Last night's concert with Manfred Mann's Earth Band in Konserthuset in Gothenburg was a night of nostalgia and numerous guitar and synth solos. As every Bruce Springsteen fan knows, Manfred Mann's Earth Band setlist usually include the Springsteen covers: Blinded by the Light, For You and Spirit in the Night and last night's hit parade... Continue Reading →
Where the Bands Are (Blackberry Smoke, 24 October, 2018)
Blackberry Smoke sometimes are a southern rock band, sometimes a jam band a la the Grateful Dead and sometimes they're a country band. To me that's what makes them a damn good band. The musicians of Blackberry Smoke are all perfectly competent. Lead singer and guitar player Charlie Starr has a sweet, soft "country" voice... Continue Reading →
Where the Bands Are (WOW 2018 Day 3)
Way Out West Day 3 (August 11) It's day 3 of Way Out West and I wake up to pouring rain and a thunderstorm. Later I learn that the opening of the gates is postponed an hour due to the weather. Well prepared for rain I head out to the festival to see the first... Continue Reading →
Where the Bands Are (WOW 2018 Day 2)
Way Out West 2018 Day 2 (August 10) Day two of Way Out West starts off in the worst possible way. A storm has hit Gothenburg in the morning and they have to postpone the start from 12 to 14 which leads to cancelled and/or moved shows. The Courtney Marie Andrews show for example (that... Continue Reading →
Where The Bands Are (WOW 2018 Day 1)
Way Out West 2018 Day 1 (August 9) The festival's first day turns out to be pretty perfect weather wise. The sun is shining and it's not too hot. People sit in hoards outside the entrance drinking beer and wine, waiting for the gates to open. I feel lucky that I collected my wrist band... Continue Reading →
Where the Bands Are (Guns N’ Roses, 21 July, 2018)
When you go and see a band who were your heroes thirty years ago you shouldn’t expect them to be the same musicians you saw then. I know that, yet I'm a bit disappointed with some parts of Guns N' Roses' show in Ullevi last night. Axl Rose's voice simply isn't quite there any more.... Continue Reading →
I Don’t Want To Go Home (Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, 20 July, 2018)
The tiny venue, Kulturbolaget Club, is literary steaming as Little Steven and his 14 piece band the Disciples of Soul enter the stage and start playing. The band is tight, energetic and on. A five piece horn section, percussionist, drummer, two keyboard players, three back-up singers, bass, and a guitar, they play as one big... Continue Reading →
Where the Bands Are (Ed Sheeran, 10 July, 2018)
Ed Sheeran's stage setup is deceptively simple: on the surface just a man and his guitar. In reality: a massive sold-out outdoor venue with huge screens showing his every move and grinning phizog and a bloke on hand to pass him his pre-tuned acoustic guitar. Seemingly filled with an innocent boyish charm Sheeran confidently bashes... Continue Reading →
Where the Bands Are (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, 17 June, 2018)
American singer-songwriter and guitarist, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit are a really strong live act. Their show in Gothenburg has been sold out for some time now. Their latest album the Nashville Sound was released in June 2017 and has been rewarded two Grammys (Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song). On the... Continue Reading →
Where the Bands Are (Brian Fallon and the Howling Weather, 14 June, 2018)
Gaslight Anthem's frontman Brian Fallon's solo career started, when the band decided to take an indefinite break in 2015. The first solo album "Painkillers" was released in 2016 and it was quite successful. Last time Brian Fallon was in Gothenburg in December 2016, I didn't particularly like the show to be honest (though the reviews... Continue Reading →