Category Archives: Concert Review

Monster Magnet live in Haugesund, Norway 2012

November 14, 2012 Hallgeir

Photo special

‘It’s A Satanic Drug Thing – You Wouldn’t Understand’ – warning on the album, Spine of God

Monster Magnet is an American stoner rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded by Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar), John McBain (guitar) and Tim Cronin (vocals and drums). The band first went by the names “Dog of Mystery”, “Airport 75”, “Triple Bad Acid” and “King Fuzz” before finally settling on “Monster Magnet”, taken from the name of a 1960s toy made by Wham-O, which Wyndorf liked when he was a child. (Wikipedia)

Monster Magnet had managed to become one of the most successful and influential bands associated with the so-called underground “stoner rock” scene. And yet, their influences span much further than that scene’s foundations in ’70s hard rock and metal, delving into space rock, psychedelia, and beyond. (Allmusic.com (by Eduardo Rivadavia))

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Blues, Concert Review, Live, Rock, Rock'n Roll

Jace Everett live in Haugesund 2012

November 1, 2012 Hallgeir 3 Comments

Jace Everett and his excellent band gave us a sweet but short concert in Haugesund last night, maybe it was because they had caught “The Svalbard Flu” that it was over so fast or maybe that’s the way they do it. I prefer longer shows, but I know a lot of people who prefer them short and sweet.

Mr. Everett clearly struggled with sickness but he gave his best, and we got some great tunes, old and new.

The following song was described as “A blues in E for those of you who keep track of those things” I cannot recognise the song. It might be from his new album, which he described as an album of religious songs, ” it should fit right in here in Norway”.

Edit: Thanks to Lisafemmeacadienne (check the comments) who told me the song was One of them from the 2010 album Red Revelations. How did I miss that! I think I should also say that the comment about the song and Norway was delivered in a very “tongue in cheeck” manner.

The song has some strong religious images, and it kinda reminds me of a song Tom Waits/Nick Cave could do. Good song.

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Concert Review, Country, Live, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Video

Ida Jenshus live in Haugesund

October 28, 2012 Hallgeir

We had a fantastic night at Høvleriet in Haugesund last night. We want to come back, what a venue and what an atmosphere! Thank you.
– Ida Jenshus (on her webpage)

Ida Jenshus has recently released her third album, Someone to love. The album is a departure from the country on her two previous records, into a more airy sounding country/rock/songwriter style. The obvious comparison is Emmylou Harris’ collaboration with super-producer Daniel Lanois, but I can also hear Kathleen Edwards and Mary Gauthier in the quiet stuff, and Lucinda Williams in her more uptempo stuff. I like the direction she’s taken. I like the first two records but I think her concerts have showed a truer Ida Jenshus, and finally it is reflected in her recorded work.

The wonderful Tender Leaves:

We saw Ida Jenshus with a great group of musicians at Høvleriet in Haugesund last friday, there she dedicated a very fine version of Tender Leaves to Chip Taylor. An artist that Jenshus has worked with lately and have played with on several occasions. Chip Taylor is the man who wrote Wild Thing and Angel of the morning.

It was a lovely show that varied from tender moments into full blown guitar jams, never dull and, man, what a great group she’s touring with! The audience clearly liked what they heard, quiet listening and attentive, and it was great to see this many people coming out to see Ida Jenshus. Country flavoured music isn’t always the biggest audience puller.

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Concert Review, Indie, Live, pop

I Was A King live in Haugesund

October 26, 2012 Hallgeir 2 Comments

Last night I saw I Was A King(IWAK) for the fourth time. It is a fantastic band and they just keeps getting better. They still sound a bit like a Teenage Fanclub and Byrds mix, and that’s a good thing.

The New album is a fine mix of powerpop, guitar walls and great song writing. The guitars are “byrdsy” jangly and this time they flirt even more with the American side of indie-americana-pop. So you see, they’re kinda hard to describe. But they sound terrific!

IWAK has gotten together with two fantastic popmusic masters this time, Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub vocalist, yes him!) and Robyn Hitchcock (Power-pop godfather, The Soft Boys member and solo artist extraordinaire), what a dream-team!

When i first read about it I really couldn’t believe it, it’s a match made in heaven.

IWAK once wrote a fine song called “Norman Bleik” (on the second album, 2009), about one of their inspirations, just as Norman Blake once wrote a song about one of his own heroes Neil Young, called “Neil Jung”. Fun fact.

The result of this collaboration is IWAK’s best album, a fully realised record with great songs. It sounds so big and it is full of air, but it’s not pretentious at all. They sound more mature and more pop. The Playing is better than ever and the songwriting is spectacular, I realy love this album (You guessed that, eh?) and it is a quintessential pop album. A love letter to music, no less.

Best on the album: Frozen Disease, Superhero and Leave

Best live in Haugesund: Food Wheels and A Million Signs (with The One I love snippet as intro!)

I Was A King gave us a lesson in harmony induced pop music in Haugesund last night. I’ve never heard them better. Normally they’re not very talkative with the audience, but this night was a bit different. Anne Lise Frøkedal had several fammily members in the audience and the atmosphere was very friendly. Of course there were no sing-alongs, but it was a fun and relaxed interaction.

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