The year 2015 has been a good one for concert photography, with some twelve festivals and several separate concerts. I have no idea how many photos I have shot from concerts, but I have tried to pick out the twenty I am most satisfied with. Except for the top five, I have problems ranking the others. It usually depends on how I liked the concert or the band. You can make up your own mind. (Photo above: audience for Alt-J at Bergen Fest)

Røyksopp is usually a hit at festivals, and here they performed at Bergen Fest. A difficult setting with the two members hidden behind a massive table, but they had some spectacular lights and exciting guests.

I have seen Nikki Hill once before, at the Nidaros Blues Festival in Trondheim. This year at the Notodden Blues Festival she had a 1930-40’s image, and I really liked this photo.

The Strokes were new to me at Bergen Fest this summer, but I instantly liked their mix of glam, punk and whatever, and the singer, Luke Spiller is a natural as the front guy.

Seigmen has been one of my favorite photo objects for ten years, and also one of the most difficult because of their love for smoke and backlight. But with the Norwegian summers, it never gets totally dark at the end of June, and then there is just enough natural light to get some good shots.

This year the Øya Festival gave us CHIC with Nile Rodgers in front. We got lots of good music and some great photo ops, with good lights and artists who have played big stages before.

1349 is one of Norway’s best black metal bands, and also one of the most fun and challenging to shoot. Here they played the Inferno Festival in Oslo.

Kampfar is another of the Norwegian black metal bands, and their singer, Dolk, is a favorite photo objective of mine. They also played at the Inferno Festival in Oslo, where the picture was taken.

I was very happy to see Grace Jones at the Bergen Fest this summer. I have never seen her live before, and all my expectations were fulfilled. Great performance, and even better posing.

Enslaved have been around for almost 25 years, and they are renowned around the world. I saw them at the Inferno Festival and at Øya, and here is guitarist Ivar Bjørnson at Inferno.

The Bömbers is a Norwegian Mötorhead tribute band that take their music very seriously. They played the tent stage at Tons of Rock, and were great fun. Here is the guitarist “Fast Tore”.

Black Debbath is always fun to shoot, in their different incarnations. I have seen them redoing Henrik Ibsen, as political rockers and this year they come from outer space looking for intelligent life on earth. Of course, they fond none at Rockefeller in February.

Islandic band Sólstafir were new for me when I saw them at Tons of Rock. They are a post metal band with a very charismatic front man, Aðalbjörn “Addi” Tryggvason.

I saw Tori Amos at the Norwegian Wood Festival some years ago, and remember her as a very good, but quite introvert artist. At Bergen Fest this summer she was totally different on stage, and I even got a smile from her.

Jaga Jazzist is a jazz collective that has been playing together for some twenty years with with all together twenty eight different musicians over the year, of which eight are there now. The central members are the brothers Lars Horntveth on guitar, saxophone, keyboard and bass clarinet, and brother Martin on drums.

First Aid Kit is another festival favorite, even if they are difficult to catch together on stage, since they stand on each side of the stage. But sister Johanna has nice hair, and that is always a fun challenge.

Highasakite has been one of Norway’s most successful bands the last two years. I have also seen and photographed them a number of times during this time, and here they played at Sentrum Scene in Oslo.

Emmylou Harris is the queen of Americana,  and I have been a fan of her for many years. The last couple of years she has played with Rodney Crowell, and here she sings at the Oslo Fjordfest this summer.

The headliner at the second day of Oslo Flordfest was d’Angelo. After leting us wait for an hour (talk about arrogance), he gave us a fantastic show.

In February I saw a concert at Sentrum Scene in Oslo with Dropkick Murphys as the headliner. The concert was great fun, with lots of good punk energy and some great photo ops.

I have liked shooting Florence + The Machine all the times I have had the opportunity. Florence Welch is a very special artist, and a favorite among the photographers. Their concert at the Øya Festival in August had great lights and color, and this photo is my absolute favorite of all the approximately 270 artists I have photographed in 2015.

All photos are © Per Ole Hagen and must not be used without written permission.