It is autumn 2001, at the rock club John Dee in Oslo, Norways hip rock capital and centre of numerous bands of the Scandinavian Wave of Rock. On stage are Camaros, an unknown three-piece rock band, members visibly nervous as they are preparing for their first major gig outside their hometown, and slightly wasted in order to tackle the pressure of having to face the impatient anticipation of the blasé Oslo audience. To add to pressure, this night the place is fully packed, with several members of the national press present to witness garage rockers Ricochets, favorites of the Norwegian music press at the time, and headliners of the eveningss bill, in action. As the first song breaks down midway when lead singer Christian Sandaker breaks a string on his four-string Gibson Les Paul, there is total confusion among the small Camaros entourage, as they are feverously trying to provide him with a replacement guitar. As one is finally found, there is still no sound, and Camaros are helplessly receiving unison shouts of scorn and booing from the increasingly hostile crowd
The decade preceding this incident skater and punk-rocker Christian Sandaker spent in Halden (a peripheral city in the traditionally industrialized south-eastern part of Norway) playing in different punk and hardcore bands. Originally into skate/punk bands like Black Flag and Descendents and living through the grunge era, Christian was by the late nineties a full-blown fan of the revitalized garage sound of the Cramps and Gun Club of the early eighties, brought forth by major proponents of this style during the nineties, Chrome Cranks and Greg Cartrights early outings Compulsive Gamblers and Oblivians. In 1999 Christian teamed up with drummer Torben Jolma and bass player Karianne Stenbock, already a steady rhythm section from years of pounding out hard and slow beats in the manner of bands like Melvins and Helmet. Quickly building up a set of 10-12 songs, the band played a series of unannounced gigs at a local rock club, slowly building up their reportoire and expertise as a hard hitting live experience.
The night at John Dee some enlightened soul finally found the correct jack-input to plug into the guitar amplifier, and Christian, as though utterly fed up at the turn of events this night, shouts into the mike shut up you lousy Oslo bohemians, were gonna whup your fucking asses! Soon the audience is swaying back and forth to the infectious Camaros groove, totally sucked into the garage rock mayhem that is the trademark of a Camaros concert. A week later headliners Ricochets broke up temporarily
The concert at John Dee proved to be the breakthrough for Camaros in Norway, who after recovering from the hangover, were stunned to wake up to exceptionally enthusiastic reviews in a number of the national newspapers, as well as in many major Norwegian music magazines. In 2002 they won the Zoom contest and were sent on an extensive tour of Norway together with Jessica Fletchers and Surferosa, and also played in London and at the Popkomm festival in Cologne, Germany. Camaros were celebrated for their superb performances throughout this tour. In April the same year Camaros released their debut album Romantique on the Oslo based label Black Balloon. The record received almost exclusively sensationally positive reviews in Norway and abroad. Camaros played all the major Norwegian music festivals this summer, including the Oya- and Quart- festivals. During the next two years Camaros played over 100 concerts in Norway and abroad together with Ricochets, Hellacopters, Flaming Sideburns, Valentourettes and Mustasch among others, and they did a Norwegian tour with the Mormones as well as a Scandinavian tour with On Trial and CDOASS. Camaros also appeared on national TV and the song Cheesecake received extended airplay on Norwegian Radio.
A Camaros concert is like taking a ride by tractor down the muddy sideroads of rocknroll history. Comparable to the likes of Son House or John Lee Hooker when it comes to musical outlook, they chose the path of why mess around with three or four chord when you can manage perfectly well with one or to? Christians take on American mythology is, in line with most Norwegians perception of the American lifestyle, truly a sick fantasy; the world of Camaros is a place where women are evil, where you stay drunk during the weekdays, and go to church for forgiveness on Sunday. Amidst the Camaros version of the brontosaurous in a tar pit- sound, Christian is like a little boy lost, sobbing his way through tearful soul ballads, hollering like a mad preacher on gospel songs in punk rock tapping, or screaming his heart out in hard rockers like Cheesecake or Guitar Man. Karianne is no doubt the female reincarnation of the late John Entwistle, and also the bands main administrator and musical director; Torben, a total enigma to most strangers and the native Norwegian of Camaros, pounds out hypnotising voodoo beats, true to the tradition of his Sami heritage. Camaros brings the sound of Hound Dog Taylor into the space age, both frail and rock solid at the same time, and always assisted by fifth member and sound wizard Sven Olsen.
On their new album,"Glad, Evil And Bad", they take their frenetic monotony to a new level; that is, the new camaros sound - even more down in the mud, more basic, and believe me: nothing as apocalyptically powerful has been heard on record since the release of Tom Waits Bone Machine from 1992. At the same time it contains some new turns, including both gospel and soul ballads. Contributing to a large degree to the doomsday sound of the new Camaros is Sven Poppe Jr, newly appointed member on organ, and also occasional member Lars Ivar Borg, on harmonica.
The song Cheesecake from Romantique proved to be good enough to be included on the sountrack of Playstation 2s Tony Hawks Underground 2, so be sure to be present to experience the revolutionary sound of Camaros.
-FK Larsen
»-(¯v¯)-» Design your MySpace with MyLook «-(¯v¯)-«
