A different Christmas party with Fat Fred & co: Photo, Video

Fat Fred and his Possumhunters invited “A Different Christmas” at Lillestrøm Cultural Center on December 12. It was a Thursday, but felt like a Saturday.

Enhanced with Viggo Sandvik, Amund Maarud, Stina Stenerud and the young guitar talent Tobias Ruud, everything was ready for a solid dose of rocky and swinging Christmas mood. At a time when churches around the country are the main arena for pre-Christmas concerts, it’s good to see someone dare to go to a Christmas show in a room with regular rent!

The stage decorations set the mood, only one Santa Claus was missing. Windbreaker and chord ladies also entered the scene when Fat Fred embarked on Santa Claus Is Back In Town.

Fredrik “Fat Fred” Støvind is a rare charismatic front man, who moves as if he is connected to a separate power outlet. The next man out was Viggo Sandvik, who has a lot of oral and had the audience in his hollow hand before he started with Je eating up my robbery. Amund Maarud came on stage and delivered a storming version of JD McPherson’s Skinny Santa, along with the entire band. He was also in the driver’s seat at Rockin ‘Around The Christmas Tree, with chorus, winds and hefty baritone guitar. Stina Stenerud delivered a just-fit sexy Santa Baby, with a voice that stands out from the average. She chants Amund Maarud on Change Of Heart, and he joins guitar when she sings Midnight In Harlem. A little of the Christmas mood was gone, but musically it was top notch.

The Christmas mood was cut back with a little multi-voiced Hawaiian feel on Mele Kalikimaka, before Stina and Fred noticed Baby, It’s Cold Outside.

Tonight’s big surprise was the young guitarist Tobias Ruud, age 14, who performed with eminent guitar playing on Steppin ‘Out. “That is what you can expect from someone who turns 15 a week,” remarked Viggo Sandvik when he returned to the stage for Lada to Hønefoss and a tear-drop Hematt for Christmas. Sandvik and Maarud also discussed Prøysen’s Romjulsdream, which Maarud took over in a little Prøysen fusion towards the end. At this point, Sandvik announced that he had initially forgotten a song and was leading an energetic version of Wheels, Christmas in Christmas. Then the trumpet also appeared.

Towards the end it was Hey Merry Christmas and Run Rudolp Run. A rocking finale, which got the audience on its feet, an audience that demanded more. The band broke with the rent rules and believe with an extra number that got the audience on the sing-along, with Fat Fred jogging around the hall. A confirmation that the audience would have liked half an hour or more!

The next day, surprisingly, I saw Romerike Leaf’s “cultural worker” come up with some sour rant about “a Christmas party in the name of the home fire.” This Grinchen made lamenting claims about an audience that “rose hesitantly and clapped”. Fake News !! The atmosphere was top notch and the response was in style!

Hope this becomes an annual tradition, which will soon lead to more nights at Kulturhuset. A Rockin ‘Good Christmas!