Les Big Byrd

This quirky name is actually the name of a Swedish rock band. Rock musicians do love giving their bands names that are a bit nonsensical but catchy. Think of that Liverpool band whose name, if you read it literally, would come out as something like “The Beetles.” So yeah, the Swedes have shown a bit of imagination too.

Why am I suddenly talking about some Swedish rockers? Well, firstly, because they’re seriously talented and just great guys. And secondly, because I went to their gig, met them, and snapped a few photos of their performance.

Thanks to a few good connections, I scored an invite to a rock concert—not just as a regular punter either. I got a laminate (an all-access pass), so I could head backstage, hang out in the production office, and meet the musicians.

Technically, it was a show by The Brian Jonestown Massacre (BJM), with Les Big Byrd as the support act. But the Swedish band are far from newbies, so it really felt more like a double bill of two excellent acts. I’ll write about BJM another time—this one’s about the “Big Swedish Byrd.”

The band was formed in Stockholm in 2011 by two blokes—Joakim “Jocke” Åhlund and Frans Johansson. Both were already experienced musicians, playing in various bands before, and were in their mid-30s to 40s at the time. What brought them together was a shared love of psychedelic, spacey indie music and the desire to just do what they enjoy. The lineup also includes keyboardist Christian Olsson and drummer Nino Keller.

At first, the “Byrds” were basically a garage band, playing for fun. But their fate changed thanks to a chance meeting in a music shop. They bumped into Anton Newcombe, the frontman of BJM, who happened to be touring in Stockholm at the time.

They got chatting about music—one of those long, proper conversations—and as a result, Anton invited the Swedes over to his Berlin studio to jam. In just a few days there, Les Big Byrd recorded their first album, They Worshipped Cats, and things really kicked off from there.

These days, Les Big Byrd are considered heavy hitters in the Swedish psychedelic rock scene. They tour regularly and have released several albums. Their friendship and collaboration with BJM continues, and they often play together. Right now, they’re touring Australia and New Zealand with them.

In my opinion, they deserve way more recognition than they currently get. Their Swedish background and their modesty probably hold them back a bit. Jocke once said that Les Big Byrd are just a bunch of blokes in their 50s who enjoy playing cosmos music.

My take on the gig? These guys are unreal. Their music can make you forget who you are and where you are—it just sends you off into space. They’re seriously skilled musicians. You could maybe nitpick Jocke’s vocals, but I won’t—that’s part of the whole vibe.

And they’re genuinely lovely people too. It’s no secret that plenty of rock stars can be total arseholes. The “Big Birds” are nothing like that. They’re happy to chat with fans, shake hands, and toss out merch.

I had a few words backstage with Jocke and Frans. Even in private, they’re really friendly and polite. No big egos—just guys who enjoy making great music and sharing it with people.

Looks like I’ve found my new favourite band. If you haven’t heard them yet, I’d definitely recommend checking them out. You can find their stuff on YouTube, Spotify, or Bandcamp.

Here are a couple of short clips I shot during the gig:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/147740420@N06/20xVsqZ5jZ

https://www.flickr.com/gp/147740420@N06/nn2Go7G1U8

And of course, the photos. I was mostly shooting with two zoom lenses: a 24–70mm f/2.8 and a 70–200mm f/2.8.

I also had a bit of a play around with a 15mm fisheye lens—turned out pretty decent, I reckon.

I’m not putting the high-res photos out there publicly this time. If you’re keen to use them commercially—say, for a magazine or something—get in touch and we’ll have a chat.