Viva Sounds 2024
Gothenburg, Sweden
28-Thirtieth November 2024
Sweden’s Viva Sounds competition returns with one other heady mixture of eclectic bands, distinctive venues and good instances. Louderthanwar’s Christopher Lloyd is there to report.
Now a longtime annual spotlight on the competition circuit, Viva Sounds takes place over three days in Gothenburg, providing fortunate music followers the prospect to see a whole bunch of thrilling bands carry out in quite a lot of venues throughout town. These vary from grassroots café settings to Gothenburg’s largest nightclub. For the primary time in Viva Sounds’ historical past, the competition may even characteristic three gigs aboard one among Gothenburg’s iconic trams.
In addition to the sheer quantity of bands taking part in, Viva additionally hosts a music convention that includes many talks in lots of languages, the primary theme being one among group throughout the music scene, and how one can push ahead within the scene we maintain so dearly. Convention highlights embrace an attention-grabbing panel dialogue in regards to the competition scene and the way it can survive in such a company panorama, in addition to a riotously humorous discuss on how to not run a report label by ex-NME and Fierce Panda boss Simon Williams. Williams spends his time pondering the long-term nature of success while recollecting hilarious tales from his label’s rise within the Nineties to its current-day standing as a beloved champion of nice new music.
With the sheer variety of bands performing, it’s unimaginable to see each act in your guidelines resulting from scheduling clashes. Nevertheless, a part of the competition expertise lies in spontaneously dropping into venues to catch a couple of tracks from bands with wildly differing types, and even stumbling throughout one thing utterly surprising, such because the techno brass jazz of Denmark’s Smag På Dig Selv.
Over the three days, I handle to catch partial units from a variety of implausible acts. The UK’s very personal Adjua mesmerises the viewers at Holy Moly Café together with her luxuriously easy voice and understated tunes. Over at Hängmattan, Sodakill delivers a enjoyable and chaotic mix of L7-meets-Joan Jett bangers. The Skeppet GBG venue transforms into an ’80s-inspired amalgamation of Max Headroom visuals and eclectic disco-funk-rock, courtesy of Belgium’s Lezard. At Fyrens Ölkafé, basically a report retailer basement, I catch the most recent signing to Punk Slime Recordings, Litter, who supply a heady mixture of indie rock and teenage angst.
I do handle to catch an nearly full set by Fox Womb on the Asylum Rock Bar, though their ultra-thrashy punk-metal noisecore onslaughts are so brief and sharp that overrunning isn’t actually a problem…
Again at Hängmattan, the primary evening is headlined by Mary Shelley, a four-piece band from the States that may solely be described as Franz Ferdinand on amphetamines. It isn’t arduous to identify Mary Shelley; they appear to be taking part in in all places. On the minibus again to the airport somebody laments that they want they had been nonetheless in Gothenburg, satisfied Mary Shelley should nonetheless be taking part in someplace within the metropolis.
The standout bands I handle to see from begin to end included ULTRA LOVER on the Asylum Rock Bar, a four-piece tremendous group that includes members of God Mom, Kulm, Tungsol, and This Present Is A Curse. From the second they take to the tiny stage, their relentless, bass-heavy punk onslaught ignites the fiercest mosh pit of the competition.
At Musikens Hus, Gothenburg’s personal The Household Males carry out to an initially tightly packed room. Nevertheless, it doesn’t take lengthy for a lot of the gang to retreat in the direction of the protection of the bar because the frontman leapas from the stage, snarling and confronting the viewers in a manner that completely matches the band’s distinctive mix of post-punk meets industrial noise, a sound that the band appear to create so effortlessly. A very magnificent noise… assume Gila Band in the event that they had been signed to Digital Hardcore.
Away from the primary venues, Viva Sounds showcases Gothenburg’s outskirts in a really distinctive manner by reworking a classic tram right into a cell music venue. Onboard, I catch IOR, a neighborhood band fronted by US singer David Fridlund, previously of David & The Residents. Their set is a refined but fascinating mix of US Americana and Swedish indie, carried out throughout a 45-minute spherical journey, with Swedish lyrics that my fellow gig passenger assures me is all in regards to the areas the tram was at present traversing by. A real spotlight of the weekend.
Again within the extra typical venues, Hilning delivers an intense dose of Scandinavian black steel on the Asylum Rock Bar. The efficiency is full with demise robes, pretend blood, and leather-studded wristbands. A distinct type of darkish is displayed by Lucy Kruger and the Misplaced Boys, who captivates the viewers with a set of deeply intense torch songs. Their sound lands someplace between the brooding types of Nick Cave and PJ Harvey while retaining a completely distinctive really feel.
The final band of the weekend for me comes from a British band, The Lilacs, from Wigan. Launched by Radio X’s John Kennedy, this bunch of very younger northern lads comes onstage to be greeted by each a UK fanbase that has travelled to see its beloved band’s first abroad gig, and a big swathe of locals who’re supremely excited to listen to some traditional Britpop-style bangers. Whereas not essentially the type of factor I’d take heed to at residence, I’m swept up nearly instantly by their musical clout, the standard of the tunes, and the frontman’s complete command of the gang. The Lilacs and all people within the Café 2Lang venue are having an absolute blast, and it’s the proper strategy to finish off a implausible competition.
It’s not simply the music that has made this 12 months’s Viva Sounds competition so successful. The delight Gothenburg has for its metropolis, bands, and other people, mixed with a heat sense of inclusivity, makes even first-time festival-goers really feel like they’d discovered a brand new residence, if just for one lengthy weekend every year. As I strategy my fifties, I’ve typically felt slightly weary whereas overlaying gigs, which might be evident within the lowered frequency of my current articles. However being surrounded by such unbelievable bands and passionate folks has given me a contemporary burst of vitality. It’s impressed me to discover extra impartial metropolis festivals, although it’s arduous to think about discovering one as distinctive as Viva Sounds. If this competition can reignite my enthusiasm and pleasure, I can solely think about the influence it has on the youthful, extra excitable music group. I stay up for seeing them at Viva Sounds 2025!
For extra data on the Viva Sounds Pageant, try their official web site.
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All phrases by Christopher Lloyd. You may view his creator’s archive right here.
Photograph credit:
Hilning, Mary Shelley and The Lilacs by Christopher Lloyd
Adjua by Elena Perota
Lezard and Lucy Kruger and the Misplaced Boys by Nikos Plegas
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