Nationalteatern
Encyclopedia
Nationalteatern is a Swedish
progg
rock
group from the 1970s that featured leftist political lyrics. It was originally a traveling theater ensemble with many members, most notably Ulf Dageby
, Anders Melander, Totta Näslund
, Nikke Ström
, Hans Mosesson
and Pale Olofsson
.
in 1968, Nationalteatern moved to Gothenburg
and started to put heavy emphasis on the musical part of the plays. The leader of the group in the early days was Anders Melander, who also played most of the instruments on the group's debut album, Ta det som ett löfte...ta det inte som ett hot (Take it as a promise...don’t take it as a threat). On the second album, Livet är en fest (Life is a party), Ulf Dageby
was allowed more creative room, and he later evolved into the group's driving force. The album was a more straightforward rock album than the previous one, a formula that proved very successful.
In 1977, many members of Nationalteatern played a significant part in The Tent Project. The next year saw the release of Barn av vår tid (Children of our time) – the first album featuring Totta Näslund
– and still later Rövarkungens ö (The Island of the Bandit King). After 1980, the group moved away from the theatrical work and concentrated on music, calling themselves a rock orchestra. The group dissolved soon afterward, but the new millennium has seen several reunions of Nationalteatern, touring all over Sweden, even after Totta Näslund
died in 2005. No new songs or albums have yet been recorded.
In 2002 a tribute album, Nationalsånger - Hymner från Vågen och EPAs torg
, was released, featuring several of Sweden's most famous musicians (such as Backyard Babies
, The Hellacopters
, The Soundtrack of Our Lives
, Lisa Miskovsky
, and The Ark
) performing Nationalteatern songs.
Their music, which was composed to the plays the group wrote and performed at youth community centers in Sweden, was written in a youth-in-trouble-theme, often containing an anti-drug message.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
progg
Progg
Progg, a contraction of the Swedish word for "progressive music" was a left-wing and anti-commercial musical movement in Sweden that had its roots in the late 1960s, and its golden age in the 1970s. It should not be confused with the English expression progressive music or progressive rock. Progg...
rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
group from the 1970s that featured leftist political lyrics. It was originally a traveling theater ensemble with many members, most notably Ulf Dageby
Ulf Dageby
Ulf Thorbjörn Dageby is a Swedish rock musician, singer and songwriter. Dageby is mostly known for his role in the leftist “rock orchestra” and theater ensemble Nationalteatern.-Biography:...
, Anders Melander, Totta Näslund
Totta Näslund
Erik Torsten "Totta" Näslund was a Swedish rock and blues musician, with leftist political views.- Biography :...
, Nikke Ström
Nikke Ström
Nikke Ström is a Swedish rock musician, mostly known as the bass player in Nationalteatern.Ström was born and grew up in Karlskoga playing in different bands. In the beginning of 1970 he studied philosophy at Stockholm University...
, Hans Mosesson
Hans Mosesson
Hans Kristoffer Mosesson, is a Swedish actor and musician.Hans Mosesson was born in the Enskede district of Stockholm. He studied medicine at the University of Lund in the 1970s. In Lund he met the newly founded leftist theater and musical group Nationalteatern, and Mosesson quit his studies and...
and Pale Olofsson
Pale Olofsson
Pale Olofsson is a Swedish rock musician, actor and artist. He is mostly known as one of the members of Nationalteatern.He was born in Stockholm, and moved to Malmö in 1960....
.
History
Initially formed as a free theater group in LundLund
-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
in 1968, Nationalteatern moved to Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
and started to put heavy emphasis on the musical part of the plays. The leader of the group in the early days was Anders Melander, who also played most of the instruments on the group's debut album, Ta det som ett löfte...ta det inte som ett hot (Take it as a promise...don’t take it as a threat). On the second album, Livet är en fest (Life is a party), Ulf Dageby
Ulf Dageby
Ulf Thorbjörn Dageby is a Swedish rock musician, singer and songwriter. Dageby is mostly known for his role in the leftist “rock orchestra” and theater ensemble Nationalteatern.-Biography:...
was allowed more creative room, and he later evolved into the group's driving force. The album was a more straightforward rock album than the previous one, a formula that proved very successful.
In 1977, many members of Nationalteatern played a significant part in The Tent Project. The next year saw the release of Barn av vår tid (Children of our time) – the first album featuring Totta Näslund
Totta Näslund
Erik Torsten "Totta" Näslund was a Swedish rock and blues musician, with leftist political views.- Biography :...
– and still later Rövarkungens ö (The Island of the Bandit King). After 1980, the group moved away from the theatrical work and concentrated on music, calling themselves a rock orchestra. The group dissolved soon afterward, but the new millennium has seen several reunions of Nationalteatern, touring all over Sweden, even after Totta Näslund
Totta Näslund
Erik Torsten "Totta" Näslund was a Swedish rock and blues musician, with leftist political views.- Biography :...
died in 2005. No new songs or albums have yet been recorded.
In 2002 a tribute album, Nationalsånger - Hymner från Vågen och EPAs torg
Nationalsånger - Hymner från Vågen och EPAs torg
Nationalsånger – Hymner från Vågen och EPAs torg is an album recorded and released in 2002 by several of Sweden's most noteworthy artists as a tribute to the Swedish progg band Nationalteatern...
, was released, featuring several of Sweden's most famous musicians (such as Backyard Babies
Backyard Babies
Backyard Babies are a rock band, from Nässjö, Sweden. The band was formed in 1987 and over the years they have released five studio albums and won a Swedish Grammy. The band is now located in Stockholm, Sweden....
, The Hellacopters
The Hellacopters
The Hellacopters were a Swedish garage rock band that was formed in 1994 by Nicke Andersson , Dregen , Kenny Håkansson and Robert Eriksson . Andersson had been the drummer for death metal band Entombed and Dregen was taking a break from his full-time band Backyard Babies...
, The Soundtrack of Our Lives
The Soundtrack of Our Lives
The Soundtrack of Our Lives, alternatively known as T.S.O.O.L. or Soundtrack, is a Swedish rock band that formed in 1995 after the dissolution of the punk band Union Carbide Productions....
, Lisa Miskovsky
Lisa Miskovsky
Lisa Miskovsky is a Swedish musician. Her mother is Finnish and her father is from the Czech Republic.-Biography:...
, and The Ark
The Ark (band)
The Ark was a Swedish glam rock band formed in 1991 by Jepsson Mikael , and Lasse Ljungberg, when Ola Salo and Leari were only fourteen years old. Martin Axén officially joined the band in 1997, and Sylvester Schlegel in 1999. In late 2005, Jens Andersson joined The Ark as an official member...
) performing Nationalteatern songs.
Their music, which was composed to the plays the group wrote and performed at youth community centers in Sweden, was written in a youth-in-trouble-theme, often containing an anti-drug message.
Current members
- Ulf DagebyUlf DagebyUlf Thorbjörn Dageby is a Swedish rock musician, singer and songwriter. Dageby is mostly known for his role in the leftist “rock orchestra” and theater ensemble Nationalteatern.-Biography:...
- Vocals, guitars - Nikke Ström - Bass
- Håkan Nyberg - Guitars
- Mattias HellbergMattias HellbergMattias Hellberg is a Swedish musician. Hellberg has worked with a variety of Swedish bands and artists in different genres, both as a permanent member and as guest or session member.-Recording career:...
- Vocals, harmonica - Håkan Svensson - Drums, percussion
- Jaqee NakiriJaqueline NakiriJaqueline Nakiri Nalubale , also known as Jaqee, is a musician born in Kampala, Uganda. In 1990, she immigrated to Sweden, where she began her musical career...
- Vocals
Former members
- Bernt Andersson
- Bengt Blomgren
- Lars-Erik Brossner
- Kurt Bünz
- Inga Edwards
- Göran Ekstrand
- Bertil Goldberg
- Maria Grahn
- Anna Guttorp
- Peter Guttorp
- Lars Jacobsson
- Jussi Larnö
- Sonja Lund
- Anders Melander
- Per Melin
- Hans MosessonHans MosessonHans Kristoffer Mosesson, is a Swedish actor and musician.Hans Mosesson was born in the Enskede district of Stockholm. He studied medicine at the University of Lund in the 1970s. In Lund he met the newly founded leftist theater and musical group Nationalteatern, and Mosesson quit his studies and...
- Totta NäslundTotta NäslundErik Torsten "Totta" Näslund was a Swedish rock and blues musician, with leftist political views.- Biography :...
- Pale Olofsson
- Anki Rahlskog
- Med Reventberg
- Ulf Stenberg
- Peter Wahlqvist
- Håkan Wennberg
- Hans Wictorsson
Albums
- Ta det som ett löfte.....ta det inte som ett hot (1972)
- Livet är en fest (1974)
- Kåldolmar och Kalsipper (1976)
- Barn av vår tid (1978)
- Rockormen (1979)
- Rövarkungens ö (1980)
- Nationalteatern rockorkester LIVE (1991)
- Nationalteatern rockorkester LIVE (2006)
Singles
- Livet är en fest/Bängen trålar (1974)
- Doin´the omoralisk schlagerfestival (1975)
- Kamrater, Bodenarbetare!/Rädda Varven (1978)
- Kolla Kolla/Ingelas sång (1978)
Compilations
- Nacksving – ett samlat grepp från Götet (1975)
- Alternativ Festival (1975)
- Vi äro tusenden (1977)
- Från Flykt till kamp (1978)
- Nationalteatern En samling 1972-80
- MNW-Klassiker: Nationalteatern (dubble CD)
DVDs and VHS
- Live -91 (1991)
- Tältet - Vem tillhör världen? (2005)
- Nationalteaterns Rockorkester - Live (2006)