A ROSKILDE DIARY
By Dee Sekar
FRI 1 JULY
I begin the day by realising that I'd shared some intimate moments the night before and have many a mark to prove it. Yes, the
sexy Danish mosquitoes take quite a fancy to me. Well, to my right and formerly working ankle. I have four swollen bites and so
now both my feet look as pretty as each other. Glorious.
The afternoon session begins with one of the most enjoyable performances of the festival, from Copenhagen-based band, Hess
Is More (interview coming soon). Electro funk jazz pop created by jazz drummer Mikkel Hess engages the crowd in toe-tapping,
arm-waving and face-smiling exhibitions. With fantastic graphics, animations and eccentric stage presence, the band are
dynamic, innovative and definitely deserve higher billing next year.
I begin the day by realising that I'd shared some intimate moments the night before and have many a mark to prove it. Yes, the
sexy Danish mosquitoes take quite a fancy to me. Well, to my right and formerly working ankle. I have four swollen bites and so
now both my feet look as pretty as each other. Glorious.
The afternoon session begins with one of the most enjoyable performances of the festival, from Copenhagen-based band, Hess
Is More (interview coming soon). Electro funk jazz pop created by jazz drummer Mikkel Hess engages the crowd in toe-tapping,
arm-waving and face-smiling exhibitions. With fantastic graphics, animations and eccentric stage presence, the band are
dynamic, innovative and definitely deserve higher billing next year.
Huggy Bear forgets 70s chic and decides on 70s kaftan geek instead
Lab coats, flipcharts and mini instruments - enter the world of Hess
In the afternoon, the Orange stage is surrounded by thousands of music fans awaiting the arrival of one of the first non-alternative
headliners, Snoop Dogg. Before he takes to the stage, we are treated to an exclusive showing of his new short film, The
Carleone Story, which according to the titles, was 'created and written by Snoop Dogg.' This I have to see. The film starts and after
a whole millisecond, we see Snoop cavorting round with two naked ladeez for what seems like an unbearable eternity.
Reminding us of his cred/attitude/beef, the film quickly changes into a gun-fest shoot out between Snoop and two men wearing
Bush and Reagan masks. Who would have thought that a porn/guns romp could be political? When Snoop appears on stage,
unlike the rest of my music peers, I'm wholly under-whelmed and uncharmed by all this and begin counting down the seconds till
next act, Audioslave take to the stage.
Led by a rather dashing Chris Cornell, this Rage Against The Machine/Soundgarden supergroup certainly give it their all and are
very entertaining. This is pure rock music and unlike the Velvet Revolver comedy set, is remarkably unpretentious and solid.
Good stuff. The band also chuck in a few classics like 'Spoonman' and 'Killing In The Name' and are one of my festival favourites.
My hormones take over at this stage and I begin to insanely wink at Cornell. He returns the gesture however the wink was either
at me or to one of the 1000 other spectators in front of me. It's true love.
At the end of their set, the night seems to get even better as Ozzy-led Black Sabbath take to the stage. But it wasn't their night.
Even more incoherent and shaky than I'd imagined, a trim-looking Ozzy tries his level best to rock out and entertain but the crowd
seem to be giggling more than worshipping. The band take many unplanned instrumentals while Ozzy stands frozen, dazed and
confused. This makes their set more tragic than classic. A real shame to witness.
Our night ends with a blasting performance by Nigerian funkster, Femi Kuti and The Positive Force in the most beautifully
decorated tent, The Ballroom. Amongst the dangling disco balls, tassle-skirt bootyshakers grace the front of the stage while a
semi-naked Kuti presents us with a superstar performance with blazing saxophones, keyboards, guitars and drums. An
exhilarating experience especially as I'd missed his performance at the Nice Jazz Festival last year. An end to a wonderful day.
headliners, Snoop Dogg. Before he takes to the stage, we are treated to an exclusive showing of his new short film, The
Carleone Story, which according to the titles, was 'created and written by Snoop Dogg.' This I have to see. The film starts and after
a whole millisecond, we see Snoop cavorting round with two naked ladeez for what seems like an unbearable eternity.
Reminding us of his cred/attitude/beef, the film quickly changes into a gun-fest shoot out between Snoop and two men wearing
Bush and Reagan masks. Who would have thought that a porn/guns romp could be political? When Snoop appears on stage,
unlike the rest of my music peers, I'm wholly under-whelmed and uncharmed by all this and begin counting down the seconds till
next act, Audioslave take to the stage.
Led by a rather dashing Chris Cornell, this Rage Against The Machine/Soundgarden supergroup certainly give it their all and are
very entertaining. This is pure rock music and unlike the Velvet Revolver comedy set, is remarkably unpretentious and solid.
Good stuff. The band also chuck in a few classics like 'Spoonman' and 'Killing In The Name' and are one of my festival favourites.
My hormones take over at this stage and I begin to insanely wink at Cornell. He returns the gesture however the wink was either
at me or to one of the 1000 other spectators in front of me. It's true love.
At the end of their set, the night seems to get even better as Ozzy-led Black Sabbath take to the stage. But it wasn't their night.
Even more incoherent and shaky than I'd imagined, a trim-looking Ozzy tries his level best to rock out and entertain but the crowd
seem to be giggling more than worshipping. The band take many unplanned instrumentals while Ozzy stands frozen, dazed and
confused. This makes their set more tragic than classic. A real shame to witness.
Our night ends with a blasting performance by Nigerian funkster, Femi Kuti and The Positive Force in the most beautifully
decorated tent, The Ballroom. Amongst the dangling disco balls, tassle-skirt bootyshakers grace the front of the stage while a
semi-naked Kuti presents us with a superstar performance with blazing saxophones, keyboards, guitars and drums. An
exhilarating experience especially as I'd missed his performance at the Nice Jazz Festival last year. An end to a wonderful day.
SAT 2 JULY
Our last day at the festival before I head off for a mini tour of the Nordics. We head to a packed out Pavillion to see a wonderful
performance by Devendra Banhart, probably the most poised Bob Dylan-esque artist of the moment. We catch up with our
Norwegian camping neighbours from Black and White who are drunk on some Norwegian vodka fuel cocktail and enjoy the
cooling drops of rain which descend on us. Henrik and I discuss the finer points of Nirvana - trying to out do each other with
obscure, random facts we know. I'm quite impressed and concede that his knowledge is great. Excitement builds for Foo
Fighters who will be playing in less than 2 hours.
After Banhart, we leave for Jimmy Eat World who take to the main stage. Not really a fan or aware of their music, I go along with
zero expectations. And that's probably the best level when seeing this band live. Dull rock with absolutely no crowd banter, the
band alienate the many that surprisingly turn up to see them. They are as exciting as watching a pair of grannies sail off on a
cruise ship. They look nervous and bored and it's a shame as their slot could so easily have gone to a band that deserved it
more.
Our last day at the festival before I head off for a mini tour of the Nordics. We head to a packed out Pavillion to see a wonderful
performance by Devendra Banhart, probably the most poised Bob Dylan-esque artist of the moment. We catch up with our
Norwegian camping neighbours from Black and White who are drunk on some Norwegian vodka fuel cocktail and enjoy the
cooling drops of rain which descend on us. Henrik and I discuss the finer points of Nirvana - trying to out do each other with
obscure, random facts we know. I'm quite impressed and concede that his knowledge is great. Excitement builds for Foo
Fighters who will be playing in less than 2 hours.
After Banhart, we leave for Jimmy Eat World who take to the main stage. Not really a fan or aware of their music, I go along with
zero expectations. And that's probably the best level when seeing this band live. Dull rock with absolutely no crowd banter, the
band alienate the many that surprisingly turn up to see them. They are as exciting as watching a pair of grannies sail off on a
cruise ship. They look nervous and bored and it's a shame as their slot could so easily have gone to a band that deserved it
more.
Tomas, Anders and Nirvana-loving Henrik.
Jo, Lars and Dee
Jimmy Eat were completely blown away by a mix of pounding music and humour from Foo Fighters. From the moment
Dave Grohl sported a Mr Whippy-type wig in Nirvana's 'In Bloom' video, it was pretty obvious that this good-natured musician
would bring us a whole lot more. Wiggling his bum at the audience and walking through the crowd, we witnessed a free
lesson in how to be a serious rocker by being totally flippant. Take heed, Mr Weiland. Drummer Taylor Hawkins won the
best drummer of the festival title hands down with an overwhelming drum solo. I want his arms and legs.
Dave Grohl sported a Mr Whippy-type wig in Nirvana's 'In Bloom' video, it was pretty obvious that this good-natured musician
would bring us a whole lot more. Wiggling his bum at the audience and walking through the crowd, we witnessed a free
lesson in how to be a serious rocker by being totally flippant. Take heed, Mr Weiland. Drummer Taylor Hawkins won the
best drummer of the festival title hands down with an overwhelming drum solo. I want his arms and legs.
Stealing the show: Foo's Taylor Hawkins
Mr Nice Guy Rock: Dave Grohl
Next on the main stage and keeping with the fantastic festival organisation, we are treated to a hypnotic performance by a
severely intoxicated man in a pink rabbit suit leading us through dance moves to YMCA and cheap disco songs just
before Green Day take to the stage. Once they arrive, proceedings start with 'American Idiot' and this was a start of many a
reference to a certain George W. Before Roskilde, it had been a while since I've seen a big stadium band however my
festival experiences confirm that some bands have reached a level of talent, entertainment value and crowd-pleasing
that the only deserved space for them is the biggest platform possible. Step forward the Foos, Audioslave and Green Day.
After Green Day, Jo and I are rather subdued as we only have a few hours left at Roskilde. We say farewell to the
Norwegian boys, Peter and Wilco and head over to the second largest stage, The Arena to catch our cool dudes, The
Raveonettes. Earlier we speak to Manoj Raveonette backstage who looks very happy and energetic considering the
band have just completed a mammoth US tour. He tells us he loves Roskilde and its vibe and is looking forward to the
show. So are we. I'm happy to see an overflowing marquee when we arrive there and there is certainly a buzz in the air for
Roskilde's golden son, Mr Wagner.
The band arrive on stage and a clean-shaven Sune greets the crowd with a 'hey' before launching into 'You Say You Lie.'
I'd last seen the band over four months ago and had been mighty impressed by them. However now, they sound even
more tight and polished as a 5 piece and take us on a journey of hits past and present. The most appealing thing to
witness, is the band's relaxed approach. This seems to be a result of their gruelling tour schedule which has left their
music sounding nothing short of magnificent. The band have raised their own stakes now and as champions of their
self-created niche of music, should enter this widening territory of hit songs and more fans with confidence. From the
bright, young things at the front to ballroom-dancing middle-aged couples at the back, the atmosphere is wonderful.
Next time I see them it would be great to see a bit more of the strong inter-band dynamics beyond Wagner-Foo such as a
guitar face-off between Manoj and Sune or rhythm play-offs by AC and Jakob. In short, the band are very talented
musicians and shouldn't be shy in showing off more. The band have time and eager audiences on their side so even
greater things are sure to come. With the sweet fuzzy feedback of success ringing in their ears, The Raveonettes give us
a beautiful performance and epitomise why Denmark is the home of an outstanding music festival.
severely intoxicated man in a pink rabbit suit leading us through dance moves to YMCA and cheap disco songs just
before Green Day take to the stage. Once they arrive, proceedings start with 'American Idiot' and this was a start of many a
reference to a certain George W. Before Roskilde, it had been a while since I've seen a big stadium band however my
festival experiences confirm that some bands have reached a level of talent, entertainment value and crowd-pleasing
that the only deserved space for them is the biggest platform possible. Step forward the Foos, Audioslave and Green Day.
After Green Day, Jo and I are rather subdued as we only have a few hours left at Roskilde. We say farewell to the
Norwegian boys, Peter and Wilco and head over to the second largest stage, The Arena to catch our cool dudes, The
Raveonettes. Earlier we speak to Manoj Raveonette backstage who looks very happy and energetic considering the
band have just completed a mammoth US tour. He tells us he loves Roskilde and its vibe and is looking forward to the
show. So are we. I'm happy to see an overflowing marquee when we arrive there and there is certainly a buzz in the air for
Roskilde's golden son, Mr Wagner.
The band arrive on stage and a clean-shaven Sune greets the crowd with a 'hey' before launching into 'You Say You Lie.'
I'd last seen the band over four months ago and had been mighty impressed by them. However now, they sound even
more tight and polished as a 5 piece and take us on a journey of hits past and present. The most appealing thing to
witness, is the band's relaxed approach. This seems to be a result of their gruelling tour schedule which has left their
music sounding nothing short of magnificent. The band have raised their own stakes now and as champions of their
self-created niche of music, should enter this widening territory of hit songs and more fans with confidence. From the
bright, young things at the front to ballroom-dancing middle-aged couples at the back, the atmosphere is wonderful.
Next time I see them it would be great to see a bit more of the strong inter-band dynamics beyond Wagner-Foo such as a
guitar face-off between Manoj and Sune or rhythm play-offs by AC and Jakob. In short, the band are very talented
musicians and shouldn't be shy in showing off more. The band have time and eager audiences on their side so even
greater things are sure to come. With the sweet fuzzy feedback of success ringing in their ears, The Raveonettes give us
a beautiful performance and epitomise why Denmark is the home of an outstanding music festival.
Raveonettes fans strike a pose
The final band we catch at Roskilde are our Danish friends, The Blue Van. Being up against headliners, Duran Duran is
probably one of the worst festival slots but the guys take to the stage all smiles and energy and demostrate that they will
rise to any challenge thrown their way. 100% no fuss rock n' roll. Tremendous. The band greet their eager audience in
Danish which goes down a storm. Their set consists of album 'The Art of Rolling' material as well as fantastic covers of The
Sonics 'Have Love Will Travel' and James Brown's 'Papa's Got A Brand New Bag.' Being part of the pulsating crowd singing
along to this soul classic is phenomenal. The band create a new wave of their old influences and do it so well - the
highlight being 'New Slough' with a touch of 'Wade In The Water' during their jam. Also during the set, singer/guitarist
Steffen Westmark abandons his guitar and writhes about emotionally and physically on stage. Witnessing this is like
witnessing the promotion of an endearing friend. He proves he has all the hallmarks of an enchanting frontman and can do
this even without his guitar playing. Definitely a coming of age. Well done, old boy!
Bassist Allan is the definitive crowd pleaser and is even more assertive in this role now than when we first saw him back in
London. He bounds across the stage in staccato moves - dancing, jumping, sliding and proving he must have had his
Weetabix cereal this morning. The crowd love him and it's easy to see why. Organist/vocalist Soren is the epicentre of The
Van - his organ is the medium through which their delectable sound becomes as hard as concrete. His harmonies serve
as a wonderful backbeat to Steffen's already powerful vocals. Next TBV gig? It would be great to see him do a little
keys/vocals solo and like everything this band do, it would work extremely well. A little solo would also be nice from
drummer Per. This long-limbed dynamic drummer polishes off a well-rounded band. Watching his destruction of his
mistreated and injured kit is fabulous. A truly phenomenal end to a truly phenomenal festival. See you at Roskilde 2006!
probably one of the worst festival slots but the guys take to the stage all smiles and energy and demostrate that they will
rise to any challenge thrown their way. 100% no fuss rock n' roll. Tremendous. The band greet their eager audience in
Danish which goes down a storm. Their set consists of album 'The Art of Rolling' material as well as fantastic covers of The
Sonics 'Have Love Will Travel' and James Brown's 'Papa's Got A Brand New Bag.' Being part of the pulsating crowd singing
along to this soul classic is phenomenal. The band create a new wave of their old influences and do it so well - the
highlight being 'New Slough' with a touch of 'Wade In The Water' during their jam. Also during the set, singer/guitarist
Steffen Westmark abandons his guitar and writhes about emotionally and physically on stage. Witnessing this is like
witnessing the promotion of an endearing friend. He proves he has all the hallmarks of an enchanting frontman and can do
this even without his guitar playing. Definitely a coming of age. Well done, old boy!
Bassist Allan is the definitive crowd pleaser and is even more assertive in this role now than when we first saw him back in
London. He bounds across the stage in staccato moves - dancing, jumping, sliding and proving he must have had his
Weetabix cereal this morning. The crowd love him and it's easy to see why. Organist/vocalist Soren is the epicentre of The
Van - his organ is the medium through which their delectable sound becomes as hard as concrete. His harmonies serve
as a wonderful backbeat to Steffen's already powerful vocals. Next TBV gig? It would be great to see him do a little
keys/vocals solo and like everything this band do, it would work extremely well. A little solo would also be nice from
drummer Per. This long-limbed dynamic drummer polishes off a well-rounded band. Watching his destruction of his
mistreated and injured kit is fabulous. A truly phenomenal end to a truly phenomenal festival. See you at Roskilde 2006!
The Blue Van: the mighty entertainers
Who we missed on Sunday:
Interpol
Faiz Ali Faiz
Kadaa/Patton
Theivery Corporation
Chic
Brian Wilson
The Futureheads
Bloc Party
Jamie Cullum
Turbonegro
The Game
Interpol
Faiz Ali Faiz
Kadaa/Patton
Theivery Corporation
Chic
Brian Wilson
The Futureheads
Bloc Party
Jamie Cullum
Turbonegro
The Game
Other festival going-ons we caught:
5-a-side football Spoken Word
Graffiti stall
Cinema showing:
Metallica - Cunning Stunts
Kill Bill 1 and 2
Infernal Affairs
Coffee and Cigarettes
Rage Against The Machine - Live
Donnie Darko
The Machinist
Pusher 2
5-a-side football Spoken Word
Graffiti stall
Cinema showing:
Metallica - Cunning Stunts
Kill Bill 1 and 2
Infernal Affairs
Coffee and Cigarettes
Rage Against The Machine - Live
Donnie Darko
The Machinist
Pusher 2
Thanks to: Claire Nielsen, Jo, Peter and Wilco.
More festival photos and interviews coming soon.
More festival photos and interviews coming soon.
From Kasper Larsen:
Thank you for bringing me back to Roskilde once again.
I was building Orange stage this year (not alone mind you) which encapsuled being at the festival area for 3 whole weeks. Im still sore everywhere. My festival
this year was quite different from the past couple of years, since I couldn't camp with my usual partners in crime. I along with the rest of "canopy crew" was
entrenched in 4 pers. barracs behind Orange. Half of our old camp consisted of Søren, Allan, Per and Steffen and they arrived on the day they should perform
and they left shortly after.
I met the boys a couple of hours before they should play in the "media city" where they were enjoying cold pint's ad libitum in the "playground tent" who is their
distributor in Scand. They gave me a spare backstage pass to Odeon stage where we had some nice "grill food" and more beers. TBV's quarters were located
right next to Mike Patton/Rahzel's which I couldn't help making a big deal of. Best as we were enjoying the free beer my mom and dad suddenly call me on my cell
singing birthday song..... I was stunned I had completely forgot my own birthday.
Steffen asked me why I looked so surprised and before I knew it TBV along with their US manager Michelle were singing "happy birthday" to me backstage
Odeon..quite surreal. I left the boys to get a good spot before the concert. In front of the stage I met several people from the Brønderslev area at least 15 eager
to see the local heroes at Denmark's finest festival. A tear escaped me when they dedicated their sonics cover "have love will travel" to me. I was the happiest
man alive at that moment.A little something back to you for making me happy. PS: The Blue Van rocks (in case you almost forgot).
Thank you for bringing me back to Roskilde once again.
I was building Orange stage this year (not alone mind you) which encapsuled being at the festival area for 3 whole weeks. Im still sore everywhere. My festival
this year was quite different from the past couple of years, since I couldn't camp with my usual partners in crime. I along with the rest of "canopy crew" was
entrenched in 4 pers. barracs behind Orange. Half of our old camp consisted of Søren, Allan, Per and Steffen and they arrived on the day they should perform
and they left shortly after.
I met the boys a couple of hours before they should play in the "media city" where they were enjoying cold pint's ad libitum in the "playground tent" who is their
distributor in Scand. They gave me a spare backstage pass to Odeon stage where we had some nice "grill food" and more beers. TBV's quarters were located
right next to Mike Patton/Rahzel's which I couldn't help making a big deal of. Best as we were enjoying the free beer my mom and dad suddenly call me on my cell
singing birthday song..... I was stunned I had completely forgot my own birthday.
Steffen asked me why I looked so surprised and before I knew it TBV along with their US manager Michelle were singing "happy birthday" to me backstage
Odeon..quite surreal. I left the boys to get a good spot before the concert. In front of the stage I met several people from the Brønderslev area at least 15 eager
to see the local heroes at Denmark's finest festival. A tear escaped me when they dedicated their sonics cover "have love will travel" to me. I was the happiest
man alive at that moment.A little something back to you for making me happy. PS: The Blue Van rocks (in case you almost forgot).
| All images, words, site design Copyright © Soma Soma Scene 2005 unless otherwise stated All Rights Reserved |
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Copyright © Peter Van Den Berg 2005
Copyright © Dee Sekar 2005
Copyright © Johanna Macdonald 2005
Copyright © Wilco Van Den Enk 2005
Copyright © Wilco Van Den Enk 2005
Copyright © Johanna Macdonald 2005
Copyright © Johanna Macdonald 2005
Copyright © Dee Sekar 2005
Copyright © Johanna Macdonald 2005
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