keyboard player with him, that are also taking care of backing vocals. It indeed lifts his performance to a higher level and opens up his sound. The EP only holds five songs, but it is clear he is working on more. Not all songs are a hit immediately, but most of them are true gems.

Of course his first hit song 'Habibi' ends the regular set and in the encore he plays a beautiful cover version of Arctic Monkeys' 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor'. 'Smile', the last song on the EP, is also the final song of the night. The wonderful song that reminds of Radiohead, is a great way to end the night. It would surprise me if this young and very talented artist won't grow into a big star in a few years time.



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