# Live review: Lofoten islands have enthusiasts arranged the blues festival Codstock 2019: Photo album, Live concert video

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2019/06/19/islands-have-enthusiasts-arranged-the-blues-festival-codstock/
- Published: 2019-06-19T17:02:25+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**Henningsvær in Lofoten is a unique place to arrange a festival and offers visitors
spectacular experiences. The place is perhaps best known for its international climbing
environment and for its stockfish, but Henningsvær can offer much more. **

One can visit one of the many good, small restaurants with fantastic food based 
on the seafood’s ingredients. Otherwise, it is an experience in itself just to stroll
around the small fishing village and accept the impressions. Here, enthusiasts have
arranged the blues festival Codstock for 19 years.

![](https://i0.wp.com/bluesnews.no/Files/Images/festivaler/festivaler19/Sugaray-
scena.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

The festival started on Friday 7 June in the afternoon with concerts at the ‘Damperiet’
and ‘Klatre’. At ‘Trevarefabrikken’, Sugaray Rayford went on stage at 10:30 pm after
arriving at the hotel about an hour earlier after a troubled trip from the US with
delayed flights and rebooking. After 34 hours of traveling he was finally in Henningsvær.
The rest of the band appeared the day before and was more than ready to give the
Codstock public a concert they should not forget. It didn’t seem like the long journey
had put any energy on the energy, here was a full throttle from first to last tone.
It seemed that the audience almost got shocked by the energy of Sugaray. People 
had expected a good concert, but not such a move, I heard many say afterwards. Several
said it was the best concert at Codstock so far, but it was before a certain Danielle
went on stage. One must be impressed with Sugaray anyway.

![Codstock i majestetiske omgivelser](https://i0.wp.com/bluesnews.no/Files/Images/
festivaler/festivaler19/ribbtur.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

The other big artist Friday night was Sister Suzie from the UK. There are not many
people who have been with Suzie yet. She has only had three concerts with bands 
in Norway, plus an appearance at Nyttårsbluesen in Stavanger. We who have experienced
her end up with us. Suzie was also a big talkie on Codstock. With catchy rhythm 
and blues and rockabilly, she delivered an awesome concert with her great voice 
and good band. We will probably see more of Sister Suzie.

**Great atmosphere on small scenes**

The concerts on the small scenes under Codstock are notorious. Here are full houses,
sweaty and cramped, but an atmosphere and atmosphere most artists dream of experiencing.
The beer glasses are sent in chains out into the room, and hopefully money was returned
in return to the bar.

At the ‘Dameriet’, Boogieman Fleines & Elstad played and on ‘Climb’ Doghouse Sam&
his Magnatones played all three days. Saturday also played Hungry John & Freddy 
Johnsen on ‘Climb’. It had been a “magical” concert, we were told, something we 
who have been to acoustic concert with John can well understand.

Doghouse Sam made his mark during Codstock in 2015, and this year he returned to
Henningsvær with his energetic performances. There were almost hallelujah conditions
during the concert at Trevarefabrikken Saturday afternoon, where we got to experience
his “old style” rhythm’n blues, raw blues and rockabilly. It is not often one sees
so many happy and gentle faces at the concert.

![](https://i0.wp.com/bluesnews.no/Files/Images/festivaler/festivaler19/Doghouse-
og-folk.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

**Popular Danielle Nicole**

At the evening concert at Trevarefabrikken on Saturday, it was clear to what so 
many had looked forward to and talked most about, Danielle Nicole Band. Danielle
has been to Codstock before, but then with Trampled Under Foot, so the audience 
knew what they were expecting. And neither was anyone disappointed. Danielle is 
a wonderful artist and musician who gives everything by herself during the concerts.
The music comes straight from the soul and the heart, and crawls under the dog at
the audience. Together with the man Brenden she gave us a concert that was absolutely
magical, from the sad melancholy to the more bubbly and energetic. After the concert
almost everybody wanted to talk to her and buy a CD, and as the generous person 
Danielle is, they got to meet her, and many got hugs too. No matter who I asked,
they agreed that this was a concert for the history books.

It was no easy task to finish the evening after Danielle, but JT Lauritsen & The
Buckshot Hunters managed to call out the latest forces from the audience and got
people out on the dance floor. JT has not played so much in the north, but got many
new fans after this concert.

![](https://i0.wp.com/bluesnews.no/Files/Images/festivaler/festivaler19/Danielle1.
jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

**End of Sunday**

On Sunday, Bluesnews’ was broadcast on a ribbed tour with Doghouse Sam in the archipelago
outside Henningsvær. On the trip we were told a bit of history, it was feeding of
sea eagles and we got to see many climbers up in the mountainsides. As previously
mentioned, mountain climbing is something Henningsvær is well known for.

The last concert we got with us before departure was the Rich Harper Band (picture
below) Sunday afternoon. A concert without the big show factor, but real and honest
blues for all the money. It was a nice ending to a nice weekend before signing on
the long drive south. The concerts with Jørn Hoel and Hungry John on Sunday night
we did not get with us.

![](https://i0.wp.com/bluesnews.no/Files/Images/festivaler/festivaler19/Rich-Harper-
2.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

**20th anniversary next year**

The organizers say that they are well pleased with this year’s edition of Codstock.
Ticket sales ended just like in previous years, but there was a greater demand for
passports than before. The weather was also on the organizers’ side most of the 
weekend, with good temperature and light mixing with the sun and cloudy. Sunday 
night, on the other hand, was a little wet.

Next year is the 20th anniversary, and the plans have already come a long way, festival
manager Trine Mentzen can tell. On the anniversary, the festival will honor Norwegian
blues artists, and several major Norwegian names have already been booked. The focus
will be on Norwegian and Nordic artists, but there will also be some foreign artist
there, ”says Mentzen. There will probably be more scenes, and she suggests that 
there are plans for a very special and spectacular scene. Otherwise, the concept
will be as before.

All the artists Bluesnews talked to could tell how overwhelmed they were over the
festival, and also the follow-up and the activities outside the concerts. And not
to forget the wonderful nature, the weather and the light, which Bluesnew’s emissaries
can sign on.

⌊Festivalstyret bestÃ¥r av Stig Einarsen (festivalfotograf), Tommy Gimming (transport),
festivalsjef Trine Mentzen, Svein-HÃ¥kon Fjordbakk (vakt/billetter ), Thea M. Edvardsen,(
var ikke med da bildet ble tatt) og bookingansvarlig Freddy Iversen.⌉⌊Festivalstyret
består av Stig Einarsen (festivalfotograf), Tommy Gimming (transport), festivalsjef
Trine Mentzen, Svein-HÃ¥kon Fjordbakk (vakt/billetter ), Thea M. Edvardsen, (var
ikke med da bildet ble tatt) og bookingansvarlig Freddy Iversen.⌉The festival board
consists of Stig Einarsen (festival photographer), Tommy Gimming (transport), festival
manager Trine Mentzen, Svein-Håkon Fjordbakk (guard / tickets), Thea M. Edvardsen,(
was not included when the picture was taken) and booking manager Freddy Iversen.

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