A good life behind the drums...
(Obs! Click te pictures to zoom!)

For me it started with a band called "Moder Jord" (Mother Earth) from Ulricehamn back in 1974. At that time we played "Hoola Bandoola"-songs with great pleasure. The same year I joined a band from Borås called "Combo 8" - which later became "Dis" - we played a pretty chaotic and home produced form of fusion. Combo 8 already had a regular drummer, the band leader Torbjörn Johansson, but with two sets the band became quit different and exciting! The picture is taken at the final of the contest Bandet -74, in Boråsparken November 1974.

This is the first and only time I've competed in music. This was the first and only time the jury choosed two bands as winners. Nobody understood what we were doing, but they all thought that it sounded too good to end up second...

In fall 1975 I got into the band "Flämt & Flås från Borås", with the guitar and saxophone player Stefan Sandberg. We played 90 percent original material, with a lot of space for musical exessions. Beside of this I played the congas at the Ballett Institute in Borås together with the Borås poet Mikael Ejdemyr.

At another occasion I participated as a piano player under the supervision of Björn Nilsson (Ny Musik) at the Art museum in Borås in the performance of "In C" by Terry Riley. I had the great honor to function as a rhythmic motor in this piece, hitting the two highest C notes in a pretty fast sped for about 20 minutes. It went well.

When Flämt & Flås was split up in mars 1977 I played with Skrotbandet from Gothenburg for about 2 months. In fall the same year I joined Haffsorkestern in Göteborg. With amongst others Lars Aldman (SVT's Västnytt) and Örjan Hill (keyboard player in the new band Hill Blues Unit from Borås). Haffsorkestern was in the record company Nacksving in Göteborg who worked with Björn Afzelius, Motvind, Nynningen, Text&Musik, Tom Robinson amongst others. The summer of 1979 Haffsorkestern was split up.


The same year I helped starting up a new band called Thomas Ahlsén Band with amongst others Stefan Sandberg and Örjan Hill. Original material was presented. The band didn't last that long thought and was dissolved pretty soon.

1980-1984 I played in Bataki Band from Borås, with bl.a Örjan Hill and Mikael Alanko (Kenneth and the Mikes). The group played original material based on melodic rock. On the picture: Mats Lundborg, Rickard Olson, Jan-Åke "Jake" Svensson, Örjan Hill, Johan Norberg and Mikael Alanko.

1985-1986 I participated in a new fusion band called Vital, with people from Tranemo, Borås and Jönköping.

The first picture taken of me and my first genuine set, at spring time in 1973. I hadn't played with any band yet at that time. I had the set at Hellidens Folkhögskola in Tidaholm, where I was practicing from time to time.

 

The summer 1995 I read an ad in BT: Drummer wanted for Coverband. That was the start of Smile, that later became Xmile!

email address: rickard@eyeform.com