Big Thief open EU tour in Oslo with song written just two days before and debut new material

Big Thief debuted new material, including one song written just two days before, at the opening night of their EU tour in Oslo, Norway on Wednesday, April 8.

Adrianne Lenker told the crowd at Sentrum Scene the opening song, played solo with the band watching on, had been written on Monday (April 6) in Oslo.

Always in flux, the prolific Big Thief return to Europe with another album under their belts, as tender as ever. The set ranged from their roots of a decade ago (Real Love), with guitar solos not out of AC/DC’s orbit, to nigh on pindrop silence for acoustic cuts.

False starts from a break of five months only humanised the songs further, which were declared as a ‘prayer’ for love by Adrianne Lenker. In addition to the hours-old opener, new songs Christmas Day and Mr Man made the set even more special.

Big Thief thanked support Dylan Meek, brother of the band's Buck Meek, for opening the show. His 45-minute set consisted of dynamic, emotional and multilingual songs, which held the faithful crowd.

A full band version of Adrianne Lenker’s solo cut Real House added a warm spin on its raw lyrics, a highlight of some of the more settled parts of the set.

Any lulls were consistently pierced, however, by the band’s thrilling side which has bite, a foil to their delicacy - an energetic rendition of Vampire Empire set up Big Thief’s big finish.

Incomprehensible, from their 2025 album Double Infinity, which they are ostensibly on tour to promote, made more sense live than the recorded version. Adrianne Lenker, viscerally singing from the heart, stretched the song to its full potential.

An encore of 2022's Change, followed by a full band version of Spud Infinity is case in point - the source material works recorded, as a solo effort and as a set closer. In the coveted slot usually reserved for a band’s most famous song, the album cut produced the satisfying conclusion the show deserved.

Big Thief has a gravitational pull of their own, with songs which have been public for over a decade and ones that have just been born. Thank you for inviting us in.

Big Thief are in Europe until June 18.

Setlist: Untitled (New Song), Forgive the Dream, Wait a While, Certainty, Shoulders, Real Love, Real House (Adrianne Lenker), Christmas Day (New Song), Beautiful World, Mr Man (New Song), Terminal Paradise (Adrianne Lenker), not a lot, just forever (Adrianne Lenker), Muscle Memory, Vampire Empire, Not, anything (Adrianne Lenker), Incomprehensible; Change, Spud Infinity.