Here is the second part of my personal favorite photos from 2023. They are not ranked, but all of them are special to me in one way or another. You will see 30 photos from different settings and genres. They may not be from the same genres, but they are all taken at a Norwegian festival or venues.
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2023 has been a special year for all of us. The continuing war in Ukraine and the atrocities in Gaza plus the clear signs of the climate crisis overshadows much of what happened during the year. But in spite of all this, there have been concerts and festivals that made it worthwhile to visit. Here are the first 30 of my favorite photos from 2023 – most of them shot for Getty Images.
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While the first day of Inferno 2018 was packed quite early in the evening, Friday started out with a smaller crowd. But that changed when the big headliner, Emperor came on stage. I can’t remember Rockefeller as packed as this before. Those of us who were there the whole time got many good bands before Emperor, too. (Photo above: Ihsahn from Emperor)
All together I attended fifteen festivals in 2017 and around twenty single concerts, photographing more than 300 different performances, so far my most productive year as a concert photographer. Here is the second part of my favorite concert photos from 2017, from M to Z. (Photo above: The audience to Mø at the Øya Festival this summer.) Continue reading
One of my favorite Norwegian festivals is Midgarsblot. This year is the third year for the festival, while my second visit. The festival is held at Borre in Vestfold, surrounded by tumuli, or grave mounds from the viking age. At the festival site there is a replica of a mead hall, where the vikings feasted, so you can’t get a more viking inspired venue for a festival that combines vikings and metal in many different shapes.
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)
Enslaved is one of the most long lived metal bands in Norway. This year they celebrate 25 years together as a band with concert dates in Norway and Europe. The band was formed by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson from Haugesund, and they are still with the band. So far Enslaved have won four Spellemann awards (Norwegian Grammy), with three more nominations. Last night they celebrated their first 25 years at Rockefeller in Oslo.
The last day at Blastfest 2016 had an equally impressive line up as the other days. All Norwegian bands, and with a good variety in styles. Personally I wasn’t as active as the other days, but I covered the three last bands on the big stage, Red Harvest, Green Carnation and the one I had been looking most forward to, Abbath (picture above).
Friday at Blastfest started out with the same wet weather as the day before. Fortunately it wasn’t raining when I went over to the venue, but the rain came back with a vengeance when I went home after the last band. Hard wind and pouring rain isn’t exactly my kind of weather, so a taxi got me safe back to the hotel. But inside at USF Verftet it was hot and dark with fifteen bands eager to play their songs and fans from all over the world waiting to hear them. (Photo above: Ravn from 1349)
After Hole In The Sky in Bergen quit in 2012, the new Blastfest festival started in 2014. I attended the festival in 2015, and came back for three days of extreme metal this year. This year the lineup is 100% Norwegian metal, but that doesn’t hinder metal heads from all over the world come to Bergen.Someone told me that 43 nations are present, which shows that metal rock has penetrated the world. (Picture above: Gorgoroth)
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