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Doug Seegers:

We had read the “Cinderella story” about singer/songwriter Doug Seegers. How he was discovered, or should I say re-discovered. He was homeless and living on the street. Musician Aaron Espe filmed him singing and put it on the web, then after a couple of years some people in Sweden took notice, and they had Seeger on a TV-show and had a number one iTunes hit. Yeah, it is pretty amazing!

There are many more interesting aspects of his story and it has been brilliantly told in the Tennessean. A tale mirroring a country song.

I will not say that we were sceptic, but could he really be as good as the story says?

Yes, he could. He was the best act at Bergenfest on the 5th day.

He mixed classic country cover songs with his own compositions, and they were equally good! Hank Wiliams, Dan Penn/Gram Parsons, Hal Ketchum and Doug Seegers. The highlight for me was a lovely and sad ballad about the outsiders, the geeks and misfits (and all getting perfect wings in heaven), I don’t know if it was his own song or a cover (it is not on his new album), but it had a profound impact on everybody in the audience. If anybody know what the song is called, please tell us in the commentaries. Thanks to Vibeke Sjøvold for telling us which song it was, Mark Wills’s Don’t laugh at me. 

Jerry Miller was playing electric guitar with Seegers and he was brilliant.

A heart warming story, a fine singer and a great songwriter.

Check out:

• JV reporting from Bergenfest 2014: Day 4
• JV reporting from Bergenfest 2014: Day 3
• JV reporting from Bergenfest 2014: Day 2
• JV reporting from Bergenfest 2014: Day 1

Monica Heldal (our second choice of the day):

Heldal gave us a fine “home-coming” concert at the festivals final day, it was warm and sunny and the music fitted the settings splendidly. We’ve seen her many times the last three years and it is so good to see that she now has a full and great band with her.

Nice concert.

James Vincent McMorrow:

Lot of people at the concert, but maybe a bit too sugary and not my cup of tea, really.

– Egil & Hallgeir