Exit Stage Left – Lastkajen 2024, Borås

If the name Exit Stage Left sounds familiar and brings a certain Canadian progressive power trio to mind, you're right on point. Local rock heroes Exit Stage Left do indeed wear their band name with an honourable nod to Rush's classic live album Exit Stage...Left from 1981. When listening to their music, it's evident the Swedish quartet has grown up with a healthy dose of '70s and '80s prog rock, including bands like Rush, Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd. For fans of that era in music, ESL is a must-listen!

In 2023, the band dropped their debut album, titled Appleberry Trees, which you can listen to on the various streaming platforms.

I also saw the band play last year, at Sommartorsdagarna and shot some pics, albeit from the crowd (might post those pics at some point). This time, playing at Lastkajen 2024, I also got to shoot from the pit, which was pretty dang cool!

Band Lineup

Arvid Wilhelmsson – Vocals & Guitars
Daniel Lyngsaa Larsson – Keyboards & Backing Vocals
Robin Hellsing – Bass
Jimmy Svahn – Drums

Lastkajen 2024

Find out more about the event by clicking/tapping the sections below!

Lastkajen ("The Cargo Bay") is a homegrown one-day mini festival set in Borås, Sweden. Everything from the bands, the beers, the food, and probably most of the visitors, are closely tied to the small Swedish town. Apart from the six bands performing, Niclas Larsson, a.k.a. "Shanty Town" was also DJ-ing throughout the evening.

Lastkajen is arranged by Ljudverkstan and Just Enjoy i Borås and had its first run in 2022.

Time and Location

Date & time: June 1, 2024. 5pm to midnight.
Location: Borås SE

No less than six local bands were on the bill for this mini-festival. Below is the running order:

17:00-17:30 - PIPISTRELLA
18:00-18:45 - EXIT STAGE LEFT
19:15-20:00 - BRAVE NEW ANIMALS
20:30-21:30 - THE STOMPING ACADEMY (no footage)
22:00-22:45 - HIMLEN BROR (no footage)
23:00-00:00 - LILJEBERGET (no footage)

Thanks to a fellow photographer I managed to get a photo pass with access to the photo pit and festival area. I used my full-frame gear and shot the first three shows.

During Brave New Animals' set, a massive skyfall (including not only rain, but also thunder and hail) unfortunately came and I had to scram to avoid getting water damage to my gear.