Ida Maria made Koko dance and cry

The stage is dimly lit when a woman wearing a red blazer and bright red shoes sits down behind the drum kit. She tries the drum sticks and hits a few beats, noticeably out of her element.

She puts away the drum sticks and moves quickly to the microphone, where she looks at home. The rest of the band walks on stage and they immediately start playing their first song.

Ida Maria had an explosive start when she entered the stage at Koko. She kicked off the show with Queen of the World, an upbeat song that sets the mode for the concert with its catchy beat. The crowd was into it from the beginning, singing and dancing along to the music.

The ballads in between the upbeat songs work well because Ida Maria has a powerful voice. One gets the feeling that she is trying to tell a story to the audience with every ballad she sings, and she is for the most part successful at it. Songs like Stella and Keep me warm are definitely highlights.

At times, some of the ballads are not appreciated as much by the audience since they are not so familiar. It would have helped to have a more extensive back catalogue to chose songs from to keep the flow of the show.

For one of the final songs, I like you so much better when you're naked, Ida Maria brought out a couple of dancers on stage, popular to the male members of the audience. The song has a high energy and the performance was just as energetic.

The final song, before the encore, Oh my God is performed with power and authority. When the band walked on stage again for the encore, the mood is completely different. Ida Maria ended the concert with the heartfelt ballad Leave me, let me go that captured the audience, as most of the rest of the show did.

Waiting outside Koko for Ida Maria

Koko in Camden, London, UK

Some of the first people in line for the Ida Maria gig at Koko were some young women from Sweden, Germany and Norway.

Clearly excited, they explained to me that it was one of them who had suggested a girls night at Koko to see Ida Maria.

Annie, Kristina, Annika and Julika outside Koko.


"I like a few of her songs, especially Oh My God," Annika from Germany told me. Oh My God has previously been number 3 on Spin Magazine's list over songs to download. Annika came up with the idea to go to the gig, that way they can experience the song live.

"I had no idea that she comes from Sweden," Annie said, not knowing that Ida Maria is from Norway. Even though the knowledge about the artist maybe isn't that great, she enjoys the music. "I really like that I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked song," she told me.

About the venue, they all agree that "Koko is a cool location." One of the girls has been to another one of the NME Shockwaves gigs at Koko, a tour in connection the music magazine NME's awards. The Ida Maria concert is a part of that tour.

Usually, the girls don't go to a lot of gigs, but their plans for the night is to listen to some good music and have some fun.

"I expect the gig to be both energetic and laid back," Annika explained. Let's hope Ida Maria lived up to their expectations.

First artist out

The first artist I'm going to see is Ida Maria. She is a Norwegian musician from a small town called Nesna.

Nesna is as different from London as you possibly can imagine. It's town hidden by a fjord in the northern parts of Norway, close to the place where I use to spend my summer holidays. Her birthplace is part of the appeal of the gig for me, as it is seeing music from home in another country.

Ida Maria became well known in Norway when she won two national music competitions for unknown artists in 2007. After winning those competitions, she got airtime on Norwegian radio stations. Since then, her popularity has been expanded to other countries, such as the UK where she has played various festivals and concerts.

One of her most well know songs is "Oh My God".

It will be interesting to see how she is welcomed when she enters the stage at Koko.