Arvikafestivalen
Outdoor Festival in Arvika, Sweden
July, 12, 13 & 14, 2001
After the "Rock I Dalen" festival (don�t forget to check out the "feature") I was in the mood to go to another festival, and plans had been made to go to the DIST festival in Forshaga since there were gonna be a shitload of great genre-bands attending that festival... but a couple of weeks ago I got a message that it was cancelled... bummer... So I started to check out which bands were gonna play at the rest of the summer festivals. Since both Mustasch, Dozer, Euroboys, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives and Tr�d, Gr�s & Stenar were gonna play at "Arvikafestivalen" I thought it might be interesting checking out this festival for the first time (I had been wanting to go last year when both Fu Manchu & WE played at Arvikafestivalen that year but I couldn�t make it)...
Since I�m a cheap bastard I filled out the applications for press-credentials to "Arvikafestivalen" and sent `em away... then nothing happened for a while. I had kinda forgotten `bout it when a letter from "Arvikafestivalen" dropped in in my mailbox just three days before the festival... kinda cuttin� it short, or what? Since me and my brother, Daniel, hadn�t heard anything `til then... he hadn�t asked his boss to get time of to go this festival, and I wasn�t in the mood to make this trip on my own, so I thought: "shit, it ain�t gonna happen"... but, luckily it all worked out in the end and he got time off work, so we stuffed all the gear in car and put the pedal to the metal for the 330 kilometer trip to Arvika...
When we got there we were both pretty tired and then we ran in to trouble at once... according to the girl that checked us in we wouldn�t be able to use the cameras we had brought along (and this even though I had double-checked it with the person handling all the press-related stuff and gotten a go from her)... I didn�t get any photo-credentials at all, but I had brought with me the papers that got sent to me just days before the festival that clearly stated that one could use system-cameras if they didn�t have to big zoom-lenses (mine was 28mm - 200mm... and that�s the one I got promised I could use at the festival)...
When it was time to enter the festival area I had brought my camera with the zoom-lens... but the security folks wouldn�t let me in with... so we had to walk way back to the car and dig out my old camera (that doesn�t have a zoom-lens, just a plain ol� 28mm lens)... When we got back to the gate the guards said I couldn�t bring that camera into the festival area either... So I dug out the papers that stated what camera could be used, and then I had to explain to three different people that the camera didn�t even have a zoom-lens... after a long discussion we could finally enter the festival area... I was plenty pissed, `cause we almost missed Mustasch who had the honors to start of the festival...
Mustasch
Live at Arvikafestivalen
July, 12, 13 & 14, 2001
(Click photos for larger versions)
Mustasch did a great set with songs from both their "The True Sound Of The West" CDEP and some new stuff that�ll be on the new album that�s in the making at the time I write this. I had hoped to be able to use a camera with a zoom-lens while photographing their gig, so I for once could get a couple of pictures of the drummer (it�s kinda hard to make the camera "see through" all the smoke `n� lights all the way back at the ass end of the stage, so this lil� lens wasn�t helping exactly... I guess I�ll have better luck next time they play in Gothenburg). We had made plans to meet up with the guys afterwards, but I couldn�t get backstage with my press-credentials. But I did have access to something called "Party Backstage" (an area for both journalists and bands alike), so we decided to meet up there... but no luck, so what the heck... we went to check out The Hellacopters instead...
Hellacopters
Live at Arvikafestivalen
July, 12, 13 & 14, 2001
(Click photos for larger versions)
Hellacopters are a band that�s probably best enjoyed on some small and sweaty club-stage instead of the big festival-stages... but needless to say they rocked the house... The next thing we checked out was Sisters Of Mercy, not my thing really... and to top it off I was starting to get a little to drunk... all that shit `bout the cameras had made plenty pissed of, and I best stay of the booze when I�m in a foul mood... after a visit to a "Baja-Maja" (that�s what we call those stinky "Porta Pots" in Sweden), that stunk to high heaven I felt a puke-a-thon coming on so I headed back to the car and sat my sorry ass down on a nearby bench...
When I woke next morning I was lying in the back of the car on a sunky ol� mattress. My little brother had made the bed for me in the middle of the night since I was in no shape to do so... Man, did my back hurt... somehow, an empty Rum bottle had ended up under the mattress, hehe... and I have an extremely bad back to start with anyways... great way to start of another festival day...
And whadda ya know, it�s the same old shit with the cameras at the gates again... after much debating we got access to the festival area and this time the dude at the gate said it was the last time I got in with any kind of camera... Needless to say, I was plenty pissed at this time... so we headed to the press-tent on the other side of the festival area... a helluva lot of walking to get a few photos taken for the enjoyment (?) of the StonerRock.com members... When I got to the press-tent and located the two chicks that were press-liaisons that day I got a pleasant surprise... they were real nice and they made a few calls and made arrangements for me to pick up a photo-pass for the festival area, it was a pass without access to the "ditch" in front of the stages... but at least it meant I could take any kinda camera onto the festival area... But all this running around meant that I was plenty tired even before any of the shows I was interested in checking out had started... This meant I didn�t take as many photos as I should�ve when Euroboys played, but they put on a great show and I hope I�ll be able to go and see `em at a club-gig in Gothenburg later in August (and take a few more photos then)...
Euroboys
Live at Arvikafestivalen
July, 12, 13 & 14, 2001
(Click photos for larger versions)
Straight after Euroboys show at the "Andromeda" stage I headed to the "Lyran" stage and checked out Transport League... this stage were more photography friendly as it was smaller and under roof which made it darker... which of course makes for cooler "live" pics, if the light-rigg is good enough... and it was! Transport League kicked ass as usual! There music moves farther and farther away from what could be called stonerrock, it steers more towards the nu-metal groove nowadays, but without the rap and hip-hop components... but, to put it simple, Transport League rocks!!! And the photos turned out pretty good as well... (The Transport League album Superevil is available for purchase in our All That`s Heavy Online Music Store)
Transport League
Live at Arvikafestivalen
July, 12, 13 & 14, 2001
(Click photos for larger versions)
After this I had to head back to the car and take a rest, all this walking back and forth had taken to big a toll on my back... after I layed down I just couldn�t get up, my back had had it for the day... this meant I missed checking out PJ Harvey and The Haunted among others... but since I mainly was there for the "stoner" bands (or the closely related bands), I thought it was safer saving up for the next day...
The next morning I woke up to the same on again off again rain that had plagued most off the festival (it never got to be to much raining, but then again who wouldn�t have preferred a little sunshine instead). This day I was gonna check out The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Dozer and Tr�d, Gr�s & Stenar (Trees, Grass & Stones)... Even though TSOOL are from Gothenburg I hadn�t seen `em live before. I had kinda high expectations since I like all of their releases and the rumor that they are one of the best livebands in Sweden preceded them... I wasn�t disapointed, they put on a great show... and the sun peaked out from behind the clouds while they were playing. But once again I think this is a band that I would prefer to see at a club-gig instead of on this gargantuan stage, but they�re so popular in Sweden that they just gotta play at the biggest stages when their playing at the big festivals...
The Soundtrack Of Our Lives
Live at Arvikafestivalen
July, 12, 13 & 14, 2001
(Click photos for larger versions)
After this it was time for Tr�d, Gr�s & Stenar... this band is simply amazing... and they�re even better on stage then on record... If you�ve heard the P�rson Sound 2CD (P�rson Sound predates Tr�d, Gr�s & Stenar... but it�s mainly the same bandmembers in both bands), you have gotten a little hint on how the experience of these guys on stage might sound like... long droning psychedelic grooves, weird chanting and basically the kinda tunes that a "true stoner" would really dig. They had the best live sound I�ve ever heard, it was right on the level where you could take the plugs outta your ears without risking any damage... and still there was this huge pounding bass sound that you could feel all thru your body... add to this some great drumming and acid guitars out of this world... I just stood there with a big smile on my face all thru their gig... this is a band that should be checked out live if it�s at all possible for you... and this from a band with members in their 50�s and 60�s...
Tr�d, Gr�s & Stenar
Live at Arvikafestivalen
July, 12, 13 & 14, 2001
(Click photos for larger versions)
Time to run along to the next show... this time it�s Dozer... I hadn�t seen `em live since they played with Lowrider, Demon Cleaner and Awesome Machine @ Sticky Fingers two years ago... they were pretty good back then, but now they�ve grown as a band both on album and on stage... and since they played at the "Lyran" stage it meant the photos would turn out pretty cool... I squeezed in against the "fence" in front of the stage and I think I managed to capture some of the raw energy that is Dozer on stage on these photos... Filling in on drums this day was Daniel from Demon Cleaner... it was kinda unusual to see as small a drumkit as his, at least within the stoner genre, but then again he�s a great drummer and I guess the really great ones doesn�t need that drumkit overkill that you see within the metal genres sometimes... Johan played some kickass bass, he almost didn�t stand still long enough for me to be able to squeeze of any photos on him... And Tommi played like a madman on guitar, he was drenched in sweat when they were thru... and then you have Fredrik on guitar and vocals, at first he looks like some farmboy that got lost and ended up on this stage... then he starts to work his magic and turns out to be a great frontman... At one point he kicks a plastic mug with beer right out in the audience in front of the stage, I just barely had time to cover up my camera when the beer came flying... I guess that�s rock `n� roll for ya... (Several Dozer & Demon Cleaner albums are available for purchase in our All That`s Heavy Online Music Store)
Dozer
Live at Arvikafestivalen
July, 12, 13 & 14, 2001
(Click photos for larger versions)
A while after the gig we met up with the boys from Dozer at the "Party Backstage" area, they had the guys from Demon Cleaner in tow. So we had a few beers and some drunken discussions on this little underground music genre called stonerrock and the folks in and around the scene... they shared a few horror tour stories, and since I brought along all my Dozer vinyls (7", 10" & LP�s) they were kind enough to autograph `em all... I even got the 3 Dozer / Demon Cleaner split EP�s signed by all the members from both bands (`cept Erik, Dozer�s drummer, that wasn�t there). I even had a chat with both BoAnders Persson and Thomas Mera Gartz from Tr�d, Gr�s & Stenar... real nice fellas... They told me that they�d probably play a club-gig in Gothenburg this fall and that their club-gigs are usually around three hours long... talk about a psychedelic marathon, this I just gotta see...
"Arvikafestivalen" had a real bad start, at least for me, but the final verdict is still that it�s a great festival with lotsa great bands... although I wouldn�t mind a little better communication between the folks handling the security and the folks handling the press (I don�t enjoy running back and forth all day long)...
A couple of thank you�s:
Kristina Blom (Who made it possible for me and my bro to get to this festival)
The two chicks in the press-tent (Sorry, can�t remember your names)
Thomas from Groove Magazine and Sweden Rock Magazine (We had the cars, or 4 wheel beds, parked next to each other... and my brother had his tent just in front of the cars... Sleeping in the car beats sleeping in a tent everyday, especially when it rains or when someone takes a leak on the tent... needless to say, we also enjoyed quite a few beers together during the festival)
The guys from Mustasch (The hardest working "stoner" band in Sweden)
The guys from Dozer (Great show! When are you coming to Gothenburg for a club-gig?)
The guys from Demon Cleaner (Another bunch of cool dudes... You�re welcome to Gothenburg as well)...
Tr�d, Gr�s & Stenar (for an amazing live performance, you guys blew me away)
and of course all the other great bands like The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Brick, Euroboys, The Hives and Transport League...
