Indie pop and rock have long flourished in Sweden. And with the likes of Peter Bjorn and John enjoying worldwide success, it's no surprise that Stockholm is buzzing with indie music. Sweden.se gives you a guided tour of the capital's hottest indie venues and events.
Nomadic music nights
Debaser Slussen knows how to rock the crowd. Photo: Debaser Slussen
Stockholm’s “indieland” is concentrated in the Södermalm district of the city. Debaser heads the club and live music scene with two prime venues, regularly attracting top acts from Sweden and abroad. Debaser Slussen is situated between Old Town and Slussen (see map below). Its outdoor area is popular in summer with great food and music, while the indoor venue is renowned for booking bands before they hit the big time.
Debaser Medis at Medborgarplatsen is a major concert site with capacity of 850, and also a club venue that includes a jukebox bar where you can choose the music.
Debaser Medis is a popular club and concert venue. You can even play your own favorites at the jukebox bar. Photo: Debaser Medis
Debaser is one of the principal spots for Stockholm’s club promoters, many of whom live a nomadic existence, homing on different venues to suit their needs. Fritz’s Corner is a non-profit music association based in Stockholm who have been arranging live shows since 1997. Look out for their concerts/club nights on Saturdays at Debaser Slussen or Kulturhuset and Wednesdays at Lilla Hotellbaren.
Svenska Musikklubben (the Swedish Music Club), was founded in 2004, starting out at Debaser Slussen arranging club nights with upcoming live acts. In 2008 they hosted nights with big names like Sebastien Tellier, Justice and Lykke Li, to mention a few. They currently run two Fridays each month at Debaser Slussen, plus evenings filled with handpicked live acts and DJs from around the world at Hornstull Strand, Lasse i Parken and Landet.
Svenska Musikklubben have hosted many club nights with up-and-coming artists and bands. Photo: Svenska Musikklubben
Gustav Sundh, one of the main organizers and resident DJ for Svenska Musikklubben, says: “I think we in Sweden have a great tradition of producing and promoting young promising acts. Having venues and clubs willing to host bands also helps to create a strong indie scene.”
Sundh tips Name the Pet, First Aid Kit and Hajen as the latest up-and-coming Stockholm-based bands to watch out for.
Landet broke the mold in 2005, when it opened in the Hägersten district south of Stockholm, well outside the city center. The bold move has paid off as Landet is thriving with a popular restaurant and a host of different clubs from Wednesday to Saturday.
Summer festivals
Highlight of the summer could be the Popaganda music festival, August 28-29, 2009. After a few years at Stockholm University, in 2008 the festival switched to a new and exotic venue — the Eriksdalsbadet outdoor swimming/leisure center. Top of the bill this year is New York’s MGMT. The baths will also be open and there will be club gigs after the festival grounds close at midnight.
The Popaganda festival takes place just by the water on the south side of Södermalm in Stockholm. Photo: Marcus Linder/Flickr
Earlier, Cosy Den — record label, club promoter and general hive of indie creativity — celebrates its fifth anniversary with a five-day festival in and around Stockholm from July 28 to August 1, 2009, featuring over 25 bands from Sweden, Finland, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Bar hopping in the south
Södermalm has long been home to musicians, artists and other creative people. For an evening of indie-pop bar hopping, this is certainly the place to be. A great place to kick off an evening, any day of the week, is Carmen. The bar is something of an institution. Come here for cheap beer and food and the pleasant, unpretentious atmosphere.
Carmen may not be much to look at, but explaining its unique appeal, Charley Rivel, singer/guitarist in Stockholm indie band The Mare, says: “Musicians started to hang out there because they often don’t have much money! Now you can always go there and find someone playing in a band. It’s very social and always a good meeting place before or after a gig.”
1. Marie Laveau 2. Helenes Krog 3. Debaser Slussen 4. Debaser Medis 5. Lilla Hotellbaren 6. Carmen 7. Vampire Lounge 8. Pet Sounds 9. Snotty Sounds. Click on the map to go to Sweden.se's Google map with all locations mentioned in this article.
It’s just a short walk into the area affectionately dubbed “SoFo” — South of Folkungagatan, first stop being Vampire Lounge. As the name would suggest, this is a dark basement dive, but very welcoming inside. Renowned for its cheap cocktails before 8 p.m., and particularly popular on Mondays, it has DJs every night, often themed, with Britpop, new indie, but also 60s, electro and glam.
Just around the corner we hit Skånegatan, home to Stockholm’s most alternative bars. Pet Sounds Bar is a natural home to the indie crowd of all ages, as it spawned from Pet Sounds Records across the street — which remains a thriving alternative record store despite the download age. Pet Sounds Bar has an upstairs, which is quite chilled out with a restaurant area, and a basement, which is crowded and lively at weekends, complete with DJs.
Walk into Snotty Sounds Bar and you know you’re in a venue for people who are passionate about music. The walls are adorned with music posters, record covers and clippings, mostly from the New Wave era. Snotty is small but it’s a great place to strike up a conversation. DJs, from Wednesday to Saturday, play a very eclectic mix.
Away from Södermalm, head for Knast, a small alternative bar that hosts club nights until 1 a.m. with cheap beer. The place is packed on a Friday night for club Blondie.
Dance the night away
If you’re after a late night out clubbing, you’ll find no shortage of indie-themed nights most days of the week. The aforementioned Debaser clubs and Hornstull Stand are both popular — check out their websites for what’s on club-wise.
The most popular late spots seem to change as quickly as the seasons but a current favorite is Club Ace, every Saturday at Mango. With two dance floors and three bars, it draws a fairly young crowd.
If Mango sounds a little too young even for the young at heart, then head to stylish bar/club/restaurant Marie Laveau, where Stockholm music legend Magnus Carlson, lead singer in Swedish band Weeping Willows, and Robert Plaszczyk present one of the many different club nights, Bangers’N’Mash: the best British pop mixed up with soul, some American rock music and sometimes something else. Look out for notable guest DJs here — past guests have included Andy Bell of Oasis and The Smiths’ Andy Rourke. The club section is closed during the summer, though, and re-opens in August.
A stone’s throw from Marie Laveau, in the basement of Helenes Krog, Babasonic is the indie night that keeps on while others fade away. Now in its tenth year, it’s on every Wednesday, with lots of drinks offers and always packed with regulars.
If you liked this article, you might also enjoy...
Related links
Paul Eade
Paul Eade has been enjoying alternative music since the days of post-punk. He thinks the music scene is as exciting as it ever was and has no plans to grow old gracefully just yet.
The author alone is responsible for the opinions expressed in this article.
Copyright:
Published by the Swedish Institute on www.sweden.se. All content is protected by Swedish copyright law. The text may be reproduced, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast in any media for non-commercial use with reference to www.sweden.se. But never photographs or illustrations. For more information on general copyright and permission click here. If you have any questions please contact webmaster.