Lørdag 10.august
It was a moment of joyous, shameless nostalgia. Back in 2004, Euroboys played at Øyafestivalen, which was down in Middelalderparken on the edge of the fjord then, by Sørenga. It had been two months since the release of “Soft Focus”, an album which emerged from the break-up of Kåre and the Cavemen and which, over time, has become a well-regarded landmark in Norwegian popular music. Now, it has come back around for celebration, in Summer, as it should. As then, the band still centres around Knut Schreiner. He ran the show, both from behind the microphone as the front man, but also talking to the crowd, telling stories about the music, reminding people of the context of the songs they were to hear, as they played the better part of the “Soft Focus” album. It was a windy evening around Vindfruen Scene, but for anyone who remembered that first time, it must have felt a little warmer, stiller, because like the record, the weather may have improved in the memory.
The pacing was excellent. It is gentle music, and the seven-piece live band gave it room to breathe. From the get-go, with “Break Away” – which started the straight run of the first five tracks from the album – each song was given space. We might get a little introduction from Schreiner, or some ambient effects from Christer Engen on percussion or Erling Norderud Hansen on keyboards (another of the original line up from the album). Gentle music, taken seriously. Mats Engen on bass guitar played exceptionally well throughout and we also had the chance to hear his fine singing voice, for example on “Fears Be Gone”.
“Topanga” was the last of the five played in album order, an intriguing jazz-inspired piece, with Schreiner’s firm collaborator on the original record, Anders Møller using the timpani mallets on the drumkit not for the first time. Mats Engen used a bow on his Gibson bass to great effect. The band navigated the shift from the edgier early part to a later feelgood section which had us back in that Summer of 2004 mood. Just as on “Hold On”, early, the band had complete confidence in giving the longer instrumental breaks as much time as they needed. Trond Mjøen, who shared lead and rhythm guitar duties with Schreiner, didn’t have to worry about cutting his solos short.
There was a change of tone and pace in the middle of the concert with a cover of “Forget All About It” written by the prolific Todd Rundgren for the Pennsylvania band Nazz, a tip of the hat to the “British Invasion” of the late ‘60s. The band managed to bridge the gap in styles nicely, playing this number perhaps a little slower to keep it closer to the surrounding material. After that, we’re on the final lap. “Crystal Pipeline”, the long, expansive album closer was first, even longer in this live arrangement, an excellent full ensemble piece made all the fuller for having a full-size band on stage, filled out by long-standing member Øyvind Svendsen on vocals and acoustic guitar. Next was the crisp, short “One Way Street”, a pop palate cleanser before a keenly anticipated final number, the band’s cover of “Scarborough Fair”. Christer Engen stepped out from behind his array of percussion to sing, in a clear high voice, a perfect homage to the original, but the music surrounding it was different, evocative of Kula Shaker and early Pink Floyd, a little darker and more offbeat, and very much the band’s own.
It was a lush and enveloping set, warmly enjoyed by a large crowd, some of whom were in Middelalderparken in 2004, and some of whom were not even born then. Euroboys had men, women, boys and girls of all ages smiling in the sun. 5/6
Text: Alex Maines
Photography: Anne-Marie Forker