Sun and mud at Arvika festival

Arvikafestivalen is usually an uneasy mix of scorching sun and rain storms from hell. It doesn’t help with the heat that we’re all dressed in black and paler than Marilyn Manson, but just like last year there were moments of thunder rain inferno.

Empire of dirt.

Last year I wore a NIN t-shirt at the festival. A pretty girl came up to me and said she would love to see Nine Inch Nails at Arvika, but we both admitted that it was just a dream in vain.

Now that dream has become reality. Trent Reznor Almighty descended to the deep forests of Värmland and I’m sure that girl was somewhere in the large audience. Nine Inch Nails was great as expected, even though I think the Stockholm gig in 2007 was better, but there is something special about an outdoor experience.

One day I’ll fly away.

I also enjoyed Depeche Mode, DAF, Fever Ray, Thåström, Röyksopp, Elegant Machinery, Welle:Erdball, Bob Hund and many more.

Since it’s a festival there are lots of artists on the grounds which provides for unexpected guest appearances. I liked that Robyn, Karin Dreijer and Anneli Drecker showed up at the Røyksopp gig, as well as the Thåström song where Anna Ternheim surprisingly appeared on stage.

Du bist DAF.

All in all, Arvika was great as usual. I met a lot of friends and all the usual suspects were there. Scorching heat combined with a few scattered thunder showers made us all feel like home. I even found a place that offered decent macchiatos, where is the world going?