The New Noise Is Coming to Gothenburg: Refused Confirmed for Way Out West 2012

Attention Sisters and Brothers! There are very few things in this life you truly cannot miss. Until now it could be said that there were really just two things – your own wedding and the chance of travelling aboard a spaceship. Today, however, Luger, with a proud fist in the air, presents you with your third once-in-a-lifetime experience: Refused will reunite and play Way Out West 2012!

When this highly explosive band from Umeå will, for the first time since 1998, come together on the same stage it is hard to believe that even the outdoors will be able to contain a show of such magnitude. Refused are one of the few bands that have truly made a difference and had a lasting influence on numerous contemporary music scenes. During the seven years they were active they managed to rewrite the rules of what a punk band could do. Like no band before or after, they managed to combine the explosiveness of a Molotov cocktail, harmonies reminiscent of the calm before the storm, lyrics powerful enough to kick start 90s countercultures, and a roaring warmth that many have tried, though ultimately failed, to emulate. And, like Jesus, Refused became even more exalted after their death.

Yes, it is true. In 2012, Refused will reunite and perform at America’s mecca of music, Coachella and Sweden’s pride and glory, Way Out West.

If you have, against all odds, somehow never heard Refused, we recommend you begin with the third and latest album – the critically acclaimed masterpiece The Shape of Punk to Come from 1998, a consistent favorite on lists of the most influential albums of all time and a work that has even been called ”the Sergeant Pepper of punk rock.” This is where all the pieces fall into place. Though Refused has at times been too readily categorized as hardcore/punk, they never allowed themselves to conform to the obvious or expected. They were – and are – ahead of every rigid standard, all the while being nothing short of fantastic. Take the song ”New Noise” for example – sharp riffs, exploding drums and a message that is as well-formed as it is unambiguous: old bandages won’t heal new wounds. Refused live are no exception – each show is a unique explosion. Once you have experienced it, every other concert will pale in comparison.

It’s 2012; anxiety, indifference and kitsch reign and our need of Refused may be greater than ever. This summer Way Out West will be the only place in Sweden where you can witness the future of punk in the best of the present. The new noise is on its way to Gothenburg. Nothing else matters. This is truly one of the few things you absolutely cannot miss.

Tickets to Way Out West will be released 9 am on January 26th. Set your clock, mark your calendar, and remind your friends.