This was 'Music & Pizza' with Varley
And as in the blink of an eye on Sunday, November 14, we reached the last of the Music & Pizza events scheduled for 2021, this time with Varley as protagonists. Varley is an indie-pop trio based in Berlin, made of Dublin-born Claire-Ann and German band mates Joschka Bender and Matthias Heisingand and when they play live, the musicians Martin Rott and Lilli Born join them on stage. That is precisely how we enjoyed them at Music & Pizza, where we could also listen live for the first time to many of the new songs from their debut album ‘Smalltalk & DMCs’, released just two months earlier.
People tend to think that the larger the audience, the greater the nerves, although the opposite is often the case. Perhaps that is why this event is so special. Playing in an intimate venue makes the musicians look directly into the eyes of an audience that doesn't miss a thing. Sure it's scary, but once the initial nerves are overcome, the sensations undoubtedly multiply and the connection between artist and attendees is total. That at least is what I felt during the concert. Also, listening to a group like Varley in an intimate space like Fabrik23 is perhaps the best way to enjoy them because what lies at the core of Varley's affective, heart-on-sleeve music is its willingness to be vulnerable.
Besides, Varley’s songs are imbued with an-all-too-familiar sense of inner turmoil: a series of relatable missives for over-thinkers everywhere. What makes them perfect for an intimate event like Music & Pizza. In this way, on Sunday Varley went through most of their new songs in two sets separated by a short break in between, having time to play old gems like Just A Girl from Gwen Stefany and to speak about the songs and what inspired them.
It's difficult to put into words what I experienced, and it's certainly complicated to capture the atmosphere with a camera, but if you could not attend Varley’s event at least you can now enjoy the video of the concert.
Stay tuned for upcoming events at: gigsforyou.live/musicandpizza
