The last SAMA

The first SAMA (Scandinavian Alternative Music Awards) took place in 1998. Ten years later, it was time to gather one last time and say goodbye. More than just another festival, the evening felt like a reunion with an old circle of friends. Familiar faces were everywhere, and for a few hours it seemed as though the previous decade had folded in on itself.

Alexander Hofman from S.P.O.C.K. returned as master of ceremonies, just as he had for the very first SAMA. Covenant once again took home the award for Best Artist, exactly as they had in 1998. Some circles have a satisfying way of closing.

Eskil Simonsson of Covenant then surprised the audience by introducing Cement, his new noise project, before Menticide followed with an uncompromising blast of harsh EBM. It was a reminder that, even on a night built around nostalgia, the scene was still evolving.

John Foxx, the former voice of Ultravox, brought his solo material to the stage. While the performance itself never quite caught fire, the mood changed instantly when he slipped an old Ultravox song into the set. Judging by the reactions in the front rows, that single moment alone justified the ticket price for some.

If John Foxx looked back, S.P.O.C.K. practically embraced the past. The self-proclaimed spacemen dusted off classics like “E-lectric” and “Never Trust a Klingon” from their 1993 debut, even resurrecting outfits that had apparently spent the last decade buried somewhere deep inside a wardrobe. Alexander Hofman seemed determined to enjoy every minute, alternating between teasing citizens of Stockholm and spraying the audience with a water pistol whenever the opportunity presented itself.

The evening continued with the live debut of Anders Eliasson from Page, sharing his latest project, followed by the elegantly cold electronics from British trio Client. Vasi Vallis, former keyboard player in VNV Nation, unveiled his new band Reaper, complete with a keyboard player dressed in Jedi robes. Because, in this scene, that somehow made perfect sense.

The final performance didn’t begin until well after midnight, when Combichrist stormed onto the stage. I had missed them at Wave-Gotik-Treffen last year after surrendering to the endless queue outside Werk II, so this felt like overdue compensation. Andy LaPlegua mentioned he’d injured his right arm during an encounter with Swedish police on the way to the venue, then promptly dedicated “Enjoy the Abuse” to them. The stage featured a hangman’s noose and a drummer who appeared determined to physically assault his kit into submission. The crowd immediately surged toward the fence and joined me at the front row, dancing with the kind of reckless enthusiasm reserved for nights everyone knows won’t be repeated.

Combichrist preaching that we’re all electroheads.

Although nostalgia can be the unofficial theme of evenings such as these, SAMA never felt trapped in the past. It celebrated where the scene had come from while quietly reminding us that it would continue in new forms, under new names and on new stages. Still, it was impossible not to feel a little melancholy as the lights came up. “All good things must come to an end”, as The April Tears once sang. Or perhaps even more fittingly, as Eskil Simonsson put it while accepting Covenant’s award: “SAMA is dead. Long live SAMA.”

Fortunately, there’s not much time to dwell on endings. Tomorrow I will go to Stockholm for Nine Inch Nails, supported by Ladytron. See you at the front line.