This year has been a busy year for me with many festivals and concerts. From metal, hardcore, heavy metal to bues, pop, singer songwriters and house concerts in different cities in Norway, Aarhus in Denmark plus SXSW in Austin, Tx. Here is the first batch of my favorite photos from 2017, A to M. (Photo above: audience at the Tons of Rock Festival)

The audience at the Notodden Blues Festival

Abbath

Abbath held a 45 minutes long concert at the Inferno Festival this year before he threw his guitar on the floor and ran off stage.

Aage Aleksandersen Band

I shot Aage Aleksandersen at a private event at Røros, a small town in the middle of Norway in September. Here is his guitarist, Skjalg Raaen.

Belphegor

The Austrian blackened death band Belphegor was one of the best acts at the Inferno Festival in April in this year.

The Blues Brothers Band

One of the headliners for Blues in Hell in September this year and the most popular band at the festival, was the Blues Brothers Band with Steve Cropper.

Kari Bremnes

Kari Bremnes is one of Norway’s best singer songwriters, and I was lucky enough to see her at the Norwegian Wood Festival in Oslo this summer.

Tove Bøygard

Tove Bøygard is a hard working, singer songwriter who has had well deserved success with her latest album, Blåe Drag. Here she performs at Herr Nilsen in Oslo in February.

Marie Kristin Dale

At the Norwegian Wood Festival this year there was a celebration of the 50 year anniversary for Are you Experienced by Jimi Hendrix with different guitarists playing each of the tracks on the LP. Marie Kristin Dale is one of our best new blues guitarists.

De Marvells

De Marvells was new to me when I saw them, first at Norwegian Wood, and then at Månefestivalen in Fredrikstad in late July where I took this shot.

Death by Unga Bunga

I always love to shoot Death By Unga Bunga, a punkish band with a 60’s image from Moss. Here I saw them at the Spot Festival in Aarhus, Denmark in May.

The Dogs

Another of my favorite Norwegian bands are The Dogs with Kristoffer Schau in front. Here he has a close encounter with a fan from the audience at the by:Larm festival in Oslo in March.

Eluveite

The Tons of Rock Festival in Halden has a great variety of hard bands. One band that combines folk and metal is Eluveite from Switzerland.

Rick Estrin

The Dark Season Blues Festival is the most northern blues festival in the world, located at Svalbard, 78° north latitude. Rick Estrin with his Norwegian guitarist Kid Andersen was one of the headliners in late October this year.

Five Finger Death Punch

Another headliner from the Tons of Rock Festival in June this year was Five Finger Death Punch. They were extremely photographer friendly.

Gabrielle

Gabrielle has been a successful artist in Norway for the last years, and her career soared after she was featured in the NRK TV series SKAM. Here she performs at the Øya Festival in Oslo in August.

Buddy Guy

One of the last of the original blues artists, Buddy Guy, was one of the headliners at the Notodden Blues Festival in August.

Beth Hart

I have seen Beth Hart somewhere between 10 and 20 times the last twelve years, and this year I saw her twice. This is from the Notodden Blues Festival

Heilung

Heilung is a new band, and their performance at Midgardsblot in August was their first public performance. Amazing!

Hellacopters

Helacopters are veterans on the Swedish rock scene, and here is their guitarist Dregen at the Øya Festival in August.

Kampfar

Kampfar is one of the best of the Norwegian old school black metal bands. Here is their singer, Dolk, from their performance at by:Larm in March.

Klovner i Kamp

The Norwegian hip hop band Klovner i Kamp has played together since 1994, but their performance at the Norwegian Wood Festival was the first time I saw them

Lady J and her Bada Bing Band

When you talk about authentic Norwegian rockabilly 50’s style, no one beats Lady J and her Bada Bing Band. Here from the Notodden Blues Festival, which is also her hometown.

Jonny Lang

The first time I saw Jonny Lang was around 2000, and in late October he played at John Dee in Oslo.

Jon Langford

I have seen Jon Langford several time in Austin during SXSW with his different bands. In May he played a house concert in Oslo, together with Omar Østli from The Salmon Smokers.

Little Steven

Little Steven has been to Norway twice this year with his band The Disciples of Soul. This is from his concert at the Notodden Blues Festival in August.

Madcon

Madcon is a very popular Norwegian pop/hip hop band, and Tschawe Baqwa loves to make pranks on stage. His “victim” here is one of the security guards at Månefestivalen.

Lisa Mills

I saw Lisa Mills at the Ole Blues Festival in Bergen around 200 and liked what I heard. This year she was back at the Blues in Hell Festival in September.

Audience at Tons of Rock

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