Kvelertak is one of the most promising bands from Norway the last years. They come from the city of Stavanger on the south-west coast of Norway. The band started up in 2007, but got their break through in 2009. Kvelertak is headlining the second stage at the Oya festival’s first day, and here are some pictures of them for the last four years.
The twenty sixth Notodden festival is over, and it has been a great festival with lots of happy blues fans, great artists who truly enjoyed being at Notodden, and some remarkable and memorable concerts. The festival closed Sunday with a free concert at noon. Saturday was packed with music, from the morning until late night. Here is a report from the last two days. (Picture above: Dana Fuchs)
Friday’s biggest headliner at the Notodden Blues Festival was Van Morrison. He played the biggest outdoor venue at the festival, Brygga, with 8000 enthusiastic fans. Before Van Morrison, James Hunter played the same venue, and later at night Little Andrew, Beth Hart and the Royal Southern Brotherhood played the big tent. Summarized, a great day with one big positive surprise for me.
Metallica have been the leading band in the trash metal style since the early 80’s. Since 1991 they have also been the commercially most successful band in the genre. James Hetfield has been their lead singer and guitarist all these years, and today, August 3rd, he is 50 years old.
The Notodden Blues Festival is the biggest blues festival in Norway, and it is also wll known internationally, as being a part of the Mississippi Blues Trail. This years festival is number 26, and 2013 is also the city Notodden’s 100 year anniversary. I have visited the festival every year singe 1994, and it is one of my festival highlights every year. So far, this year will be no exception. (Picture above: Good Time Charlie)
Buddy Guy is 77 years old today, and here are pictures from some of the concerts I have seen with him. FIrst of all at the ACL Festival in Austin in 2005, but also at the Notodden Blues Festival in 2009.
Next Thursday, August 1st the twenty sixth Notodden Blues Festival starts. A program topped with Van Morrison, The Tedeschi Trucks Band, Royal Southern Brotherhood and John Mayall is ready for blues fans from all over Norway. Notodden is the meeting place for the Norwegian blues family, and this year’s festival looks very good.
I first met Seasick Steve ten years ago at the Notodden Blues Festival. He had moved to Notodden two years earlier. I immediately liked the guy, and we had a talk about music and life in general. Since then I saw him several times the next year, but now I haven’t seen him for some years, mostly due to his extensive touring outside of Norway. Yesterday he played the main stage at the Slottsfjell Festival, and time has been good with Steve.
Saturday at the Slottsfjell Festival had the same warm and beautiful weather as the first two days. The whole area was packed with happy people, and the mood was just as good as the other days. An outdoor festival without rain or cloudy weather is a rarity in Norway. I can’t remember more than a handful of the couple of hundred festivals I have attended since I was young, where the weather has been this good for the whole festival. (Picture above: Magdi from Karpe Diem)
The second day of the Slottsfjell Festival offered another mix of new and established artists, pop, hip hop, rock, black metal, singer songwriter, you name it. The weather was just as nice as the first day, and the kids didn’t seem to be too hungover from the night before. (Picture above: Shining)
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