APRIL 19th 2026
KIEFER SUTHERLAND

 Review by: Martin Storm-Olsen
Photos By: Polina Kulikovskikh
Full Gallery:
http://www.metaltitans.com/concertpics/kiefer-sutherland/

Kiefer Sutherland is more known to me, and probably many others, from his countless Hollywood movies and later from the small screen risking his life for 24 hours at a time or as president by default in "Designated Survivor". However, he's been spending time in recent years on building a career as a musician, where he's topped the British americana- and country charts with both his recent albums. He's also expected to release a new album, called "Grey", in the near future.

I've been to Rockefeller many times. Not at singer/songwriter shows, I may add. Yet, the venue felt very modest with its two upper floors closed off. There weren't too many people in the crowd in general from the start. At least not compared to what I am used to at this venue. It did, however, create a more intimate atmosphere than usual, which was fitting to the material to be expected this evening.

First off, without any fuss, Colin Andrew entered the stage. Armed with his acoustic guitar and voice, he set the tone and early on had a song where the chorus had the line "I have to set the tone", underlining suitably to his mission. He was also very clear about his role in the audience dialog. "Let's get you warmed up" was said more than once. His performance was confident without being overbearing. He played well and had good crowd control.

An early highlight came when he went through his tradition of learning and performing a song from each country he visits (humorously saying how he went from a song from each city to each country because he’s lazy) , choosing A-ha's "Take On Me" for Norway. It could have been a gimmick, but it landed well and he got the crowd to willingly take over the iconic lead synth melody, which was good fun. His set overall was mellow and thoughtfully constructed, with tasteful chord progressions supporting a vocal delivery that felt both controlled and expressive. His humor and easy rapport kept the attention locked in very well throughout his set, and he truly did his job of warming up the audience skillfully.

By the time Kiefer Sutherland took the stage, the room had filled up slightly more, though it never lost that sense of “breathing” room. Backed by a full band featuring two guitarists, in addition to himself alternating between electric and acoustic guitar, bass, and drums, the sound immediately shifted into a richer, more layered territory. The main lead guitarist, in particular, stood out with a bluesy touch that added depth to the arrangements.

Sutherland himself isn't a vocalist with a wide range, but he also doesn’t pretend to be. Instead, he leans into his strengths, letting the band carry the weight where needed and delivering his lines with a grounded, unforced presence. There's an honesty to the performance that suits the material. A seamless early transition between songs, paired with a lyrical nod to rain, felt especially appropriate for an Oslo evening of arriving wet due to just that.

What stood out most to me was the restraint. No one overplayed; every musician seemed to understand exactly how much to give, and no more at any given time. It’s a quality that’s easy to overlook but hard to execute. Not everything clicked perfectly, though, but it didn't feel like the band's fault. With three guitars in play, the mix occasionally struggled to give each its own space, leaving certain parts muddied for no reason. Still, the overall sound held together well enough to carry the performance despite this.

Between songs, Kiefer Sutherland gave some of the songs a bit of background, sharing parts of his life and journey in moving away from Hollywood to a more rural farm setting and its surrounding experiences. He also came across as rooted, humble and genuinely appreciative, both of the audience, of the tour, of the chance to be there and do something he truly enjoys, not taking anything for granted or as to be expected in any way.

I’d say this wasn't a night of grand peaks or explosive moments. Instead, it offered something steadier: a well-crafted, sincere performance with talented musicians supporting the singer songwriter style material nicely.