(Original on www.kaizers.no, Text backup here)
After 17 years as flagship festival in Norway, Quart Festival gives up.So there won't be a festival gig in Kristiansand for Kaizers on July 4, after all.
- No, this is a pity, Geir Kaizer details for Kaizernews.
- It was no surprise that one of the three big festivals, Quart, Hove, or Øya, would have to surrender sooner or later, and in this respect it is no wonder that it was Quart now. Still I was surprised that they canceled this year's festival which is so soon. I really thought it would take place.
- In the Dagbladet article you say that Kristiansand is a difficult town, what do you mean by that?
- I can only speak as musician in a band here, but there are very few, if any, suitable concert clubs in Kristiansand, and it is very difficult to get people to come to concerts there. It seems to me a bit like this one Quart week is the cultural alibi of Kristiansand.
- Additionally, the reputation of Quart has been going more in the direction of livestyle than music since 2000. It became a fashion thing for wealthy young people from Oslo to travel there and party, good or bad, and this reputation gradually took some of this "cred", which is so important.
- You have played and been at Quart?
- We played there with White Stripes and Bowie one year, yes, it was very good. And I was there the very first year, actually, in 1994 with some friends. That time, the festival was in a tent just besides the fort at the waterside. We put up our tent right outside and went to the concerts, I remember that we saw Clawfinger, among others. One of my first festival experiences. Quart has been an important and good festival in Norway and managed to make big bands stop by, but now it looks as if others take over.