Vinskvetten
Encyclopedia
Vinskvetten is a Norwegian music and comedy troupe. They were active from 1975 to 2009.
in Norway
. The group's name is a parody
of another well known band from the same area, Salhuskvintetten. They first gained national fame in 1983, when they made the TV program Livet i Rothålå (Life in Rothålå), a mockumentary about the fictional town of Rothålå. This production would stay with both the band and its fans for the remainder of their career, and the band often use the town and its inhabitants as basis for their songs. In the late 1980s the band began recording their material, and their first two albums, released in 1988 and 1991, both went gold in Norway. They would go on to record seven albums, the last one in 2005. In 2008, the group announced their farewell tour, which played to sold-out crowds in Bergen during fall 2008 and winter 2009. The show was released on a DVD soon after, along with over two hours of bonus material from 1981 to 2007. The group subsequently retired.
Vinskvetten sings in a typical Northern Hordaland
dialect referred to as "stril", which is local slang for a person from the outskirts of Bergen and their dialect, and they also use many "old" Nynorsk
words and expressions in their lyrics.
Final members (1986 - 2009):
Former members (until 1986):
History
The group was formed in 1975 as part of a local comedy revue, and has ever since been based in Salhus, north of BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The group's name is a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of another well known band from the same area, Salhuskvintetten. They first gained national fame in 1983, when they made the TV program Livet i Rothålå (Life in Rothålå), a mockumentary about the fictional town of Rothålå. This production would stay with both the band and its fans for the remainder of their career, and the band often use the town and its inhabitants as basis for their songs. In the late 1980s the band began recording their material, and their first two albums, released in 1988 and 1991, both went gold in Norway. They would go on to record seven albums, the last one in 2005. In 2008, the group announced their farewell tour, which played to sold-out crowds in Bergen during fall 2008 and winter 2009. The show was released on a DVD soon after, along with over two hours of bonus material from 1981 to 2007. The group subsequently retired.
Vinskvetten sings in a typical Northern Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
dialect referred to as "stril", which is local slang for a person from the outskirts of Bergen and their dialect, and they also use many "old" Nynorsk
Nynorsk
Nynorsk or New Norwegian is one of two official written standards for the Norwegian language, the other being Bokmål. The standard language was created by Ivar Aasen during the mid-19th century, to provide a Norwegian alternative to the Danish language which was commonly written in Norway at the...
words and expressions in their lyrics.
Members
The line-up went through many changes during the 70s and 80s, until a final roster was selected in 1986.Final members (1986 - 2009):
- Bjørn Jensen alias "Bertel" – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(founding member), - Jarle Farestveit alias "Hallstein" – accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
and vocals (founding member), - Gunnar Låstad alias "Ruball" – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and vocals, - Arild Totland alias "Belbert" – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and vocals, - Øyvind Østerbø alias "Øyvind" – guitar and vocals,
- Gunnar Polden – light and sound technichan.
Former members (until 1986):
- Steinar Toft
- Finn Langeland
- Knut Langeland
- Stein Langeland
- Bjørn Ivar Rusten
- Kjell Østerbø
- Roald Tellevik
Albums
- 1988: "Platå" - Sold 25,000 (Gold record in Norway)
- 1991: "På Helså Laus" - Sold 25,212 copies (Gold record in Norway)
- 1994: "På Nye Eventy" - Sold 15,353 copies
- 1997: "Rånnyen og Kveitebollen" - Sold 32,402 copies (Gold record in Norway)
- 2000: "Dei Beste" (Greatest hits) - Sold 19,800 copies
- 2002: "Du Sa Det Va Forbi-bi-bi..." - Sold 12,162 copies
- 2005: "Stapp Mett" - Sold 7,000 copies
Singles
- 1984: Data-Dagros (singel)
- 1990: Ein Heit Ekkel Sommarhitt (singel)
- 2004: Daiane (singel)