Våghals is a really good norwegian band which is playing punk as it should be played. The interview was done in june-2026

Tell me a little how you came together and been playing together and when it was and why it became this sort of music?

-We played the first time in Arild’s son Jakob’s 30th birthday party. Siggy had some songs laying around that was practiced a few times. After this we didn’t play again until Jakob turned 35. This time it sounded better and we decided to play a few gigs for free in Oslo. We were asked to warm up for friends in Häxer and You Know Who. And now we play more shows than we expected. Still few enough shows that it’s fun every time! 

We play punk because we like punk 

Please tell me a little about every member in the group, age, work, instrument, bands on the side and bands before and something really bad about evveryone?

-Siggy, vocals 38 works as a tattooer. Have been in some shitty bands that never amounted to anything. Made a one man punk band with Swedish lyrics on his computer named “Mej och Grabbarna” in he’s teens. Has the singing capabilities of a drunken sailor. Likes pissing himself in the mouth.

John Henry, drums 65 was an angry, pessimistic youth that found outlet in the punk anti establishment scene. Learned to play drums DIY. Was shure to die childless before 30, got shitfaced at a party in Paris’s catacombes in 82, woke up all alone, freaked out and changed his mind. Now father, grandfather, happily married and once again in a punkband with his old bandmates and a couple of kids. Bands: Men of Courage, Lost at Sea, Pauls Formula, SIC and Permafrost.

Nils, guitar is too old and does normal boring adult work (has worked with Arild for many years). Is the brains behind most riffs and everything melodic in our songs. He has been in Men of Courage, Lost at Sea, Scweinhund, Yeahlove Swans. And is currently in Paul’s Formula in addition to Våghals. 

Arild, bass 66 is self proclaimed probably the best carpenter in Oslo (maybe Norway). Played in The Leftovers with Harrald Fossberg at what is known as Oslos first punk concert. The hippies who owned the squat where they were playing pulled the power because they thought it sounded so awful. Also played bass in Men of Courage with the others!

Jonas, guitar 29 is an etarnal student. Soon to old to be our young alibi. Played drums in a cover band that never amounted to anything and played drums in an overly ambitious jrock band that never amounted to anything. Being the son of John Henry is the only reason he is in the band (according to himself).

Våghals, where did the name come from, any other names who you talked about when you named the band?

-The name is a wordplay on Vågsbygd, it’s one of the suburbs of Kristiansand. All lyrics are somehow connected to Vågsbygd. No other names have ever been discussed 

Laga helt Selv, some thought behind the title on your LP?

-It’s a line from one of the songs about being a privileged artist who is proud of completing the simplest tasks. D.I.Y in Norwegian. 

Is this your first physical record or do you have any other releases?

-Yes this is our only physical release so far. Another one might come inshallah. 

You don´t like politics in music or?

-We like politics in music. Our music is about the more simpler things in life though. I guess portraying the normal life of a middle class man with a christian upbringing and drinking habit also can be percived as political? We do have one line about shooting Benjamin Netanyahu. In the same song we also sing about shooting people who don’t like frozen shrimps. So it’s kinda hard to know when we are serious and not I guess. 

Who writes the lyrics and what inspires?

-All lyrics are written by Siggy. Until now it has been about his upbringing in Vågsbygd. Some story’s are true, some are highly exaggerated and some are straight up lies. 

Please tell me a little about the follwoing lyrics

Lönningspils, piss og blod

-It’s a song about working in the nickle factory in Vågsbygd, beeing fed up with the foreman, getting your salary and spending it all on beer, then getting in a fight on the way home. 

Hippie med Spenn

-The song I mentioned earlier. About beeing a spoiled Norwegian who thinks your art matters. In some ways it’s about ourselves. In some ways it’s absolutely not about us. 

Blaudis og Brus

-In this lyric we have stolen a lot of lines from old folk songs from Kristiansand and put it together to portrait a high and drunken day in town. Also some of our town originals are tributed throughout the song. 

How is it to live in Norway today, racism, expensive prizes etc etc, and that you´re not in the EU?

-Big question. All of us have a job and a place to live so we can’t complain really. And being white males we haven’t really been a target for racism either. But there are for sure people who struggle too. And racism is real in Norway. FRP is the biggest political party and growing. 

We don’t care much for misogyny, sexism, homophobes, the tradwife movement and transphobia either.

EU is a complicated one, we all love Europa! 

If you had the chance to rule Norway for two weeks, which is the first thing you would have changed?

-It’s probably best to avoid this kind of position. It’s our impression that this kind of power can go to your head real quick.

But if we where forced I guess we could:

Give a desent economic support to all families that live under the poverty line, free dental care, legalize drugs and imply the drug reform, abolish the monarchy, free public trensportation, deny the norwegian stinking rich whining motherfuckers in Switzerland to ever return, let them rot there, we don’t need them!

Norway has a good tradition of old good punkbands, any favoruites among them?

-Turbonegro, Anal Babes, Flying Crap, Wannskrækk, Per Bergersen, Jokke, Kjøtt, Svart Framtid, Hærverk, Betong Hysteria are old Norwegian punk artists/bands/legends worth mentioning. 

Any new favorites from Norway?

-GBZ, Jimbo Jones, Svarte Peeng, Loose Teeth, You Know Who, Sunny Bleach, Stabber, Chemtrails Oslo, Slug Boys, Sloss, Sklitakling, Fights, Slomosa, Pjolterguys, Polyfrenetics, FeralNature, Håndgemeng, Häxer and Hayeminol are among “new” Norwegians bands we would recommend checking out!

Any really good swedish bands you like?

-Some of us beeing really fucking old we of course have a soft spot for Ebba Grön and KSMB.

Other Swedish bands we like: Trubbel, Bäddat för Trubbel, Hellacopters, Gatans Lag, Viagra Boys, Perkele, Refused and Bob Hund

You release your music on Fucking North Pole Records, is it good?

-It is very good! Robert Dyrnes who runs the label is such an enthusiastic dude. He have put out a shitload of unknown bands just for the passion of it! If you wanna learn more about him and his label he guests in an episode of the podcast Feedback with Egon Holstad. 

Is it difficult to sell physical records?

-I don’t know. We sell a few every time we play a show I think. We don’t have a very strategic business plan or anything.

Do you buy much records yourself?

-Yes I can say for myself(Siggy) that I buy a record everytime I see a band I like if they sell records in the merch. 

Ten favourite records all the time?

-We are five in the band so here everyone has picked two each:

Operation Ivy - Operation Ivy

Buzzcocks - Love Bites

The Jam - In the City

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasure

Devo - Are we not men we are devo 

Dead boys - Young, Loud and Snotty 

Damned - Damned, Damned, Damned

Patti Smith - Easter

Velvet Underground and Nico - Velvet Underground and Nico

David Bowie - Rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars

Which the biggest band you veer have shared stage with? Any dreamband to share the stage with?

-We are gonna play at Løddepønk this summer where The Good the Bad and the Zugly is gonna headline so that will be it. And we have played a lot with You Know Who. They are gonna be big soon! 

The big wet dream band would probably be Cosmic Psychos. 

What is the best with playing live? And the worst?

-The best is the cold beers and happy crowds. Every crowd, big or small is awesome. We like to connect with our audience during and after our concerts. 

The worst would be if the venue tells you to go on half an hour too early before anyone has showed up or some bullshit like that. But we try to keep it positive. 

The most craziest thing which have happened during a concert with you?

-We had a gig back home in Kristiansand when this guy bled on absolutely everyone and everything in the 50 person venue. Looked pretty good though. 

What type of people comes to your concerts? Any type you´re missing?

-Usually a guy called Børge comes, some turbojungends, punks, old ladies, locals, friends and family. We always wish for Siggys friend Øl Axel from Vennesla to come see us, so we sometimes miss him. 

Many bands do their own beer, if you do that, whcih sort of beer would it have been and what is you going to call it?

-An easy pilsner. We would call it Christen Vann!

I think about the song Selvemål, is that something you have been invoilved in yourself? What do you think about Norways chances in World Championship?

-Yes it’s about self experience. Our most honest song in fact. It’s about starting out as a young hopeful footballplayer. But ending up using the football field as an arena for smoking and drinking at night. 

Norway is gonna crush it!

Which bands are you being compared with and which bands do you want to be compared with if you must say some?

-I think we have only been compered with one band as I remember. Kristopher Schau told me after a sound check that we sounded like The Macc Lads. 

A band we took much inspiration from for the first songs is Ebba Grön. I guess we wanna sound like them on the most pist off songs like ‘Mona Tumbas Slim Club’.

How would you describe your music in three words for anyone who never have heard you?

-Warm, including and pissed!

Futureplans for the band?

-Play gigs, drink beers, get our prostates checked, and hopefully make another record.

For yourself?

-Drink beers and get our prostates checked. 

Wisdomword?

-The most important is not to win the fistfight but to participate. 

Anything more to add to the interview?

-Can’t think of anything. We have never talked this much about ourselves before, so I think this is probably enough for now. Thanks for having us!