Messed!Up
It’s rare that I head off to cover a festival not knowing 80 percent of the bands on the line-up, but Viva Sounds Festival in Gothenburg always finds new rising artists and it always ends up with me going home with one or two new favorites to follow years ahead. Isn’t that the reason to go to festivals, to discover masses of new bands, some with the potential to become the next arena band? This year wasn’t any different.
Viva Sounds strength lies in its smallness and concentration to a limited geographic area, especially around Stigbergstorget and the venues Oceanen, Skeppet, Fyrens, Gatenhielmska, Utopia Jazz, Musikens Hus, and Hängmattan. The rest of the venues are located a 5-10min walk from Stigbergstorget or a one-station ride with the tram. With such proximity, it’s not hard to understand that I watched 26 shows in three days. But the real hidden gem with these small venues is the atmosphere. From the sweaty, up-close metal club The Abyss with very little room to spare to the free-entry shows at buzzing meeting points as Fyrens and Holy Moly and the gritty rock vibe at the main venue Musikens Hus, the festival feels more like a huge living room party where you squeeze in forty of your best friends on 20m2 – and that’s a feeling unique to the Viva Sounds Festival. I may also be biased growing up in the Gothenburg area and seeing many of these venues grow from nothing to iconic Gothenburg venues. But I know one thing for sure: even if I haven’t visited Gothenburg for a few years, it feels like yesterday I visited any of these venues, especially Musikens Hus/Hängmattan that has been one of my favorite venues since the first, and only, time I’ve seen Dive and Vomito Negro play live, in 1991. That’s a feeling I don’t get anywhere else in the world.
But a festival is about the bands, right? My strategy this year was to watch as much as I could, not watch full shows but leave after 5-6 songs to watch the next band at another venue. That’s what showcase festivals are for: discovering new bands, and then you must run between venues. What was interesting about Viva Sounds 2025 was that most bands were unknown to me. I counted bands in the line-up and realized that I haven’t listened to 73% of the bands at all, which is unique. I want to think that running a music magazine forces you to keep up with new music, and I listen to eight different playlists for new bands every week. But apparently, there’s a segment of bands out there that I know nothing about, most of them Swedish bands.
The best gigs of the festival
Although I had three amazing nights at Viva Sounds, I’m picking four bands that stood out from the crowd and made impressive performances – any band that gives me a rush of adrenaline gets my attention – but it’s worth mentioning that the last day at Hängmattan was by far the best because of the This Feeling-curated night with new talents from the UK, and I’m a die-hard UK music dude. It’s just something about the British sound. Four bands and four amazing shows by Long Island (UK), Skorts (US), EF (Swe), and Cari Cari (Aut).
First band to impress on the roster of Viva Sounds 2025 was Swedish post-rock act EF. I’ve followed the band since their epic debut, Give Me Beauty… Or Give Me Death!, released in 2006, and the first three albums are beautifully orchestrated post-rock pieces with an ensemble sound on the albums. EF’s post-rock sound isn’t just beautiful, it’s assertively dynamic and intensely unique. Post-rock with twists and turns, and their debut album embodies this perfectly. Tonight, the band was about to play a special celebratory set, although it’s a few months ahead of the record’s 20th anniversary.
Their stage setup was massive, and it looked more like an ensemble than a band on stage. I think I counted it to fourteen people on stage with cellos, violins, brass instruments, guitars, and whatever instrument you need to create 15min pieces of beautifully composed songs that made it one of my best post-rock experiences in years. A massive wall of sound combined with beautifully constructed pieces floating through your soul. I just wish there was a budget for any band to tour with a set like this. The sonic landscape it paints is just mind-bending. Not necessary to add anything else, it was the best set of the festival.
However, it was the last day of the festival when the fun really started. It’s hard to explain, but I’m a dedicated British indie rock fan, and there’s a never-ending stream of amazing new indie rock coming out of the UK every year. Most bands release a few singles and a banger EP – and that’s it. They vanish as soon as they leave high school to never reappear on a stage again, and had it not been for the amazing EP they released (all bands release one epic EP, and then energy and creativity seem to disappear), no one would ever remember their existence. Tonight was the night when UK indie rock festival curated Hängmattan and brought loads of new talents, most of them playing outside the UK for the first time ever, and all of them really good bands. It must be something in Guinness they get as kids.
Anyhow, although I watched all bands, and have watched zillions of UK indie bands of the last 35 years, there’s always one band that surprises, a band you hope will continue beyond the first EP slump and release albums. Tonight, that band was Long Island.
The Huddersfield five-piece have already released two albums, and the latest one, The Freedom of Being Young, released in September this year, is one of the best new albums of 2025, including two super bangers called “Homewrecker” and “Want It More”. It’s a gratifying mix of punchy pop hooks and resolute rock sensibilities. And live, they notch it up a bit.
Lead vocalist Rhiannon Stephenson’s on-stage presence doesn’t just center on vocals; she plays a key role in anchoring the band’s energy and connecting with audiences. Hängmattan’s stage isn’t big at all, and definitely not enough for Stephenson, who runs down on the floor to get more space. It’s something refreshing about young bands that write great songs and translate them into great live performances. Keep up the speed, band! You have a great future ahead of you if you just hang in there.
About an hour later, and after running between two venues for other gigs, I was back at Musikens Hus to have a beer with a friend, and why not watch a band while doing it? NYC band Skorts were about to start, and it was one of many bands at this year’s line-up I hadn’t listened to before – and what a surprise! I can’t remember the last time I accidentally stumbled upon a band I just knew I had to make a fuss about. I’ve seen plenty of rock bands recently, but none have tickled my senses, forced me into dancing, and made me gasp at their energy like Skorts. Was it the lead vocalist’s command over their vocals as if it were another instrument to hold, like the guitar around her neck? The bassist leaning on the ground as if we’d time-traveled to some dive venue in the ’70s? Or perhaps it was the guitarist leaping into the crowd without losing his breath?
Music-wise, it’s post-punk power with shoegaze sensibilities and a hint of 80s glam and Western ballads. It’s swaggering guitar riff and the hypnotizing vocals coated in a psychedelic, fluid sound. Skorts are the most refreshing new discovery of 2025.
Since I didn’t have time to chat with the people I was having a beer with during Skorts, I stayed at Musikens Hus and had a break, and waited another 45 minutes for the headliner, Austrian band Cari Cari. I’ve been to heaps of Cari Cari shows as they have been regulars on the Reeperbahn Festival line-up in our hometown Hamburg since 2019. So, I knew what to expect – and they never fail to deliver.
Stephanie Widmer and Alexander Köck have been making music together for several years and gained recognition with their first EP Amerippindunkler. What makes them so compelling live isn’t just the songs themselves, but the way they build their music with guitar, didgeridoo, and percussion, with each switch adding a new texture rather than breaking momentum. The didgeridoo, in particular, feels less like a novelty and more like a low-end engine, vibrating through the venue and giving several tracks a primal, almost hypnotic drive. What really sells the show is the way all these elements lock together. The constant shifting of instruments doesn’t distract—it heightens the energy, making each song feel like it’s evolving in front of you. And I also have to add that Cari Cari always deliver a stellar show. It’s not a one-off luck shot; they’re always amazing live.
Energy boost: Foods and beers
Any festival review must include – save for the bands and the festival vibe – proximity, food options, and pubs (trying to get a beer in 140% filled venue isn’t a choice), just to make energy intake easier. Most venues are so close within walking distance that you can catch a glimpse of twenty bands a day, especially if you stay in the Stigbergstorget area. Proximity – check. It’s Viva Sounds Festival’s major advantage; music nerds can watch almost every band.
How about food options? If you want to make it easy, just walk out of Oceanen and walk twenty meters to a huge pizza restaurant across the street, or have a snack at any of the zillions of bars in the area. Either I had something quick to eat at Fyrens (great bar food) or at my favorite place, Plankan, around the corner, or at Musikens Hus. It’s simple. If you get hungry, walk out of any venue at Stigbergstorget or Andra Långgatan, and you’ll find at least ten food options within 200 meters.
And pubs? Well, you’re in the craft beer capital of Sweden, and there are more bars than people. My routine in Gothenburg since 2014 has been to start any gig or festival night with a beer at Ölstugan Tullen at Andra Långgatan. They’ve probably earned at least half-a-year of rent from me in the last ten years, and it’s worth it. A huge selection of beers. But there are heaps of pubs along Andra Långgatan (and Tredje Långgatan, the parallel street) and around Stigbergstorget if you don’t want to stand in line at the venues, or if you just want to chill out for a few minutes without music.
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Photographer: Andreas Ljungman
