and Swedish indie band
The Vibe are about to launch into their second song.
“
We ran over a bird on the way here,” the blond-haired
front man shouts to a crowd of sweaty teenagers and
aging rock ’n’ rollers. “This one’s dedicated to that bird.”
Then they’re off, blasting out another three minutes of
disco-tinged noise.
With hindsight, it
would have been
better for the band
to dedicate their
fast-paced cover
of Adele’s track
Skyfall
to the
flightless bird.
A few hours
after arriving in
Malmö, I’d heard the sound of drums bouncing off the
snow-scattered streets. Those distant beats led me to
Babel (
38
Spångatan; babelmalmo.se
),
a rowdy music
venue in a brick-built church, where The Vibe and six
other acts were vying for a place in the final of a national
battle of the bands. The prize? A place on a European tour.
In May, a much bigger competition is coming to
Sweden’s third-biggest city. After almost a year of
planning – and around €3m investment – Eurovision
is on its way. Many will have breathed a quiet sigh of
relief when Stockholm-born Loreen won last year’s
contest, ensuring that a city in Sweden – relatively
insulated from the financial problems plaguing the
eurozone – would be responsible for footing the bill in
2013.
With the event approaching, things are hotting up.
Malmö might seem like an unusual choice for the
event. Stockholm and Gothenburg are much bigger
cities, and outside of Sweden, Malmö – in the far south
–
gets very little attention. But with its broad, café-edged
plazas and proximity to mainland Europe (it’s just a
35-
minute train ride from here to Copenhagen), it’s
arguably Sweden’s most continental city. About 150
languages are spoken on Möllevångstorget, the main
market square, where the traders sell everything from
For the sound of Malmö, listen to
Din Gata 100.6
(
sverigesradio.se).
"
It showcases emerging talent. They’re really quick to pick up on
new artists.”
NOVA DELAI, SINGER
0 6 0
M U S I C
M A L M Ö
