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"Badge with Matti Norlin were highly entertaining performing during the "Streetblues" Friday and Saturday. With a mix of blues, punk, folk and country ......they manage to capture a large crowd both days."
- Anders Toftling
Provinstidningen Dalsland (Swedish news paper)
16 juli -02(Åmåls bluesfest)
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"During my walk around the festival I all of a sudden discover a new kind of sound in the trio Badge.On a small stage close to "kungsgatan" they are performing wth uprightbas,drums ,ac.git and voice. They looked really calm but the energy in the music makes it hard to stand still. A man with a baseballcap drops his inhibitions and starts to shake loose in front of the band. The mainstreet got really crowded of people that couldn't force themselfes to leave."
- Annika Kane
Säffle-tidningen (Swedish news paper)16 juli -02 (Åmåls bluesfest)
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Acoustic blues extraordiniery . The rumor says that Badge plays a kind of blues that invites and frightens...
-Tony Berg
Provinstidningen Dalsland (Swedish news mag.)
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JiiiiiiihhaaaaaBadge!
All I got to say is that Badge is not going to be a "Demo" band for much longer.I never heard a "demoband" more professional and tight.
Badge from Stockholm played music that's heavy rooted in the early 20th century American tradition. Bluegrass/blues/country. What the hell! It was great and swinging like crazy.
Upright bass, Dobro guitar,Voice and Drums. That's more then enough, I don't think that the Drummer ever played a" normal" hi-hat + snare beat during the whole set. The guitarplayer (also singer) showed us his "lapsteel" skills while playing ac.guitar with a screwdriver in the last tune.
A lot of people complained loudly that the gig wasn't longer bat that's the way it goes at the "demo" stage. Maybe a bigger stage next year?
-Mattias Reinholdsson
article from www.rockparty.se(juni-02)
(Hultsfredsfestivalen review)
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Badge - Stage: Demo - Grade B+(Hultsfredsfestivalen)
Stockholm based Badge was a really pleasant acquaintance.
With the masterslide guitarplayer Matti Norlin - knowned as a solo artist - Badge rocked like crazy with their remarkable songs. Mattis slideguitar was totally swinging with Petter Winnbergs Upright bass and Haakes Drumming. It's a riddle that the band is still unsigned , but that will change after this I'm sure!!??
I could see that Badge seems scary to some label people but someone should grab this band!
- Robert Triches
Nyheterna (14 juni -02)
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"I went curiously to the "demostage" as often as I can. There's nothing better then the opportunity to discover new music. I find Badge who's a great surprise. A trio with upright bass that plays punkrockabilly and a slideguitar that plays blues. Hardcore.!"
- Nyheterna (Swedish newspaper , juni -02)
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Badge from Örnsköldsvik performed in Falun and Borlänge this weekend and played the shit out of everything . According to me this is the most exciting trip you can have at a pub.
Badge is not a well known act neither is" Matti Norlin Trio" as they use to be called before they changed their name . But everyone should hear this trio. The music is blues, punkblues. Some old Robert Johnson songs but mostly their own songs. But this is not the kind of blues we are used to. Badge rearranges the blues and gives it a new life , a more energetic life.. Some of the songs are heavy as hell and some are really fast but all of it is swinging a lot and are truly entertaining.
They left. Friday night the band played "Engelbrekt " in Falun. The place was not that crowded and the people that was there would rather had listen to "sweet home Alabama". People started to leave!!??????????. I stood there wondering how you could leave something like this. But that's the thing that's against Badge. They are so different and far more advanced then other blues bands. They don't play any well known songs and they do no sing a longs. - No we don't do Creedence , said Matti Norlin when someone asked for a cover. But according to me (that don't wanna sing a long) it's just to grab a good seat and enjoy.
Screwdriver. There's nothing else to do then enjoy when frontman Matti Norlin takes his screwdriver and uses it as a slide in a crazy uptempo blues. Behind him a uprightbass that's doing 120 and a drummer that's got it all under control. I'm totally sold. Saturday Badge played in Borlänge at "Liljan" and that crown really enjoyed the set and danced like crazy. To you that didn't see Badge this weekend I can only say you missed out because this is the best band that have reached "Dalarna" in a very long time.
Amazingly entertaining "crazy" blues (Dalademokraten Swe,mag ,Jan 8 -02) - Jonas Stentäpp
Contact / Booking: mattinorlin@gmail.com