Norway, know for its love of wood, black metal and beer, also possesses an eclectic and burgeoning national music scene. From rock to indie, hip-hop to electro and beyond, our Nordic brothers appreciate the fine blending of modern, cross-genre musical breeds.
But far from musical hot-spots Berghain (a city oozing new talent) or Oslo, Hove Festivalen is unique. Set around a woodland in Arendal, on an island just off the mainland coast, the festival is akin to Eurokeennes in France or Glastonbury back home. Except the scenery is unrivalled, and with surprisingly non-Scandinavian weather (29c!), we were poised for a real feast of the senses.
The campsite more akin to a family Summer-jaunt spot, we were lucky enough to be based next to a winding, dreamy forest and a startlingly clean and fresh beach – inside our traditional Norwegian log cabin. After a short walk, the festival site was clean, large and diverse with a range of stages, all differing in shapes and sizes and flanked by the friendliest nation of people – all simply smiling, saying hello and passing you a beer.
Spanning four days, team Clash went to work and went hard. From a flat main stage set by White Lies, to a triumphant and confident set by Franz Ferdinand, the first of the four day festival felt like a warm up, rounded off nicely with Josh Homme’s Eagles of Death Metal in a natural amphitheatre, plus US hip hop man Jadakiss and Ed banger electro-mentalists Yuksek.
Possibly the only bad aspect of Hove was discovered on day two. A cashless festival, Hove patrons were encouraged to bring cash and exchange them for credits on top up cards. A nice idea in practice, it didn’t help if your English cards weren’t working or the bars top-up card reader failed to work. Alas all was not lost, as we checked pitch perfect sets from Fleet Foxes and Norway’s own budding pop stars The New Wine – all in-between begging for change. The night was rounded off in dimly lit, warm Summer night style with Crookers, Casiokids and a loud, funky set courtesy of Golden Silvers, their low-end bass grooves and their exceptional knitwear.
Day three brought Clash back to its 90s roots with a blistering set by thrash/nu-metal titans Slipknot, who worked every single member of he crowd with their terrifying mix of raw aggression, spinning drum kits and chunky riffs. The Gaslight Anthem wowed a dubious crowd, but the highlight of the day had to be Q Tip rocking the Amphitheatre, sporting tracks off his latest album and classics such as ‘Bonita Applebum’, ‘Jazz’ and ‘Can I Kick It?’. After some fresh prawns and downing lots of whiskey, we went for a long ramble along the sea shore, before heading back for a little midnight soiree courtesy of dubstep aficionado Rusko and his extra hype, new live dubstep show.
The last day saw energy levels dip, (Hove, with all the walking and plenty to do is also a test of endurance), but went out in style. Our time in a paradise was brought to an end by the almighty rumblings of Faith No More, Mike Patton and his deranged troupe as barking mad and as uncompromising as ever. Fujiya And Miyagi’s set was tighter than a ducks behind, but it was a shame no one was there to witness it. The Prodigy however, was exactly what the crowd had waited for. Inspired by old rave classics and the usual ingredients of a manic mash-up, the amphitheatre filled up – from he top of the hill, all that could be seen was a semi circle of people, slanted toward the ground, jumping in unison to the storm that The Prodigy whipped up.
A friendly atmosphere, an eclectic and refreshing line up and one of the most beautiful, natural and unique settings in Northern Europe, Hove Festivalen seems to be going from strength to strength. If you want a festival with a slight difference and a certain air of pride, then head to Norway next summer for an eye opening experience. But watch that wallet – it’s damn pricey but oh so worth the effort. Top marks for a fantastic, eye opening experience – and the local beer is exquisite too.
Words by Joe Gamp
