Even the most seasoned giggoer may have had a bit of a shock walking into Pryzm Kingston on an unassuming Wednesday night. A cardboard cutout of Icelandic pop sensation Daði Freyr greeted me at the door, and at the bottom of the stairs, a Santa hat thrust was into my hands.
The venue staff informed me that all but two people had taken a hat—almost no room for scrooges here. Emerging into the main room, I was confronted with quite the sight; not only the concertgoers but also every member of the venue staff and touring crew were wearing red Santa hats.
Taking to the stage, Daði Freyr begins with “Thank You,” the opening track from his new album—simply named I Made An Album. As everyone drinks in the stage setup, the expected Daði inflatable head and hands, but tonight, there is also a Christmas tree, a tonne of tinsel, and a beastly inflatable reindeer Freyr named Brian.
After a couple of further songs from the new album—all of which are introduced as Christmas songs—with the occasional lyrics changed to festive words, Freyr plays his first bonafide Christmas cover—“Last Christmas,” albeit far more funked up than the original. Freyr seems to settle into the show and is certainly enjoying himself at this point, gesturing a chef’s kiss to the audience.
Blasting through “Somebody Else Now” and “Moves to Make,” Freyr periodically waves to people around the room and, between songs, tells tales about Icelandic gnomes and Christmas boys; the crowd is onside, and there is about as much laughter in the room as there is singing along.
After more songs from the new album, two failed paper planes, the ever-popular “Think About Things,” and a beautiful rendition of “O Holy Night,” an encore of sorts happens, although Freyr has played storyteller a bit too keenly, so being pressed for time it is only the briefest of pauses.
Freyr finishes with a mixed-tempo version of “Fairytale of New York” sung with the multi-talented Ylva—Freyr’s drummer. Then, the much-anticipated cover of Atomic Kitten’s “Whole Again,” which he first performed earlier this year at Eurovision in Liverpool. Surprisingly, much of the audience was caught out by the changed tempo of the song.
Closing the show with Wizzard’s “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday,” the sea of red hats then flooded out the doors into the streets of Kingston.