At this point, going to Aarhus for SPOT Festival feels like coming home. This time, Denmark welcomed Good because Danish with sunny weather, a rare occasion. We had many cosy conversations with old and new friends, listened to music that warmed our hearts and, once again, we got excited about new acts in the Danish music scene.
5 May, Aalborg
We started our SPOT experience a day earlier in lovely Aalborg, which hosted the PitSPOT showcase with Marí, Lisa Wanloo (SE), Hjalte Ross, and Fox Paloma (NO). Marí sang, “I guess I expected too much of life, but I refuse to just be passing time.” Isn’t that what music is all about? Refusing to simply be and demanding to experience something more?
When the band plays the last song at a dance, the dancefloor is almost empty and you feel sad that the night is over, but you already know it will be a great memory. That’s how listening to Hjalte Ross felt like in Aalborg, a perfect warm-up for the main event.
6 May, SPOT Festival
We started SPOT Festival at the All Things Live showcase, the largest independent live music promoter in the Nordics. It was a gentle and tender beginning with Pauline’s concert, followed by Lasse Skriver. He may not have won X-Factor, but he’s definitely got talent.
Sometimes it is interesting to go off SPOT and experience music in a cosy, unconventional way. Søren Manscher charmed the audience at his intimate show at a cafe at Cafeterie 37. An artist with his guitar, if he uses it well and with affection, can do magical things.
Back at the main festival grounds, Lukas Vanggaard and his great live band gave an energetic performance. It was so good to see a band enjoying playing together and heating up the crowd with waves of positive energy. Top class!
SPOT is all about the upcoming acts and new music, but this year we got to see some old-school legends at the Store Sal. Dizzy Mizz Lizzy tore down the place! You can never go wrong with good handmade classic rock.
The main event was Brimheim, who is just exquisite bliss. She and her sublime band fascinated us from the first second.
The first day of SPOT ended with a bang. Go Go Berlin, thank you for reminding us that Danish music is still creative and full of surprises. The way you re-invent yourselves is amazing. Go Go Berlin’s show was a lovely reference to the ’90s rave culture and made everyone dance their feet off.
7 May, SPOT Festival
The W.A.S. Entertainment day party at Ridehuset was a cosy, low-key start of SPOT Festival day two, exactly what we needed. First, another dose of Brimheim, who had mastered goth-pop. Her band looked much more relaxed than the day before and made the concert an even greater experience. Rebecca Lou followed, bringing the best energy, as always.
One of our highlights of day two were Rigmor. They gave a beautiful and lively show in the sun, with their scratchy, chaotic but melodious music inspired by Danish poetry. Another performance that we won’t forget was Lucky Lo, who might be the biggest revelation of this year’s SPOT. The audience adored her powerful show filled with love, trust and emotional messages.
After Lucky Lo, we went off SPOT again and listened to Roxy Jules, who delivered an edgy show at Sway. A Mess made a great impression as well: it’s surreal and intense to experience live music in a tiny space like Sway, completely packed and radiating inclusive and positive energy.
Some SPOT venues are closer to our hearts than others. One of them is HeadQuarters, which always has a great line-up of rock, edgy music. There, Holm proved that indie rock still has a lot to offer. We hoped to catch UBLU as well, they played a tiny Klubscenen, and we couldn’t get in. Next time!
To avoid the mistake of showing up too late, we waited in line for Goss, and it was worth it. No better way to end yet another great SPOT Festival than by seeing the incredibly charismatic and powerful Goss. Stage-diving, a crowd losing their mind — it was a concert at its best! This guy went a long way from Reptile Youth to his solo career, and he hasn’t lost a bit of his uniqueness and style in the process. As he had to finish his concert after thirty minutes, it wasn’t enough for the audience, nor for Goss himself. So he went outside Musikhuset and played two more songs. That was a wonderful last note at SPOT Festival 2022 for Good because Danish.
SPOT has a special meaning for us. We come to Aarhus for inspiration, motivation, and new experiences. Sometimes we don’t find all we look for, sometimes we find more than we dreamt of discovering. Each year, without exception, we do realise that there is still a lot of potential in the Danish music scene.
See you next year, SPOT Festival! We already can’t wait!
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