Exporting Blå
Renowned Oslo club Blå is taking its award-winning concept abroad with upcoming trips to Berlin and Moscow that are destined to bring a touch of eclectic Norwegian club culture to the two capitals. Return visits by the Berlin and Moscow host clubs ensure a unique exchange of music, people and local culture.
Vibrant Oslo club Blå’s contribution to the Centenary Anniversary of Norwegian independence is a vital new cultural exchange programme that entails clubs in Berlin, Moscow, London, Chicago, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Copenhagen swapping facilities with Blå in Oslo. Entire club crews, DJs, bands, bouncers, sound techs, interior, etc. are swapped with the partner club abroad, bringing a taste of Oslo to such clubs as Berlin’s Maria am Ostbahnhof, Moscow’s Kitaisky Leotchik Jao Da and Chicago’s Empty Bottle. The clubs abroad will also pay return visits to Blå’s Oslo facilities, taking over the idyllic riverside venue with their own music and local club culture.
In April and May, Blå will trade venues with Berlin’s Maria am Ostbahnhof and Moscow’s Kitaisky Leotchik Jao Da. 16 April marks the virgin night of the project as the Maria am Ostbahnhof crew take over Blå bringing acts Bus, Fenin and DJ Electro Ellen Alien.
On 6 May Blå pays a return visit to their German friends by taking over Berlin’s Maria am Ostbahnhof bringing with them acts Jaga Jazzist, Kim Hiorthøy and Mental Overdrive.
14 May will see Moscow club Kitaisky Leotchik Jao Da invading Blå’s facilities with act Paperny Tam.
Blå pays the Moscow crowds a visit on 28 May with a roster that includes Hanne Hukkelberg and DJ Audun Vinger.
Says Blå’s project manager Sigurd Reinton: “We see ourselves as an international venue and we’ve had a far-reaching perspective for a long time now. For us, this project represents a great opportunity to expand our network. It’s not important to earn lots of cash, it’s much more important to act as an integrator. It’s important to create a lasting effect through this collaboration and we wish to establish an informal network of clubs throughout the world. The club exchange program will be a question of establishing contacts between clubs, artists, booking agents, promoters and audiences. We do not want to establish branches of our own club and we do not want fo focus only on Norwegian artists. It is as important to get the foreign clubs with their artists to us, we want exchange both ways.”
Blå’s club-exchange project is supported by Hundreårsmarkeringen Norge 2005 as (the official organisational body for the Centennial Anniversary for Norwegian independence) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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