OTTORPEDO MED VENNER + MARODER + GUNERIUS & VERDENSVEVEN – Bergen – 27.03.2026
- Posted on 01-04-2026
– VENUE: Kulturhuset i Bergen
– DATE: 27.03.2026
– ORGANIZER: Kulturhuset i Bergen, Ottorpedo med Venner
Photo by J. Nepper
Last Friday night offered something vastly different and delightfully quirky to the usual concert fare in that none other than local legend Ottorpedo and his merry men of musical talent were set to perform at Kulturhuset in Bergen. It had been quite a few years since his last performance around these parts, so naturally, it was an opportunity too good to miss. However, we were also treated to two other excellent bands on the very night in question, namely the highly entertaining yet musically brilliant outfits that are Maroder and Gunerius & Verdensveven. In short, a trip to the outer reaches of the cosmos was pretty much a given and we were not let down.
Gunerius & Verdensveven are usually a trio, but not so tonight as the drummer was feeling under the weather and the bass player was . . . actually, I have no idea what happened to him or where he had disappeared to, but the bottom line is that the infinitely skilled Thomas Gunerius Bergsten was left to fend for himself and entertain the crowd singlehandedly. And you know what? He did so with aplomb, and it actually turned out to be the highlight of the evening for this scribe. Words cannot describe how charming and entertaining yet musically superb it was, and it certainly looked as if he was having a ball on stage. With his guitar, voice, electronic gadgets, and whatnot, he blew the roof off the place. Somewhere between psychedelic folk, freewheeling jazz, electronica, and something that can only be described as otherworldly is where you will locate this intriguing musical proposition. Satirical, absurd, and eclectic are words that apply here and in the positive sense. He capped everything off by reading a poem to us. The dude was so frigging awesome that I made up my mind right there and then that I wanted to adopt him. The paperwork has already been filed even though I have yet to tell him that. It will be interesting to see how it all turns out, and I will of course keep you posted on any developments. In the meantime, check their music out on Bandcamp. The pieces titled “Uten Dekning” and “Slutte i Jobben, Klippe Håret” were arguably the most memorable ones that were aired during the show.
Maroder were a musically strong and cohesive unit whose memorable songs carry quite a lot of weight, not least lyrically. If one pays close attention to all the nuances and ambiguities of their spirited tunes, one will discover a unique take on psychedelic rock with some wonderful prog-ish vibes to it Not being familiar with them beforehand, I had no idea what to expect, but they were a fabulous trio who somehow managed to sound like a huge ensemble at times, and guitarist/vocalist Aslag Guttormsgaard (Black Debbath), drummer Gunnar Berg-Nielsen (Saluki), and organist/backing vocalist/musical wizard Atle Hassel looked as if they were having as much fun as we were, and the anecdotes and stories in between the songs were marvelous.
At ten PM the consistently cool Ottorpedo and his great-sounding band went on stage and delivered a torrent of unconventional songs filled with quirky and humorous yet relevant lyrics, great riffs and even better hooks, and not least a warm-hearted atmosphere that was as inviting as it was energetic. Prime cuts and classics such as “Hei Bloggen,” “Fristende Kaker,” “Ode til en Kaffetrakter,” “Tyver i Hagen,” and “Sukkeravgift Blues” were included in the setlist, but the highlight of the evening was the airing of the brand-new single titled “Mine Beste Venner,” which has been lingering at the back of my mind ever since then; a ridiculously catchy piece with magnificent lyrics to it. During “Kaste Agurk (i Gulvet),” Aslag Guttormsgaard (Maroder) joined the group on stage and threw cucumbers at the floor . . . because, you know, that is what you do when attending a performance by Ottorpedo. The sound was pretty good and full of crunch and rawness, and the outfit as a whole was surprisingly tight and delivered their blend of humorous and eccentric rock in a vigorous manner. A stellar ending to an enjoyable night in what felt like a distant region of the universe.