From the Evening Times, Times Out section, May 10, 2007:
The SOS club, home to the best in Swedish pop, has had an exciting first year, packed with spectacular live performances and fantastic floor-filling sets from both resident and guest DJs. They've played host to a diverse mix of artists in a variety of venues, from Swedish-language crooners Vapnet, who wooed a seated crowd at an intimate Sleazy's gig to elusive underground electro producer Mr Suitcase, who set the dance floor alight at a packed Admiral Bar.
SOS founder Stacey Shackford has a nose for sniffing out new up-and-coming talent, and several SOS acts - including Maia Hirasawa, Hello Saferide, Blood Music, Vapnet and Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - have gone on to be nominated for the Manifest Awards, Sweden's version of the Grammys. SOS have worked together with other Glasgow venues and promoters (including Out To Play, El Rancho Relaxo, Dolly Mixture, Edinburgh University Indie Society, Pop Theory, Drunk At The Pulpit, The Winchester Club) to facilitate opportunities for Swedish acts they couldn't fit on their bill, and have also helped to build a network of other Swedish clubs across the UK. And they recently teamed up with Stockholm club Starfly to expand - and possibly export their operations.
It's clear the bods at SOS simply love Swedish pop and their mission is purely to help the artists and promote it in any way they can, and to that effect they operate as a non-profit organisation.
This year promises to be just as exciting as SOS's first birthday celebration this Friday returns to the place where it all kicked off - the RAFA Club in Woodlands.
With their crazy repertoire of cheesy yet genius electro covers of artists like Toto, Bryan Adams and Aaliyah, The Mexicos will surely get the party hopping. The Stockholm collective features Mikael Hall, Douglas Holmquist and an ever-changing motley crew of friends, including members of Oh Sweet Music and Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, who played a gig at Nice n Sleazy on Wednesday.
There will also be surprise guests doing their own covers of Swedish songs, and other special treats!
Duncan and Susan and Ally and Kevin and Anna and Michael and Sarah and Tara and Richard and Fergie....
....and the lovely RAFA bar
Playlist:
Faintest of Sparks
- Amadine
Hangin on a Limb (Neil Young cover) - Richard
Reagh (with El Perro Del Mar)
Two in the morning - Tom Malmquist
With or without you (U2 cover) - HEJ!
Enjoy the silence (Depeche Mode cover) - Pernilla
Anderson
Holding your hand - Sofia Talvik
My Love (Justin Timberlake cover) - Marit Bergman
Coward Heart - Asha Ali
Nattoppet - Detektivbyran
Hall ihop - Vapnet (with Jens Lekman)
Hart Vader - Moder Jords Massiva
Low at the disco - Robert Church and the Holy
Community
When we were kids - All of my brother's girlfriends
Poor man's heaven - Oh sweet music!
Love nostalgia - Friday Bridge
(The lack of) love will tear us apart - The Honeydrips
I love you, you imbecile - Pelle Carlberg
We're going to die together (Sakert cover) -
The Animal Five
The logical song (Supertramp cover) - Hell on
wheels
An attempt to tip the scales (Bright Eyes cover)
- Henry Morgans
Going Blind (Go-Betweens cover) - Unarmed Enemies
Afraid you told someone about us (Au Revoire Simone
cover) - Air France
Maple Leaves (Jens Lekman cover) - Kalle J
Hate to say I told you so (Hives cover) - The
Flu
Photo Jenny (B&S cover) - Mixtapes and Cellmates
Wonderwall (Oasis cover) - Elias Akesson
True love is not nice (Jonathan Richman cover)
- Yayahoni
Hej Mickey (Toni Basil cover) - Carola
Burning down the house (Talking Heads cover)
- The Cardigans (with Tom Jones)
Konichiwa Bitches - Robyn
Watch your step - Juvelen
You don't smile anymore (Kopia remix) - Mr Suitcase
Hitten - Those dancing days
I was definitely made for these times - Hello
Saferide
And I found this boy - Maia Hirasawa
Seems to be on my mind - Suburban Kids With Biblical
Names
This Boy - I'm From Barcelona (with Loney, Dear)
I wish that I could see you soon - Herman Dune
Young Folks - Peter, Bjorn and John
Seems Fine - The Concretes
Voids of Charm - Streetwaves
Nosebleeder - Javelins
Talk Talk Talk - Love Is All
Love - Sunshine
I'm really sorry - The Loveninjas
Please don't talk to me... (Mr Pedro remix) -
My darling YOU!
Heartbeats - The Knife
Tell no-one about tonight - Le Sport
Lovefool - The Cardigans
Say yes if you love me - Acid House Kings
Black Cab - Jens Lekman
Chansen Finns Men Ar For... - 50 Hertz
Change Channel - Lo-Fi-Fnk
Mamma Mia (ABBA cover) - A-Teens
Super Trouper - ABBA
Come another night - Frida Hyvonen
