Photo: Peter Gannushkin Photo: Peter Gannushkin Photo: Peter Gannushkin Photo: Peter Gannushkin If someone would have told me five years Humor on tour can often bee a cryptic • Alligator (a piece of tire on the road, ago that this band would happen - playing thing for “outsiders” and focus on minimal usually a recap from a blown tire) with this particular group of musicians, topics as persons in the cultural sphere, • Back door (something behind you) drumming alongside Paal, touring all over, impressions of dialects, gestures or simply • Back it down (slow down) eating, swimming and singing karaoke guttural sounds. • Bear (a law enforcement officer at together on the other side of the planet any level) – i probably wouldn’t believe it. I guess When a friend of mine, who is also a • Bear bite (a speeding ticket) most people have the experience of musician, gets back from a tour, the first • Bird dog (radar detector) dreaming about or imagining something thing his wife usually asks about is how • Donkey (Behind you, for the future, and when they actually get has the humor been? Really bad, he could ex; Bear on your donkey!) whatever it is that they want, it doesn’t feel off course say, but then he has to try and • Hammer down (go fast, step on it) that special. It’s probably replaced with explain what the humor has been like. This • Hammer lane (the left, passing lane new desires. I remember standing outside can be quite hard talking to someone on of traffic) the venue in Seattle with Thomas and Jon the outside. Often the humor will seem Rune, this was the last concert. I think we totally imbecile, stupid and not funny at Of these “Hammer down!” became the all felt the same, being in this band and all. I would say that this could apply to most popular by far. So every time the making music under these circumstances the 2015 Large Unit tour of the US. There 11 piece band left or arrived at a gas truly feels more than fortunate. Shaking was a lot of driving and plenty of time in station, diner, car, bus, restaurant, our heads in disbelief of what we are the cars to kill. I don’t know if it was due beach or venue, there would be a small experiencing together, laughing, staring to a childhood dream of becoming a truck symphony of “hammer down’s!” being into the pavement, climbing a tree, saying driver, but I came across a website called hollered in different bad impressions bye-bye to audience members that were www.truckercountry.com. This is a website of American dialects to every one else’s too excited to express anything (and in about truck driving, covering many topics, pleasure. During a normal working day that way expresses it perfectly). Living the one of them being trucker slang. So I I would say that the band averaged dream! And I think it’s an important point passed out a list of some 200 phrases and about 200 “hammer downs”. On previous for this group that we are experiencing words of trucker slang to the entire band tours the Large Unit humor has often together, because there’s not much ego. and let it sink in. Of these here are some of seem to revolve around different (bad) Egoism in music can be problematic to my personal favorites: impersonations of musicians, dialects say the least, which becomes even more and just guttural sounds, so I’m eagerly of a problem in a large group. On the awaiting the next tour, and to see what other hand, playing in a group of this size comes out off it on and off stage. gives great opportunity to tune into the frequencies of the collective intuition, the Klaus Ellerhusen Holm strongest force of all. Almost impossible to DO, because it doesn’t happen at will, it just happens (at least in my experience). And I have felt that force in this band, in the beginning only for a moment at the time, later longer stretches and sometimes entire concerts. This is what we live for. Nothing can be more rewarding than creating energy and music in the moment, let the sounds flush and blow out like they should in the “now”. Andreas Wildhagen INTERVIEW WITH PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE, SEPTEMBER 2015 BY LASSE MARHAUG It seems like 2015 was the year Large experience from the road in order to made sense travel-wise. That was a Unit really came into full force. 45 develop. The music changes and people logistical puzzle. concerts for a 12-piece band in a interact in a completely different way six-month span, that’s a lot even for if you’re out for more then a week or What are the financial challenges a regular size band. What made you so. I’m ambitious and was determined connected to bringing a band like this go for three full tours in such a short we could pull it off – and we did. It also on the road? period of time? forced me to write more material for the group. Winning the lottery! Thing is that Since the very first meeting with the we’re still extremely fortunate to have guys and the very first concert in In Large Unit you are band leader, funding for music and arts in Norway. Molde, July 2013, I wanted to get this composer, booking agent, producer Without the financial support from band on the road! We first did a short and you play the drums, and you did Ministry of Culture, Music Norway, tour of Norway in spring 2014 and also these three tours packed in between Jazzforum and Fond For Lyd og Bilde recorded what became the album a tight schedule of tours with other – who all supported the European and “Erta Ale”. We were also lucky to do a bands plus organising two festivals. North America tour – it would simply handful of concerts at international Surely putting together the Large Unit be impossible to pull it off. There was festivals abroad where press gave us tours must have been a monumental also the Bielecki Foundation in the US good reviews. I was planning to do at task. How did you manage? and even some private funding from least two solid tours of Europe in 2015 fans in Milwaukee. The fees from the but when I realized the rumor was out It’s a lot of work, but I like working a lot presenters were quite decent and I and there was interest in Canada, I also and it keeps me going. I’m a complete could pay the musicians an okay fee. thought we should do a proper tour of control freak and have a hard time You got to think in a different way and North America in the same go. trusting anyone to do what I do with lower the expectations of income with the same dedication. I have all the 12 musicians on the road. What cost the That’s kind of crazy. contacts for booking gigs and for most was of course the overseas travel, these tours I was out early fishing for but we also had expenses for visas, Yes, I can see the insanity of doing all of them. Fortunately most presenters rental cars and hotels in the US. this within one year, but it’s a working were interested in having us. The most band and not a project. A band needs difficult thing was making a tour that What practical challenges does travelling with such a big band bring? of tours in North America the last 10-15 shines on stage. And I must admit that why did you introduce new material on duos will push all members into new eye for composition and manages to years. Some of the guys had only been having a woman in the band is nice. the tours instead of just playing the territories. It also gives me new ideas capture some special moments. All Thankfully I’ve got some experience to New York, Chicago and maybe a few It’s like the birthday parties when you “Erta Ale” tunes? for composing new material. Also, the of the people in the band were taking touring with large ensembles, so I trips between Philly, DC and New York. where a kid, of course you didn’t only audience get to hear each member in a photos but they were more holiday kind of knew what obstacles could So I had the pleasure to show them want guys. There are several reasons bringing in slightly different context. style and quit trashy (including mine), occur. I had everything planned way in what’s in between all the bigger cities, new material to the band. When the Christian’s stood out. advance; from where to have breakfast, like the college towns, Appalachia Do you consider Large Unit a project or band started I had written about eight How do you feel the band developed dinner, bars and even record shops. I region, white poverty, red neck country, a band? compositions and we did one tour of over these tours? And what about the two CDs? had it all mapped out. But of course, Motor City, Waffle House, Hop Leaf in Norway, recorded “Erta Ale” and most as soon as you get on the road and see Chicago, record stores in Milwaukee It’s a band. I realised that on the very of the tunes were with us on festival The band has grown a lot since the Almost all the shows were recorded and that some people have their different and so on.