August 22, 2008
Penguins etc.
While my computer died and I was getting a new hard drive, a large number of North readers emailed me about this story of a penguin who was a member of the Norwegian armed forces (!) getting knighted. Watch the video here. Yes, we have heard about this absurd story in Norway, vaguely, but the Norwegian population don't realize how big the story is, and how no-one will ever take them seriously again. About anything. Ever.
Continue reading "Penguins etc."
Posted by barry at 6:38 EM Contact
August 10, 2008
Klubbøya
Oslo's massive outdoor summer music festival is called Øya, but the first night of the festival takes place indoors in all the clubs in town, and is called Klubbøya. This year my band Dacianos played Klubbøya.
Posted by barry at 8:14 EM Contact
Juli 13, 2008
One in Four
Recently Aftenposten reported that new statistics show that one in four people living in Oslo is a foreign immigrant, i.e. non-Norwegian, i.e. like me. The breakdown goes like this:
Year: 1998. Population of Oslo: 499,693. No. of immigrants: 85,550. Percentage: 17.
Year: 2008. Population of Oslo: 560,484. No. of immigrants: 137,878. Percentage: 24.5.
So what does this mean for "us" and for "them" ?
Continue reading "One in Four"
Posted by barry at 2:35 FM Contact
Juli 11, 2008
Recent Art
I've been looking through my uploaded photos of recent art exhibitions and music shows we've put on. There's a lot missing (sorry Jens Hamran, sorry Somadrone) but here's some pics that weren't lost. First off, the Hilmar Fredriksen exhibition. He projected a pretty cool film onto the bar, and you can see a frame from it, with our barman Martin underneath looking, er, arty. Click to enlarge.
Posted by barry at 11:32 EM Contact
Juli 5, 2008
Closing Time for Spasibar (part 2)
A hilarious article has appeared in Dagbladet detailing the destruction that occurred on Spasibar's last night. Here's a photo from Dagbladet showing how they trashed the furniture - but even though the business is in a building owned by the art school, it was Spasibar's own furniture, so they were free to do so.
Whether they were free to light a bonfire on stage is another question...
Continue reading "Closing Time for Spasibar (part 2)"
Posted by barry at 3:21 EM Contact
Juli 3, 2008
The Innocence of Sleeping Children
She's back in the news! The 'psychic' Norwegian Princess Märtha Louise (pictured above). The controversy this time is that her angel school has begun courses for children.
Continue reading "The Innocence of Sleeping Children"
Posted by barry at 5:29 EM Contact
Juli 2, 2008
Closing Time for Spasibar
A large bar on the posh side of Oslo, in a building connected to the art academy. Toys, mannequins, porcelain dogs, photographs and junk are everywhere. The staff are wearing robes and wigs. Crazy music is playing. At the back of the stage hangs a mosaic of the eccentric owners, who for some reason are obsessed with Russia, and this is a "Russian themed" bar.
That was Spasibar, which closed down on 30 June.
Continue reading "Closing Time for Spasibar"
Posted by barry at 3:27 EM Contact
Juni 28, 2008
A Load of Blather in Norway
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| Click for larger cover image |
Norwegian readers be aware! The book I wrote with Blather.net's Dave Walsh and Damien DeBarra is now available to buy in Oslo.
A Load of Blather: Unreal Reports from Ireland and Beyond is the first book by us that anyone has been nuts enough to publish. This 'magnificent tome' is a 'great heaving cavalcade of paranormal events, superstitions, mysterious happenings, conspiracy theories, hordes of rampaging kangaroos in the Dublin hills, and the previously untold story of General Michael Collins' forays into outer space'. Those interested in Norwegian culture will be fascinated to read about the infamous lake monster hunt that Dave Walsh was on in Telemark in 1998, as well as a re-hash of my opinions about the angel woman, Norway's psychic princess.
Available to buy at:
Sound of Mu, Markveien 58, 0550 Oslo. Price 100kr.
Tronsmo, Kr Augustsgate 19, 1064 Oslo. Price 99kr.
Or directly from us for 9.99 euro, via paypal:
Posted by barry at 5:01 EM Contact
Juni 20, 2008
Musikkfest Oslo and Other Adventures (with poetic licence)
I
One June night, a tram-track threw me from my bicycle
A guitar-playing hand reduced to impotent rage!
Determined to play the 7th, Oslo's festival
In time the hand moved - yes! - Dacianos took the stage!
Continue reading "Musikkfest Oslo and Other Adventures (with poetic licence)"
Posted by barry at 2:09 FM Contact
Juni 6, 2008
Skien
What's this? It's the edge of art...
These boxes are artworks by Kristina Müntzig, part of a collection of 'fake' furniture placed in a public park in Skien, Telemark, as part of Skien's public art festival, Tempo. Rather than showing you the art itself, I'm showing you where it meets the harbour. Where it meets 'reality'! Kristina was only one of about a dozen artists who placed their strange objects around the town.
My own 'art collective', Sound of Mu, were involved in our own distortion of Skien's reality, as we upped sticks and moved there for one day, to host Tempo's opening event. So into our hired van went musical instruments, a projector, all our microphones and DI boxes, a frying pan, even parts of the floor (each piece of wood having its own story to tell, apparently)... yes, Mu was packed up and driven to Skien on 31 May.