Dizzy Mizz Lizzy
Copenhell - 2022
Text: Tobias Nilsson Photo: Lunah Lauridsen
Dizzy Mizz Lizzy is, besides D-A-D, probably Denmark’s most beloved and well known hard rock band, and it was about time they made their Copenhell debut. That it would happen on the Helvíti stage was not surprising, and already leading up, there was a huge pressure in the crowd.
“We’ve been looking forward to playing at our favourite festival for a long time!”
- Tim Christensen (vocals/guitar)
The show started off with the double-punch opener from the Alter Echo album, namely The Ricochet and In The Blood, and that’s not a bad way to open. For a metal festival, it certainly didn’t hurt that there also came a loud kaboom and fireballs erupted across the stage! Well now, we might just be in for something really good here.
I didn’t recall from our last encounter that Dizzy Mizz Lizzy had picked up a live musician in Anders Stig Møller (Turboweekend), playing the keyboards, so I was surprised to see the famous trio expanded into a quartet. Given the expanded soundscape of latter releases, it made good sense of course, it was just a surprise.
What was even more surprising however, was the way the setlist was constructed. I would have thought a hit parade was the way to go on the band’s first visit to this festival, and yet they opened up with solely post-reunion songs for the better part of the set, saving the classics for the final act of the gig.
Not only that, but they kept padding the set with noodling and jamming to a point where it all seemed dragging and pointless. And of course they did so in classic shoegaze fashion, so the fantastic connection we’ve come to expect from this band was nearly non-existent.
“There’s getting to be a lot of you out there now, it looks great! Maybe some of you are beginning to wonder, will they ever play something old? Well, I guess we can give that a try.”
- Christensen (vocals/guitar)
The noodling wasn’t contained to the newer material either, as they were going so far out on a tangent at the end of 67 Seas In Your Eyes, that I started looking at my watch, wondering when they’d just get on with it. Well, they didn’t, as they followed that prolonged outro up with a prolonged intro for Waterline. The intro wasn’t bad as such, but because it came packed with all their other extensions and sidetracks, I just couldn’t be bothered at this time.
With the advent of the old songs, at least we finally got into more crowd participation, which was very much appreciated. On several songs, the audience took over large chunks of the lyrics, singing by themselves and giving Christensen a break. It was too little, too late, but at least it was something.
To top this all off, Dizzy Mizz Lizzy wasn’t without technical issues either. Brainless had to be stopped and restarted because Christensen’s guitar kept cutting out, and they had to change from wireless to chord connection. Luckily, the change also improved the overall sound, in addition to making the instrument more reliable, so that was a good choice.
And then there was the pyro show, which I’ve already touched upon. Great idea, but miserable execution! The fires came on at the most random times, making no sense compared to the mood or beat of the music, making me wonder if the person controlling it was drunk or deaf - maybe both. This was, without a doubt, the worst composed and most pointless pyro show I’ve ever seen.
As you can tell, Dizzy Mizz Lizzy did not impress this day, and in no way lived up to the high expectations of them playing the main stage at Copenhell. Who knows, maybe they’ll be asked back at some point, and we can only cross our fingers that they’ll do better at that time. This is a show best forgotten.
Setlist:
The Ricochet
In The Blood
I Would If I Could But I Can’t
Brainless
The Middle
Amelia - Part 1: Nothing They Do They Do For You
Amelia - Part 2:The Path Of Least Existence
Amelia - Part 3: Lights Out
Amelia - Part 4: All Saints Are Sinners
Glory
Rotator
67 Seas In Your Eyes
Waterline
Thorn In My Pride
Silverflame
“We’ve been looking forward to playing at our favourite festival for a long time!”
- Tim Christensen (vocals/guitar)
The show started off with the double-punch opener from the Alter Echo album, namely The Ricochet and In The Blood, and that’s not a bad way to open. For a metal festival, it certainly didn’t hurt that there also came a loud kaboom and fireballs erupted across the stage! Well now, we might just be in for something really good here.
I didn’t recall from our last encounter that Dizzy Mizz Lizzy had picked up a live musician in Anders Stig Møller (Turboweekend), playing the keyboards, so I was surprised to see the famous trio expanded into a quartet. Given the expanded soundscape of latter releases, it made good sense of course, it was just a surprise.
What was even more surprising however, was the way the setlist was constructed. I would have thought a hit parade was the way to go on the band’s first visit to this festival, and yet they opened up with solely post-reunion songs for the better part of the set, saving the classics for the final act of the gig.
Not only that, but they kept padding the set with noodling and jamming to a point where it all seemed dragging and pointless. And of course they did so in classic shoegaze fashion, so the fantastic connection we’ve come to expect from this band was nearly non-existent.
“There’s getting to be a lot of you out there now, it looks great! Maybe some of you are beginning to wonder, will they ever play something old? Well, I guess we can give that a try.”
- Christensen (vocals/guitar)
The noodling wasn’t contained to the newer material either, as they were going so far out on a tangent at the end of 67 Seas In Your Eyes, that I started looking at my watch, wondering when they’d just get on with it. Well, they didn’t, as they followed that prolonged outro up with a prolonged intro for Waterline. The intro wasn’t bad as such, but because it came packed with all their other extensions and sidetracks, I just couldn’t be bothered at this time.
With the advent of the old songs, at least we finally got into more crowd participation, which was very much appreciated. On several songs, the audience took over large chunks of the lyrics, singing by themselves and giving Christensen a break. It was too little, too late, but at least it was something.
To top this all off, Dizzy Mizz Lizzy wasn’t without technical issues either. Brainless had to be stopped and restarted because Christensen’s guitar kept cutting out, and they had to change from wireless to chord connection. Luckily, the change also improved the overall sound, in addition to making the instrument more reliable, so that was a good choice.
And then there was the pyro show, which I’ve already touched upon. Great idea, but miserable execution! The fires came on at the most random times, making no sense compared to the mood or beat of the music, making me wonder if the person controlling it was drunk or deaf - maybe both. This was, without a doubt, the worst composed and most pointless pyro show I’ve ever seen.
As you can tell, Dizzy Mizz Lizzy did not impress this day, and in no way lived up to the high expectations of them playing the main stage at Copenhell. Who knows, maybe they’ll be asked back at some point, and we can only cross our fingers that they’ll do better at that time. This is a show best forgotten.
Setlist:
The Ricochet
In The Blood
I Would If I Could But I Can’t
Brainless
The Middle
Amelia - Part 1: Nothing They Do They Do For You
Amelia - Part 2:The Path Of Least Existence
Amelia - Part 3: Lights Out
Amelia - Part 4: All Saints Are Sinners
Glory
Rotator
67 Seas In Your Eyes
Waterline
Thorn In My Pride
Silverflame
Dizzy Mizz Lizzy
