Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band
Blæst, Trondheim, Norway, 21.03.2003

Last time Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band visited Trondheim, I didn't have the opportunity to hear them. So when I a new chance came up just a couple of weeks after their last appearance, I had to show up. Rumours told me that the band is great on stage, so I went to Blæst full of expectations. Well, there should be no secrets, the band fulfilled what I was hooing for, and I can verify that they are as good as everybody tells. In that way this text is a contribution to bring the rumours about Ralph Myers live appearances further on.

For those of you never heard of Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band they are a trio from Bergen in Norway. Thomas Lønnheim, Erlend Sellevold and Tarjei Strøm make groovy music based on samples and heavy drumming. With two drummers/percussionists in the band there is no doubt what they find as the most important instrument. They've just released their debut long player "A Very Special Album" on the label Emperor Norton, resulting in heavy rotation in the Norwegian radiostation NRK P3, and played on selected radioprograms world wide.

In fact the band has delivered some strong releases so far. Their appearance on the stage at Blæst this evening was no exception from this - it was solid as rock. Even though the place was bung-full and there was no (elbow)room for dancing, the music was all the way inviting to bodymoving. The concert was literally a fireworks, full of energy, rhythms, heavy drumming and pyroeffects (!), and was showing one of the hottest liveacts in Norway at the moment. Starting out a little cool with "Lullaby", one of the strongest tracks from their album, the band continued with one groovy melody after one another. Of course we got the underground hit "Nikita" from 2000, but also an intensive and improved version of their current hit "Think Twice". If the audience had paid for a sweaty evening packed with heavy and groovy drumming, The Ralph Myerz and The Jack Herren Band definitely gave them value for money. This was anyhow the case for me, and after the concert I could leave Blæst with a satisfied smile and some buzzing in the ears, sure to recommend the band to everybody... So now you know!

By the way, and in case it might interest you, the band's pyrotechnician (he did a great job) was the man who got the sheepskull in his head at a Mayhem concert some months ago. He had to seam up almost half of his head after the concert, and in the break of the concert entered the stage and showed us a huge scar all over his left head! [wow! Two-headed boy! Total freak-show... ;-) - editor's note]

Copyright © 2003 Thomas H. Molden