Sweden Rock
Festival is growing and growing and has become the largest rock festival in
northern Europe. Like last year there’s been held a kick off party in the
beginning of December to announce the first bands and artists for the upcoming
festival. And to make it a real party a few bands are playing live at this
kick off party which is arranged in Stockholm (Sweden) and in
Strommen
(Norway). This year the kick off party lasts for 2 days, and here’s the report
from the first day (I couldn’t go to the second day of the party which
included Pagan’s Mind, Circus
Maximus
and Mortal Love).
I arrived at Baråtti
during Lady
Starstruck's
(which was the first band on stage) second song, and I hadn’t heard of them
before. I only knew it was a Rainbow
cover band,
but I was surprised of the female vocalist. But how does it happen to bring a
woman to sing songs originally sung by the mighty Ronnie James
Dio?
To my big surprise it was a great choice for this band as their vocalist Lone
has a great voice that suits the music and mood of Rainbow. She did a
fantastic job and I didn’t missed a male person. I happened to know after the
concert that Lone was once singing in the band Limelight in the 80’s.
The rest of the band did a great job as well and the guitarist had the sound
of Blackmore,
but the solos didn’t had the same feel as the man in black himself (but who
manage to play like Ritchie?). As for the songs they had chosen the
obligatoric
“Man On The Silver Mountain” and “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll”, but also as many
as three songs from the ‘Stranger In Us All’ album to my surprise (but I
really like that album so it was very cool to me). I think that Lady
Starstruck
is one of the better tribute bands I’ve seen for a long time. So if you happen
to be around where they’re playing you should definitely go see them.
Next band on
stage was introduced as a 70’s
prog
rock act and the name was Magic Pie, a band I hadn’t heard before. They proved
that they’re a bunch great musicians and singers. To me it sounded like a
mixture of Dream
Theater,
Spock’s Beard and Yes. The most impressing was the vocals. It was only the
drummer in this six-piece band who didn’t sing, and it gave me a feeling of
Spock’s Beard when the other five guys sung together. It was enormous.
The songs itself was also great, but at the end it felt like it was a little
too much at the time. Maybe it’s because I didn’t knew the band, but I will
definitely
check out their album. Magic Pie is a band of perfectionism and should appeal
to every fan of progressive hard rock (even though they stole a piece of Dream
Theater
in one of their songs). This is a band you should keep an eye on in the
future.
The main attraction of this night was former member and founder of the classic
rock band Uriah Heep;
Ken Hensley. And I was a special treat for us at Rock Of Norway that
mr.
Hensley had brought a handful of Norwegian musicians with him on his
Scandinavian tour;
Mory
Black (ex-TNT, Vagabond), Ken
Ingwersen
(ex-Street Legal, Rags), Willy
Bendiksen
(Wild Willy’s
Gang, Perfect Crime, Road) and
Eirikur Hauksson
(Artch,
ex-Wild Willy’s Gang).
There’s no secret that you can expect some
Uriah Heep
classics when Hensley plays around and you can easily hear the
Hep-wibe
in his solo stuff. I must admit that I don’t know Hensley’s solo material
good enough, but “Give Me A Reason” and “The Last Dance” found its place in my
mind this night, so I better should get me some of his solo albums. The
Heep
songs “July Morning”, “Stealin’”,
“Easy Livin’”
“Lady In Black” and “Gypsy” made the hair on my arms raise. The reason of that
is Ken’s way of playing the
Hammond
organ, his voice and the fantastic backing band he got this night. The steady
and grooving comp by Wild Willy and
Morty,
Ingwersen's
impressing guitar playing and
Eirikur's
harmony vocals made the whole package to an orgasmic happening.
If you missed Hensley’s Scandinavian tour you can look
foreward
to the upcoming
live-DVD which was filmed a few days before this kick off party.
I will thank the people at
Baråtti
for once again putting together a great night for a Sweden Rock Kick Off
Party. Confirmed acts for the 2006 festival was presented the next day and
included Deep Purple (headliner), Journey,
W.A.S.P.,
Doro, Easy Action, Jaded Heart and
Krokus.
No Norwegian bands on the bill as of yet.
Ken Hensley
band:
1.
Introduction
7. Crying 13. Tell Me 14. Gypsy *
* Uriah Heep song |
Lady
Starstruck: Lone (Grefsrud) Malmåsen - vocals Set-list: 1. Tarot Woman 2. Man On The Silver Mountain 3. Cold Hearted Woman 4. Blues 5. Starstruck 6. Eyes Of The World 7. Wolf To The Moon 8. The Temple Of The King 9. Lady Evil * 10. Too Late For Tears 11. Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll * Black Sabbath song |
Lady Starstruck:
Magic Pie:
Ken Hensley: