Bjork, Hong Kong, 2008-02-28

Leslie Cheung over 17 years ago

Icelandic music queen, Bjork, brought her the Volta Tour to Hong Kong tonight. The show started at around 20:35 with the band walking on to the stage. The rest of it, we will put in a more detailed update in the morning as we are still overwhelmed by her excellent performance. So check back later with more photos and report. For now, the setlist of the night: The band went on stage with the female choir playing "Brennið Þið Vitar", Bjork followed and launched into "Earth Intruders", and yes that was a big hat! Taken off her hat after the song, she and the band jumped into "Hunter" and during the song, she danced with the beat and, surprisingly, took out a bunch of string and threw it out like insect. Familiar string section started to play back, and it is one of the high time that night with "Joga". "Thank you Hong Kong," she said after the song. Well, thank you for coming back!

Usually photo taking restriction is more at ease during concerts by international artists, so there are many people taking photos with digital cameras or cell phones in the audience. The camera shy Bjork told the audience to stop taking photo and "let's enjoy the show tonight with me."

She continued with a slow number, "Unravel", and that were 3 songs straight from the third album Homogenic. Returning briefly to Volta with "Vertebrae By Vertebrae" and pretended to be a catwoman acting out her claws. Attention, reactable in action in the background. Next is "Pleasure Is All Mine", from the last album Medulla, which is transformed into a dark keyboard-led number for the live rendition. Another peak time coming with "All Is Full Of Love", everyone was submerged in her excellent vocal performance. Another slow number from Medulla, "Desired Constellation" is often underrated, but tonight, its outro was seamlessly transited into the next song, where the first crowd jumping sparked off, the hit song from Post... "Army Of Me". With heavy electronic beats and bass lines, you would have the illusion that you are clubbing instead of concert going. She just did not stop with it, and launched into more up-beat hits, "Innocence", "Bachelorette", "Who Is It" (beautifully accompanied by keyboard and programming). She rested a bit with "Cover Me", singing along with keyboard alone, and returned to full band with the powerful song and next single "Wanderlust", "Hyperballad". The main set ended with "Pluto" with her screaming and programming merged together to a climax.

The band left the stage and returned for a two-song encore. "I know this year you are going to run the Olympics game, right?" she asked. "In the last Olympics game in Athens, I sang the song for it, and I am going to sing it to you now." "Oceania" was updated with brass section and keyboards. "Declare Independence" was the final song and as soon as the electronic beats hit in, everyone started jumping. Keyboardist made fun of the big hat Bjork wore during the first song, and brought her a big flag. The song ended with Bjork singing the chorus in a capella, and definitely our mood was "higher, higher!"

The setlist of the night:

Intro - Brennið Þið Vitar
Earth Intruders
Hunter
Jóga
Unravel
Vertebrae By Vertebrae
Pleasure Is All Mine
All Is Full Of Love
Desired Constellation
Army Of Me
Innocence
Bachelorette
Who Is It
Cover Me
Wanderlust
Hyperballad
Pluto

[encore]
Oceania
Declare Independence

Photos by Fanny Cheuk