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Hultsfred, Sweden
9th to 12th July 2009
Hultsfred Festival 2009: Day 1 - Ozomatli, Dropkick Murphys, Gossip, The Weakening, Twiggy Frostbite, Kings of Leon; Day 2 - Regina Spektor, Sonic Syndicate, The Killers, Takida; Day 3 - Lowood, Lenka, Dead by April; Day 4 - The Vanjas, Nashville Pussy, Olafur Arnolds

The organization that makes the festival happen - Rockparty - has done some changes regarding this year’s festival; they have changed the month of the festival from June to July and added one more day so now the Hultsfred festival is a 4 day / night festival. Sad but true that this was the last ever Hultsfred festival!


Thursday

The first day of the festival started with the band OZOMATLI opening the festival and during the afternoon and evening it felt like it was a lot of space in the band schedule. We went and spent some time at the Rookie stage and found some new cool bands there. Before the festival started we learned that the parking area had been moved 2 km from the festival ground but there were supposed to be busses travelling the road. When we were going home after the first festival day we did not see any bus and when we realized that we had to walk 0.5 km in total darkness - the only light we had was the moonlight, lucky us it was a full moon. There were no security people on the road and we really had not expected the walk from the festival ground to the parking area to be like this in the middle of the night.


Ozomatli (Pampas stage)

OZOMATLI was the band that this year had the honour of opening the Hultsfred festival on the second largest stage Pampas. OZOMATLI is an eight piece band, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They play their own mix of Latin, hip hop and rock music. This was the first time the band played in Sweden and they were very happy to be there. http://ozomatli.com/



Music & Performance
OZOMATLI kick started their show with a sudden burst of drums and it made the audience that had gathered in front of the stage jump with surprise and then the rest of the band got on stage and started the show. The singer sang in Spanish and the band was full of energy when they jumped around on stage and tried to get the audience moving as well. The band had a laid back style and charm and got the crowd in front of the stage swaying and moving to the music.

Rating
Music: 6
Performance: 7
Light: 6
Sound: 6
Total: 6.3 / 10




Dropkick Murphys (Hawaii stage)

DROPKICK MURPHYS was formed in 1996. They play a mix of Irish folk music and punk called “Celtic punk”. Bands that have influenced them are for example The Clash and The Dubliners. The band members are Al Barr (lead vocals), Ken Casey (bass guitar, lead vocals), Matt Kelly (drums, bodhran, vocals), James Lynch (guitar, vocals), Scruffy Wallace (bagpipes, tin whistle), Tim Brennan (guitar, accordion, vocals) and Jeff DaRosa (acoustic guitar, banjo, bouzouki, keyboard, mandolin, whistle, organ, vocals). http://www.dropkickmurphys.com/

Music & Performance
A lot of people had gathered in front of the festivals largest stage Hawaii and you could tell by the way they chanted “Dropkick Myrphys” that they were devoted fans. The show begun with a beautiful premade intro where a woman sang beautifully and then a man came on stage playing bagpipe before the rest of the band joined him on stage. DROPKICK MURPHYS started the set with a lot of energy and got the audience jumping up and down so you could feel the earth vibrate under your very feet. The lead singers Al Barr and Ken Casey had such energy on stage that it spilled over to the crowd and got them spinning and bouncing to the music.



The set started with ‘Captain Kelly´s Kitchen’ and it was a good song to start with; a lot of energy in the song and it was cool to see it live. During the set the tempo was lost and it felt like the band had more energy than the crowd but with the song ‘The Gauntlet’ the energy returned.

Setlist (incomplete)
Captain Kelly´s kitchen
Famous for nothing
Sunshine highway
Bastards on parade
Walk away
Curse of a fallen soul
The warrior’s code
The gauntlet
Forever
Jailbreak
Kiss me I am shitfaced

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Light: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10


Gossip (Pampas stage)

GOSSIP (earlier called THE GOSSIP) is an American band, formed in 1999. The band consists of Beth Ditto (vocals, piano), Brace Paine (guitar, bass) and Hannah Blilie (drums). www.myspace.com/gossipband

Music & Performance
GOSSIP started the set with the song ‘Listen up’ and after it; Beth kicked of her shoes and danced around barefoot on stage. Beth Ditto is a large and strong woman, exactly how strong she is the guy who tried to keep track on her microphone cord experienced during the set. The first time he interfered with her on stage it was ok, but when he came a second time some later then Beth was not happy about him - she surprised him from behind with grabbing him around the waist, lifting him so that his legs did not touch the ground before she turned around and put him down behind her! He was not seen on stage again and I think she might have scared away all the others working beside the stage.



GOSSIP played songs like ‘Four letter word’, ‘Standing in the way of control’ and ‘Heavy Cross’. Beth certainly had a good drill on the band, when she needed some help with the back of her dress she just went to the guitar player Brace Paine and tapped him on the shoulder, he knew what to do - he took hold of the back of her dress and dragged it up. I really liked the show and think that GOSSIP did a great show, they had the audience with them from the first song and Beth was charmingly interacting with the crowd.

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Light: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10


The Weakening (Rookie stage)

THE WEAKENING is a metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. Members of the band are Barry Halldan (vocals), Jani Stefanovic (guitar), David Wedegård (drums), Johan Ylenstrand (bass) and Marcus Bartilsson (guitars). www.myspace.com/theweakening



Music & Performance
THE WEAKENING enters the stage and you can soon tell that the stage is too small for the band who bounces around and head bang a lot to their own music. The singer Barry Halldan is charming and energetic on stage and he really got the crowd going. Towards the end of the show a lot of people are in front of the small stage and you can tell they enjoy the show and the music!

Rating
Music: 6
Performance: 7
Light: 6
Sound: 6
Total: 6.3 / 10




Twiggy Frostbite (Rookie stage)

TWIGGY FROSTBITE is a Swedish band that started in 2006. The band members are Elin Lindfors (vocals), Anna Karin Berglund (keyboard) and Emma Sjöberg (bass). The band shares members with Swedish THE DEER TRACKS and GRIZZLY SISTERS. TWIGGY FROSTBITE ´s debut album ‘Through Fire’ will be out later on this winter. www.myspace.com/twiggyfrostbite

Music & Performance
TWIGGY FROSTBITE ´s music is melodic and beautiful. I like the way Elin Lindfors sings in a way that is both fragile and strong. The band did an ok performance, a lot of people were in front of the stage and they seemed to really enjoy the show.

Rating
Music: 5
Performance: 5
Light: 5
Sound: 5
Total: 5 / 10




Kings of Leon (Hawaii stage)

KINGS OF LEON is an American alternative rock band; it was formed in 1999. The band consists of three brothers and one cousin: Caleb Followill (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Jared Followill (bass guitar and backing vocals, keyboards), Nathan Followill (drums and backing vocals) and Matthew Followill (lead guitar and backing vocals). http://www.kingsofleon.com/

Music & Performance
KINGS OF LEON was the main act of this day and of course they had gathered the largest crowd in front of the main stage Hawaii. When the band started playing you could feel the vibrations in the ground from all the people jumping and dancing to the music. KINGS OF LEON started the set with the song ‘Crawl’ and they also played the song ‘Be Somebody’. On the sides, people were sitting down enjoying the show and from the stage all the way back people were moving to the music so it was a really good show.

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Light: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10




Friday

On the second day of the festival the rainy weather showed exactly how unpredictable the Swedish summer is. I think a lot of people had high hopes for the festival to be sunny and warm since the month of the festival had changed but I wonder if not this festival is doomed to just be drenched in rain instead of sunshine. The rainy weather made the festival crowd put on rain ponchos and hiding away from the rain below umbrellas.


Regina Spektor (Pampas stage)

REGINA SPEKTOR is a singer and songwriter who was born in Moscow 1980 but when she was 8 years old her family immigrated to New York. Music has always been her greatest passion and she says that she has gotten a lot of inspiration from classic music. Regina started her musical career in 2001 when she released her debut album ‘11:11’.  www.myspace.com/reginaspektor

Music & Performance
While I waited for REGINA SPEKTOR, the rain was pouring and there were not that many people in front of the stage, but then the rain stopped - finally and people started to fill up the space in front of the stage. REGINA SPEKTOR seemed some shy during the set and almost embarrassed with all the attention she got from the crowd that literally ate from her hand during the show. When the new single ‘Laughing with’ comes I am happy because I really like this song! It was cool to see it live for the first time. Regina has such a special voice that I really like far away... I am not sure if the Pampas stage was the best venue for her and her music but well it worked well and the audience really had a good time. Getting a crowd going when you sit by a piano is not an easy thing but Regina manages.

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Light: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10


Sonic Syndicate (Theater stage)

SONIC SYNDICATE is a Swedish metal core band who is heavily inspired by Gothenburg Metal bands like IN FLAMES and SOILWORK. In 2002, the brothers Roger and Richard Sjunnesson and their cousin Robin Sjunnesson started the band. At first they called themselves FALLEN ANGELS but in 2005 when they were to release their debut album ‘Eden Fire’, they changed their name to SONIC SYNDICATE. The band consists of Richard Sjunnesson (vocals), Roland Johansson (vocals), Roger Sjunnesson (guitar), Robin Sjunnesson (guitar), Karin Axelsson (bass and vocals) and John Bengtsson (drums). http://www.sonicsyndicate.com/



Music & Performance
A long line of people waited in front of the stage and when the stage opened people ran into it to get good standing positions in front of the stage. The crowd was really devoted to the band and roared when the drummer John Bengtsson came out and said hello to the crowd before he sat down behind his drums. SONIC SYNDICATE did a really good show, it was cool to see the band live on stage and hear how the two singers Roland and Richard voices worked together as well as against each other. The crowd was really wild and into the music, jumping and dancing to the music.

Setlist (incomplete)
Encaged
Jack of Diamonds
Fallout
Contradiction
Ruin
Affliction

Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Light: 9
Sound: 8
Total: 8.8 / 10




The Killers (Hawaii stage)

THE KILLERS is an American band who was formed in 2002; they play good and solid indie rock. The band members are Brandon Flowers (vocals, keyboard and bass), Dave Keuning (guitar), Mark Stoermer (bass) and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (drums). http://www.thekillersmusic.com/

Music & Performance
THE KILLERS was one of the headliners on the Swedish Hultsfred festival and almost everyone was there in front of the main stage. THE KILLERS had declared that no photographing was allowed during their performance, they had their own photographer with them who would take pictures and put them on the web for people to log in and get them there. However this person did not take any pictures and I got some pictures through Håkan Durmér. Anyway THE KILLERS did a good job with entertaining the crowd, they played songs like ‘Losing touch’, ‘Spacemen’, ‘A Dustyland Fairytale’ and ‘All these things that I´ve done’. Then finally came the song ‘Human’; it was wonderful to see / hear it live and the crowd really showed they appreciated the song!

Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Light: 9
Sound: 9
Total: 9 / 10


Takida (Hawaii stage)

TAKIDA is a Swedish alternative rock band formed in 1999. The band members are Robert Pettersson (vocals), Tomas Wallin (guitar), Mattias Larsson (guitar), Fredrik Pålsson (bass) and Kristoffer Söderström (drums). Last year TAKIDA had a great hit with their single ‘Curly Sue’ a song who is known all over Sweden,  it was number one at the Swedish  radio channel P3s “Tracks list” for 10 weeks. TAKIDA had a great success with their last album ‘Burry the Lies’ which now will be also released outside Sweden. They got a lot of offers form large labels but decided to release their coming album ‘The Darker Instinct’ on their own label Takida AB. ‘The Darker Instinct’ will be released in September. http://www.takidamusic.com/



Music & Performance
TAKIDA did a memorable show here at the festival a year ago on the Pampas stage but now they was on the main stage and a lot of people had come to see the show. The intro to TAKIDA’s show on Hawaii was so unexpected and different from what I heard from them before so for a moment I wondered if I really was at the right stage. TAKIDA started with playing the song ‘Losing’ from their first album (‘Make you breathe’ 2006) followed by ‘Halo’ and ‘Handlake village’. Later in the set came the new single ‘As you die’ and it was cool to hear it live for the first time. The singer Robert said that it was an impressive sight to look out over all the people that had gathered to see them play live. The last song on the set ‘Curly Sue’ was as great as ever - it really is a beautiful song that is even better live.

Setlist (incomplete)
Losing
Halo
Handlake Village
Bad seed
As you die (new song)
Leave me alone
Reason to cry
Poisoned
The dread
Curly Sue

Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Light: 9
Sound: 9
Total: 9 / 10




Saturday

At the third day of the festival we saw a lot of security guards walking around on the festival grounds. When we were in the press tent we felt the ground moving all the way from the Hawaii stage and it was the fans of MANDO DIAO that made the ground vibrate. Rockparty had made some changes on the festival ground, for example turning the Pampas stage so it was facing the Hawaii stage. Even if the Hawaii and Pampas did not have any band performing at the same time almost always one of them had a performance that pretty much drenched the sound on the smaller stages.


Lowood (Stora dans stage)

LOWOOD is a Swedish duo which consists of Therese Johansson on vocals and guitar and Kicki Halmos on synthesizer and backing vocals. The two friends started the band in 2005 and in March they released their debut album ‘Close To Violence’. http://www.lowood.se/



Music & Performance
LOWOOD starts the set with the song ‘Close to violence’ and it sounds good. LOWOOD creates a good atmosphere and feeling with their songs and Therese Johansson has a beautiful voice but it does not carry all the way through the set. It feels like LOWOOD are uncertain but give this band some time and I believe they will grow and become better as a live act.

Setlist
01. Close to violence
02. Sailor
03. A flickering light
04. In the end
05. You´re no different
06. Crash

Rating
Music: 6
Performance: 5
Light: 6
Sound: 6
Total: 5.7 / 10


Lenka (Theater stage)

LENKA is the girl who studied drama with Cate Blanchet, acted in movie in her home country before she realized that she wanted to work with music instead. After a couple of records with the electro group DECODER RING she moved to Los Angeles to focus on her solo career as a singer songwriter. http://www.lenkamusic.com/



Music & Performance
LENKA really interacted and charmed the audience, a lot of people had come to see her show and they danced and clapped to the music. LENKA started the set with ‘Anything that I am not’ and ‘Knock, knock’ and the audience loved it! When the song ‘The show’ came where she sings in the end “I want my money back” she got the crowd to sing along with her on that. LENKA got a really cool response from the crowd who wanted her to come back and do an encore but I guess there was no time for that in the stage schedule and that was too bad; I would have loved to see more of this talented young woman. It was a pleasure to see her on stage and I really enjoyed the show!

Setlist
01. Anything I am not
02. Knock, knock
03. Don´t let me fall
04. Like a song
05. Trouble is a friend
06. The show
07. - (new song)
08. Dangerous and sweet
09. We will not grow old
10. Live like your dying

Rating
Music: 10
Performance: 10
Light: 10
Sound: 10
Total: 10 / 10




Dead by April (Theater stage)

DEAD BY APRIL is a Swedish metal band, formed in 2007. The band members are Jimmie Strimmell (vocals and growls), Pontus Hjelm (guitar and vocals), Johan Olsson (guitar and growls), Marcus Wesslén (bass) and Alex Svenningson (drums). http://www.deadbyapril.com/

Music & Performance
Last year, DEAD BY APRIL played as a rookie artist on Stora dans and now when they played at the larger Theater stage, it quickly became clear that this stage was too small for all the people that wanted to see DEAD BY APRIL live.



A lot of people had been waiting in a long line in front of the stage and when the stage opened it felt like being captured by a giant tide when the crowd rushed forward. Before the show could start, a man came on stage and said that there were a lot of people here at the stage and he asked the audience to try and take it easy and to help people up if they fall or need help form security. DEAD BY APRIL came on stage and kicked off the set with the songs ‘Trapped’, ‘Angels of clarity’ and ‘Promise me’. The band really interacted with the crowd and easily got the crowd going wild. The crowd was so wild that the head of security decided that the photographers in front of the stage had to leave right after the first song.

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 9
Light: 6
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10






Sunday

On the fourth day of the festival we felt like four days was one day more than enough. When we got to the festival ground on this last festival day the rain was pouring down and the ground was a muddy mess, a lot of people gave up and went home due to bad weather. The fact that the day went in the sign of hip hop music did not raise our spirits either. Sure there were a lot of hip hop fans in front of the stages when these musicians played but for those who did not like that kind of music it was kind of boring. Despite the fact that it was not allowed to take pictures with system cameras on the festival ground we saw a lot of photographers that were taking pictures even after the first three songs when it was allowed, no one seemed to care.


The Vanjas (Rookie stage)

THE VANJAS is a Swedish band which started a year ago in Stockholm. They play a combination of rhythm ’n’ blues, garage rock and soul music. Band members are Vanja Lo Venus (vocals), Mr. Magnatone (guitar), Bon Ton Jeanneau (bass) and Hank (drums). This is a band that has focused a lot of energy on their live act and they have been on a small but successful tour in London. www.myspace.com/thevanjas

Music & Performance
When the band came on stage I could not help but notice that the singer Vanja was very much pregnant and I had some thoughts about how suitable it was for her to be on a stage on a festival but oh well… THE VANJAS had a style that was inspired a lot from the 60´s and they did a good show. A pretty big crowd was standing and cheering in front of the stage and the band seemed to really enjoy being there.

Rating
Music: 5
Performance: 5
Light: 5
Sound: 5
Total: 5 / 10




Nashville Pussy (Theater stage)

NASHVILLE PUSSY is an American hard rock band; their music is a mix of hard rock, punk and southern metal. Band members are Blaine Cartwright (vocals / guitar), Ruyter Suys (lead guitar), Jeremy Thompson (drums) and Karen Cuda (bass). Blaine and Ruyter are married. http://www.nashvillepussy.com/

Music & Performance
A lot of people had come to see NASHVILLE PUSSY; the band’s fans clap their hands and shout for the band to come on stage. I noticed that there were a lot more security people in front of the stage and wondered if this would be a troublesome show. An intro came and not very surprisingly but suitable it was ‘What´s new pussycat’ and then the band came on stage and kicked of the set with the song ‘Speed machine’. The band was really wild on stage and the guitar player Ruyter was amazing to look at - she was all over the place while playing on her guitar. NASHVILLE PUSSY´s set included songs like ‘Hate and whiskey’ and ‘Good night for a heart attack’. The song ‘I´m so high’ was according to the singer a tribute to Michael Jackson.

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Light: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10




Ólafur Arnalds (Stora dans stage)

ÓLAFUR ARNALDS is an Icelandic musician who blends classic music with electronic, indie and experimental music. He released his debut album ‘Eulogy for evolution’ in 2007 and in 2008 he went on tour with SIGUR RÓS. In November, when his current tour is over, he plans on starting to record his second full length album. www.myspace.com/olafurarnalds



Music & Performance
The show began beautifully with ÓLAFUR ARNALDS’ fragile and melodic music which was accompanied on stage by three violins and one double bass. The audience stood very still and just enjoyed the show. It was very beautiful and relaxing to stand there and just listen to the soulful music. I really liked the show but I think that I prefer to listen to this kind of music on record instead of live. The crowd cheered and applauded after each song and seemed to really have a good time there. When Sahara Hothnights started their show on the Hawaii stage their sound pretty much drenched and killed the atmosphere that ÓLAFUR ARNALDS had created.

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Light: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8/10



Pictures by Martina Törnemyr
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