There was something special about Icona Pop returning to Berns for a Stockholm show on their Ritual tour. Playing to a home crowd packed with friends, loved ones and longtime fans, the Swedish duo turned the venue into one big club night.
For Icona Pop, Berns is more than just another Stockholm venue. As they explained on stage, their very first club/DJ gig took place at Berns on the cellar level, making their return to the historic venue a particularly fitting occasion.
This time, it was The Ballroom upstairs that provided the setting, as Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo brought their unmistakable electronic pop energy to the hometown crowd filling the space.
But this was never going to be a quiet trip down memory lane. The atmosphere was decidedly clubby, with pulsing beats, hands up in the air and a party-minded audience ready to dance.
Many of the songs of the new album sounded like perfect club bangers when heard live, and the duo of course threw in several of their older hits, all the way from Manners (the one they mentioned was released on MySpace, thus dating their career) to the horn-filled Emergency.
The one that everybody was waiting for was of course I Love It, their huge breakthrough hit that got the crowd singing (shouting) along to the unapologetic lyrics, dancing wildly and embracing the chaos.
Aino and Carro belong on that stage and Icona Pop have always had a knack for turning a concert into a celebration. Berns really provided the perfect backdrop for that combination of pop hooks and dancefloor energy. A homecoming, a celebration and a reminder that some parties are best thrown on home turf.
All photos © Nina Uddin
