A smorgasbord of genres and attitudes at Sørveiv 2018

Chances are you probably haven’t heard of Kristiansand. Located down in the south of Norway, it’s a sleepy coastal town by day but soon coalesces with vibrant youth at night. Yachts and private boats dot the serene waterline, an indicator to the kind of place Kristiansand appears on its surface, but underneath there’s a want for more creative and cultural growth. Which is where Sørveiv comes in.

Having been a music festival for the last eight years, Sørveiv is an excellent spotlight for bands all across the Norwegian landscape. Also, this is only the third year with the attached conferences, in a bid to draw further attention to the Norwegian music world.

With no real discernible headliner, the names littered across the musical offering of Sørveiv area mixture of bands that have been spotlighted for various reasons, and unknown unless you’re deep into the Norwegian music scene. The delights you can uncover rests upon your determination and random venue choosing if you’re feeling lucky.

Conferences that take place throughout the day are seemingly the current main draw. With separate delegate passes also available, it might be of interest if you’re either someone with a keen interest in the workings of the industry or just fancy experiencing a little bit of debate, with them being set up as an open discussion as opposed to lectures.

The festival venue layout is supremely easy to navigate with all but one taking place on three parallel streets. Located inside various venues and bars, some makeshift, and some ready to rock and roll, unless your bed is somewhere far away in the city, pretty much everything is within walking distance. If you feel the need to explore the wider Kristiansand, then there are ample taxis dotted around, but if you’re solely visiting for Sørveiv, then you can relax and let the clean Norwegian air fill you as you wander from venue to venue.

Given its status as a somewhat quiet town, tourism isn’t a large marker here - though being near a port means that a lot of the daytime figures are those off on their jolly’s with a cheap cruise, namely over a certain age bracket.

The best we can suggest is to go for a wander. Surrounded on most sides by water (we can confirm the industrial sector even has its beauty), you can quite easily find yourself getting lost amongst the intricate network of bridges that connect the small islands. There’s also Mint Gallery, a small art gallery located on one of the publicly accessible harbours, with an utterly gorgeous view of the suburban mainland Kristiansand at dusk its home to a varying range of urban contemporary pieces.

The town is home to the usual shopping fare, though this is namely along one street so as soon as you stray from the beaten path, you’re more or less subject to your own whims. And if hiking takes your fancy, there are plenty of deep woods dotted around for you to spend countless hours getting lost in.

It’s no secret that Norway is actually really quite expensive when it comes to eating and drinking. If you’re particularly savvy, you might consider purchasing a tall bottle of spirit to see you through those cold, Norwegian nights (it was quite mild in all honesty). Also, if you’re feeling particularly frugal, we might suggest you get a hotel that includes breakfast and then stock up for the day ahead with some cheeky sandwiches.

A pint can come in the region of 99kr, which is about £9 (yeah, you thought London was terrible), and a reasonably decent dinner at curry restaurant can set you back about 350kr (£35ish). There’s also an inordinate amount of American-themed restaurants - and a McDonalds housed in an old bank. Quite possibly the fanciest Golden Arches you’ll ever set eyes upon.

What we saw at Sørveiv

Dark Times

Punk rock and the back of a pub go together almost effortlessly. The tightly packed space of Charlie’s bar is the perfect echoing chasm for the trio of Dark Times (above, photo by Henrik S. Johannson) to rattle through with an exuberant energy that houses a deeply anthemic spine, surrounded by a distorted chaos.

Outer Limit Lotus

Fans of dread-inducing post-punk rejoice. Outer Limit Lotus (above, photo by Iben Mykjåland) are here to make your darkened Norwegian evenings all the more. Between the three of them, they manage to turn a, seemingly, converted kitchen into a looming, industrial wasteland filled with endless reverb, menacing vocals and just sheer determination to make the world more melancholic.

Company Ink

Post-punk never really did entirely merge punk and indie with the gusto of Company Ink. A Norwegian duo who are one part San Fran punks and one part Smiths, with attitude and emotional grace, the shimmering guitars light up Charlie’s bar while singer Axel Olsen tries his best to tear the place down. Being one of the few acts singing in English, it’s oh so easy to get swept up in their lyrical angst.

Spielbergs

The spirit animal of every chord you’ve ever heard, Spielbergs (above, photo by Even Askildsen) are Norway’s latest export who’re currently attempting to rampage our shores with their exhilaration. While KICK is mostly empty, the band proceed to fill the hollow space with fiery guitar licks, calling lyrics and rampaging drums.

Brenn

A duo who come to life with the addition of a three-piece backing band, there’s something afoot as Sabla Bar bursts to life with bodies cramming in to get a look at the chaotic and cacophonic sounds of Brenn. It always feels like they’re on the edge of falling apart, or even causing the venue to fall apart, but it’s all euphoric in the best way possible. And you can almost singalong even though it’s all in Norwegian.

Kubbi

With the warm glow of his Nintendo Game Boy Original from the top of his amp, Kubbi blends seamlessly in with his hired hands but always manages to stand out as the sheer joy on his face hearing his creations brought to life. Think Nintendo game soundtracks circa the ’90s, with some additional beefing courtesy of Actual Instruments. It’s impossible not to be swept up in the euphoria of it all.

How do I get there?

Kristiansand houses a small airport, with most direct flights coming from London Stanstead. There are a plethora of other means to get there, but most involve changing up in Oslo and flying down, or very long train journeys. Transferring from the airport to the city centre is relatively easy, being a twenty/ thirty-minute journey, and an ample supply of taxis mean you’re never in short supply.

Where can I stay?

There are hotels dotted around the city centre, which of course run at the higher end of the pricing scale - so Air B’n’B might be your best bet if you get in earlier enough. Hotel Norge, residing directly equidistant between all venues - and the official festival hotel, might be your best bet if you weren’t fancying too much travel once arriving in Kristiansand (and let’s face it, who can?)

Survival tips

Given that it’s Norway in November, chances are you won’t be needing your sunscreen - though it did make the odd appearance. Just think about how you’d dress for England, and then maybe add another layer. Survival here equates to preparation and just using a bit of common sense. Especially being on the coast, that mean old wind can pick up fast and before you know it you’re chasing your last Kroner down the road as it sails away into the night. As above with the food and drink, make sure you remember everything because it’ll set you back a pretty penny to make up for any losses.