Anna Von Hausswolff

In all honesty, I had serious doubts about the choice of venue (Santeria Toscana) for the Milan date of the Iconoclasts tour by Anna Von Hausswolff. I would have taken for granted the choice of a place of worship equipped with a monumental pipe organ, but it only took a quick exchange of opinions with my music-obsessed friend to make sure we were at this mouth-watering event; how could I pass up the chance to hear my 2025 album of the year live? I must admit, though, that thanks to excellent acoustic treatment, spot-on sound engineering and a packed crowd, the venue proved fully worthy of the occasion. But let's take it in order...

At 8:30 pm, young producer Mare takes the stage accompanied by an electric guitar, performing both released and unreleased tracks. The audience appreciates the performance, even if their minds are already fixed on what's about to happen.

At 9:30 pm, six silhouettes emerge from the foggy darkness of the stage and take up their predestined positions, with the fairy from Gothenburg wrapped in a black fur coat and a long skirt at the centre of the scene, surrounded by her prized instruments, among which a curious portable pipe organ stands out. Lighting effects, kept to a bare minimum, complete the staging. It's special guest Otis Sandsjo who breaks the already boiling ice with "Consensual Neglect", his virtuosity enchanting everyone: a true Jimi Hendrix of the sax, setting the stage for the gorgeous "Facing Atlas", where the unmatched voice of the Swedish goddess comes into play, bewitching the crowd. What follows is an apparent calm with the pairing of "The Mouth"/"The Whole Woman", where all sense of time slipping slowly and inexorably by is lost, a truly hypnotic ecstasy.

But the calm doesn't last long. A restrained rhythm section stirs everyone's spirits back up with "The Iconoclast" and "An Ocean Of Time", the Scandinavian muse moving sinuously, singing divinely. The seismographs register one of the most intense and turbulent moments of the night, thanks to "The Mysterious Vanishing Of Electra", taken from that masterpiece "Dead Magic": Anna picks up her Fender to back up the rest of the band, otherworldly screams rising up as if from one of Dante's circles of hell. Then comes one of the most touching moments of the show with the beautiful "Aging Young Women", where the Swede intones angelic notes, proving just as compelling in the lower registers. Besides her undisputed skills as a composer and musician, tonight we also discover her warmth: Anna hands out generous smiles and halting phrases in Italian, confirming herself as a genuine anti-diva.

A couple more tracks from "Dead Magic" and "Ceremony", a very brief pause to catch a breath and sharpen the instruments, and everything is ready for the grand finale everyone's been waiting for: "Struggle For The Beast", with the lucky attendees in a frenzy and the Norse sprite leaping about possessed like a wound-up spring in front of a dazed, now completely uncontrollable crowd. A tremendous finale worthy of an extraordinary album and a magnificent concert. The band takes its leave with thanks, Anna Von Hausswolff blowing kisses to everyone. An unforgettable evening.

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