[EP 30] Interview with Åge Sten Nilsen, a #singer #musician #tvpersonality from Wig Wam

Name: [EP 30] Interview with Åge Sten Nilsen, a #singer #musician #tvpersonality from Wig Wam | Open Video
Uploaded: 2025-03-08T17:29:39+00:00
Duration: 31 min 54 s

0:03
okay guys in the new episode of Denim and Leather podcast uh we have uh for me a legend from Norway uh coming Austen
0:11
nilson from Wigwam hello yeah man I I used to listen to
0:17
that first album hard to be a rock and roller was the album right yeah yeah yeah it's still hard to be a rock roll
0:23
it's getting hard and harder everything day 2005 or 2006 it was released 2005 actually 2004 but it was
0:31
re-released in 2005 man I first relased hard to be a rock and roller and then it
0:37
was re-released called uh hard to be a rock and roller in Kev oh yeah the live
0:44
right yeah I I listened to that album a lot man back in like 20 years ago yeah a
0:50
lot 20 years ago and and we have the 20th anniversary of that that album this year yeah you you're doing something
0:57
special are we releasing yeah we're going to do a small tour called you know 20 years of come on come on come
1:03
on yeah and of course we're going to use some segments from the album uh long
1:09
medal or something that you you're not used to hear from us these days so we do
1:14
songs like carile and you know M all mine crazy things you know the the old
1:21
songs you maybe going to uh you maybe going to re-release it like a CD or a vinyl maybe I hope so actually right now
1:29
we're talking about releasing an a compilation album called monumentals kind of a best of album with
1:37
you know the new song Human fire and got some other new songs on it and uh a
1:42
brand new version of in my dreams oh okay okay more more now produced right
1:50
or H uh I I I mean new new production of the song yeah yeah yeah yeah a new new
1:56
recording actually yeah yeah okay uh we we got a lot fast into the into the
2:02
future I wanted to ask you first about your your Beginnings because I know a lot about The Wigwam biography but I
2:08
don't know your biography how you started with music uh oh for me
2:13
personally yeah personally well I I got started you know in 1985 that was my
2:19
first first uh time on stage my first show with my old band called tomorrow
2:27
was a band from starburg we were friends and we were writing on our own music and
2:32
uh you know kind of a Sellar band and we had this first show and we did a lot of
2:38
shows in ' 85 ' 86 87 and then um then
2:44
in ' 88 I I quit the band and and uh and joined another band from hon the
2:49
neighbor city called uh heads and tails we released My First Single called A
2:55
Million Miles Away and we went on tour and uh then I started doing more like
3:02
musical Productions and started to work for Norwegian broadcasting and stuff
3:08
like that and then and I obviously also had a couple of bands uh alongside that
3:15
career and in the late '90s I decided to to uh go solo so I did my first EUR song
3:24
contest 1998 with kind of a poppish song uh ended up number three and I was
3:33
actually uh um offered a a contract with the label
3:40
back then then I then I um politely
3:45
rejected because they wanted me to be kind of a pop artist you know too smooth pop music for my taste back then and
3:53
they wanted it in Norwegian language and um I was a fan so uh so I actually
4:00
um recorded my first soul album uh and it was sponsored by a friend of
4:06
mine uh doing kind of you know a shopping Sho shopping center service
4:12
thing he had lots of money so he decided to to um sponsor me and I went in a
4:19
studio and with my all my songs and recorded my first solo album called gustan because
4:26
back then I thought Augustin was very
4:33
boring was better and then you know I um I actually to I actually decided to um
4:43
quit thinking about releasing original music for a while because it you know it was pretty hard I was very old back then
4:50
20 years old was considered very old in this business if he weren't a rock star
4:56
already so I started to make different you know kind of tribute shows and stuff like that did a Credence show with a
5:03
friend of mine Yan grook from Aunt Mary and I had an eagle show with yor Londa
5:10
and um Paul fla from Midnight choir couple of other guys yeah and um and I
5:16
started a band called The Wigwam which was kind of an 80s party Band and uh I
5:21
had a lot of fun you know during night time nighttime uh you know uh you know coming
5:28
up with different the crazy ideas for for the gimmicks and stuff you know us
5:33
being originally from the US and uh uh you know immigrated to Norway taking
5:39
names and because you know the the drugs almost killed us and and and big artists
5:44
had stolen our songs like bonji stole you know so we took took the original songs
5:52
back and we we did them live the way they were supposed to sound like you
5:58
know what you know what that that kind of gimmick uh I think that kind of gimmick was seen by Steel Panther and by
6:05
fuzzy and they both yeah we you know for our first concert in my my hometown we
6:12
had this you know stretch limo taking us there and we
6:18
had you know lifeguards and we had an auction for our old you know made
6:25
costumes from back in the days stuff like it was all a gimmick but then later
6:31
it started to become more and more real and now after our comeback you know
6:37
we're like Aug August Danielson burn Johnson John halter and
6:43
Einstein Anderson instead of you know Glamis B and Flash even though people
6:48
still call us that you know the old names you're Glam
6:54
so I remember it was it was much easier with a me and GS back then riding Glam
7:00
instead of August what what what what I say what I
7:06
said uh was uh still Panther you know still Panther yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
7:11
they they are doing the same gimmick uh 10 years after you you know we we did the same thing you know we were kissing
7:18
the girls in the front row and we all only only did songs about having a good
7:24
time and we we weren't as as uh uh crazy as steel P
7:32
Panther lyric wise though we didn't have songs like Asian
7:37
Hooker but we had a we had a cool instrumental song called the erection
7:43
though uh okay tell me again uh uh how did I mean the the the record was first
7:51
recorded 2004 and with the song from that record you went to the Eurovision right yeah yeah yeah crazy things so uh
7:59
so how was your Eurovision experience back then you know the thing was we released
8:05
the album for first you know we had um um one of our friends was a guy called
8:11
wiie even Roode and he he was a big time producer back then and we wanted if he
8:17
wanted to produce us and he thought you know the kind of musical style that we
8:22
had back then you know it was P you know it was over with yeah uh nobody wanted
8:28
to touch fanss like us back then in the record business so he had an idea why
8:34
don't you guys do heavy metal versions of boy band songs like I did it my way
8:41
and stuff like that yeah me Oops I did it again and stuff like
8:46
that so we we we tried it out we went into a studio and recorded a bunch of you know boy band girl band songs our
8:55
style and one of them one of those songs became so so cool that we actually
9:01
decided to use it for the album I Turn to You yeah it's a great great recover that probably the first song we recorded
9:07
man awesome cover I love it yeah but then you know we we needed to you know to Rite our own material so we decided
9:15
we let's just make an album and Tron is a great producer and back then he didn't
9:21
have a studio we couldn't afford going to an ex Ben studio so we we we
9:30
we recorded the first album on a cracked Cubase in his living room and I remember
9:37
I did all the vocal takes in his bedroom you know yeah
9:43
yeah yeah but spell from last night he and his
9:50
wife but it's the original recording of the of the album that is the recording yeah yeah but then you know we sent the
9:58
crazy things to Norwegian broadcasting and they invited us invited us for an
10:04
audition and we did the song and they really wanted us uh you know as one of the participants and we decided hell why
10:12
not uh and it was good because back then you know nobody except for the South
10:20
part of Norway where we had a big following we even played concerts where we had kind
10:27
of suite and and slate as support acts back then wow back here yeah and we were
10:32
the headline so um we thought this is a nice way for the rest of the country to to get to know us and we presented a
10:40
story the one that I told you about coming from Bronk with the set the Polish quarter of Brooklyn and stuff like that and uh you know some
10:48
journalists actually believed us we we spoke with an accent you
10:54
know and we did the song and you know that year we had a great following and so many wiwa Maniacs coming to the
11:01
Eurovision s s contest Final in Norway and uh we had a great tour released our
11:07
album 667 the neighbor of the neighbor of the yeah yep and uh later retitled
11:15
hard to be a rock and roller changed a little bit and then we were invited
11:21
again we we we came in third third in Eurovision final in Norway 2004 and we
11:28
were invited again to do whatever we wanted and in 2005 we won and we
11:35
re-released the album called heart to be a rock and roller in K with a brand new song In My Dreams yeah but in my dreams
11:42
was uh was 2005 was on Eurovision right yeah but 2004 we we were came in number
11:49
three in the Norwegian final with crazy things but 2005 every every everyone in
11:56
Europe knew you already because of that song so did did it affect your uh touring
12:02
your European career uh the 2005 final yeah oh
12:07
definitely you know just from um just from going uh public with being a part
12:15
of the Eurovision song contest Norwegian final uh our management booked a tour
12:21
about 70 80 gigs you know W and after winning it was tripled which meant and
12:27
even you know the feast with tripled so yeah which meant that sometimes we had
12:33
to play three gigs a day you know because we couldn't afford you
12:38
know saying no to all those good gigs of course and you had uh European tours or
12:44
worldwide tours uh actually mainly in Europe mostly in Norway of course in
12:50
Norway we were huge we we you know sold out and we we had you know uh new
12:56
records for the attendance and stuff like that yeah sometimes 15,000 20,000
13:01
you know big the parks and stuff and and in Europe uh we we were we were
13:09
supporting Alice Cooper in Sweden and we went on tour with goart in Germany and we did a lot of of course a
13:16
lot of festivals and played in Iceland yeah Sweden uh all around
13:23
England go g while Steve Lee was still alive right yeah yeah yeah yeah we um I
13:31
have um I have a good uh good story about those guys when we went on tour with them um we we really got along well
13:40
and I remember sitting in in Steve's Carol with Steve and their manager and
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um we were having this uh endof the tour party and we were talking about you know
13:52
maybe them joining us on our Norwegian tour and stuff like that and when our
13:58
drummer came in and said you know we need to go now because they had smoked a
14:03
little and they weren't used to that because gothard's crew they had some plants and stuff you
14:10
know they had tried a little and they were like the phras his faces were green
14:16
you know so I had to bring him to a taxi and you know but first first we had to say goodbye to goard and the whole crew
14:24
and they were lining up you know the you know the the kit some people you know
14:29
crew you know the Ries the band thank you thank you it was nice you know very polite they were were waiting us goodby
14:38
taxi was driving 10 m and then it stopped and the drummer just you know jumped out of the
14:48
car and that that was the that was that was the last thing this all so
14:55
El what a great goodbye you know it was it was like you were the stars
15:01
not them of the of the of the tour that crazy awesome man uh you uh
15:10
after releasing and after Eurovision of course uh You released some more albums
15:18
right after that we released a new new album called wigu Mania 2006 yeah with
15:25
the going to get you someday that's the first single a single down with actually released during the world ski jump world
15:34
cup uh where I actually jumped 120 m in the big you know uh jump uh thing in
15:41
Oslo you did or was it me or was it someone else at least it's a Glam on the
15:47
back and I was on the on this on the sport news that day and going to get you
15:54
someday and we went on tour again and um and uh had a great time and then when we
16:00
got back from that tour which lasted most of
16:06
2006 we went to Japan for the first time for the first tour and we did the
16:11
soldout tour in you know Tokyo
16:17
Nya and we decided to um we decided to release uh live in Tokyo yeah that year
16:26
and after that we had toward so much because you know the tours started you know way back in 2002 2003 he was
16:33
massive even before people knew us that well yeah and um with this thing going
16:40
we yeah we were kind of getting a bit tired of each other and you know the
16:45
guys told me they really wanted a break I think they really wanted a break from
16:51
me I'm a workaholic so they wanted to to uh have a have a break and they didn't
16:57
want us to um have any plans for when we were getting back together and I I tried to
17:05
convince them to actually set a date for when we were going back to get again
17:11
because let's face it this was my daytime job two of the guys had had
17:16
daytime jobs but the guitar player Tron and me for us this was our daytime job
17:22
so you were leaving from that yeah yeah so for me it was like my boss told me
17:27
you know from now on you're out of work uh and I don't know when I'm going to give you more work
17:35
I'll I'll call you one day what happens yeah for someone like me you you'll find
17:40
something else to do and I I uh had my own I produced my own Queen show back
17:47
then and uh and it was just supposed to be kind kind of for some weeks but uh
17:54
then suddenly it was 2008 and I I was playing you know five shows a week not
18:01
five really we had five days a week double shows yeah it was a tribute show
18:06
tribute show for Queen not not putting on the mustache or anything I had a Freddy Mercury mask yeah I wore on stage
18:13
and I took I pulled it away and it was me and me I tried to uh tried to do the
18:21
queen shows um my way and try to find something for me to relate to IND the
18:26
lyrics and stuff yeah and we made and May kind of a special kind of treat shows show because it was kind of a
18:32
cross between a regular Rock and Roll concert a musical and C Sol we had
18:39
dancers choirs and a big production and when the guys wanted
18:45
to to start working on Wigwam again I told him you know hate to say you know I
18:50
have a at least a year a book now yeah yeah yeah yeah so now we have to wait I
18:56
tried to tell you so yeah uh yeah so you didn't stop working with
19:02
music I mean you never stopped that musicals yeah no no no I mean with the
19:07
with music you're music it's been my only job ever since yeah yeah so uh back then you know
19:14
I did a musical witch witch Norwegian musical uh and I did chess and also
19:22
Spectrum I was the Arbiter and I did my solo stuff I re
19:28
relased my first soul album retitled wolf and Butterfly added a couple of new
19:33
songs and I did my queen show so I I had my hands full and I even got um job
19:41
hosting a TV show called singing be three series three seasons I mean and uh
19:48
and when we finally started to get back together to do non-stop rock and roll it happened again because we were about to
19:56
produce uh and and record non-stop rock and roll in
20:03
2008 late part of uh 2008 so I I had like made sure I had three months off
20:11
the road to be able to record that album but when it got very close to recording
20:18
the album uh Tron had his hands full with producing his own a Dracula concept
20:24
that he was working on so he said you know sorry but I don't have any time and we were actually supposed to tour with
20:30
Wigwam in 2009 so you know that [ __ ] up my idea for working with Wigwam live
20:36
again you know in 2009 which led me to make my own soul album I just called a
20:41
friend of mine from A1 Christan Inon saying you know now we can produce our
20:46
my next Sol album that we talked about so yeah we made that that album and I went on the Glam mition tour in 2009 and
20:53
in 2010 we released nonstop rock and roll oh okay so uh but you had a longer
21:00
longer uh dis disbanded right like uh you you did a reunion in 2019 with the
21:06
new album for for Frontiers right yeah but first first we after non-stop rock
21:12
and roll we went on new new tour um in Japan and in Europe and Norway and you
21:18
know elsewhere yeah and um then in 2012 we we made
21:26
our kind of the L album before we broke up Wall Street yeah maybe our Worst Album but
21:34
you know it has its gems yeah what why why did you stop then I think for for
21:40
like six seven years yeah actually um that was in 2013
21:45
we were doing a gig and you know I had I had had it because we we we
21:52
didn't we didn't have the same Ambitions with Wigwam and it was like it's it looked for me like the others were more
21:59
interested in working with Y Londa and stuff like that and so um nobody seemed
22:05
interested in in working with Wigwam and I thought you know why why should I work with Wigwam
22:14
if the other three guys aren't interested anymore so before one show I
22:19
told the guys you know this is probably our last gig you know I've had it did a gig and I said goodbye and we didn't
22:25
talk for six years but uh it was always the same guys right you you were always
22:32
yeah that that's a that's a great concept that's uh that's like chemistry there you know it's like I don't know
22:39
like bonji were all the time together until recently but uh or some other
22:45
bands like I don't know there's a reason why there's a reason why it works in a band you know uh The Chemistry Between the members so
22:53
so you know um for them to bring in a new singer or for for me to bring in a
22:59
different guitar player or Bass now let's face it Wigwam is the four of us
23:04
and if the four of us aren't interested in working together then I could might as well just join another band or do a
23:11
solo tour or whatever yeah wa for us so uh that's why I I uh uh I started a
23:20
brand new band called ammunition with Eric Mortenson and and I also started a new band called Nordic Beast with Micky
23:26
D and Y LA from Europe yeah and um kept myself busy I remember
23:32
ammunition you you he album with ammunition right yeah yeah yeah we released two albums and we actually came
23:37
in number two in Norwegian song contest again with the Wrecking Crew in
23:44
2017 what was was was ammunition released on fronti records or it was The Wigwam uh last album released on fronti
23:52
records both really but you know when I when I started ammunition it was
23:57
actually supposed to be a kind of a solo project but you know Eric and I we we G
24:04
so good together and uh one day told me you know should we just form a ban we
24:09
could call it Glam munition and I tell you know this sounds more like ammunition than Glam mition mat so and
24:16
so be it and um I uh I got an offer from
24:22
from Frontiers and some other record companies but I really wanted to release the the first album on my own label so I
24:31
just uh did the license deals with different companies different labels around the world which actually financed
24:38
the whole album and uh worked like hell with this album and uh when we when the time was
24:46
time had to come for a new album I was so tired I thought you know ah for the next one let's let's sign with someone
24:53
else so we signed with Frontiers and um the first album that I
24:59
did on my own label I still earned money from wa yeah it's that album Still Still
25:08
makes my my life work but the next album I haven't seen a penny for except for
25:14
the money paid for the studio oh okay and after few years after that
25:20
you you got back together with Wigwam and then uh we had a couple of
25:25
years yeah it was in 200 was 2018 teia Tron and I got back together
25:33
again I was actually um attending one of his shows with his old old band Dream
25:39
Police and uh he he had spotted me in the back even though I had grown a bear
25:46
almost like yours and I had a you know cap ponytail I didn't want anyone to
25:53
recognize me but he had recognized me and there was this um security guard
25:58
coming to me and say you know there's a guy backstage who really wants to to meet
26:04
you uh his name is Tron oh co okay cool I go back we had a beer and we talked
26:10
about the good days and we we started to be friendly again and be becoming
26:18
friends again and you know suddenly we we met each other having a cup of coffee
26:24
or whatever just talked about the good old days and and the [ __ ] [ __ ] that happened between us yeah and then we
26:30
started to invite the other guys and you know when we finally were friends again
26:35
I told the guys that norian broadcasting had been calling me year after year
26:41
inviting us to to be a part of their final show doing something you know and
26:48
and then finally we accepted and um we were supposed to be kind of um you know
26:54
the the break entertainment in 2009 19
26:59
or 20 was it yeah and um we accepted some some festivals as well but here
27:06
comes Corona yeah yeah which led to us not having gigs at all and we had much
27:13
more time so we start to write music together again yeah so uh that's how
27:18
that got started uh and You released the the last it was two albums
27:24
right yeah we released uh never Sav die and which was are our um comeback album
27:30
and then out of the dark yeah both awesome I mean the production much
27:37
heavier right it's much heavier yeah yeah yeah very heavy I love it uh so you
27:43
guys are still together you plan on touring oh yeah yeah we just uh came in
27:48
number four in the Norwegian your recent song contest again you know with a massive production
27:54
withit when I when I wrote you when I wrote you said uh the guys are busy with Eurovision I said what what's happening
28:01
what's happening the Norwegian final new song new single human fire new video
28:07
everything and and uh now we're planning on releasing um uh compl album called
28:16
monumentals and then uh there will be a new brand new uh studio album so uh wait
28:23
you you you won the Norwegian thing or oh no we came in number four number four
28:28
okay okay okay but but it was a nice day for rock and roll anyway awesome but that got you back on the Norwegian Hit
28:35
List yeah yeah yeah yeah and brought us back to people's attention again that you know haven't been yeah you know um
28:43
you know seeing us too much but you know we've been playing you know the Sweden rock festival tonso rock festival yeah
28:49
yeah how we're going to the Monsters of Rock Cru next week yeah you you told me
28:54
you were going to Florida for for that one right yeah yeah yeah oh man that's going to be awesome which
29:01
bands are also there oh extreme uh
29:06
tetto oh stepen Percy from rat I think man
29:12
amazing Eclipse will be there and the Pretty Maids oh amazing so
29:19
you got some you got some European company there oh yeah yeah yeah yeah and then we're going to we're doing the the
29:27
big Festival here in Hometown the tonim rcks with our Maiden in in June and we're yeah so we're a on a good run
29:35
awesome awesome awesome so uh what your what your future plans or those are the plans releasing the new Monumental and
29:42
uh new studio album yeah yeah and of course touring as much as we can and
29:48
hopefully coming to Germany now we're just talking with some with the company that's you know wants to bring us to to
29:55
Germany and Switzerland and we're doing some shows in the UK and
30:02
of course in Norway and getting back to the US and yeah awesome awesome it was a
30:09
great talk thank you for for for uh accepting my invitation uh a uh and I
30:14
wish you luck High pleasure I wish you luck in in USA in Florida there next
30:19
time we talk we're going to have a a wig onean beer oh you give a beer yep it's a
30:25
tasty beer wow man you got a you got a right now I'm drinking The Flash Edition
30:31
do do you have it around Europe we have we have our own yeah yeah yeah yeah you
30:37
have it around Norway only or Europe only Norway ah man they have to come to
30:42
Norway buy buy a cage of you know case of wian bears oh man I'd love to I'd
30:48
love to I'd love to thank you thank you for for for the interview man thank you my pleasure you
30:56
got a huge fan here and I I I want to see you live I never seen you so I I got to catch you somewhere wow wow wow you
31:02
have to come and see us in Germany or whatever maybe you can come to Greece I will I will this is this is in Greece
31:07
that's where you live no close to but where when are you play playing in Greece no we're not playing there yet oh
31:13
you will sometime okay okay where where where do you live I'm me I'm just uh I'm just uh north of Greece it's Macedonia
31:21
ah Macedonia yeah Macedonia yeah yeah it's you know the the Balan region
31:28
yeah yeah yeah yeah we we are close uh and I I wish to to see you somewhere around here you
31:34
know any festivals there yeah a lot a lot of festivals man everywhere around
31:40
the balcon yeah yeah okay keep them posted tell tell your T manager
31:46
[Laughter] man okay all right man okay thank you
31:52
see you see you

[EP 30] Interview with Åge Sten Nilsen, a #singer #musician #tvpersonality from Wig Wam

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[EP 30] Interview with Åge Sten Nilsen, a #singer #musician #tvpersonality from Wig Wam

musicnonstop.today