Mojo - The Music Magazine

MOJO’s Kieron Tyler reports from SPOT, an altogether nicer kind of rock festival.

RIGHT NOW, DENMARK’S on a roll. Popsters Alphabeat are cleaning up in the UK and the atmospheric Efterklang [pictured] are making waves in the US. Anyone looking for Denmark’s next success should head to SPOT, the festival dedicated to Nordic music in general, and Denmark in particular.

Held in the picturesque city of Århus, on Jutland’s east coast, SPOT is a treat. Everything runs to time over the three days, the audiences are good-natured and the main site is clean and orderly. Four of the venues are in the Musikhuset, a well-designed blocky version of Gateshead’s Sage. Outside the Musikhuset is a 2000-capacity tent and the Ridehuset, a shed-like remnant of the former military barracks on the site. Shows also take place at a few venues minutes from the main site.

Now in its 14th year, SPOT showcased Danish music from the start. “It’s working to promote Danish music,” says the festival’s founder and managing director Gunnar Madsen. In his ‘50s, with unruly short grey hair and a goatee, his serious manner belies his enthusiasm. “I thought it would be nice to have a get together for Danish music,” he continues. “In the ‘80s there was a lot of development, but a lack of communication. I wanted to get a feeling that the information flow could be high. The first two years were touring Denmark, but the first in Århus was 1996 – there were 32 bands.” This year 116 acts are on the bill. Six are from Iceland and there’s a few Dutch, Belgian and French performers. Over 90 are home-grown.

SPOT attracts 5000. A significant minority are bookers, record label honchos, journalists – the whole of the Danish music industry seems to be here, in line with Madsen’s plan. With a population of 300,000, Århus is Denmark’s second city and the country overall is home to around 5 million. A sizeable proportion of the population is involved in music.

The sun is high in a cloudless sky and some pleasant surprises are imminent. No & The Maybes, a three piece, play the small Voxhall. Their sunny vocals lean towards The Magic Numbers, but instrumentally they evoke the early Cure, 1979 XTC and Aztec Camera. They’re a winner. The same venue hosts the hyper-energetic Boys In A Band, a quintet from the Faroe Islands who fuse Deep Purple rockisms with the kineticism of the Artic Monkeys. They’d win any audience over.

Better-known are Figurines. In the UK their Neil Young-ish, Beach Boys indie-rock is confined to the backroom of a pub. Playing outdoors to a couple of thousand makes more sense, and the songs from their recent album When The Deer Wore Blue are tougher and more compelling as a result. Another hit with the crowds are Dúné, a teenage 7-piece who’ve conquered Denmark with their anthemic Killers/Bravery pop. Something this generic hasn’t much chance of breaking beyond Denmark. But the elegant Choir Of Young Believers could easily seduce fans of Mercury Rev and Sigur Rós.

Less convincing are the hotly-touted The Storm. Former members of Mew and Swan Lee make up a supergroup that’s just issued what’s apparently Denmark’s biggest-ever budget album. Their ‘80s-style sub-Heart-isms don’t thrill. Also attempting to navigate the mainstream is Thomas Buttenschøn, a polished Lenny Kravitz/Terence Trent Darby type, ill-served by his rote-learnt backing band of session musicians.

In contrast, Jonas Petersen takes a subtle approach. As Hymns From Nineveh, with an acoustic guitar and texture from a violinist, his crystalline voice relates songs of longing and doom. Mesmerising. Proving equally compelling are Our Broken Garden. Driven along by Hammond organ, this is Crazy Horse or The Rain Parade tangoing with Tindersticks.

Our Broken Garden’s mainwoman, Anna Brønsted also plays with Efterklang – who themselves turn in a seductive show at the Musikhuset’s largest hall. In the audience for the former, it’s no surprise to bump into Efterklang’s Rasmus Stolberg. “Seven years ago we were thinking it would be cool to play SPOT,” he laughs. “It means a lot to have a festival like this for Denmark. I like the mix of the audience. It’s a big garden party for Danish musicians.”

Asked for his tip, he suggests Wildbirds And Peacedrums. This duo’s enchanting mix of zithers, found instruments and plain-old weirdness confirms that SPOT is a window into a whole new musical world. Just what was intended.

Kieron Tyler

For more on SPOT, visit their official site.