It's that time of the year again

So much to do; so many things to see; so many things to try. The winter blues won't get me this year!

One "Siste Dans" – Saying goodbye to my favourite band

Last night my favourite band, the Norwegian alternative rock band Kaizers Orchestra, took to the oil barrels for the final time in one epic last dance before splitting up for good.
Because the city of Stavanger cannot possibly hold all Kaizers fans, and not every Kaizers fan can make a trip to Stavanger possible, there was a livestream. And it was emotional.

The first time I came across the Kaizers, I was lazily flipping through some TV channels, when the German music channel VIVA popped up, playing this:


I know what you're thinking: a bunch of dudes in suits, playing mildy weird, gloomy music on a stormy beach? Bloke wearing a gas mask and a pump organ? Look at this colour scheme! What is that language? This might be the best thing of all things ever.

I was fifteen years old, and on a music channel that normally played nothing but Destiny's Child (or whatever was cool in 2004; I certainly wasn't so I wouldn't remember), I had just found my music.

At that time Kaizers had been officially a thing for about three years since the release of their first album, Ompa Til Du Dør; their second one, Evig Pint, had just hit the market. Listening to samples of Evig Pint at my local music store (they still had those in 2004) was like a revelation. I was hooked immediately.
They weren't a huge deal outside of Norway back then, so for the next couple of years, their tours included my hometown, where I saw them twice. I'm not much of a concert person, so I can't speak as an authority, but I'm not alone when I say holy shit this is the best live band ever. The atmosphere they create, the passion and love they show to their fans – I've never had a better concert experience. Also, in the olden days, they used to start their concerts by playing Tom Waits' Russian Dance – I mean, it doesn't get any cooler than that. (They introduced me to Tom Waits. I owe them so much.)

I saw them a couple of times after that (the best venue was always the Postbahnhof in Berlin, by the way; small but awesome), and one song from their third album (which has a special place in my heart for reasons I can't quite name) quickly became my favourite live song ever:


(I don't scream very often, but when I do, it's "sving din hammer".)

I must admit that I've never been a die-hard fan. After the release of their fourth album Maskineri, I followed them less enthusiastically, but still with great interest. There's something wonderfully different about them: how they stuck to Norwegian, no matter how famous they became outside of Norway; how their albums are collections of stories instead of love songs vaguely applicable to my own life; and of course, the oil barrels, because I like that industrial sound. Their music opens up worlds to immerse myself in; their music is captivating, their sound interesting and not always entirely pleasant to the ear, yet still an absolute joy to listen to. I've always cited them as my favourite band and meant it.

I hadn't been able to see them for a while, but kept checking their tour dates, so when I found out that this one was going to be their last, my heart sank. They'd become big now, even across the pond, which had made it difficult to see them, and now they were going to split up.
Their music had also become big:

(I love this song and this performance and everything. So dapper.)

Last night's final concert was equally big, and yet it was no different from the tiny venue in my hometown I'd first seen them perform at. Even in my small bedroom in the UK, glued to the screen for over three hours, I felt the exhilaration and the excitement I'd always experienced when seeing them in the flesh.
Kaizers Orchestra have been a constant part of life for nearly ten years, so much that they've become a tiny part of my identity. Their music has seen me through many a difficult situation; when everything else was changing, I've always had Kaizers.

I don't get very emotional about specific bands, or music in general, but oh my god I love these guys, and last night's concert reminded me about it, over and over again. I might have cried a little.

It's been great. And instead of some heartbroken last words, have that one special version of that one special song: