Description
HOT ROD T - CRUISIN' (1999)
This will be a small story about Norwegian rockabilly in the 1990s. It's fairly safe to say that there wasn't a flood of rockabilly bands from Bærum in 1993, and "Hot Rod Torgeir & His Rock-A-Hulas" were quite exotic when they appeared as unknown freshmen on the Oslo scene with burning washboards , two drummers, skeleton masks and fireworks from the edge of the stage. The book will be a bit about how a gang from Østerås in Bærum manages to establish itself as the most unrestrained, unstoppable and hyperactive Rock & Roll band in an already very active music environment, consisting of hard rockers, MC drivers, robbers and amcar enthusiasts from inner Oslo, Akershus and the surrounding area. Eventually, bundle of energy and band founder Jørgen Næsje wants to quit, and the at least equally energetic Henrik Horge from Groruddalen takes over the microphone, and both style and expression continue to develop. It will be about the extremely lively, inspiring, cross-genre, moody and inclusive rockabilly environment that Oslo had at this time. There were several rockabilly festivals, many visiting international artists, constantly new bands, increasing public interest, and a whole bunch of meeting places such as Cave'n, Gamla, Dixie, Cruise Café, Teddy's Soft Bar, Råkker'n, Los Lobos, Bar Boca, Muddy Waters and others. And of course it will be about the album Cruisin', recorded in the legendary Ambience Studio in Nydalen, with Erling Jørgensen, Trond Engebretsen and Dag Stephen Solberg behind the controls. The songs were mostly their own, with classic rockabilly themes such as cars, ladies, card games, sex and goats. The recording took a week, and both Marius Müller, Lasse Hafreager and Trond Graff poked their heads in to check who was playing double bass and "real music" in the studio. Vidar Busk also stopped by and played guitar(s) on a song. The album was released on CNR Music in 1999, and the release party was held at Muddy Waters pub in Grensen.
Henrik Horge is a musician, actor, music archaeologist and vocalist number two in Hot Rod T. He works as a cultural communicator at the Popsenteret in Oslo, has previously played in St. Thomas and Brødrene Löwenstierne, and is currently the frontman of the current studio Henrik Horge & Calypsokameratene. Horge includes former vocalist and band founder Jørgen Næsje as a truth witness and source of early band history in the book.