Hacksaw’s Magical Musical Box of Delights in Malmo Written by Ewan Spence on May 2, 2013 | 1 Comment

Even the most ardent Eurovisionista can get a little jaded after listening to the same 39 songs over and over,,, and over (and over) again if they’re doing the full two week stint working at ‘The Big Show’. So it’s always nice to recalibrate your music muscle a little and get out and about to see what joys the local music scene can provide. It was a bit tricky last year, as the only non-Eurovision related show in the whole of Baku was an illicit backstreet metal gig organised by a brave band of local rock kids. But this year we’re much better off, as Malmö harbours a wealth of great music venues and micro-scenes that could keep us away from the Euroclub every night if we had the inclination. So what musical delights are on offer in our temporary Southern Swedish home over Eurovision fortnight? Here’s five of the most of the most interesting looking off-piste adventures for the more bold cultural traveller…

Nifelheim

(Official MySpace) Fans of dark power metal will be delighted to see Swedish legends Nifelheim take to the boards of Kulturbolaget, just south of the city centre. Awash with lashing of leather, studs and spikes, and song titles like Unholy Death, Possessed By Evil and their seminal hit Sodomizer, you just know it’s going to be a rip-roaring night out. Expect loud guitars, flailing hair and a heck of a lot of good clean Satanic fun. Tuesday 7 May at Kulturbolaget, Bergsgatan 18, Malmö

Roky Erickson

(www.rokyerickson.net) If extreme metal is not to your taste, you might want to spend the evening with the marvellous Roky Erickson. This towering Texan was a mainstay of the 60s psychedelia scene until a drug-enduced bout of paranoid schizophrenia saw him institutionalised and forced to take a punishing amount of electroconvulsive therapy at the turn of the 70s. After many years out of the business, he’s now back to top form and finally out on the road again. Definitely worth a look for fans of gravel-voiced psychedelic pop with a country rock tinge. Wednesday 8 May at Kulturbolaget, Bergsgatan 18, Malmö

F.K.Ü.

(Official Facebook) True masters of horror metal, this band’s full name is Freddie Kruger’s Underpants, and they will delight you with a cavalcade of fake blood, stripey jumpers, unwashed locks and devastatingly shredding guitars. You’ll soon be singing along to hits like Dead Coroner, Twitch of the Thrash Nerve and Disciples Of The Mosh. Whether you want to or not… Wednesday 8 May at Debaser, Norra Parkgatan 2, Malmö

Öresundsfestival 2013

(www.oresundsfestival.com) For two days over the middle weekend of Eurovision, Malmö’s Folkets Park plays host to a massive celebration of local indie, pop and rock acts. There’s a lot of jangly guitar pop on offer, but some of the more interesting acts include Malmö’s hardcore heroes Hårda Tider, dub flavoured hip hop mentalists Looptroop Rockers, Stereo Explosion, who feature many members of past Eurovision faves The Ark, and our pick of the bunch, hyperactive garage rockers Babian, who are so high energy that they make The Hives (in the video below) look like Lys Assia. Friday 10 May and Saturday 11 May 20 at Folkets Park, Amiralsgatan 35, Malmö

Daniel Johnston

(www.hihowareyou.com) Another American troubadour who’s suffered more than his fair share of mental health issues, Daniel Johnson is one of the finest songwriters to come out of the early 90’s alt-rock scene. On his day he can reduce a room to tears with his life-affirming outsider love songs. But if he’s having an episode, or has forgotten to take his medication, it can be knuckle-gnawingly awkward experience. If you didn’t get a ticket to the second semi-final this is the only place you should be. Thursday 16 May at Wednesday 8 May at Debaser, Norra Parkgatan 2, Malmö

You can follow the great and the good of this year’s Eurovision season with Roy Delaney over on Eurovision Apocalypse