Live at John Dee in Oslo, Norway on March 19th 2014
Photos by Eivind Nakken
Last year Oslo had the honor of hosting the psychedelic horror-show of Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats twice. At the mid-sized Parkteateret they nearly brought the house down with their unmatched synthesis of creepy crawling riffs and rock and roll swagger. A few months later they returned in grand scale, warming up for the mighty Black Sabbath on their European tour. As a young band, playing huge arenas must have been a surreal experience, but also brought the ferocious foursome out into the mainstream. When they return to Norway’s capital on this chilly march evening, it is to a sold-out venue, which means 400 hungry fans have come to give the Brits a hearty welcome.
After German doom-outfit The Oath had to pull out of the tour, the opening spot on tonight’s bill is filled by Swedish newcomers Dean Allen Foyd. A rather obscure entity, the crowd is sparse as they launch into their bluesy psychedelic rock. As the somewhat confused spectators are trying to recall the name of the band, Foyd proceed to charm the hell out of those who bothered to get there in time. Inspired by delta blues as much as trippy space rock, they belt out mostly instrumental jams with a savory southern twang.
Dean Allen Foyd
Blending the atmospheres of a lazy Louisiana swamp and the bohemian vibes of Woodstock, Dean Allen Foyd are a love-letter addressed to the gods of old. Although they appear to be having some technical problems, the sound is pristine and their jams feel improvised and spontaneous. A far cry from the eerie sounds of Uncle Acid and his deadbeats, the groovy Swedes still hark back to the same era of flower power and quality dope. This common ground of trippy vibes gets the audience going, and proves a perfect exercise in stirring up a crowd.
Dean Allen Foyd
From the implicit peace and love of the Swedish hippies, we now enter the dark side of the late 60s. Preaching murder, madness, and the spirit of Charlie Manson, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats take the stage to a packed venue of roaring fans. From the opening notes of the crawling epic “Mt. Abraxas”, the band is in complete control of their congregation. Ascending from an enigmatic underground secret, to almost rock-star status in only a few years, the Deadbeats have embraced their new-found popularity with style. Every note is bursting with energy and gloomy groove, and the sound is crisp enough to rattle bones.
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats
Covering material from each of their three albums, the show is a spectacular treat for acolytes of the band. Doom masterpieces “Death’s Door” and “Valley Of The Dolls” are ingeniously juxtaposed with the hard rocking swagger of “Crystal Spiders” and “Over And Over Again”. With an arsenal of such admirable quality, it’s easy to see how Uncle Acid have managed such a meteoric trajectory since the release of Blood Lust. The constant singalongs and mass of fists in the air bear witness of a band well versed in crowd-control. Like Mr. Manson, to whom the poppy ditty “Poison Apple” is dedicated, Uncle Acid have reaped their own personal cult.
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats
With the gig stretching well past the 60-minute mark, the absolute highlight of the night arrives as the band returns for an encore. Playing the unholy trinity of “13 Candles”, “Withered Hand Of Evil”, and finally the immensely atmospheric “Desert Ceremony”, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats demonstrate why they are a head above the doom revival. Embracing their exemplary rise, they are brimming with energy, and seems like they’re having an absolute blast on stage. As the band are rapidly growing too big for these kind of stages, it feels like it’s been a privilege to witness this theater of the grotesque. Make sure not to miss this tour if they come prowling your way.
