Staxrud Allstars: A Night of Rock and Energy

Review: Staxrud Allstars, Support act Drakånis

Rockefeller Music Centre, Oslo (January 3^rd, 2026)

Reviewer / Photographer – Paul Dubbelman

It’s January in Oslo! It’s dark, it’s cold, and it’s snowing. Inside the Rockefeller Music Centre it is hot, damn hot, and getting sweaty, as thirteen hundred fans assemble to experience the Staxrud Allstars in all their glory. Staxrud Allstars is not so much a band as loose collective of Norwegian Rock legends with a handful of international stars augmenting their ranks. For the third year running, and the second to be held at the Rockefeller Music Centre, Eivind Staxrud (Raga Rockers, Los Plantronics) has assembled a cast of the great and good in Norwegian rock ‘n’ roll, and called on the services of international stars such as Mark Evans (AC/DC, Rose Tattoo), Larry Mullins (Nick Cave and the Bad Seed, Swans, The Stooges), Jimmy Recca (The Stooges, The New Order), Paul-Ronney Angel (The Urban Voodoo Machine), and Jim Jones (Jim Jones Allstars, Thee Hypnotics) to create a night of musical delights to entertain the sold-out crowd. With a constantly changing house band supporting the guests there was barely time to draw breath, let alone get to the bar.

The evening started with a short set by the young, all-female, band Drakånis. A short but punchy set of raw, emotion-laden songs, all sung in Norwegian set the tone for the evening. It also emphasised the fact that music can and does cross the language divide. Even though I speak no Norwegian, the power and delivery of their songs certainly got these old bones a’reelin’ and a’rockin.’

Drakånis are Hedda Brofoss Versto (guitar), Flora Sofia Krohn-Pedersen (vocals), Anna Nyaanga Nyambwogi Archer (bass) and Anna Underdal Sæter (drums)

Drakånis Setlist: (English Translations courtesy of Google)

Svir (Burning)
Forste Gang (First Time)
Du Er Bare (You Are Just)
Hvorfor (Why)
Bob Hund (Bob Dog)
(H)ør ((H)ear)
Jeg er feig (I’m a Coward)
Litt Betatt (A Little Captivated)

As the last bars of ‘Quando Quando‘ drifted through the PA, the Staxrud Allstars kicked off with AC/DC’s ‘If You Want Blood‘, Michael Vincent delivering Bon Scott-esque vocals on a song that had the crowd bouncing and joining in. The rest of the set continued in the same vein with covers of more songs by AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, The Stooges, The Stones, Motorhead and many more. Highlight of the evening was the performance of Åse Kleveland, one-tie Eurovision Entrant, one-time Norwegian Minister of Culture, and all-round rock queen.

Åse walked onstage to the entire room chanting her name before launching into a cover of Aloe Blacc’s ‘I Need A Dollar‘, asking the band mid-song to speed it up “because it is Saturday night!”. The Show finished with a series of AC/DC covers, Eivind Staxrud playing the solo in ‘Let There Be Rock‘ from somewhere up on the balcony, before everyone took to the stage for a rollicking version of The Rolling Stone’s ‘Jumping Jack Flash‘. The houselights came up and the crowd filtered out to the sounds of The Easybeats ‘St Louis‘. A glorious celebration of rock‘n’roll and a fantastic way to start gigging in 2026.