Live Performance Reviews - Dungen, Plain Ride, Octopus Syng Alive

The set was opened by group OCTOPUS SYNG ALIVE, which had a line up of a singer/guitarist, solo guitarist, bass and drum player and a lady singer / keyboardist. They drew their influences from SYD BARRETT driven PINK FLOYD’s first incarnation, combining strong composed material with freak out improvisations. The authentic LSD textured lightshow strengthened the impression, and songs were good and personal, including very aggressive jam moments in style of early ASH RA TEMPEL. After the four or five original songs the set ended to Syd’s “Octopus” cover version, and it was nice to hear a version of this song where the band plays together. There was some stage performance included, and the band played together very well, there were no mistakes or dull moments found from their music. A very pleasant set, hopefully we hear more of this group!

The next session was distributed by the group PLAIN RIDE, and the crow started to gather up to the club in bigger numbers. The band was driven by a singer playing also an acoustic guitar, accompanied by a drummer and bass player, and also guitarist who playing some keyboards too, and they were visited by harmonica and cello players too. Their style resembled American 60’s garage rock, maybe a more minimalist and hypnotic incarnation of 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS could be a fair description, enriched with mellow downer folk rock songs which maybe could be referred no NICK CAVE’s songs. There were some very long stoner improvisations in the songs, and also here it was evident that the musicians know what they do, the drummer used the possibility to smash in fills to the hypnotic patterns created by the other instruments. I got a flyer that the group is having a record release party in the SEMIFINAL 10^th April, so if you are near and the albums by bands presented in the first Nuggets collection spin in your player, don’t miss them!

Audience grew to really thick as the main performer DUNGEN were waited. I was slightly surprised by the big amount, but the great quality of the band’s performance proved that the crowd can find a great act. The band’s music had interesting contrasts in very well composed pleasant rock songs and wild improvisation moments, covering a large array of different styles from the psychedelic frame of reference (folk, jazz, indie rock, pop) combined as a well working personal sound. The lyrics were sung in Swedish, which sounds pleasant to my ears. After the three first songs lasting maybe ten to fifteen minutes, the group explored a wild and aggressive jam session lasting maybe longer than those first compositions. The moods varied from mellow melancholy, to happy and fuzzy acid rock soundtracks for the hippies to enjoy the short Scandinavian summer. The sound was loud and I must admit that I had small difficulties hearing the bass guitar. The players were really pro, and I was happy to see alive especially REINE FISKE, who’s personal style both raw and gentle was known to me from LANDBERK, and MORTE MACABRE. Other performers were real aces too, and the lead singer was a firm multi-instrumentalist, playing also acoustic and electric guitar, electric piano, flute and tambourine. The set lasted about one hour and a half, twice longer than the two openers, and they together made up a really pleasant evening, motivating to search and listen more the music of the groups, and also making the troubles of the everyday life to be forgot for a moment. My thanks to the musicians and organisers!

Edit: Fixed pics