Almost canceled concert summer in the South: KEiiNO reaches out for creative measures.

Artists in the Southern country have had the most challenging summer, ever, with an almost empty calendar and cancelled performances. So KEiiNO takes matters into own hands in the late summer.

Kristiansand:  – When the corona-situation puts the tour plans and festival jobs on hold, artists can choose to sit and wait for the next gig, or take matters into their own hands and arrange alternative arrangements, Tom Hugo Hermansen from KEiiNO says to Fædrelandsvennen.

This week the “Spirit in the sky”-trio is on a corona-fitted Southern tour, with public support in the back, where they are having joik-seminars and concerts in Søgne, Lyngdal, Mandal and at last in Kristiansand on Friday.

Haven’t played since March

Fædrelandsvennen met the album-current KEiiNO before the concert on Søgne old minister’s home Wednesday afternoon where just below 200 people took the one-meter-rule and protection seriously.

— It feels great to play live again. We haven’t played concerts since we were on the scene in the Icelandic Grand Prix in the beginning of March, which was just before lockdown, says Alexandra Rotan.

The group has since the lockdown missed out on ten large gigs in the spring, followed by a cancelled summer of concerts.

— But now it has opened a little. Then we must stick within the advice from the authorities, says Rotan.

— It is about adjusting to the circumstances, just like the rest of the community do now, Fred Buljo adds.

Challenging autumn

But the trio is aware that it could be a small carrying fall on the concert scene.

Since its so expensive to arrange and produce concerts, and difficult to benefit economically with today’s max limit of 200 tickets available.

— It is going to be difficult to make concerts feasible in the future, Tom Hugo Hermansen says and turns his gaze towards band colleague Alexandra Rotan.

— It will probably be more studio time for us, she says.

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