Kim Janssen live. Livingroom concert Haarlem, Saturday 31 January 2026

Photo: WdN-vdB

It was a grey Saturday afternoon, a cold, damp winter day. Inside it is warm. Kim Janssen walked into the house with a guitar case and two tote bags with albums in them. The soundcheck consisted of tuning his guitar. The room had slowly filled up with new and familiar faces all in anticipation of what they would get to hear. Most people had come over for the experience and not so much because of the artist. Nearly almost everyone went home an experience richer and as new fans of the artist.

It was not so different for Kim Janssen. Before the show he had indicated to look forward to play some songs that he does not play in a band setting, an indication that the variation of playing songs in such a small setting is a pleasant change for an artist as well. A few years ago Janssen played two support slots for Kensington's residency in the Ziggo Dome, to illustrate two extremes in his career.

With albums like 'Video Days', 'Cousins; and 'The Lonely Mountain' to his name, he has a lot of interesting songs to choose from. It translated into a very intimate show with an either intimately strummed or delicately picked guitar, to accompanied his voice. That could range from moderately dark to high, "I have to sing multiple voices from the record all by myself", as he said.

In the introduction to one song, we were told to imagine all the strings that the song consists of on record. I remember thinking 'what would I make of it' ? and now writing I realise that I forgot all about the thought because of the beauty of this acoustic version. By then Kim Janssen had caught me completely with the strength of his songs. The intimacy of having an artist play in a living room is can't be replicated in any other setting. I wish all artists to play Paradiso level and better, but seeing them so up close is a treasure. It gives insight into the nucleus of the songs, just like they were conceived.

In the stories in between Kim Janssen explained the inspirations for songs, making the show even more intimate. Living in Thailand and Nepal as a child. Going to school there, living with the fear of a major earthquake there. It makes listening to the song and its lyrics even more special.

We were treated to one or two new songs as well that are in the process of being recorded. To hear them on record will take at least one year. Patience is the word, but this live experience is not going to be taken away from audience and artist.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Kim Janssen's albums here:

https://snowstar.bandcamp.com/album/cousins