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British Sea Power's Norway Diary 15/07/10 in British Sea Power
British Sea Power: We’ve just got back from the Træna Music festival and have had an amazing time.
After almost 2 days of travel, flying over fjords and snowy peaks, and sailing on a boat for 3 hours, we saw the islands and peaks of Traena rising out of the sea like Norse Gods.
Træna is really close to the Arctic Circle, and it remains light for 24 hours this time of year, though the sun sets for an hour or 2.
Throw an Nordlands beer into the equation and it’s very disorientating.
Taxi service to the church was a tiny boat that was essentially a metal tin bath.
The NMEs Luke Turner got us there on time for the show.
We played 2 Man of Aran shows inside the islands small wooden church.
The festival crew were brilliant helping get us round the islands, setting the film screen up, and getting a small PA system on the island and into the tiny Church.
The shows went down really well, some tears, some whoops.
A few islanders spoke to us after the show and were very moved by the film. They talked about all the islanders who were lost at sea and buried in the church grounds.
After the show we took the sea taxi and got stopped by the sea police and Hamilton was breathalysed.
Fortunately he was the soberest man on the boat and we avoided jail.
Yan was smashed on the whisky we took over with us.
Here is some strange brews we found on the island.
I think one was super strength preserving vinegar, but we gave it a go.
We had a day and a half to look round the island and watch some music, and saw a Sea Eagle being mobbed, and a pair Bluethroats.
We sailed over to Sanna island to walk the 700m-long “Love Tunnel” which leads to a Nato listening post at the top of the mountain.
From the mountain top, and other peaks, the Svartisen glacier on the Norwegian mainland is visible. It’s huge. Abi said it is Norways second largest glacier.
We got to watch Norwegian multi instrumentalist Moddi and his band, and a local choir in the Kirkehellere (Sannas huge cave).
The drummer was playing with what looked like spaghetti, and tapped some tin foil with his foot.
It is probably the loveliest festival we’ve ever played.
Thanks to everyone who helped out and to everyone who came to watch us play.