What Way Out West is really about? Down to the bone? Here’s the Kentuckyseven Experience. Buckle up.
Giant and their boots-cover-LP. The porcelain toilet of the press centre. To dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free. Warm sun, cold beer. The search for Jason Isbell. Walking down Linnégatan in the rain. The drugs. The girls. The greatest song on Appetite for destruction.
The apartment in Kullavik Centrum where it all started. The side burns of Woody-Kim. Sturgill Simpson, the ruler of our kingdom. The tears. The bus rides. The search for Jack White. The pitch dark Father John Misty chatting away. Grey Goose served by Rocky Balboa. A sweaty small stage of Pustervik.
Photo: Olof RIngmar
Photo: Olle Kirchmeier
The uncertain uniformity. The Tallest Man On Earth Olof Lundh. The afternoon talks about producer Dave Cobb. The Canadian Fireball’s. The search for Ray LaMontagne. The intense smell of urine. The ducks of the lake. Late nite work in a deserted pressroom. Pizza at midnight, then Burgers at four.
Photo: Jonas Löfvendahl
The eternal beauty of Emmylou Harris. The bond of a 30 year-old friendship. Making money of gunslinging ponchos with Zlatan and The Epic Split. Talks of Vince Neil. Reunions. The next year, the WOW-decade. The missing of dead friends. The search for Ryan Adams.
All good things must come to an end. Even Way Out West 2015. But first, the smoke and ruins from a rainy Saturday night.
PATTI SMITH
6/7 Kentuckyseven’s
Photo: Annika Berglund
Patti Smith played her debutalbum Horses from first song Gloria til end song Elegie and took us thru the 40-year old record with power and hunger. Patti was on fire on stage! To hear this great rebel do a wild Free Money with that intensity was something else. ”Jesus died for somebody sins – but not mine” she sang and took us all to school. Patti reminded us to think of our late friends we still carry in our hearts, to think of them long and hard and by that keeping them around. For a while it felt as if we were millions of people watching. And the lovesong, Because The Night. Well thats another story.
FIRST AID KIT
6/7 Kentuckyseven’s
Photo: Jonas Löfvendahl
The grand finale came with the rolling thunder of a Gothenburg rain. The sky opened up and the sisters Johanna och Klara Söderberg took over. We went togheter on a roadtrip over the Americana-land First Aid Kit have made their own. Everytime I see them I’m bewildered over the power in their voices, the easiness of something so hard. Maybe this wasn´t the greatest ever ending of Way Out West – but it was beautiful and caring. It closed with the song Emmylou and the enormous crowd sang their hearts out over the darkness of dear, old Slottsskogen.
SLOWGOLD
Photo: Magnus Säfström
6/7 Kentuckyseven’s
Slowgold with the super talented Amanda Werne , had a late spot at Pustervik. At 1.30 she and her band members entered the dark room. The darkness in the room blended well with the emotional songs that echoed out into a not too crowded floor. The way she plays the guitar is just so damn good, I could listen to those solo parts for the entire night. It was beautiful and gripping in every second and tune. Massive and touching, the emotional sound of a great voice got to me. To all of us. I want more of Slowgold. Gold.
And so it continues… The Friday experience was covered in sunrays and beautiful gut-wrenching tear-making soul-surfing music all over town.
STURGILL SIMPSON
7/7 Kentuckyseven’s
Photo: Jonas Löfvendahl
Kentuckyman Sturgill Simpson knocked us down and out! The early bird gig at 13.00 inside the tent of Linné was nothing but legendary. He strolls on stage and gets going. The hard-knit band with Miles Miller on the smallest drum set ever seen, bassman Kevin Black, guitarman Laur Joamets and pianoman Jeff Crow sets pace. It’s groovy country music, so great tears fill my eyes again and again. The feeling in Sturgills voice, that 70-country-twang, turned into excellence. Every song got a jam session and when they end with Listening To The Rain (Osborne Brothers) emotions run high. Sturgill Simpson, we love you.
EMMYLOU HARRIS & RODNEY CROWELL
5/7 Kentuckyseven’s
Photo: Jonas Löfvendahl
Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have camped together for decades in the country and folk business. They kind of made it. On stage everything isboileddownto the ground.What remainsisthe backbone, the foundation modern day songwriters firmly stands on. Emmylouis still themost beautifulandcoolest cat in the house– andto hearTownesVanZandtswonderfulPancho& Leftylive on stagein the middle ofSlottsskogen, Gothenburga hot summer day feels likea true blessing. Thanks!
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE
Photo: Olle Kirchmeier
7/7 Kentuckyseven’s
When Florence Welch enters the stage, it all comes together. Before she even opens her mouth, you know that this is going to be THE gig of WOW 2015. Welch is a force of nature. Something wild and untamed and packed with love for everyone and everything. The set list is magnificent, and the concert doesn’t have one shred of time that isn’t filled with love. This is by far the best concert by Florence + The Machine I have ever witnessed. I am so lucky to have seen it. I am blessed. I am in love.
PINS
6/7 Kentuckyseven’s
Photo: Jonas Löfvendahl
The punkband from darling Manchester rocks the socks of Pustervik way into the darkness of night. They tell us straight away: we got 30 minutes to play – no time to mess around. When the third song, the great Young Girls, hits us like a Joy Division-fist we’re hooked for life. It’s in your face, dirty & dark, sweaty & sweet, a homerun all around Järntorget. It’s the red light district exposed. They take us to the Northern Quarter of Manchester, to Canal Street and the hollow bars. The band is nowaydays (two albums in) on Bella Union and for sure got greatness ahead.
NATALIE PRASS
Photo: Magnus Säfström
4/7 Kentuckyseven’s
Stay Out West holds some great concerts. Natalie Prass went on stage @ Pustervik at 11. Her voice is impeccable, and in Bird of Prey it really shows what an great artist she is. The variety in the gig gets a bit confusing, and sometimes a bit hard to concentrate and to keep up the interest. But when she gets that electric guitar back up again and lets her hair hang down and gives us My Baby Don’t Understand Me, she is brilliant.
And: it begins! The valley of our dreams, the woods of the castle, the rhythm of our hearts. The festival of our home town.
• THE WAR ON DRUGS
• 6/7 Kentuckyseven’s
Photo: Jonas Löfvendahl
Adam Granduciel is a hero. Together with Kurt Vile he started The War On Drugs and he’s still here on stage swinging. It’s all very Dylanesque, the throw-out-songstyle, and still very much his own thing. In one word: space. They fill a room, and certainly the entire Slottsskogen with swift greatness. It’s music no one can really tag or understand, it’s plain War On Drugs. The drummer, the saxophone, The Grand Parade. Great gig!
• BECK
• 4/7 Kentuckyseven´s
Photo: Jonas Löfvendahl
Becks first gig in Sweden in 14 years. Well almost, anyway. He played Pustervik yesterday in a bad-PR-stunt that backlashed on the Way Out West-crew. Not Becks fault. Now he’s here and starts off with a messy Devils Haircut and then dives into Loser and then rolles the surf-pop-vibe all over the big crowd. Didn´t get me going, but Beck worked hard and played hard.
FKA TWIGS
5/7 Kentuckyseven’s
Photo: Jonas Löfvendahl
Tahliah Debrett Barnett is an English superwomen with the alternative soul-corner all messed up. The tent of Linné is jammed with rowdy people and when FKA TWIGS (signed to Young Turks) gets started the hurricane arrives. This is star material, no doubt. She dances heavily to the electronica, it’s part The XX and part Massive Attack. But the best part tonite is the audience, on red alert: an impressive following!
• Benjamin Booker got his own raw blend of garageblues going on. The New Orleans based rocker released an awesome, self-titled debut album a year ago and will be one of the highlights of this years Stay Out West in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Mr Booker gigs new stage Honduras, Bananpiren at 01.25 Friday night. It will be messy. It will be intense. It will be hair-raising, down-strapping, high-flying rock n rola. See ya’ll there, readers!
With the line up for Stay Out West, who needs anything more? Ever?
Natalie Prass, is what Rolling Stone Magazine defines as one of “Ten New Artists You Need To Know.” and one of Time Magazine’s “15 Artists To Watch in 2015.” That is what a lot of artists would kill to be, once, in their whole career.
Prass’ music travels over many genres and sounds. Her voice keeps growing and never lets you go, that firm grip, that delicate subtle, yet strong soft whisper, that holds more power than you thought you came for. Pure and clean. Hits me right there, every time.
Natalie Prass will be playing friday @ Pustervik, be there in time. You don’t wanna miss this Virginian pop-country/singer/songwriter.
• A few days to go… On Friday, the Way Out West experience gets a high ride thru the everlasting Mr Sturgill Simpson.
The outlaw country man, the new Waylon, the Americanadude with the hard working voice hits Linnéstage at Slottsskogen with rolling thunder. We´ll be way upfront
The time, a fuck-off booking at 13.00, will only make Sturgill angrily better. He’ll prove them all wrong. Don’t miss this one!
As always june and july is nothing but a long wait for august… Because august in Gothenburg means Way Out West. The best god damned festival that man has ever known.
Except for beeing extremely progressive regarding social and human responsibilites, art and movies among many things, they also book the most interesting acts and hook us up with brand new artists. Gotta love that!
The line up this year is no exception, check it out at: WayOutWest.se
One of Swedens best well kept secrets, Goat, returns to the festival this year. We say – awesome! See you in august!
Friday, I’m in love! One of my all-time favorites brings this friday to the highest note!
Florence + The Machine has released the first single from the upcoming album ”How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful” (expected release 2015-06-01). The single ”What Kind of Man” is a great friday tune. Full of energy and emotions and with the characteristic sound that Flo’ has made us all love.
We are so much looking forward to this years Way Out West, where once again we will get to hang out with this magnificient woman! Couldn’t be more excited. August 13-15:th we will be there.
“If you gonna sing a song about drinkin’ wine you might as well drink some wine”, 73-year old Seasick Steve says, gulping from the bottle and grinning his bearded wry smile. He takes a stroll down to the crowd, shaking hands with the front row people. Then, the blues starts rolling in and man it’s down low heavy, dirty, groovy! It’s time to shake, shiver and roll. Man, he is good! Together with a crazy drummer from Åmål, Sweden, and his self-made guitars, the feet stompin’ show owns the afternoon. He invites a girl upon stage for Walkin Man – beautiful and warm. Self Sufficient Man is hip as a snake tail in Desert City. Let’s keep on keepin’ on!
Annika Norlin
5/7
”The sound of a hug”
Photo: Annika Berglund
Annika Norlin aka Hello Saferide aka Säkert! got the tent of Linné all by herself on Saturday night. Well, not all by herself cause the circus room was totally packed with people who wanted to share her blue magic. Norlin has written some of the sadest songs I ever heard, and her presence both on record and on stage is plain beautiful to witness. Too bad the sound is scrubby and very low tuned, but the warm feeling takes over. It’s the sound of a hug. Thanks for the lyrics on the big screen on stage, I loved it, and too invite the audience to sit with her on stage – brilliant!
Robyn & Röyksopp
7/7
”A real star!”
Photo: Olle Kirchmeier
This is as good as it gets. Robyn has gone from great to the greatest. In my book, Robyn could be the only real superstar in Sweden right now. The way she performs, takes the stage, owns the audience. It is perfection in its core. The mix between swedish greatness and norwegian awesomeness, with Röyksopp and the outstanding Susanne Sundfør, just melts into a boiling pot of joy! We, the amazed audience, had no other way out than to dance this last act out, way out west.
