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"We took our name from an idea. We are a cold soup with thousands of ingrediants, always tasting differently, chilled served of course." That's how singer Jan-Henrik Ohme explains the band name within a talk after this show. And as we all know Gazpacho is this famous cold vegetable soup.
Once again here we got a very underrated talent, who are so good, but didn't reach a real break through yet. Almost ignored by their home country Norway, the band concentrates on the rest of the world, and also on the german market to introduce their artrock to fans of Dream Theater, Marillion or Porcupine Tree and many more people. Founded in 1996, they put out six albums so far. The latest release is entitled 'Tick Tock' and has just arrived. It tells the story about the novel Wind, Sand And Stars written by Antoine Saint-Exupery. And it is an absolute conceptalbum. Of course the slogan of the current tour is 'Tick Tock'. Cazpacho are: Jan-Henrik Ohme (Voc)o, Jon-Arne Vilbo (Guit.), Kristian Torp (Bass), Robert R. Johanson (Drums), Thomas Andersen (Keyb.) and Mikael Krømer (Violine/Guit.). And these six guys show immidiately that they are a perfect team.

Our Backstage unfortunately ain't crowded with aprox. 150 friends of this advanced, extroverted music. There is no supportact either. And the magic starts at 8.30 p.m. - To take one thing ahead, - the Band presents us 8 songs and need 2 hours for it's performance. So you can imagine, how long one song is. There is hardly one track less than 10 min. lasting, sometimes even the double amount of time. This might frighten some of you off, by reading this here, but as I always use to say so: fist listening then judging.
I have to confess, this stuff ain't easy listening. But, and this is the point, it is performed in such a way, that it animates you to listen, always with the question in our head, what comes next? Gazpacho are put in the cathegory progrock. But the band doesn't like this description and rather prefers the word artrock. Coinciding with the music is also the stage aura with very little light (not very nice for us photographers) Gazpacho prefer the more calm tunes, provoking some spheric moods. It's a path, winding itselves through a jungle with almost no trespass. And you never know, what comes up after the next corner, which make things rather exiting. It's like a raindrop falling down the drain, leading into a river with sometimes a heavy waterfall, vanishing suddenly again to appear on another spot of the universe again with another vengeance. That's how I would describe Gazpacho's music.

These musicians are perfectionists, who seem to have everything under controll Every tune is on it's right place and multiples into an abstract coordination of extroverted melodies. But despite it's complexity, you don't have to be a individualist or big lover of this difficult stuff, to get familiar with Gazpacho's music. I myself don't necessarely belong to these fans, who go for long ongoing guitar frickling. And I have to confess, in the beginning I do have some problems to get into it. But the longer the show goes on, the more I do like what I hear. And the band makes the impression, as if they are getting better and better the longer the play.
So what shall I say? 2 hours seem like 5 minutes, and afterwards I can say without any hesitation, this here has not been boring for a single second. Gazpacho are an interesting new experience, which is worth while to make. I could imagine very well, that some of you out there could get into this music. And believe me, these norwegian guys deserve, to get more resonance and secure their name in the musicbiz.
I for my part wish them all the luck in the world and hopefully soon, the success, they would deserve.

http://www.gazpachoworld.com/