UNDERGOTH: Debut Festival at Valand

On July 4, the new festival UNDERGOTH took place at Valand in Gothenburg with a headliner from the UK: Dead Air. Other bands were Blackstone, Giftorm, Young Mountain, and Decibel Blonde. Ole Söderberg organized the event with his company, South Nation Music Group.

 

When asked about how yesterday's festival turned out, Ole comments, "Yesterday was magical! The bands and the audience thought it was an awesome experience, and Dead Air (the headliner) thought the audience was sick! Really fun to see so much energy on the first night. Now we look forward to August 28."

 

The "goth" part of the name Undergoth refers to Gothenburg, and while goth bands are welcome, this festival is dedicated to the underground music scene, with a focus on punk rock, grunge, alt rock, alt metal, and nu grunge. So far, they have one more date set for the festival; August 28, also at Valand, and the lineup is: Grommet (the headliner), Mojo Pin, and Ole Söderberg's own band, Bläck. 

Ole explains that they are building this music scene to create a space for bands to reach new audiences. The idea came when he noticed that young bands have a hard time getting a foothold on the scene alongside bigger acts, and he wanted to create a platform to develop both established and younger bands, with an international focus in the alternative scene. 

 

The idea is to have one big, international band, along with younger bands, so that everyone wins, can find a new audience, and spread the music. Undergoth is largely about building a fanbase and also about music export development in Gothenburg, Ole explains. Their policy is that at least half of the bands must be from Gothenburg.