March 6, 2014

There is something very special about Greenland Whalefishers for me, it’s not just the great music, the great songs and the unbridled enthusiasm that is just as infectious in 2014 as it was in 2004 and 1994 but it that GWFs are the band that made me realize that this whole Celtic-punk thing was a real musical scene and not the product of our American and UK cousins getting musical revenge on their Irish parents for inflicting upon them The Dubliner and The Clancy Brothers in their formative years.

Here is a band from Bergen, Norway with a love of Thin Lizzy, The Waterboys and of course The Pogues (where main-man Arvid’s vocals sound more like the great man’s then the great man has sounded in years). GWF play great Celtic-folk-punk purely for the love of the music. I’m not sure how I first came to hear of GWF but I do remember downloading some tracks that were hosted on a free mp3 punksite and being so impressed that I wrote to them and duly received a copy of their debut Mainstreet Sword to impress me further. Lobville the next album was my album of the year in 2002(2) and still is one of my favorite Celtic-punk albums ever!

20 Year A Waiting is a DVD documentary of the band which combines the history of the band through interviews with various members, fan’s and friends of the band telling the story of how a Celtic-punk band from Norway went from playing small Irish bars in Bergen to becoming festival favorites in Eastern Europe and touring Japan and America. The DVD while a DIY effort (produced by bass player Atle-Hjørn) still has a high almost professional quality. The interviews are in-depth and there is a ton of great archive footage including lots of doggy material from pre GWF bands and a great shot of drummer Ørjan in his Black Metal days and of course the great music that flows through constantly. For the fan like me this is a wonderful viewing experience though as an introduction I’d say start with Loboville and Songs from the Bunker and Down & Out then do the DVD.

May 16, 2012

Norway’s Greenland Whalefishers are one of Celtic-punks longest running and consistently great bands and while they are very much routed in the sounds of The Pogues (right down to Arvid’s out MacGowning MacGowan’s vocals) though with a nod to both ’77 and current punk influences.

Live At Farmer Phil’s Festival is a no frills, in the raw recording of the GWFs set at the quirky Farmer Phil’s Festival in the UK and it really capture the power of the GWFs live set that has bashed heads from Poland to California and Japan and is now bashing heads on vinyl. The vinyl package is classy, high quality, blue wax including tons of photos on the inner sleeve – buy it before its gone, it will be a collectors item shortly.

1. 4 Season Song
2. Hit the Ground
3. Waiting
4. I Just Saw You
5. I Am Roving
6. July Morning
7. Rich Holder At Thorp Arch
8. Backup Man
9. Limp Jos Story
10. Loboville
11. The Wild Rover

June 19, 2009

You’ll probably read the Shite’n’Onions list of the best Celtic-punk CDs of all time and will obviously have taken note of Greenland Whalefishers ranking. In fact, of all the CDs listed, GWFs raised the most comment – not that a bunch of Norse men made the list, but the choice should be Down & Out not Loboville. I still stand by Loboville as their greatest and I’m sure my detractors will stand by Down & Out. I’m also willing to stand by the fact that SONGS FROM the BUNKER is the best GWF release since Lobville and I’m will to bet my detractors are willing to insist SONGS FROM the BUNKER is their greatest album since down and out etc.

IF you’re reading this and haven’t heard of GWF then most likely you’ve surfed here by accident – click here to escape. Otherwise, you’ll be well familiar with the mighty Pogues inspired Celtic Punk from the Fjords of Norway. Basically this is a collection of all the all now difficult if not impossible to get EPs and singles that the band has released over their 10 years together plus a couple of newbie’s and a great live version of “Loboville” – any thoughts about a live CD lads?

2007

Review – Mustard Finnegan

With Down and Out, the latest offering from Norway’s Greenland Whalefishers, GWF maintain the “KISS”, Keep It Simple Stupid, philosophy and while there’s nothing earth-shattering with what they do, there doesn’t have to be as they do quite well with what they have.

The band, made up of Arvid Grov, vocals, occasional guitar and songwriter, Gunnar “Two Sheds” Grov, mandolin, banjo and bouzouki, Trond Olsen, guitar, Terje Schumann Olsen, bass, Agnes Skollevoll, tin-whistle, Odin Døssland and Kristian Malmo, fiddle and Ørjan Eikeland Risan on drums have a good one here and are definately far from “Down & Out”.

All the offerings on this release are very nicely done, melodic and well balanced. The signature of this band are the vocals of Arvid Grov. His raspy vocals are a perfect front to the tracks and are a recognizable trademark of the band. Agnes Skollevoll’s whistle is a great accompanyment as well and added in the right doses. The rest of the outfit rounds out the sound very nicely.

There are some great songs on this CD. Highlight tracks are “Hit The Ground”, “The Rocky Roads Of London”,”Punk Shanty” and my personal favorite, “Brody”. There’s also a nice instrumental in “City of Angels”.

If you’re a fan of the Whalefishers or are looking something to start your GWF collection, this is a good one to get. You’ll be rewarded with almost 40 minutes of good times!

2006

Review by The Blackstuff

In 2001, Norway’s Greenland Whalefishers released “Loboville”, arguably the first great post Pogues album of the new 21st Century. Almost 2 years later the band are following it up with “Streets of Salvation” their 3rd full length (“Main Street Sword” being the 1st).

I was a little apprehensive about listening to “Streets of Salvation” for the first time, my biggest fear being that “Loboville” was a fluke or a one off. Fortunately my fears were misplaced and “Streets of Salvation”, is a fine, fine release. While this is not “Loboville Part 2”, I’m pleased to announce that the Whalefishers have made the 1st great Greenland Whalefishers CD of the 21st Century – don’t worry there is nothing radically different to the prior releases (though maybe some more obvious Waterboys influences then before), it’s still the sound of the Pogues battered by the cold North Atlantic waves. Just this time I find myself not thinking “Hey this sounds just like the Pogues”, now I’m thinking “Wow this sounds just like the Greenland Whalefishers”.

Highlights include but not limited to:

The title track, “Streets of Salvation” a fast paced rocker with rich Celtic melodies – “Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond” I think.

The driving Celtic rock’n’roll of “Limp Jo’s Story”, “Olivia’s Drop Out” and “The Escape”.

“No More Crucified Days” with it’s Mike Scott/Waterboys influence.

“When The Insane Came Marching In”, a Pogues like instrumental.

The much covered and much more toned down (well compared to Neck’s or the Dropkicks) version of “The Fields of Athenry.” Definitely truer to the lament Paddy Reilly made famous.

Other standouts include “The Night Rick Holder Died”, and the unrelenting punk rocker “For Bitter & Whiskey” and pretty much everything else for that matter.

December 2003

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Greenland Whalefishers from that very Irish place of Bergen, Norway. The Whalefishers first full length CD “The Main Street Sword” certainly impressed me as a solid slab of heavily Pogues influenced Celtic Punk though the production I felt didn’t capture the full power of the sound they were capable of. On “Loboville” the band have fully captured on disk that power and combined it with some really great songs (especially “Hole in our Hearts”, “Loboville” and “July Morning”), melody and playing along with Arvid Grov’s Shane MacGowan sound alike vocals (with only the slightest touch of an accent). Great stuff and highly recommended, especially to those who miss the glory days of the first three Pogues albums

December 2001