Biography

The award-winning Nordics Kings of the Blues, Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado has a new album out, Live at Cecil Hotel via Provogue/Artone Label Group. Order/Stream HERE.

To celebrate the release they have released the video for a hauntingly atmospheric live version of ‘Never Givin’ In.’ At nearly 11-minutes long, a hauntingly sinister intro gives way to a post-apocalyptic Sons of Anarchy soundtrack fed through an Ennio Morricone filter, that tantalises as it drags the crowd along. The goosebump-inducing version was originally seen on 2020s Come On In, which has gone on to become a staple of the band’s live shows.

Talking about the release of the album Risager says, “The album really has that killer live energy which is always difficult to create in a studio. When you’re standing in front of such a wonderful crowd in your own hometown, you instinctively give everything you got.”

They have already released a number of sizzling singles from the album such as; ‘Already Gone,’ ‘Said I Was Hurt (Live)’, ‘Hold My Lover Tight (Live)’, ‘I Used To Love You (Live)’ and ‘Come On In (Live)’.  

Set against an Art Deco backdrop of the Hotel Cecil in their hometown of Copenhagen, it perfectly suits the smooth, smoky blues of Denmark’s hardest-working band. The show was recorded at their sold-out performance on 29 November 2025, one of the band’s final shows on their House of Sticks winter tour, and saw the band fully flexing their sophisticated might.

The eight-piece band adorned the high stage – Thorbjørn Risager (Vocals, Electric Guitar), Emil Balsgaard (Organ, Keys), Joachim Svensmark (Electric Guitar), Kasper Wagner (Baritone Sax), Hans Nybo (Tenor Sax), Peter W Kehl (Trumpet), Søren Bøjgaard (Bass), and Martin Seidelin (Drums, Percussion) . The curtains are raised. As the lights are dimmed, the band’s neon logo draws your attention. The drape-flanked room catapults you to another place and another time. That’s where the Danish sensations draw you in. 

Live At Cecil Hotel proves to be a special moment.” A sold-out show still sends a tingling sensation through a band. “It’s humbling. Truly. We’ve built this step by step over many years, often far from home. To see “Sold Out” means people have chosen to spend their evening with us. That’s not something I take lightly,” he says. 

Musicians:

• Thorbjørn Risager – Vocal, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
• Emil Balsgaard – Piano, Organ, Wurlitzer, Mellotron, Clavinet
• Joachim Svensmark – Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards, Viola, Background Vocals, Mellotron, Drum Programming
• Kasper Wagner – Alto Sax, Baritone Sax, Flute
• Hans Nybo – Tenor Sax
• Peter W Kehl – Trumpet, Fluegelhorn, Sousaphone, Trombone
• Søren Bøjgaard – Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Synthesizer, Bass Synthesizer, Electric Guitar, Piano
• Martin Seidelin – Drums, Percussion 

DISCOGRAPHY: 

• Live 2004 (Music Mecca/Cope 2005)
• From the Heart (Cope Records 2006)
• Here I Am (Cope Records 2007)
• Live at Victoria (Cope Records 2009)
• Track Record (Cope Records 2010)
• Dust & Scratches (Cope Records 2012)
• Between Rock and Some Hard Blues (Cope Records 2013)
• Too Many Roads (Ruf Records 2014)
• Songs From The Road (Ruf Records 2015)
• Change My Game (Ruf Records 2017)
• Come On In (Ruf Records 2020)
• Best Of (Ruf Records 2021)
• Navigation Blues (Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group 2022)
• House of Sticks (Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group 2025)
• Live at Hotel Cecil (Provogue Records/Artone Label Group 2026)

“This is the sort of band that gets booked by unwary festival promoters as an early evening support only to discover they’ve stolen the show by 8 pm. If you haven’t seen them yet, do. If you haven’t booked them yet, do…”

Download the Biography as pdf here! …und German Bio hier!