VARIOUS ARTISTS – Festen på Gärdet (Silence, 1971; recorded 1970)

Featured artists: Original Homesick Band / Östan Sol, Västan Måne / Fire / Stockholms Spelmansgille / Love Explosion / Låt Tredje Örat Lyssna In & Tredje Benet Stampa Takten / 2000 Spenar / Det Europeiska Missnöjets Grunder / Turid / Samla Mammas Manna / Grönsakslandet / Solen Skiner / Charlie & Esdor / Fläsket Brinner / Gudibrallan / Brownsville Jug Band / Södra Bergens Balalaikor / Old Timey Stringband / NJA-gruppen / Handgjort / Träd, Gräs Och Stenar

Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental

International relevance: *** 

It's hard to imagine an album with a greater symbolic significance than the 2LP set ”Festen på Gärdet”, recorded at the second of the two festivals held at the Gärdet field in Stockholm in 1970, with Träd Gräs Och Stenar and especially Bo Anders Persson as the driving force behind them both.

Those festivals are often regarded as the starting point of the music movement. It's convenient having a fixed date of course, but as with any historical event, it was the product of a process, with one thing evolving into something else. So while the date isn't historically valid, the Gärdet festivals' importance to the music movement is unquestionable. This was the first time that several of the soon to be most important bands presented themselves to a larger audience. Most bands didn't have a record contact at the time, and some of them would never get one, such as Det Europeiska Missnöjets Grunder and Låt Tredje Örat Lyssna In & Tredje Benet Stampa Takten.

With the huge cultural impact of the festivals, it may be a bit hard to separate the actual music from the historical importance of the recordings included herein. How does ”Festen på Gärdet” actually sound if the layers of legend are peeled off and the music is judged solely on its own terms?

First of all, it's a lot more varied than one who's never heard it may think. It's not all Träd, Gräs Och Stenar, Fläsket Brinner and Samla Mammas Manna. For instance, the album suggests there was a pretty lively American old-timey music scene in Sweden during this period, here represented by The Original Homesick Band, Brownsville Jug Band and Old Timey Stringband.

Second of all, it's full of the joy of playing and pioneering spirit.

Third of all, the sound quality isn't very enjoyable.

Fourth of all, the music ranges from the unlistenable to the great. Love Explosion and NJA-gruppen/Fria Proteatern are crap as usual. Turid is more annoying than usual. Låt Tredje Örat Lyssna In... sounds like a drunk acoustic Velvet Underground. Träd, Gräs Och Stenar sound like they always do. Gudibrallan might not be featured with their finest hour but they're still as who-gives-a-shit anarchic as I want them to be. Samla Mammas Manna's in their infant stage and it's interesting hearing them this early on. Fläsket Brinner are great but their appearance (with ”Bosses låt”) unfortunately suffers a fair bit from the low fidelity. Etc.

So, all in all, the documentary value is impossible to deny, but the music often leaves a whole lot to be desired. It sure has its moments, but they are few and far between.

A radio documentary about the Gärdet Festival was broadcast in 1970 with otherwise unavailable performances and is included in "Progglådan". A 30 minute TV documentary was also made and can be seen on Youtube (part one, part two).

The album was released in two editions, the first in coloured vinyl with inner sleeves, the second in black vinyl and no innersleeves.

Fire - Nu är det sommar

Samla Mammas Manna - Tripp Harley

Fläsket Brinner - Bosses låt

GUDIBRALLAN – Uti vår hage (Silence, 1970) / II (Silence, 1971)

 GUDIBRALLAN – Uti vår hage (Silence, 1970)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***

GUDIBRALLAN – II (Silence, 1971)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***

I never use the term 'proto punk' anymore. I don't like it, and the more I think about it, the more irritating it gets. It's just the present day's presumptuous way of forcing the past to fit with the current notions of historical events and processes. It's an afterthought at best. And so, Gudibrallan were not a 'proto punk' band. They were, however, a sometimes great rock band with a refreshing 'fuck off' attitude towards music, authoritative decrees and organized politics.

Founded in Uppsala in 1968, Gudibrallan's first gig was in a church, much to the congregation's dismay... It's safe to say Gudibrallan found a more receptive audience at the first Gärdet festival in June 1970. Fronted by inimitable singer Örjan Terje, they trashed their way through a ramshackle set including a wonderfully blasphemous Swedish version of ”Cadillac”, ”Farbror Sven” (”uncle Sven”), mocking left-wing and right-wing politicians alike (the ”uncle Sven” in question is then Swedish Minister for Defence, Social Democrat Sven Andersson).

Gudibrallan translated existing songs to Swedish several times. For instance, ”Hey Joe” became ”Hej Gud” (”hey God” – probably one of the most shocking songs of their first public appearance), and one of their best known tracks ”Sosse” was in fact ”It's Too Late” by The Kinks.

Gudibrallan's 1970 debut album ”Uti vår hage” was recorded in one day, mixed in one day and released two weeks later. Contrary to popular belief based on catalogue numbers, Bo Hansson's ”Sagan om ringen” wasn't the first Silence release – ”Uti vår hage” was. Almost fifty years later, its wild and twisted beauty is as fresh as ever. You may call it progg; if you insist, you may even call it 'proto punk' but to me it's simply a prime example of Swedish 70's rock music at its anarchic best.

”Gudibrallan II” followed in 1971, a more contained effort than their uninhibited debut – controlled or contrived, depending on your bias. Maybe the presence of engineer Bo Hansson allayed their initial ferocity? The best tracks are ”Hispan” and classics ”T-doja” and ”Sosse”, the latter displaying obvious similarities to The Kinks' ”It's Too Late” and even more so, Sir Douglas Quintet's "Dynamite Woman"), while ”John Boy” and ”Visa om jungfrun” are in a International Harvester/Träd, Gräs & Stenar vein. It's a good album but not on par with their debut.

Original copies of ”II” came with a bonus single, ”Handgranat och bajonett” (a spoof on Swedish 1946 hit song ”Tjo och tjim och inget annat”) and the excellent ”Ät mera gröt” that would have been great on ”Uti vår hage”.

The original Gudibrallan quit in 1974, but in the 80's Örjan Terje reformed the band with new members including Mikael Katzeff (formerly of Elektriska Linden) and Åke Eriksson (Wasa Express). They had a couple of 7” releases in the 80's, and a full length album in 2004, ”Visor från Sovjetunionen”. They still play occasional gigs. In 1995, Silence released ”T-doja” which would have fit the 'best of' slot it was meant to do had they only included ”Ät mera gröt”.

A CD compilation exists called "T-doja" which collects most but not all the original band released.

T-doja full album playlist