V/A - Rockslaget 1990 (1990)

’Rockslaget’ was the biggest local music competition in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was supposed to have been a small musical contest but more than 120 bands were entering every year. The event was founded by Peter Ohlsson on ABF where he wanted to give the local acts a chance to play live on a professional stage, with professional sound and light in front of a large audience. 6 of the approx 120 bands were sorted out and those went on the grand final at the Lisebergshallen. After a few years the event changed name to ‘Goteborgstalangen’ as the event had grown and the contest were so much more than just rock. Many Gothenburg metal acts have started their careers at this competition like Hammerfall, Dark Tranquility, Road Ratt, Freak Kitchen, Million etc. At 4 occasions the 6 bands that got to the final also got a chance to record two of their tracks for a local compilation album bearing the same name as the event.



Winners in the 1990 competition was ROAD RATT. As 138 bands were reduced to 20 during the course of the competition, ROAD RATT started to look like clear favourites. To further enhance the show Christer Örtefors decided to lose the guitar and concentrate on the singing. Fredrik Stenberg, Patrik Herrström's childhood friend, was called in, and the band became a 5-piece in time for the semi-finals. The finals took place at Liseberg's main stage, and the audience was estimated to be about 14.000. ROAD RATT being huge favorites, and with a large crowd of fans up front, they were declared winners at the end of the evening.

The prize for winning was the recording of a single but the band instead took the money and cut a 6-song demo with producer Pär Edwardson with ambition to shop around for a deal. But because of the media attention offers already came pouring in from various record companies and the evening tabloids speculated in what label would finally get their signatures. The band brought their new producer and settled with MNW - at the time home to Imperiet, Peter LeMarc, Wannadies, Nationalteatern, Thomas Di Leva, Wilmer X etc. Source: Wikipedia

Rockslaget genomförs av ABG, G-P Aveny och Göteborgs stad. Alla tre har vi ett stort intresse och ett varmt hjärta för den lokala musiken - och vi har på olika sätt försökt att göra vårt för att backa upp alla de många hundra band som finns i och kring Göteborg. I rockslaget har vi hittat ett sätt att utnyttja våra gemensemma resurser på ett bra sätt. Vad vi vill med Rockslaget är att göra en insats för Göteborgsmusiken. Stora, roliga och proffsiga arrangemang, ge banden speltillfällen, uppmärksamhet, engagemang etc etc. Ca 125 band har varit med - 6 av dem kan höras på den här plattan, de sex finalisterna som lirade på Liseberg 7 Juni 1990. De finns också på video och kan ses på ett antal konserter och arrangemang framöver i Göteborg. Till de 6 finalisterna, till övriga deltagande band, ja till alla andra hundratals band i stan säger vi: Tack, lycka till - och vi ses i Rockslaget 1991.

Thanklist: BASF for the mastertapesand thanks to Liseberg for a good cooperation. Also a big thanks to everyone else who have been involved with Rockslaget.