Arthur Stulien
Mar 9, 2024
I can only believe that every Norwegian artist dreams of one day standing on stage in Oslo Spektrum. Thanks to a good friend over several years, I was able to fulfill that dream last week, and can now boast a guest appearance in Oslo's biggest concert arena!
Scott Scovill, what a guy. I "e-met" Scott at the end of 2020 when Play it Again was named European Country Single of the Year. Since that time we have kept in touch, met when we have visited each other's home countries, recorded the song Highwayman together, and March 6th 2024 will go down as the day I made my "debut" in Oslo Spektrum. All thanks to, the one and only" Scott Scovill.
A few days after my blind audition on The Voice (Norway), Scott got in touch to hear about the possibilities of meeting when he was going on a trip to Oslo at the beginning of February to do some promo for the European tour, which included support for Brad Paisley in Iceland, in Switzerland, Sweden and Norway. Unfortunately, I had to cancel due to a short deadline, and a lot to do at work, but said that I would like to consider a trip to Oslo when they were playing Spektrum. When I said this to Scott, he immediately asks if I have a few minutes... to talk? The conversation that then takes place goes down in my history as perhaps one of the most important in my career.
Scott is a businessman to the bone, runs a large company called Moo TV in the US, and goes straight to the point; "Would you like to join the stage at Oslo Spektrum on March 6 and at GAMLA Konsert & Scene on March 7?" At first, I go completely silent on the phone, and I have to ask him if he is serious?? Scott understands my reaction, laughs a little, and says "Yeah, buddy! We'd love to have you with us up there!". I couldn't react with anything other than a nervous laugh, almost on the verge of giggling, trembling in my whole body, and when the conversation ended, an ever-so-small tear of joy crawled down my cheek. In just over a month I was to share the stage with Scott Scovill and his band "The Brotherhood", Hanne Sørvaag, Sierra Hull – and Brad Paisley himself.
For outsiders, I can understand that it is not always easy to understand the reactions of artists when they receive an award, win a competition, get their first song on the radio, or when great opportunities are presented. We have chosen to make ourselves vulnerable for better or worse by going out and saying "I am an artist, this is my music, this is me!", and we invite others into our lives. Regardless of whether you have 0 or 20 million followers on any social media, that's the reality. When we then allow others to see into our lives "without filter", we open ourselves up to allowing our music, our choices, and our personalities to be judged in any direction. When exclusively good things happen, such as an opportunity to play in Oslo Spektrum, there is a reaction that you cannot possibly be prepared for, even if there had been clear signs leading up to it.
Why am I writing this? Well, because I have been feeling: "Should I have reacted even more? Should I have reacted less?". Although the vast majority of the feedback has been positive, there are also some who write that this was not my own concert, and that it should not be interpreted as my artist career taking off at full speed from this point forward. I am fully aware of the latter, because making a living from music requires a LOT of work - all the time. I have experienced that during the eight years I have been doing this, but for me this was clearly a huge opportunity, despite the fact that it really appeared out of nowhere.
In any case, I am infinitely grateful for all the great feedback that has come in, some wonderful days in Oslo, and not least - for the wonderful Scott Scovill who was willing to give a simple guy from the south of Norway an opportunity on the big stage 😊 If you haven't already seen it, feel free to check out the "after-video" from the Oslo trip with photos and videos from both Spektrum, GAMLA and "God Morgen Norge" (Norwegian morning show)!