One of our videos from the Youtube series Songs We Wish Were Ours was featured on the website of Americana, Roots and Alt-country community No Depression.
Click here to view!
On the 18th of March 2011 I was invited to play a tribute concert to Creedence Clearwater Revival in my home town of Sandnes (the venue is actually called Tribute). I love Creedence and I love the people with whom I was going to play. So to nobody's surprise I said yes.
The night turned out become one of the memorable ones. At least for us on stage it was. The place was packed both off and on stage. People were screaming, laughing, singing, dancing, doing rock and roll signs with their fingers and basically just having a damn good time. You could actually touch the atmosphere. And for a moment I swear I saw Monsieur John Fogerty himself standing in the crowd and singing a-long to his own songs.
This video is my take on "Long As I Can See The Light". One of my all time favourite CCR songs. If you enjoy this version just a fraction of how much I enjoyed singing it I will be a happy man.
Thanks to Anders Reve and the guys at Tribute for making this memorable night possible.
I just wanted to share this picture with our friends. I think the combination of instruments are rather very exceptional on this picture.
If I remember correctly we are covering "Long As I Can See The Light" by John Fogerty, and that song really needs a sax...
I am happy to announce the "release" of my first official bootleg. The song I've made available is FREE of charge and available on Bandcamp. You can, at your own expense, donate whatever you feel like donating. 100% of whatever money that may come in will go to someone in more need than you and me (Buddies For Africa).
The song was recorded in just a couple of hours, on the 8th of December 2008, with Monsieur Erik Bekkeheien at his soon to be even more famous Bekkstudio. Musicians from Helldorado, together with some of my long-time friends, are responsible for the rhythm section. The project was meant as a collaboration between Tom House and myself, thereby the title of the project, and the plan was to release an EP. As you might already have understood that never happened - I mean the songs got recorded but I never released them. Tom House wrote all the words a long time ago and they were actually all written as poems. I composed the melodies and recorded the tunes. It was a good experience for me in many ways. First of all I had to work with words that were not my own. Second of all I also got the chance to work with other musicians than those I normally work with. Last but not least it was incredible fun to sing duet in one microphone together with my good friend Siri Tønnessen. The result is for you to judge. Click on picture for link to song:
The sad news is that Hans Egil Løe is no longer part of our extended Alabama Rodeo Stars family. Too bad for him! The happy news is that he will join the band as a full time member! Good for him! Hans Egil will join the ensemble on electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, backing vocals and whatever else he can fiddle around with.
Most of you will know Hans Egil as a key member of Skambankt. Here he goes under the alias Hans Panzer (I hope I didn't reveal any secrets!). In Skambankt, which probably is one of Norways best rock & roll bands, Hans, who will be known as Hansi in The Alabama Rodeo Stars, plays guitar and sings backing vocals.
What does Hansi gain by joining The Alabama Rodeo Stars? Well first of all he joins a band who's literately much bigger than Skambankt. With eight members we're actually twice as big. He will also gain some respect in Norway's "growing" alt-country community.
Below are a couple of pictures of this rare specimen taken at a recent festival we played. Please join us in welcoming Hans Egil Løe to The Alabama Rodeo Stars Family.
I've already mentioned this fantastic song by Chip Taylor when the video of the performance in Halden was posted on Youtube. The song was written and recorded as a reaction to the sad happenings that struck Norway on the 22nd of July, 2011.
I am happy to share with you the official recorded version, featuring Paal Flaata and Ida Jenshus, now available as a free download on Bandcamp.
We performed at The Eikerapen Roots Festival in Norway this passing weekend. We were well received and played our hearts out to all the fantastic people who came around to see us. A small fraction of the extended family of the band came along. At one point I think we where 12 people on stage. More photos by Tor Olav Rydlende are available in the Pictures section.
American singer/ songwriter Chip Taylor was due to play at Down on the Farm, outside Halden, Norway, when terror hit the capital city, Oslo, and the island of Utøya.
When the festival was canceled, Taylor wrote the song "This darkest Day", and performed it saturday night at a vigil in the Halden Brygga Culture Hall, together with musicians Paal Flaata, Fats Kaplin and Gøran Grini.
Youth that escaped from the island were present in the hall.
Tom Skjeklesæther
Today I stumbled over an anecdote I'd like to share. It came to my attention through a filmed interview with French philosopher and thinker Jacques Ellul. At one point in the film, when discussing the concepts of technological progress, Ellul says, and I'm paraphrasing and translating at the same time:
"One of my best friends was a very competent surgeon with a good sense of humour. During a discussion we had on the progress and related problems of technology, someone said to him: "Being a surgeon and all you should know everything about the progress in medical surgery, right?" He gave a rather humorous reply: "I am certainly aware of the progress of technology in the medical field. But just ask yourself the following question: we currently carry out heart transplants, liver transplant and kidney transplants. But where do those kidneys, that heart and those lungs come from? In fact they must be healthy organs. Not affected by any illness. And they must be fresh. In reality, there is just one genuine source: traffic accidents. So, to carry out more operations, we need more traffic accidents. If we make traffic safer, fewer of those wonderful operations will be carried out." "
I won't go in to details on what I think the moral of the story is. I am in many ways a huge fan of new technology. Hearing this did however make my braincells dance around for a little while :)
Let me leave you with a piece of wonderful music I discovered last week performed by Alex Ebert. This fantastic song was used in the end credits of the first episode of season four of Breaking Bad:
We visited Risør Bluegrass festival for the sixth year in a row.
It was as usual a fantastic experience with a lot of wonderful people. This festival is all about meeting with bands and other musicians that all share a common love for traditional American music. The jams go on all night long, and beer and whisky flows like honey and milk (did that comment make sense?)...
We went on stage at 00:30 with an 11 piece band. It ended up being a good gig! :)
A couple of pictures from Risør:
Rehearsing on camp site:
Look at us! Life doesn't get much better than this (even though we look like we're not having a good time)...
We rehearsed for the upcoming bluegrass festival in Risør this coming weekend.
Enjoy your weekend!
Finally! A new website that actually looks like a website. And, believe it or not, I made it all on my own. I am NOT a computer specialist! So if something is not working properly, or if you have a hard time finding the info you're looking for, please do not hesitate to give me some gentle ass slapping (you can do so by leaving a comment). In return I will do my best to fix whatever is out of order. If you have a domestic problem some of my songs might help you carry the weight.
I will do my very best to fill up the page you are currently looking at with more or less interesting stuff. Most of my postings will off course be band related. However do expect some other stuff. I might post a line or two on other artists that I enjoy, after all I am a big fan of music. Sometimes I read a book that I might write about. What inspires me might just inspire you. I am also a huge docu-holic. Lately I've been watching at least one or two documentaries every day. At the moment I am struggling to understand how the world is financially put together. Cause a lot of things simply don't make sense in my opinion. I am fed up with taking for granted the fact that I can take most things for granted. Anyway, I'll come back with more later. Music, please!
To celebrate our new website I'll leave you with a taste of our new album which is scheduled to be released sometime soon in the not too distant future:
