Good whateveritis to all of you! This post is dedicated to one of my favorite things in the whole world. It’s something I literally feel in my entire body as I enjoy it, and it consumes me so completely it’s all I know of at that given moment. It puts me in a trance, and energizes me. Can you guess what it is?
Music is in my blood. I’ve inherited it from my father, but not by far to the same degree. He can pick up any instrument, play with it for a little while, and suddenly he knows how to play it perfectly. He obviously knows his music theory, and can identify every little tone he hears. It’s like watching a professionally trained musician with years and years of schooling, but he is 100% self taught. To me, it sounds completely superhuman. I am in awe of his talent. All my life he has played in bands, and earned some money on the side performing at events. Nothing professional, and mostly local stuff. Sometimes I had to come with him to his gigs, but rigging equipment and doing soundchecks was always the most boring bullshit 5 year old me ever had to go through. I was always too young to watch him play through the night.
One day I remember asking him how he knew what to play, because he never had any sheets or notes. He answered “I just know”. I was maybe eight or nine years old at the time, and had started taking cornet lessons, where we would always use them. So I couldn’t fathom how he just knew, all by himself. Pure instinct. The rest of the band could start playing a random song he didn’t know but he’d still know exactly what to play on his steelguitar.
I unfortunately did not inherit his magical gift, but I still inherited an above-average talent in anything music related. I’ve played instruments for years and years, as well as vocal training. My instructors have always praised me for my natural talent and knowlege, even if I couldn’t see it myself. Right now, it’s been years since I played an instrument or sang consistently. I have not maintained my skills well. I am more serious about training my vocal cords these days, because despite being extremely rusty and out of practice, I have received glowing feedback about my potential. When I am warmed up (very, very, very warmed up) I’m capable of the most amazing things that I didn’t think possible.
One thing I didn’t inherit from my dad was his taste in music. He, being raised on a farm in a farming community, obviously loves his country music. I grew up listening to it, but it was never my thing. My first meeting with the music I truly enjoyed was in 2004, when Wig Wam was on stage competing to represent Norway in The Eurovision Song Contest with their song “In My Dreams”. And they won! They eventually ended up sharing the 9th place in the Eurovision with Denmark. Very much to my disappointment, as I now had discovered my first ever favorite band and thought they were the greatest thing in the world.
In 2006 they were performing at my local county fair, and I was begging my mom to go. She kept telling me no, as a 12 AM gig was way too late for me, considering I hadn’t even turned 9 yet. I was obviously bummed, and low-key hating my mom like any other child would. Then, when it closed in on my bedtime, she suddenly wasn’t nagging about how I had to go and brush my teeth or anything of the sort. So I obviously didn’t remind her, and kept playing. A little while later she comes to talk to me. “Oh no,” I thought. “She realized it’s way past my bedtime! I’m in for it now…” But nothing happened. She simply asked me if I wanted to go somewhere with her, and I hesitantly accepted, low-key fearing she was gonna trick me to go to bed or worse. We got in the car, to my great confusion, and started driving. “Where are we going?” I asked, rather carefully. “Wait and see,” she said. 15 minutes later we were parked outside the county fair. I lit up, and practically yelled “ARE WE HERE TO SEE WIG WAM?!!”, which she then confirmed. She gave me thorough instructions on how to behave, and what the rules were. I happily agreed to her terms, and could not get there fast enough. This was the greatest day of my life. I was about to see my idols live!
I had never been to a real concert before, so I didn’t know what to expect. There were mostly adults there drinking beer, which it reeked heavy of. Beer and cigarettes. I obviously wanted to be as close to the stage as possible, so we managed to go all the way up there. On each side of the stage there was a huge tower made of speakers, and dear lord were they powerful. I have always been extremely noise sensitive, so we gradually moved further and further back, until I realized I needed to go for a walk around the fair because the noise was simply too much. I could still hear their glorious music everywhere, though, it was THAT loud. Eventually Wig Wam took a little break, and thus I dared to approach the girls selling t-shirts and CDs without being blown away by the speakers they were standing right next to. My mom got me a Wig Wamania t-shirt that I still have. It still fits, but only because they didn’t exactly sell children’s sizes. I still treasure my first concert and my first favorite band. They will always have a special place in my heart. And cheers to their comeback in 2020, I hope I’ll be able to see them live once more.
Wig Wam was my beginning. Now I have moved on to heavier music, and surprisingly, most of the music I enjoy is Scandinavian. We are known worldwide for being the origin countries of metal. Foreign people ask “is blackmetal elevator music in Norway?” or “All of you must be so proud of all your great metal bands! What’s it like living in the cradle of metal music?”. Honestly, as a Norwegian, I had NO IDEA that this was the case. I didn’t know the metal scene in Norway or Scandinavia as a whole was so big. Most average Norwegians HATE METAL MUSIC, and exclusively listen to Spotify top 20 on repeat. Generic, boring and such horrible taste. You see, Norwegians are boring people, liking the exact same stuff, dressing the same and doing the same. Norwegians are the embodiment of generic. Factory produced. We also have this “law” that you’re not supposed to think you’re better than others, you’re not supposed to brag, you’re not supposed to stand out etc. It’s called Janteloven. It’s the most unholy piece of shit to ever take a hold of this country. We are cold, cold people. I hate us. Sorry not sorry. I was mocked, bullied and excluded for liking metal. “It’s satanism”, they said. “You’re a filthy, heathen Devil Worshipper,” they said. Just because of my taste in music. At the time I was listening to Disturbed a lot, as well as the more mellow bands Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Adelitas Way (you honestly can’t not like Adelitas Way). This sums up my teenage years.
In the more recent years my taste in music has evolved even further, and I’d say I listen to several different genres. Most are various types of metal, where powermetal speaks to me the most. It makes me feel, well, powerful. It’s hard to explain. Adelitas Way is still one of my favorites after all these years, but I’m sad to say their more recent music has been way too pop-y for me and I prefer the older stuff. Sorry guys, I still love you and appreciate your hard work. Other bands I currently listen to are Pyramaze, (my artist of the decade according to Spotify) Dynazty, Borknagar, Ihsahn, Masterplan, Powerwolf (my current obsession), Paradise Lost, Allen Lande, Harakiri for the Sky, Windir, Visions of Atlantis, Kamelot, Hammerfall, Saxon, Moonspell, and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness + his former Jack’s Mannequin, which are more alternative. There are many more I could list as well, and many individual songs.
Have any of you checked your Spotify Wrapped this year? If yes, what were your results?
Thanks for suffering through yet another long and boring post! See you later!
THE SAGA DYNASTY 
I loved my Spotify Wrapped Up this year!! I’m so glad you’ve written about it, I haven’t found anyone say much this year about it. I thought it was Spotifiys best yet, when you turn it on it takes you through all sorts of pages where you can see what countries your music varies from and even Podcasts if you’re into that. It was so cool. My artist of the decade was A Perfect Circle, if you’re into bands which it sounds like you are – I definitely recommend giving them a go! They’re awesome! Great post. 🙂
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