Tag Archives: Monica Heldal

JV reporting from Bergenfest 2014: Day 5

Doug Seegers
Doug Seegers, Bergenfest 2014, photo: Hallgeir Olsen/Johannasvisions

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.

Doug Seegers
Doug Seegers, Bergenfest 2014, photo: Hallgeir Olsen/Johannasvisions
Doug Seegers
Doug Seegers, Bergenfest 2014, photo: Hallgeir Olsen/Johannasvisions

Continue reading JV reporting from Bergenfest 2014: Day 5

Video of the day: Monica Heldal – Boots of Spanish Leather by Bob Dylan

MH1

Monica Heldal (22) will release her debut album later this fall, but she’s an experienced live artist and have been an artist to look out for a couple of years now. We saw her last year at Bergenfest (the photos are from that show) and we were impressed. She is a very skilled guitar player and she sings with feeling. Check out her music on Youtube and buy her album later this year!

From her Facebook page:
Monica Heldal, in spite of her young age (21) managed to garner both domestic and international attention. With her brilliant and technically advanced guitar playing and alluring voice she has left audiences spellbound in all manner of settings. Her deep-seated love of American country-blues and for the deceased Irish singer, guitarist and songwriter Rory Gallagher led to her being invited to play last year’s ”Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival” in his home town. After many plaudits she was invited back this year and that led to further invitations to play at Notodden, in Oslo, The Netherlands and France.

We have chosen a fine rendition of Bob Dylan’s Boots of Spanish Leather as our Video of the day, enjoy!

 

Boots of  Spanish leather (Dylan) – Monica Heldal (Video Directed by Lee Mangan):

DSC_1969

– Hallgeir

Bergenfest 2012 – Day 2 – Summary

 Friday – June 22

Best Concerts:

  1. Charles Bradley And His Extraordinaires
  2. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
  3. Monica Heldal
Short Summary:
Great weather even today! more people, and 2 fantastic soul concerts. Charles Bradley moved us deeply, best concert so far @ Bergenfest. A wonderful soul night in Bergen, overall rating is .. again 5/6.
Saturday will be hectic as we aim for 7 concerts…!

-Egil & Hallgeir