Away mission for Rockpages to freezing Oslo for the two concerts of Norway’s “kings of rock,” Gluecifer, who performed in front of their fellow countrymen, in their hometown. The first show, announced for February 27, quickly sold out, so a second date was scheduled for the previous day — and that one was packed as well.
On both nights, the support band was Kristi Brud, from Bergen, who sing in Norwegian. Stylistically, they had nothing in common with Gluecifer. Their melancholic atmosphere and blend of subtle synth and new wave elements — reminiscent at times of The Smiths and Madrugada — stood in stark contrast to what would follow. However, their sound was excellent, their setup and performance very solid for the genre they play, and even their laid-back, almost lethargic stage presence fit perfectly with their artistic philosophy. Personally, they didn’t move me, but in the post-show chats with Norwegian colleagues, I learned that they are quite well known in their country, despite having formed only in 2022. They’re considered one of the most promising new bands of their kind, with their debut album, “Alt er nytt” (2023), having won Best Rock Album in Norway. I wish them all the best.
Now to the main course… I had seen Gluecifer 22 years ago, in 2004 in Manchester, when they were touring with Monster Magnet, alongside Sweden’s The Quill. The story from there is more or less known. The band split up, reunited nearly 20 years later, and this year released a new album after a very long recording hiatus. “Same Drug, New High” ranks very high in their discography in my opinion, and the fact that they played eight songs from it across the two nights certainly supports that view. Blended with the older, classic fan favorites, the new tracks held their own effortlessly.
The band were in tremendous shape and clearly in high spirits. It’s no small thing to play in your hometown and not have a single ticket left. The driving force and undisputed MVP was drummer Danny Young, who must have borrowed Thor’s hammer, playing with sheer power, energy, and relentless intensity on both nights — hitting the band’s “turbo” button as they simply blasted through the set. Frontman Biff Malibu, dressed in blazer, shirt, and black sunglasses — if he had added a hat, he would have looked even more like the late John Belushi from The Blues Brothers. He didn’t need to do much to whip the crowd into a frenzy and lead them in singing along or clapping rhythmically. The audience was his. The icing on the cake was his inimitable dance moves and those “crazy” arm flails.
If there’s someone else who doesn’t need to do much to magnetize eyes and ears, it’s Captain Poon, standing proudly on the right side of the stage, unleashing his incendiary riffs and playing with the necessary grit and swagger, sweat pouring off him. On the other side, fellow six-stringer Raldo Useless perfectly complemented the Captain, mainly handling rhythm guitar but occasionally firing off killer solos. The newest member — besides being the tallest member — has fitted seamlessly with the quartet (all original members from the start), giving his soul on stage, laying down majestic grooves, and contributing backing vocals.
The crowd responded enthusiastically on both nights, though the second evening was more intense and definitely more… cramped than the first. Crowd surfing and the roughhousing in the front rows forced security to pull bodies out of the air and deposit them into the photo pit. Most choruses echoed back from the crowd, who sang their hearts out and thrashed to the rhythms of the Kings. Even the supposedly unmoved Scandinavian tectonic plates must have shaken hard during “Desolate City” and “Rockthrone,” which closed each night.
Their roughly 30-year career — six albums, seven EPs, and countless singles, splits, and more — was well represented, with the new “Same Drug, New High” taking the lion’s share, as mentioned, with eight tracks: “Armadas,” “Same Drug New High,” “Mind Control,” “The Score” (where Biff told a story involving Rob Halford — in fluent… Norwegian!), “Pharmacity,” “Another Night Another City,” “The Idiot,” and “I’m Ready.” From “Automatic Thrill” and “Basement Apes” we heard, respectively, the title track, “Car Full Of Stash,” “Shaking So Bad,” “Take It,” and “Black Book Lodge,” “Easy Living.” My favorite, “Tender Is The Savage,” was represented by “I Got War,” while “Soaring With Eagles At Night To Rise With The Pigs In The Morning” (1998), which reminded us that the ’90s had great music like this and not just the alternative crap, was honoured with “Get The Horn,” “Go Away Man,” and “Bossheaded.” The wild card was the single “Desolate City,” which coincidentally had marked the band’s breakup, and the finale came with “Rockthrone,” from their debut “Ridin’ The Tiger.”
It’s worth noting that Sentrum Scene is a wonderful venue — a former cinema converted into a concert hall. Its amphitheatrical, tiered structure allowed excellent visibility for Scandinavians with an average height of 1.80m for men and 1.78m for women! Pity us Mediterraneans standing behind them. The floor was carpeted (!), there were five bars at the front right and left of the stage and at the back, but what impressed me most was that on both sides of most of the main floor there was something like an emergency lane — a taped-off strip where no one was allowed to stand, facilitating movement throughout the venue for both attendees and staff. The balcony, or “Gallerie,” was entirely seated. Capacity, with some reservation, must have been around 1,500 people.
What left a negative impression on me was that people were leaving before the show ended to beat the cloakroom queue (!), as I was told, and the bar prices — beer cost 127 Norwegian kroner (a little over 10 euros).
Two days, two incredible live shows full of passion and energy, with the second night surpassing the first, from a band that seems to be at its very best. Their stage performance is outstanding, and their new album is extremely strong despite the long recording absence. I can’t wait to see them again!
Yiannis Dolas
P.S.: even as important as watching a band you dig and visiting a new place, is meeting new people. Yngve and Christian it was great meeting you!
P.S.2: Thomas, thanks for all the arrangements!
Yiannis Dolas
Armadas, Automatic Thrill, Get The Horn, Same Drug New High, Go Away Man, Car Full Of Stash, Mind Controlm, Take It, The Score, Pharmacity, Another Night Another City, Shaking So Bad, The Idiot, I’m Ready, Black Book Lodge, Easy Living, I Got War
Bossheaded, Desolate City, Rockthrone
