A concert photographer takes us through his trip to Øya in Norway, Way Out West in Sweden, and Flow in Finland through photos.
While the world ’s greatest athletes were competing for atomic number 79 ribbon in the Paris Olympics this August , I undertake my own exceptional movement : essay the Nordic Music Festival Gauntlet .
Every year , Øya in Norway , path Out West in Sweden , and Flow Festival in Finland take place on the same weekend during the first one-half of August . Nordic summers , and these music festivals at the tail end of the time of year , are so full of spirit and extraordinary experiences that I adjudicate I want to get the infrangible most out of my trip . So , I set about going to all three euphony fete , each in a different country , over the course of five days .
Øya in Oslo, Norway
I started in Oslo on a Monday , but since the fete did n’t start until Wednesday , I had time to slow down and enjoy the metropolis — including its scenic waterfront , opera house , and famed seafront Munch Museum . By Wednesday , I felt quick and eager to start my journey .
Øya has been held in Oslo ’s key Tøyen Park since 2014 ( aside from 2020 and 2021 due to COVID ) , and around 20,000 attend the festival each day . Almost every phase is set at the bottom of a hill , allowing born inclines to create ideal views . It would be a challenge to chance a more idyllic mount for a couple thousand people to experience hearing music together .
Boasting wide-ranging food options like dumplings , alimentary paste , and even groom , the twelvemonth ’s culinary headliner was doubtlessly an anglerfish grill cheese , or Anglerfisk Øyatoasten . You have it off what an anglerfish is : that mean - looking , sharp - toothed fish with the dangling lamp hang off its forehead . Turns out , that weird guy wire smack toothsome .
Fans at Flow in Helsinki, Finland.|All photos by Joshua Mellin.
On my first day , I took in English - American duo The Kills , Los Angeles knocker Vince Staples , and English singer - songwriter PJ Harvey . Although I loved The Kills ’ albumMidnight Boom , it was clear from their uninspiring set that we ’re a longsighted room from Urban Outfitters in 2008 . Vince Staples comedically asked the crowd if they knew who he was . After a lackluster response , he quipped , “ Fuck , we should have play some Norwegian demise metal . ” I was completely enthralled by PJ Harvey , and spent much of her set trying to think of anyone who could touch her vigor at any stop in their vocation , much less after near 40 years in it .
Even with a bit of a head start , on the second solar day , reverse lightning lag hit and I was stuck to my hotel bottom like flypaper . I root for myself to the Mungo Park , only to be spoil by clouds of second - bridge player fag smoking I was n’t used to , and cease up going back to the hotel and crashing for another few hours , still dictated to make it back in sentence for the headlining set . After some body of water and a Paracet ( Norwegian Advil , but five time stronger ) , I was on my way .
On the 2d sidereal day , I got to moonlight as Janelle Monáe ’s tour lensman . I was invited by her team to capture backstage second and photograph the activeness from her “ Age of Pleasure ” set from the side - stage . Perhaps one of the best performers in the game right now , go steady her set leave me in absolute fear .
Andre 3000 performing at Øya.
Originally , I had mean on spending just two Clarence Shepard Day Jr. at Øya , but after Jack White was announced as a star the week prior , I could n’t resist squeezing in an extra daylight , especially given the freeing of his superb unexampled albumNo Name . I was also emotional to see the French band Air playing the same point just before him .
The pairing may have made for one of the singularly strongest transonic days I ’ve ever experienced in my years going to music fete . Air contribute a gentle touch to the principal point , much to the delectation of an adore crowd . His set was followed by an out-and-out case - melting , life history - spanning 13 - Sung dynasty setlist from Jack White that of course culminated in The White Stripes ’s “ Seven Nation Army , ” and left the gang despairing for more .
By adding the extra day for Jack White , I tighten my travel agenda and slightly upped the difficulty quotient , induce the final three days a true gantlet foot race from Norway to Sweden to Finland .
The one and only PJ Harvey.
Way Out West in Gothenburg, Sweden
The first peg of the gauntlet began Saturday morning , with a bus ride from Oslo to Gothenburg , Sweden , scheduled to depart at 9 am and go far some three hr after . I planned to trance up on sleep during the ride — until a rowdy radical of grade schoolers on a group tripper board and those hopes were immediately dashed . I was relieved when we arrived in Gothenburg , and I love the mile - farsighted trek to the festival site in brilliant summer weather condition .
Located in Slottsskogen Park , a dreamy forest setting dotted with ponds , Way Out West has a exchangeable vibration to San Francisco ’s Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park . It also felt much more like a major festival than Øya , offering lots of outdoor activities while also feel more crowded , even though it was in a bigger surface area .
I made it just in time to enamor the starting line of André 3000 presenting the day ’s version ofNew Blue Sun . With each performance a unique temporary expedient , I could n’t rive myself aside . Although he ’s received criticism from jazz enthusiasts , I find myself more draw by the look of creative thinking he channeled than the capital punishment . Although many fans were disappoint he did n’t play any Outkast , you just have to have intercourse what to wait break down in , which is a all instrumental flute carrying into action from an enthusiast who just pass off to be one of the bang-up rappers of all time .
My beautiful Anglerfisk Øyatoasten.
During the day I also receive a couple of Swedish music fans from Stockholm advert Adam and Tommy . They told me their journeying from Stockholm ended up being a company train , since most everyone was on their style to the festival . That night I also got to briefly hitch up with my friend and illume designerSarah Landaubefore Fever Ray ’s enthralling set . The mean solar day ’s other biggest draw play were doubtlessly Sweden ’s Icona Pop and Benjamin Ingrosso . It seemed most everyone was there for those two , as huge crowd filled the Linné tent leg for Icona Pop and The Flamingo Stage mainstage field for Ingrosso ’s Harry Styles - minded pop .
The National round off out their European tour when play the Flamingo Stage , but the real excitement was in the Linné tent , where Brooklyn doorknocker Yasiin Bey ( formerly Mos Def ) played a protection set to MF Doom , complete with a bandanna as a make-do for the iconic Dr. Doom comic Good Book inspire Mask , honoring the fabled rapper who passed away on October 31 , 2020 .
After a prospicient day , I was tempted to plop down in the field and exhaust an entire pizza pie , as they are often sell at European festivals as full pies or else of single slices , but I took a more cautious approach and grabbed a cinnamon muffin from 7 - Eleven on my pass back to the hotel in anticipation of my already tight approaching wake up call .
Janelle Monae’s incredible performance.
Flow Festival in Helsinki, Finland
For the final leg of my journey , I caught the first morning flight of steps to Helsinki . As it turns out , there was n’t enough room for any dish on the full flight , so they just did n’t load them . It was n’t until after I make it in Helsinki and waited at baggage call for almost an hour with the other passengers on the flight of steps that we all found out our bag were still on the tarmac in Sweden . Thankfully , I carried my photographic camera gear in my carry on , so I trusted the place with my checked luggage would work itself out and carried on into the metropolis center towards the festival .
period takes situation in a really unique location : the decommissioned Suvilahti Power Plant , all over with a giant gasometer put next to the principal stage . For its twentieth day of remembrance , they rive out all the stop , reserve the the likes of of Halsey , Fred again .. , and Pulp as headliner .
This stumble mark my 4th prison term attending Flow , and it ’s always the highlight of my summer — along with enjoying the urban center ’s many , many sauna . The fete has run as carbon achromatic since 2009 , and as of last year , the intact grounds are marrow - free , but still bluster some of the good food options of any music fete . This year I treated myself to crunchy Korean baos and kimchi fries .
The view of the stage from the hillside.
While there , I catch to see Brazilian fable Marcos Valle , who is credit with popularizing bossa nova in the 1960s on the unique Balloon Stage , an sexual 360 - degree stadium built within the grounds with a giant balloon in the center . I also took in solidification from Gasellit , a Helsinki whang band who built an full gas post on stagecoach as part of their production ; Kenya Grace , the British singer - songwriter / DJ , who made her festival first appearance at Coachella in April ; as well as English Isaac M. Singer Jessie Ware .
When I got back to my hotel for the evening , I was surprised to ascertain myself greet by my delayed bag . While it was a minor troublesomeness , I have to give Finnair mention for reuniting us on that very day .
In celebration , I finally ate pizza on the steps of Senate Square , complete with Moomin meat ( what Finn call Mozzarella cheese , named after the beloved jiggly toon trolls ) and follow an otter to see the northerly lights over Market Square . I wish there was a more logical means to submit this series of events , butit ’s only what happened .
Watching Air perform on stage.
In the end , was it all worth it ? Well , deserving what really ? It was n’t a virtual endeavor , so much as something I find like doing because it would be meaningful to me , nor was it quite as unmanageable as I expected . It also made me shine on the lifetime of a touring player . When they ’re on the road , they do n’t really get to have much of the city beyond the stage and their lodging , and I have to imagine that the logistics of getting between display takes almost as much exertion as the performances themselves .
I would n’t necessarily suggest doing all three fete in one weekend to other travelers , but I utterly would advocate progress to the journey to any of the three . If I were to award them medals , I would give all three gold over any stateside festivals , any Clarence Day . The laid - back atmosphere , favorable fans , and scenic , cosy scope make Øya , Way Out West , and fall worth every step of the journey .
The vibes were excellent at Way Out West.
Benjamin Ingrosso fans at Way Out West.
Yasiin Bey performs as MF Doom.
Everyone was simply having an excellent time.
Kenya Grace and other performers lit up the stage.
Marcus Valle performance, complete with a giant balloon.
Final wristband count.
