D-A-D – Gothenburg Culture Festival (Kulturkalaset i Göteborg)

D-A-D bassist Stig Pedersen with a pyro helmet, performing at the Gothenburg Culture Festival (Kulturkalaset) 2023

D-A-D bassist Stig Pedersen looking like he's coming straight out of a Mad Max as he lit up the dark September sky with his pyro helmet.

BIO D-A-D was formed in Copenhagen in 1982 by brothers Jesper Binzer and Jacob Binzer ("Cobber"), both guitarists, together with bassist Stig Pedersen ("Stigge Nasty") and Peter Lundholm Jensen behind the drum kit.

Drummer Laust Sonne replaced Jensen in 1999, and the quartet has been intact ever since.

Originally known as Disneyland After Dark, the Danish rock band would later stick to only using the initials to avoid a lawsuit from Disney. One thing the band was adamant about, was that they didn't want their band name to be mispronounced as "Dad". Therefore, they wrote their name as D.A.D., but later stylised it D:A:D to make it even more clear it was an acronym. Not before long came the Internet in the late 90s, making the colons less than ideal for website addresses etc, which resulted in the final rendition D-A-D.

MUSIC The band gained international recognition with albums like "No Fuel Left for the Pilgrims" (1989) and "Riskin' It All" (1991), which featured hit singles such as "Sleeping My Day Away", "Jihad" and "Bad Craziness". Over the years, they have maintained a consistent presence in the rock music scene, releasing numerous albums and touring extensively. Some standout tracks I would recommend to a new listener include "Everything Glows", "Camping in Scandinavia", Beautiful Together, and the live favourite "ReconstrucDead".

Known for their energetic live performances and catchy, anthemic songs, D-A-D has cultivated a dedicated fanbase, particularly in Scandinavia and Europe. Their music often explores themes of rebellion, escapism, and the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, while also delving into more introspective topics at times.

Overall, D-A-D is recognized for their infectious melodies, powerful performances, and unique blend of influences ranging from power-pop to hard rock. A lot of their early material also did a playful take on country and western, and even though they discovered other themes in later material, they've kept the cowboy aesthetic intact with their signature logo and the longhorn skull.

The band's latest album A Prayer for the Loud came out in 2019, and you can listen to the title track and check out the album further down!

Gothenburg Culture Festival (Kulturkalaset i Göteborg)

D-A-D was one of the highlights at the Gothenburg Culture Festival of 2023, playing on the first night on the large stage at Kungstorget in Gothenburg, Sweden. The event was publicly available and free to view.

Date & time: Sep 1, 2023 (FRI) at 9pm
Location: Kungstorget, Gothenburg

Concert Photos

I managed to get a pretty good spot in front of the stage. I used my Micro Four-Thirds gear and took a lot of the shots with an 85 mm-equivalent prime, with very clean images as a result. Scroll down to the bottom for more on what camera gear I used.

I grouped the pics by each member of the band, for better everview. Enjoy!

Jesper Binzer (Vocals / Rhythm Guitar)

To give some of the images a bit of context: as a fun skit, Jesper called Laust with his microphone telephone in the middle of the show, absolutely terrified of the hordes of Swedes amassing in front of him, all facing him as well.

Jacob Binzer (Lead Guitar)

Cobber tuned and tested his guitars by himself pre-show, which is pretty cool. The less initiated public could mistake him for a regular stagehand, so I snapped a few shots. You're welcome!

Stig Pedersen (Bass Guitar)

The D-A-D bassist is well-known for delivering his low notes with his his many humorous, extraordinary two-string basses, as well as costumes. On outdoor shows, pyro helmets are also a fairly commonplace on D-A-D shows, and Stigge did a great job lighting up this dark September night.