- Nestled in the armpit of Oslo's most bohemian and actively counter-culture corner lies one of Norway's finest alternative music hideaways. Bla, a 300 capacity nightclub, gig and restaurant, is a relative Mecca for new music in a widely spread yet tightly knit Norwegian scene. Their club's consistency in booking high quality acts from all genres—jazz, folk, and rock through to acoustic and electronic music—has made it a personal favorite for many local Osloites and in-the-know visitors.
Despite undergoing a significant change in management some years ago, the venue has more or less retained its varied policy and warm, welcoming atmosphere. This shift did, however, result in the disapproval of a few staunch old followers and witnessed the dedicated support of some of the younger generation go to Norway's other great club, Villa, which hosts a Funktion One sound system and an all together more techno-oriented roster.
Bla nonetheless remains highly important in the city's diversified underground scene. Not only for the music on offer every week but also as a meeting point: The surrounding area, full of squats, underground theaters and street venders makes it feel more like Amsterdam or Barcelona than the typical Norwegian stereotype of fjords and mountains.
Bla has been synonymous for the past ten years with one of the country's most popular exports: Cosmic disco. This melting pot of sounds takes in everything from eerie sci-fi B-movie soundtracks to electro-funk, prog rock, psychedelia, disco and house and, on this night, Full Pupp label boss Prins Thomas was the man stirring it at his imprint's monthly at the club.
Prins Thomas took center stage alongside residents Espen Haa, Marius Circus and Astronauten. Never one to make a crowd wait and appear for a short set, Thomas's performance started early and had those intent on a night of good music grooving through a long journey of low driving bass between spaced guitar riffs, psychedelic drifts and proper house right up to the master stroke of a 20-minute ode to spaghetti westerns. It was a fun crowd with a few clued-up heads, stained only by a small portion of over beer'd and woman-hungry males Those drunks aside, there was space to move—apart from a few floor-filling moments when Thomas's set went down a housier road. And while things thinned out toward the end, the overall conclusion was simple: Good night, great music.