Dagny had a very good summer time in 2023, headlining a number of festivals. The picture is from Bergenfest.
Right here is the second a part of my private favourite photographs from 2023. They aren’t ranked, however all of them are particular to me in a technique or one other. You will notice 30 photographs from totally different settings and genres. They might not be from the identical genres, however they’re all taken at a Norwegian competition or venues.
One of many nice benefits of photographing concert events, is the chance to attend many concert events and festivals. And as an alternative of limiting myself to at least one or two genres, I attempt to attend a number of totally different ones to get quite a lot of totally different artists and conditions. And whereas some genres are recognized for unhealthy lightning and little motion on stage, which means I’ve to plan the shoot otherwise from the extra visually thrilling ones. All photographs listed here are licensed to Getty Pictures, besides the Kiss picture which was taken for Dagsavisen.
Håkan Hellström was the headliner at one of many days in the course of the Øya competition in Oslo in August. His stage present is tremendous lively, virtually frenetic, and we acquired fairly near him throughout his present.
One other tremendous lively musician is the keyboardist from Waterboys, Brother Paul Brown. Right here he performs his keytar on the Notodden Blues Pageant.
Taking pictures pyro is usually a problem due to the problem in getting the best settings on the digital camera within the very quick bursts. With Behemoth it will get somewhat simpler, due to the quantity of flames, so that you get many possibilities to get it proper. Additionally due to their artistic use of the pyro. Right here they performed at Tons of Rock.
Kaizers Orchestra had an excellent yr in 2023 on their comeback tour with 56 offered out concert events in 4 cities in the course of the fall. I noticed them at one of many final concert events at Sentrum Scene in Oslo, 21 years after the primary time I photographed them and 10 years because the final time.
Gåte is one other baand I’ve photographed many instances over the last 20 and a few years. They’ve caught to their very profitable method of blending Norwegian people music with steel and arduous rock, creating a novel sound. Their fall tour offered a darker model of the band, with singer Gunhild Sundli wearing black as an alternative of the various totally different white attire she has used earlier.
Gåte additionally launched a brand new component of their present this fall. The dancer Håkon Odden from Frikar was given quite a lot of house, and for a photographer, that could be a nice problem and alternative.
Outdated rockers on stage at Trondheim Rocks – Vince Neil and Nikky Sixx from the rock shockers Mötley Crëe. Not the perfect live performance tjhis yr, however enjoyable to see them stay once more, virtually 20 years because the final time.
Speaking about previous rockers – Stage Dolls are simply as important as ever, and performed an incredible set for greater than 20.000 followers on the Tons of Rock competition in June.
Iggy Pop is one other rock veteran, and I noticed him twice this summer time. First at Bergenfest, then at Tons of Rock the place this photographs is from. I’ve no complaints about any of the 2 performances!
I noticed a number of artists twice or extra this yr. Zara Larsson is certainly one of them, and she or he carried out on the Neon competition in Trondheim and likewise at Bergenfest the place I took this image.
Ane Brun has been a favourite artist for me for round 20 years. If I keep in mind proper, 2002 on the Molde Inter-national Jazz Pageant was the primary time. I can actually say that she has developed her music and her fashion since then. This yr I noticed her at Vossajazz in early April and at Sentrum Scene in November, the place this pic is from.
Norway have a number of feminine artists on par with their finest worldwide colleagues. I’ve already talked about Dagny, Ane Brun and Gunhild Sundli, ane that is Susanne Sundfør, who I’ve adopted since her debut in 2007. Right here she performs on the Øya Pageant in Oslo in August.
Sigrid is perhaps Norway’s most profitable worldwide artist nowadays. I’ve at all times favored her pure look versus the closely styled artists who inhabit the charts these days. Kudos to Sigrid for being as she is. Í noticed her 4 instances in 2023, at Bergenfest, on the Neon competition, at Sentrum Scene and on the Øya Pageant the place the picture is taken.
Aurora is Norway’s different profitable feminine artist nowadays. She has additionally saved her personal fashion because the first time I noticed her at by:Larm in Oslo in 2015. Right here she is the headliner at Månefestivalen in Fredrikstad in July.
Inger Helene Håvik is the singer and likewise the primary songwriter of Highasakite.They’ve had nice success with their digital indie pop. The band has excisted since 2012, and my first time to see them was in 2013. Since then that they had a foul break up in 2017, however have saved on as a duo with Håvik and drummer Trond Bersu with nice success. The picture right here is from their live performance at Slottsfjell in Tønsberg in July.
Vanessa Collier was a really good shock for me on the Notodden Blues Pageant this yr. An ideal singer, nice sax participant, and likewise a really constructive and mild particular person. I hope to see extra of her sooner or later.
Sweden has a number of different good feminine artists apart from Zara Larsson. Veronica Maggio is certainly one of them, and I noticed her twice in 2023 – first at Bergenfest, after which per week after on the Neon competition in Trondheim.
The final live performance I photographed in 2023 was with the Swedish ESC-winner Loreen at Rockefeller Music Corridor in Oslo. Not my favourite music, however I can take lights like she had any day!
Ayra Starr from Nigeria was an fascinating artist on the Øya Pageant, mixing Afro Beat and R&B.
One other fascinating, and tremendous intense band at Øya have been Amyl and the Sniffers from Australia with the Energetic Amy Taylor on vocals. I like punk bands like them!
boygenius was one of the vital hyped bands on the Øya Pageant this summer time. The feminine supergroup consists of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker (the image).
Huge Bang has been certainly one of my favourite Norwegian bands because the first time I noticed them on the Norwegian Wooden competition in 1997. They’ve caught to the trio format all these years, however on the Blues in Hell competition that they had expanded it with horns. However, Huge Bang could be very a lot guotarist and singer Øystein Greni, and right here he entertains an enthusiastic crowd in Hell!
Dregen is a Swedish guitarist who performs in a number of Swedish bands – Yard Infants, with Michael Monroe and right here with The Hellacopters at Bergenfest.
Because the live performance at Tønsberg in July in all probability was the final time I’ll see Kiss stay, I’ve included a photograph of Paul Stanley doing his trick with the plectrum in his mouth.
Amund Maarud has been certainly one of Norway’s finest guitarists within the expanded blues style for greater than 20 years. Right here he performed with the US sniger Jace Everett on the Notodden Blues Pageant.
My first live performance with Britpop band Suede was at Norwegian Wooden in 1999. This yr they performed at Bergenfest, and singer Brett Anderson was, if attainable, extra punkish in his efficiency than 24 years in the past.
Final yr Damon Albarn performed together with his band Gorillaz on the Øya Pageant. This yr he got here together with his previous band, Blur to the identical competition and confirmed us why they have been my favourite Britpop band within the 90’s.
Zakk Wylde is likely one of the finest guitarists within the steel style, having performed with a number of steel bands and artists over time. This yr he performed with the US band Pantera at Tons of Rock.
Sondre Justad is the final artists right here, and he’s additionally one of many a number of artists I noticed twice this yr, at Slottsfjell in Tønsberg and right here at Bergenfest. Sondre could be very “viewers pleasant”, and nice enjoyable to {photograph}!
All photographs are © Per Ole Hagen and should not be used or shared wherever with out prior permission from me or from Getty Pictures.