After two years the festival moved to the centre of Oslo, to the idyllic Frognerbadet, an outdoor swimming pool with a natural amphi. The festival has had many great artists during the years, and as also been the arena for new and upcoming bands. The last couple of years the festival was near to bankruptcy, but this year there are new owners, and the 25th anniversary festival was held this weekend with a 100% Norwegian band line-up.
Norwegian Wood – 25 Year Anniversary in Perfect Surroundings
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Every year since 1994, with the exception of 2001, the SPOT festival has been held as a showcase festival and conference in Aarhus. The initiative came from ROSA, The Danish Rock Council, and they have organized the festival all these years. In 2005 the Danish minister of culture proclaimed it to be the most important musical event in Denmark. I attended the festival regularly from 2004 and on, but I 
Norway has always had a special place for 
The last day of this year’s Inferno Metal Festival had some of the best bands, and also the most morbid show, plus the definitely shortest concert. The night’s headliner, Abbath, left the stage after four songs, which was a huge disappointment to everyone who came to see them. But we got great shows from Primordial and Belphegor, and Slagmaur started the whole thing with this year’s most spectacular and also the most morbid show. (Photo above Helmut Lehner from Belphegor)
While Thursday had focus on old school bands, Friday saw a more varied mix of bands at Inferno. Death metal, industrial, symphonic, black, sludge were all presented through the night. Personally I was looking forward to see Samael, and also Anaal Nathrakh and of course seeing Gorgoroth again. (Photo above: Samael)
Thursday Friday and Saturday at the 
The Inferno Festival has been an Easter tradition in Oslo since 2001. Every year almost 2000 metal fans from all over the world gather in Oslo for a “black Easter” with concerts and a conference for four days. The first night is a club night, while the last three nights are held at the Rockefeller Hall with two stages and music back to back. Here are photos of the bands I saw the first night of Inferno 2017. (Photo above: Lars Vegas from Fight the Fight)
Flamenco is central in the Spanish culture, and there are many flamenco dancers and musicians who give performances in towns and cities around Spain. Wine tasting is also a common thing in Spain, and last night I was present at an event in Nerja, Cata Flamenco, that combined flamenco, wine tasting and great food. (Photo above: Joaquin Ruiz)
The week after the SXSW conference and festival was over, Asleep At The Wheel staged a tour to old Texas dance halls. The tour had a double purpose – one was to hold concerts with Asleep At The Wheel with musical friends, the other was to put the focus on a Texas tradition that is threatened by obsolescence. I visited Luckenbach for a daytime concert during the tour. 
Nile Rodgers is one of the most successful musician, producer, composer in our time. He is also one of the artistically greatest. Through the work of CHIC, David Bowie, Madonna, Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and countless others he has been part of the soundtrack for several generations in the Western world. This year Nile Rodgers was the keynote at the 
Artist Pictures Blog 