The Øya program is getting bigger and more varied. It is clear that many are satisfied with the artists organisers have released so far, because now half of the weekly passes have already been sold.

Now three very good, but quite different rock bands are ready for Tøyenparken. The French band ALCEST gets an ever larger audience with its floating, dark and melodious tunes. Organisers are looking forward to an atmospheric concert on Saturday. TROPICAL FUCK STORM grew out of the remnants of Australian cult band The Drones, and released the wonderfully troubled rock album Braindrops last year. THE COCKROACH CLAN has managed to deliver a career highlight after over 25 years as a band. Now it’s time for a punk party in Tøyenparken.  

Last year, the French duo ALCEST delivered the very strong album Spiritual Instinct, and will now be on the road throughout Europe. In August they come to Oslo and Øya festival. ALCEST was originally intended as a solo project for Stéphane ‘Niege’ Paut in 2000. Nine years later, drummer Jean ‘Winterhalter’ Deflandre was included. For over ten years, ALCEST has worked as a creative duo, assisted by regular live musicians during concerts. They balance between heavier post-metal and shoegaze, in a way that marks traces of black metal, indie rock and psychedelia. The delicate, melodic and brutal combine in a very tasteful way. “Music from another world” they have called it themselves.

The COCKROACH CLAN is one of Norway’s longest existing punk rock bands. In the 90’s they released three albums and joined a bunch of collectors. The band signed in the spring of 2019 on the record label Physical Format, and that fall they released their first full-length in 22 years, called Songs About Blunt Knives and Deep Love. Producer Hugo Alvarstein initiated the recording, with a vision of restoring and revitalising parts of the band’s well-scraped iron. We are talking about new recordings of Cockroach songs from their hard days, something new and something never before released.

Listen to the songs and get bored and awesome at once! It is an astonishingly delightful blend of primitive nature drives the COCKROACH CLAN infects everyone with when playing live. They have toured and shared venues with several legendary bands, such as The Toy Dolls, Discharge, UK Subs, Cock Sparrer, The Exploited, GBH, Charter 77 and Dia Psalma.

TROPICAL FUCK STORM was formed by Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin from Melbourne band The Drones, and has, after massive touring activities, become a band that SHOULD bring with them live. They started shortly after the latter took a break late in 2016. Before embarking on their first tour, they met with Lauren Hammel of the hard-hitting High Tension and Erica Dunn. TROPICAL FUCK STORM‘s debut album was named A Laughing Death in Meatspace. The music is playful, restless, small chaotic and tries to free itself from any genre expectations. The sequel album Braindrops was released in 2019, taking tenth place on the Australian album list. It’s a pretty big achievement for such an uncompromising band.

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