Glacially Musical: Concert Review and Photos: Airbourne at the USF Verftet in Bergen, Norway August 4, 2016 -by Danny Nichols

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Concert Review and Photos: Airbourne at the USF Verftet in Bergen, Norway August 4, 2016 -by Danny Nichols

Airbourne rocks the USF Verftet in Bergen

Admittedly, I did not know much about Airbourne before buying tickets to see them play at the USF Verftet in Bergen, Norway, but there was no way I was leaving Scandanavia without seeing a metal show.

Based upon the power of the band, the energy of the audience and the quality of the songs it turned out to be one of the best shows I have ever seen. Many of the songs I heard for the first time that night and yet a week later I am actively adding Airbourne's complete discography to my collection. It was clearly a mistake to have left them undiscovered for so long.

Bergen, despite its passionate fan base, does not get its fair share of rock concerts. Because of its geographic location on the west coast of Norway, it does not lie on the route to any other major cities and is difficult for bands to get to by road. Most bands just cannot fit Bergen onto their tour schedule, and those few who do often come alone without a supporting act. Airbourne mentioned it took their tour bus a full 24 hours to drive there from the previous show in Denmark.

Justin Street, Ryan O'Keefe, Joel O'Keefe and David Roads of Airbourne

This is a recurring problem for a city which has such a rich history of metal music. Before the show started I spent close to an hour discussing metal with my new Norwegian friend Tom. The best place on Earth to make new friends is waiting for a rock show to start, and Tom turned out to be both interesting and insightful. He also knew little about Airbourne, but was not going to miss a chance to see a rock band playing Bergen. Oslo, the nearest city likely to host a show, is a seven hour train ride away, making it tricky and extra costly to see a show there. Tom lamented he had never seen Megadeth in concert. Since I regularly complain about the many metal bands which never make it to my city of St. Louis, I felt guilty telling Tom I had seen Megadeth six times.

Joel O'Keefe and Dave Roads

However, the result of this rarity of performance in Bergen is an unbridled passion and enthusiasm for a show when it does arrive. Bands who make the trek to Bergen are rewarded with a frenzied crowd ready to devour the metal like a tank full of great white sharks. Bergen chanted, sang and fist pumped through the Airbourne set as though it were AC/DC themselves on stage. And they nearly were.

Justin Street

Airbourne is an Australian band who unapologetically borrows heavily from the AC/DC sound. They roared through a 90 minute set of high octane, high voltage rock-n-roll delivering song after song of tunes which would have made Angus Young himself proud. If the old masters from Down Under are on their last legs, they have ably passed the torch to Airbourne.

Ryan O'Keefe

Not only were the songs instant classics with infectious riffs, epic jams and anthem choruses about the glory of rock-n-roll, but Airbourne puts on quite a show. You are as likely to end an Airbourne night drenched in beer as you are to end a Gwar show drenched in blood. Frontman Joel O'Keefe regularly bashed a can of beer against his head and then sprayed the contents over the eager audience.

Ryan O'Keefe rocks Bergen

They even played a concert drinking game I had not seen before. Fans were encouraged to mount the shoulders of a friend and thus rise above the rest of the masses. O'Keefe would then toss full cans of beer to these equestrian fans. Those who dropped their thrown prize were jeered, those who caught a flying beverage were cheered.

Airbourne plays beer toss with their fans.

O'Keefe later mounted the shoulders of a member of the road crew himself, and was taken on a journey through the crowd, without missing a single power chord along the way. An enormous hand-held spotlight scanned the crowd during "No Way But the Hard Way". A hand-cranked air raid siren introduced "Runnin' Wild". Simple props all, but used to great effect.

Joel O'Keefe ventures to the back of the venue

Much of the audience was clad in Airbourne T-shirts and seemed to know and love every song. Apparently Norway wisely does not subscribe to the convention one should never wear a tour shirt the same night it is purchased. The band fed off the energy of the crowd delivering riff after riff after riff with attitude and aggression.

Justin Street, Joel O'Keefe and Dave Roads

After the show I felt compelled to tell the guy working their merch booth how impressed I was and how they had really put on a great show. He responded, "They always do". Indeed.

Justin Street

I told him I would love to see them play in the United States and was informed they have in fact booked a few shows there this Fall. If they are coming anywhere near you, I highly recommend attending this show. I would also like to offer some advice to the rock bands of the world. Go to Bergen. The rockers there will make you glad you did. As great as the band was, the audience may have been even better.