By:Larm 2013 Oslo Is Coming Up

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Per Ole Hagen

Next week the 17th by:Larm festival will be arranged in Oslo. From the start in Trondheim in 1997, it has grown to be an imoportant festival for the music business in Norway. Every year record company executives, managers, media people and an increasing number of international representatives gather in Oslo for four days of music and seminars. Here are some of the artists from last year’s by:Larm while we are counting down to February 13th. (Picture above: Bernhoft)

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The Inferno Festival Kick Off 2013

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Per Ole Hagen

Every Easter almost 2000 black metal fans gather in Oslo for their annual Inferno festival and family gathering. They come from Australia, China, India, USA, Europe and South America, and Norway. While many of the native Norwegians go to their cabins or hotels in the mountains to ski, the metal fans come together at Rockefeller and John Dee, two clubs in the same house in Oslo. (Picture above: Nidingr)

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Hellbillies Rocked Oslo Spektrum

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Per Ole Hagen

The Norwegian band Hellbillies released their 13th CD two weeks ago to great reviews in newspapers and blogs. Some have held this as their best CD so far. Saturday night they held their 20 year anniversary concert as a recording band at a sold out Oslo Spektrum together with some good artist friends.

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El Caco, Stoner Rock from Norway

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Per Ole Hagen

One of Norway’s hardest working bands are El Caco. They are a trio, playing dark and heavy music somewhere between stoner rock straight rock and heavy rock. In January they released their 6th CD, Hatred, Love and Diagrams, and they have toured this album extensively this year. Yesterday night they played at Rockefeller in Oslo.

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Savage Rose, still going strong after 45 years

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Per Ole Hagen

In 1967 the two Danish brothers Thomas and Anders Koppel started a band with jazz drummer Alex Riel, guitarist Jens Rugstedt, Flemming Ostermann and Annisette Hansen. They called the band The Savage Rose, and 45 years later Annisette is the only one left. But her voice is such an important part of the band that you never doubt which band you are listening to. Thursday night The Savage Rose played at the Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo.

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John Olav Nilsen, new CD – soon on tour

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Per Ole Hagen

Norway have many great artists, and every once and again a new one arrives who has that special thing that makes her or him stand out from the crowd. John Olav Nilsen is one of those, and he was immediately recognized, even before he released his debut CD in 2009. Since then he has played many concerts with his band, Gjengen, and their third CD, Den eneste veien ut (The Only Way Out) is out now.

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Seigmen – Epic 90’s Rock Still Rules

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Per Ole Hagen

Seigmen was one of Norway’s leading rock bands in the 90’s. They were supposed to follow up the heritage from the four big ones, Dum Dum Boys, De Lillos, Raga Rockers and Jokke og Valentinerne. But they disbanded in 1998 after a 9 year carreer. Luckily they have had many comebacks after that, and one of them was tonight.

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Paal Angelskaar – The King Of Pop Melancholy

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Per Ole Hagen

Paal Angelskaar was the songwriter and singer in the Norwegian band Minor Majority. Ten years after they started out he releases his first solo CD, Follow Me. Wednesday he held the release concert at the Rockefeller Music hall in Norway.

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Beth Hart, Live Pictures and New CD

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Per Ole Hagen

Beth Hart has been around the block and knows more about the darker sides of life than many of us will ever know. Lucky for her, she has survived and overcome her problems. That’s good for her, and good for her audience. As a performer, she knows what the audience like, and combines this with a high quality music performance. In October she releases a new CD, Bang Bang Boom Boom.

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Blues in Hell is coming up

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Per Ole Hagen

This weekend the Blues in Hell festival is happening at Hell, a place in Stjoerdal, close Trondheim in Norway. This is the fifth year for the festival, and in my opinion it is one of the best and most charming blues festivals in Norway. This year The Original Blues Brothers, Rory Block, Alvin Youngblood and Tommy Castro are some of the headliners. (The picture shows Big Jay from the 2009 festival)