THE SHADOWS FESTIVAL
OSLO, MASTEMYR
23 MAY 1998.

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These lines are put together by Jan A. Flatby and Dag G. Johnsen.
( Thanks to Gisela Mueller & Horst Schroeder for using the pictures and John Panteny for all support )


Dag and Jan



Here it is, a few lines from the second Shadows Festival in Oslo, Norway. We decided early to have this second festival as the response from last year was GREAT, so it was a lot easier to go ahead with the work knowing that a lot of people out there was interested in this celebration of THE SHADOWS and their music.

We had most of the festival last year outdoor and was blessed with a fantastic weather and had also this year booked in the same place for the festival. It was early cancelled as the whole restaurant was sold to a Norwegian oilcompany for using of offices, so we had to find another place and we landed at Quality Park Hotel, a hotel that was about 10 minutes from the main city of Oslo, so the place was ideal for our use. The management of the hotel was from the start very much positive to the whole concept, when we mentioned to have a Shadows Festival. We where giving free hands and had the whole hotel for ourselves, so we started right away booking the hotel.

We had a festival last year with Bruce Welch as the guest of honour and he was very pleased with the responce, so without any doubt we wanted to ask Bruce to come over also this year. And we wanted to add. a few names this year to make the festival even more interesting so why not ask the Local Heroes with guest such as Jet Harris - Licorice Locking & Tony Meehan. We got positive reactions from all parties and soon we had on the poster the above mentioned names, too bad that Tony Meehan was unable to come at the last minute but we had some GREAT Shadows names and The Local Heroes so this looked very good!!

Bruce on stage


We ofcourse needed some Norwegian or Scandinavian bands as well, so we asked The Beatniks and The Vanguards and both was interested in coming. We also wanted The Reflections, a very good band from the south of Norway, just some guys in their early 20's............also a band from last year like the others. We was also asked from 1961 in Sweden if they could play and this was interesting as we knew from before that Ronnie Gustafsson was an excellent sologuitartist. He was now the only member from the old 1961. We also got in contact with the good old Norwegian band called The Zodiacs and they where reformed just for this festival, so we where pleased as we now had some really good names on the poster and more names was added, like: Vox'n' Fenders, The Catwalk, Radio Lux Band and not to forget a band called Crescendo, a band fronted by a 12 year old boy, Joakim Pedersen from the north of Norway together with his friends so there was a whole Shadows band aged around 12 - 13 years!!

Well, we now had the bands and needed someone to come and see the Shadows Festival 98, so we where working on advertising in radiostations and TV also. here in Norway. We must then say a BIG thank you to all who supported us all the way, no one mentioned so no one forgotten...............

We had soon sold out the whole hotel and also nearly 500 tickets for the Festival in forehand and we where very pleased to know that it was so much interest for this Shadows Festival this year as well.

When we was in the last week before the Festival we had sold out the evening programme where we had the Local Heroes with guests........................a good thing but also a little sad to say no to all the others who wanted to see the show, so we decided to have a big screen TV out in the bar of the hotel so everyone was able to see the evening programme.

We had now come to the day before the big event and was at the airport to meet our guests and this year we needed a bus as we had 12 guest over from UK...................!! It was then very good to have the whole Festival at a hotel as we had all our guests living and playing at the same place.
Jet on stage

We had a lot of people staying in the hotel from Friday so we decided not to have a too serious event on Friday night out in the bar where we had a set of amps and instruments. We had an opening by The Festival Boys......!? and then a band called The Catwalk, The Reflections and Nordnorsk Husorkester. During the night we was asked by some of The Local Heroes if they could play some tunes so it was a great jamsession with Keith West on vocal and Licorice Locking playing his harmonica and various members of The Local heroes playing so we then had a little preview in what to come on Saturday.

So at last the BIG day was here, the second Norwegian Shadows festival was on it's way and we needed to start early as we had a lot of good bands on stage. We had made the Festival into two sets, a day set and the night set where we could find The Local Heroes concert.

We started the whole Festival off at 11.00 and the first band on stage was "VOX 'N' FENDERS" a band of Norwegian guys who had not only the instrumentals to offer us but also a lot of good vocals as well from their singer John Hansen. A very good band who we also saw last year.

Vox'n'Fenders


Then we had on stage "THE CATWALK" a band who also had vocals included and this in a more country way but ofcourse they included some great Shadows instrumentals as well. I must also mention that "THE CATWALK" had their first CD issued this special festival day, so anyone who loves a bit of instrumental and a bit of country, well let us know and we will help you with a CD.

The Catwalk


We must mention that we also had a guitar room for the ones who liked to have a look at some old/new Fenders or Burns guitars, echounits and amps. So a big tank you to "IMERSLUND MUSIKK A/S" / "MUSKANTOR" / "DEN NORSKE FENDERKLUBBEN" & "WALTER KAVLI" who supported us this year as well as last year and also all the other who was working in the guitar room. We had also stalls of records/CD's and you could find the very rare item as well as the last CD from Norway with The Shadows so it was something for everyone.

Then we had come to the opening of the Festival, Dag G. Johnsen was introduced by Thor Rune Haugen and said some welcome words and mention what to expect during the day/night. Then he sat himself behind the drums.................!? Then the three other guys working with the Festival was asked up on stage, Steinar Schrøder (who took the bass guitar) Jan A. Flatby (who took the rhythm guitar) and Svein Olsen (who took the solo guitar) and we had on stage "THE FESTIVAL BOYS" We had practised 4-5 times and wanted to let people to know that we knew a bit more than just organise the Festival, so we played a few numbers and no tomatoes was found on stage afterwards........................

The Festival Boys


After the opening we had the honour of having "CRESCENDO" on stage, a band of young people from the north of Norway. Joakim Pedersen age 12 played solo with his friends, his sister on rhythm and two other in the same age on bass and drums. And seeing them we know that there are a lot more Shadows music to come for years and years!! The whole band was presented with gifts and also memberships to the "NORWEGIAN FENDERKLUBB" and also from the "UB HANK CLUB" in UK Mr. Patrick Terett was offering them CD's and also memberships, so we had a very proud young Shadows band leaving the stage.

Crescendo


Then on stage was "THE BEATNIKS" one of the best instrumental bands from the early 60's over here in Norway, two original members was still on stage, Svein Finjarn and Carsten Debritz. They started up with a great Shadows medley and one of the highlights was when they played the instrumental, Istanbul a big hit from the The Beatniks in the 60's. The Beatniks was as always a very good act and they are still on the road today playing and though they do more "dance music" they always include the good old Shadows numbers.

The Beatniks


Now the time was come to meet "THE REFLECTIONS" again, we had those young guys last year and they had a very good act playing all the Shadows hits like they had done nothing else, for years and years. These guys has really a future in Shadows musi. I can mention that they was invited and played at Bruce Welch's "Shadowmania" the week after. So we just have to wait, a CD must come from these guys soon.........!!

The Reflections


Then we had on stage "THE VANGUARDS" fronted by Terje Rypdal and the guys played as only they can do it, very heavy Shadows and I must add. that they was very sporty to have just three guys on stage as their rhythmguitarist was taken ill and could not be with them on stage, but believe me they sounded as they where four on stage!! It was also great to hear the tune they recorded first "Eg ser deg utfor gluggen" a very strong instrumental.

The Vanguards


Now we had come to the Swedish band "1961" a good band and I believe many knew about these guys, but this issue of "1961" was with Ronnie Gustafsson as the only member of the original band. They played a very good set and the sound from Ronnie, well a lot of Shadows sologuitarist is looking for this good early Shadows sound from his guitar. One who wanted to play some numbers with them where Bruce! He was up on stage and played the following tunes with them, "Theme for young lovers and Wonderful land" It was a GREAT moment for all of us there to see Bruce on stage at our festival again.

1961


1961 with Bruce


Then we had come to the last band from the day programme to go on stage and we where very pleased to introduce "THE ZODIACS". It was one of the BIG names over here in the early 60's, and they reformed just for this festival and they took their old hits like, "Gjest Bårdsen", a must for all of us there and they did it very well. They had also included some vocals, and the show they had from the stage was great as they included a lot of jokes and it did not look like these guys had been off stage for a long time...........this was really one of the highlights of the day!!

The Zodiacs


We had now come to the end of the day programme and had to reorganise the main show hall as we wanted to have seats for everyone who had tickets for the evening show with The Local Heroes. We had also this year a raffle going and you could win a Fender Signature Strat...............And also a special Norwegian gold CD from The Shadows.

Then we had come to the really highlight of the festival with "THE LOCAL HEROES" on stage. We had now the well known band!? "THE FESTIVAL BOYS" as a "warm up band" and after their few tunes we had "The Local Heroes" on stage. It was with the standard guys on stage, Barry Gibson on solo/rhythm, Phil Kelly on solo/rhythm, Alan Jones on bass, Cliff Hall on keyboards and Clem Cattini behind the drums. They started up with Barry Gibson on solo and played the following: "Flingle bunt / Shadoogie / Sacha / Atlantis / Nut Rocker / Wonderful land / Wipeout". And with Phil Kelly on solo: "Telstar / Blue sky, blue sea, blue me / The lost city". Then we had JET HARRIS on stage playing bass on: "Diamonds / Scarlet O'Hara". Then we was introduced to see from the stage for the first time in 36 years!!! BRUCE WELCH & JET HARRIS....................They played "Apache / Nivram", a really great moment in the show to see the two original Shadows members on stage again. Then Jet was on bass with The Local Heroes, playing "Kon -Tiki" as the last number from him. Then The Local Heroes played "Time is tight / Cavatina", with Barry on the sologuitar. So was"LICORICE LOCKING" asked up on stage and he played bass on "Dance on / Guitar tango". Then we had again a treat as Bruce was again up on stage with Licorice playing "Dakota / Argentina" Then we had The Local Heroes closing the show with "Local hero / Riders in the sky / FBI".

Local Heroes with Bruce & Licorice


Local Heroes


Local Heroes with Bruce & Jet


All the UK guests was then presented with a special "Troll award" and Bruce, Jet & Licorice also got a Norwegian special knitted sweater ( Looking much like the ones on the first LP cover from The Shadows!!) Then Bruce was presented with a gold CD from Norway and said in his thank you speech that it was great to be here in Norway again and meeting so many fans. I am sure that all of us being there that night had got much more than we had hoped to see. As seeing and hearing Bruce with Jet and also Bruce with Licorice was a really GREAT moment of the whole festival, so we want to say a BIG thank you to all the guys being on stage!!!

But the show was not over.......................we had now the last band to play and this was a band called "RADIO LUX BAND" a band who plays the big hits of the 60's from Cliff & Shadows to Searchers etc. Now the chance was there for all the people who had been waiting to hit the dancefloor and it was still a lot of people there doing just that, this was a great finish to a long day and night.

We, the four guys behind the Festival this year want to take this opportunity to say a BIG thank you to all the people being there and all the bands we had and all the people helping us all the way to get this to be a day/night to remember for a long time..........................We have now seriously been thinking in having a Norwegian Shadows Festival as a yearly thing and with so much positive reactions from all over, this looks now that it has come to be a yearly event, see you all next year at the third NORWEGIAN SHADOWS FESTIVAL.............!!




JAN ARNE FLATBY, NYHUSLIA 3, 1389  HEGGEDAL, NORWAY

TEL/FAX:+(47)66 79 76 55



So if anyone would need more information of this event, please contact me......................