WEDNESDAY 10'th of AUGUST 2016:

KEEP IT SIMPLE, KEEP IT WARM

The castle is long gone. Once throning majestically on the hill just opposite the stage. Overlooking the fjord and approaching enemies. Steep downhill, making it difficult to attack. But he was overthrown in the end, just like the other countless kings fighting for power. He had one of the longest reigns, though. From 1184 till the day he died in 1202. 51 years old. In Bergen. So don't go to Bergen.

In the cold rain. Even for us natives it is harsh and sudden after some very much needed summer days. But only happy, silly smiles for The Man wherever I turn my head!

He is well clothed. Scarf, long warm jacket. Hat, sunglasses. Probably wool underwear too. I have. I am not stupid. I am not willing to freeze through a 90 minute concert. Not even for a living legend. I have my own thorned legacy to care for. Neither is he so stupid. Not even for this warm, devoted, almost 8000 crowd of followers. He is just keeping his voice warm for them.

Carefully he sets out with his brilliant band in Moondance. Trumpeter and musical director Paul Moran, guitarist Dave Keary, bassist Paul Moore, drummer Mez Clough, and singer Dana Masters.

THE GIRL FROM BELFAST

I am sitting with my sidekick, the Belfast photographer Tara in the slope. A good bit away from the stage. On pieces of a cut-up yoga mat I once bought by mistake. Now Yoga-ing our asses from the cold, wet ground.

Miraculously she came to Trondheim just in time for the concert. Morrison being one of her favorites, though she is only 27. Strange. But for me very convenient, as I can't recognize many of his songs. I want to do a professional review and put a set list together. It goes so and so with that. I had big plans for her to take some good pictures of him at the front of the stage. But a ban was set and no professional photographers were allowed. A pity for us, but understandable. Who wants those boys with the big nano cameras poking around in your face?

A good plan is a plan that can be altered. There are other pictures to be taken in this warm, welcoming Van The Man atmosphere. Glad I got in. Getting a press accreditation here is like asking to be a member of a secret tribe. Here? In the middle of nowhere? They should be happy I even bothered. I've been moving this dangerous pen since the 70's, had this paper/editor column since 1996, so I guess I have become a huge threat to them, with all my 30 - 50 000 jihad readers around the world. And my photographer from Belfast, what kind of terrorist is she? Earlier today they let us in to the Nidarosdomen Cathedral to take pictures, what about that!

THIS HOME TOWN OF MINE

The fact is that I try to love this hometown of mine and I admire each brave person that tries to develop something good here in this political redneck merchant town.

Since 2008 I have been hosting hundreds of strangers coming to this town, through the CS network. Everybody loves Trondheim. A little picturesque town in polarbearland. And their liking changes my own trauma towards a state of proud.

The rain wants to pour down like a Belfast January night. But it's only drizzling. And nobody here is scared of rain anyway. Maybe just me. I avoid festivals if I am not writing about it or being invited to read my poetry from the stage. (Dream on, loser...)

For me Van Morrison is a big anti hero in the grim music business. He is an everyday poet who can write like no one else about love and longing, life and death. And aren't those the most important topics of them all? Few move the words like him, form songs, covered by countless artists through the years. He has been here forever in my life. On his pillar of shy fame, making a stand. I always trusted him. He never needed me to sit and listen to his music all the time. I always knew what he could do with words. That is enough for me.

VAN DON'T BUDGE

He don't budge. He doesn't jump around on stage, trying to charm people.

His voice and his poetry beams like a lighthouse over the kingdom grounds. Getting closer and stronger as the gig goes on.

Let Bruce bounce around with his street boys. Let heroes like him drag little children up on the stage. Yes, the single mothers in Norway are very attractive. If you ever wondered why that Norwegian daycare center was open all night... Guess he is tired of these middle age Norwegian birds, fighting their way to dance with the Boss. Wanting to make up for their lost youth. Reborn in America. (Should be a lol! after that, of course, as I laugh so hard picturing that beautiful scenario! All the best to the brave single mothers of Trondheim! And stop sending us mail, you non imaginative haters)

But Van don't budge. »He lift you up and turn you around. Put your feet back on higher grounds« Here he is on our higher grounds. Maybe by God's help, who knows.

A FINGER IN THE PLAY

But this not quite ordinary guy from Trondheim, Stein Vanebo, has a finger in the play. With his people of Trondheim Concerts he has fought for new arenas in this city. A few weeks back he opened up a new arena by the big ski jump outside Trondheim. Imagine how hard that was! Knowing the stiff, tone deaf government of this city I think he deserves a medal or two!

37 000 people came to experience Bruce Springsteen, most of them local people. People of Trøndelag county are sick of having to go to Oslo or Bergen to see the big artists. Trying to find cheap train tickets, carpooling, busriding, hitchhiking to afford what may be the best concert of their lives. And once there, they have to listen to those foul dialects all around them while trying to enjoy their favorite artist.

Now Stein, this crazy, brave man and his people can offer an arena that no big artist can refuse! Bruce, his band, the press, the audience praised the arena in the woods. Immaculate logistics, shuttle buses transporting people smoothly to and fro! More than impressing. With a little more work, it would easily fit 50 000.

Bringing back Trondheim on the arena map! Trondheim, once a capitol of Norway! Give it back, you bastards!

DON'T STOP THE MUSIC!

We have been ill treated for too long. The music scene in town so Idol and troubadour and non poetic that it hurts. Or small, crammed venues with bad sound systems. For us ordinary people who can't afford an interest in flashy venues and high standard performers. The rock hall of fame! A joke! Full of pop music, but with a high class concert hall that is hardly ever used. Invite those hard working live underground rock bands in their shitty rehearsal rooms to play on those highly equipped stages on a regular basis. Let them use the best sound technicians and teach them what their music can sound like. Give them backup and solid advice! Time to take back the grounds that we deserve on the rock scene! We have plenty enough of troubadours and cowboy music, so please!

Most people don't know that we have one of the best art-garage-post-punk bands in the country, a fine influenced gang with their own tuned Pere Ubu heritage style: Gautomatikk Band, under Gaute, a 30 odd year old poet who writes the best poetry in this strange dialect than anyone before him! Of course he struggles with the lack of venues, banned, it seems, from Oslo and their fine, politically correct music stage. Oh, yes, they are a terrible bunch, but the best live band around! Just wanted you to know. Sick of saying this, but fuck off Oslo and Bergen.

But Trondheim need more proper venues! The rock venues that are left, worth visiting, are Lobbyen, Svartlamon, and the famous, reliable Fru Lundgren, with live hard rock and metal bands. They are not afraid of loud music!

I wanted Van Morrison to be much, much louder. But of course, being a member of EU (pretending we're not), there are EU decibel regulations. And I must say, the sound quality was maybe low, but absolutely superb!

THE TRONDHEIM POTENTIALS

And Trondheim has the best jazz academy in Norway, After always having to go to Molde jazz festival, watching them steal our students away, some other brave jazz people have slowly established our own Jazz festival: Jazz Fest. Getting good international write-ups all around. Getting people to come here for a good jazz experience. Who wants to go to Molde anyway. We got roses here too, you know!

And we have the strange, but full of potential, Olavsfestivalen, which uses the whole town and different venues and even the big cathedral. And the Pstereo festival in a cage, for the students who come back for the semester, a festival which really needs some creative thinking. Put Stein Vanebo or some other courageous person as Minister of Festivals, make everyone cooperate for the good of the city and the county! I tell you; this conservative way of selling this town is heartbreaking!

QUEEN FOR A DAY

"Precious time is slipping away"

WE WILL BE WAITING

The rain is drizzling. The music gets on its toes, moving us. A woman in a long, red rain coat is dancing beautifully. Yes, his music can really make you move.

He's all warmed up, grunting a little now, out of his Greta Garbo state, giving us a good second half, serving us Brown Eyed Girls and Gloria of course. Not 20 minutes of Gloria, but ten minutes with his band after he walked off, and that is not bad.

Had it with those layers of clothes, but he gave us a better and longer gig than at Storsjöyran at least, and we are all pleased. Put our feet back on higher grounds. Keep it simple, he said. Next time it will be sunny and warm. We will be waiting!

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