Flytjendur
-
Dumdum Boys
DumDum Boys started up in the late 1970s as a punk band under the name Wannskrækk. Wannskrækk released one of the most sought-after Norwegian punk seven inches called "Faen kuler treffer aldri riktig" in 1981, the year after the Wannskrækk 12" was released. Wannskrækk moved on and reinvented themselves with a new name and a somewhat new sound in 1985.
This shift invoked the beginning of one of the greatest success stories in Norwegian rock ever. The new name, DumDum Boys, was taken from a song on the album "The Idiot" by Iggy Pop. Their debut album, Blodig Alvor (na na na na na), is still regarded as one of the classic albums in Norwegian rock. The same is said for their following 1989 album, Splitter Pine. They are still the only band that have won "Spellemannsprisens Rock Category" (the Norwegian version of "Grammy Awards") three times in a row.
Third album Pstereo fulfilled the trilogy of award-winning LP's, including the two others mentioned above. The song "Splitter Pine" is one of the most well known rock-singles in the history of Norwegian rock. Since then, bass player Persi Iveland has been replaced by Aslak Dørum, who now is the song-writer alongside rock legend and guitarist Kjartan Kristiansen. Kristiansen is one of the most respected song-writers in Norway, especially because of his well written and important lyrics, sung by frontman Prepple Houmb. Sola Johnsen is still the drummer and has been that since the late 70's. He's released a solo-ep called "Verdens Beste Trommis" ("Worlds Greatest Drummer"), as a tribute to Led Zeppelin hero John Bonham.
After a seven year hiatus, they had a very successful tour in Norway during the summer of 2004. They went back into the studio in 2005 and released their critically acclaimed new album "Gravitasjon" in March 2006. "Gravitasjon" showed that DumDum Boys is still a band influenced by the punk rock scene. The band is now planning a giant summer tour in Norway and it is expected that all concerts will be sold-out.
-
Backstreet GirlsIN LUST WE TRUST is the long awaited new album from Backstreet Girls, and the band’s 16th studio album. For IN LUST WE TRUST, the band reunited with producer Stamos Koliousis who also produced, Spellemann-nominated "Normal is Dangerous" in 2019. Backstreet Girls cut ten new tracks for the album, proudly maintaining their signature sound and all of its powerful hallmarks. Play it on volumen brutale! IN LUST WE TRUST features the lineup of Bjørn Müller (vocals), Petter Baarli (guitars), Gaute Vaag (bass) and Anders Langset (drums) firing on all cylinders once again.
-
Jalen N'Gonda
Born in Maryland, USA, Jalen NGonda chose the city of Liverpool as the place in which he would flourish as a musician. It was at the age of 11 he began getting into music, inspired by his father's collection of jazz, hip-hop, and soul records.
Since moving to Liverpool Jalen has been playing gigs across the UK and beyond. Two years later Jalen is selling out headline shows in Germany, UK, and Switzerland, is breaking into Spotify's Viral Charts and is supporting touring acts such as Laura Mvula, Martha Reeves and Lauryn Hill at the Montreal Jazz Festival.
His debut EP is due in early summer 2018.
-
VANESSA COLLIER5x BLUES MUSIC AWARD WINNER
2025 BMA WINNER "HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR"
2024 BMA WINNER "HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR"
2022 BMA WINNER “CONTEMPORARY BLUES FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR”
2020 BMA WINNER “HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR!”
2019 BMA WINNER “HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR!”
“There’s a young lady [Vanessa Collier] came onstage with me, I forget where I was, but she’s playing an alto saxophone, and man, she was amazing.”
Those are the words of Buddy Guy in an issue of American Blues Scene, describing an impromptu performance with Vanessa Collier on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. If you haven’t been fortunate enough to meet Vanessa and witness one of her head-turning, fiery, and passionate performances, you should definitely make sure you do. As a master musician and multi-instrumentalist, Vanessa Collier, weaves funk, soul, rock, and blues into every powerful performance and she is downright impressive. With soulful vocals, searing saxophone, and witty songwriting, Vanessa is blazing a trail, racking up an impressive arsenal of honours, and has already singled herself out as an artist of distinction and one we would all do well to watch.
It’s not simply the accolades she has accumulated so far, although they’ve been many -- two Blues Music Awards for “Horn Player of the Year”, and a third BMA for “Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year”, eight Blues Music Award Nominations (BMAs), a Blues Blast Award nomination, the Jammingest Pro Award bestowed by the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, First Place for lyrics in the International Songwriting Competition, Best of 2014 Blues Breaker on Dan Aykroyd’s BluesMobile -- it’s the fact that she has accumulated all these honours even while her career is still in its infancy. A 2013 graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, she’s toured nationally and internationally, released four critically acclaimed albums (2014’s Heart, Soul & Saxophone, 2017’s Meeting My Shadow, and 2018’s Honey Up, 2020’s Heart On The Line. Honey Up spent 9 weeks atop the Billboard Blues Album Charts Top 15, 3 months on the Living Blues Charts at #10 and #23, and continues to be spun on Sirius XM’s B.B. King’s Bluesville radio station!
It’s not surprising that the press has been quick to commend her efforts as well. Blues Blast Magazine affirms, “Vanessa Collier is a fresh face on the American blues scene, and in addition to her soulful vocals, she brings a mighty sax to the table...” Blues Music Magazine proclaims, “Collier is a fresh face who comes to the blues stage carrying her reed instruments, a dual degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, a major label debut, almost two years of touring with Joe Louis Walker, and a mature musical vision…Collier commands center stage with her vocals, soloing, and stage presence.” Midwest Record exclaims, “This bluesy singing sax player knows how to bring the slinking funk to her captivating, award winning sound that has echoes in young Bonnie Raitt/Maria Muldaur vocal sounds…Killer stuff on every level, this sounds like one of the reasons you first became a music fan. Killer stuff.” and AXS.Com declares that she “might as well go ahead and add another shelf to her trophy case because clearly, she’s going to need it. With a voice that often recalls that of blues-rock stalwart Bonnie Raitt, Collier turns up the heat...”
Having first picked up the saxophone at the age of nine, Collier embarked on her road to recognition at Berklee, earning dual degrees in Performance and Music Production & Engineering. While still completing her degree, Collier landed a position touring with Joe Louis Walker for a year and a half before Joe encouraged her to strike out on her own. And strike out she did.
These days, Collier spends much of her time on the road, performing at some of the most prestigious music festivals in the world. Her talents have taken her to the Blues Music Awards Show where, in the words of the Blues Foundation, Vanessa “blew the doors off the Blues Music Awards!”; Ottawa Blues Festival, where she earned two front page newspaper photos and rave reviews after her foot stomping debut there; twice on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, where she earned the Jammingest Pro Award and was a featured artist with Tommy Castro’s Blues Review; Briggs Farm Festival, where she was the “most popular Briggs Farm act in 2017” (Elmore Magazine), and the list continues.
Vanessa has won 3 Blues Music Awards - two for “Horn Player of the Year” in 2019 and 2020 and one in 2022 for “Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year”!! She has been nominated for eight Blues Music Awards since 2017, which puts her in elite company with artists such as Beth Hart, Samantha Fish, Shemekia Copeland, Ruthie Foster, Trombone Shorty, Al Basile, and Jimmy Carpenter.
As for Collier, she says she’s happy performing on stages across the world, hoping that she can make a difference with fans and followers along the way. “I am driven to do this because I find it a total form of expression and connection,” she explains. “I love connecting with an audience and feeling their energy and I hope to inspire people to follow their dreams and passions, to find what brings them joy, and then to pursue it doggedly.” Vanessa also takes that message to young people as she runs clinics across the country and is active with Blues in the Schools programs. At a recent Blues in the School program, Vanessa invited a stage full of elementary and middle school aged kids up to dance around her while she performed a blues shuffle. Watching the joy on the faces of Vanessa, the kids, and everyone in the auditorium, it is no wonder why Vanessa has become awe-inspiring to all who meet her. On top of talent and hard work, Vanessa shares an incredible heart and a strong purpose. To borrow from the words of an article in Blues Blast Magazine, “Vanessa is an important part of the future of the blues, and it would be cool to support her journey."
