Showday Copenhagen

Today was show day in Copenhagen, a special place for many in Heilung. It’s home to Chris, Kim, and Finn, where Kai currently lives, and where Maria lived for a long time. This venue holds a lot of history for the group. We played here in 2022, and it was also the first place I ever ran a merch booth for Heilung, no less. That was the moment I truly realized just how massive their merch operation is. It was a stressful experience back then, and today was no different, though, thankfully, not as overwhelming.

Luckily, this was a concession day, meaning the venue handled merch sales for us. That took a huge weight off my shoulders. I set up the booth with Joeri, and since I remembered from last time how everything was laid out, it was a smooth process. The truck was also well-organized, making things even easier. With everything in order, I even had some time to rehearse the dance Janne and I had created the day before. We weren’t sure if it would be used, especially since Janne is also a fire dancer, which could open up other possibilities but we wanted to be prepared.

At 13:00, I had warrior training. Like the last show, we had an extra warrior joining us, so it was good to walk through everything again. Overall, things were running smoothly, aside from a few choreographic details in certain songs that still needed fine-tuning.

Then Kai introduced something new. He told us about a vision he had during meditation: in one of the songs, we would wear blue and yellow ribbons. This was meant to strengthen Nadia, who is from Ukraine, as well as stand in solidarity with all oppressed people. It was also a nod to the Viking heritage of Europe and the colors of Kai’s hometown. The colours meen sky and fire. While the intent was presented as non-political, it still stirred a lot of discussion within the group. Personally, I felt a bit conflicted, as I’ve never been one to make strong political statements on stage. Because of this, I had a long conversation with Kai, sharing my thoughts and trying to find a way to create more balance within the group regarding this decision. Ultimately, I think it was meaningful as a one-time gesture, but it also opens new doors for Heilung in ways we hadn’t explored before.

The show itself was powerful, like the others on this run. I’m slowly settling into a routine, quickly showering ( in the shower dungeon) right after the performance, heading back to help break down the merch booth, packing my bags, and grabbing the after-show food we usually order. Since we had two free days after this and were staying in the same place, there wasn’t the usual rush, which made everything a bit easier.

Overall, today was a really good day. There were a few hiccups with new people coming in and adjusting to the changes, but the energy was strong. And with so many familiar faces backstage, it truly felt like a homecoming for much of the group.Read more