For most folks, the band Cobolt is, at best, a forgotten footnote from the Umeå music scene of yore. For nerds like me who pursued every thread until exhausted, they were a revelation, an eye-opening glimpse into the vast and varied expanse of the Norrland music scene in a post-Refused world. And now, at long last, Refused bassist Magnus Björklund has posted his old band's final unreleased recordings for public consumption. I've had semi-illicit copies of a number of these tracks for many years now and am glad they are finally getting a proper chance to find an audience -- very recommended!
Refused will swing back through the West Coast in August:
08/22 - Ogden Theater, Denver, CO
08/28 - Paramount Theater, Seattle, WA w/Sleigh Bells
08/29 - Roseland Theater, Portland, OR w/Sleigh Bells
08/31 - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA w/Sleigh Bells
I'll gladly accept an invite to the Seattle or Portland show, should one be forthcoming.
As hinted at the other day, Refused played another "secret" gig of sorts this past weekend at Debaser Medis in Stockholm and course there's plenty of footage online for everyone who missed it.
Refused have announced a new batch of US/North American dates for July:
07/15 - Masquerade Music Park, Atlanta, GA
07/16 - The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD
07/18 - Williamsburg Waterfront, New York, NY
07/19 - Riot Fest East, Philadelphia, PA
07/20 - House of Blues, Boston, MA
07/21 - Metropolis, Montreal, Canada
07/22 - Sound Academy, Toronto, Canada
07/23 - Sound Academy, Toronto, Canada
07/25 - Royal Oak Music Theater, Royal Oak, MI
07/26 - Congress Theater, Chicago, IL
I also understand that they'll be playing another "secret" show somewhere in Sweden this weekend, but my lips are sealed.
Tour doc: José Saxlund (ex-Abhinanda, Out of Vogue) and Fredrik Holmgren () travel from Stockholm to Umeå for Refused's secret reunion warmup gig. Many misspelled English subtitles are provided for the Swedish illiterate.
Refused played/is playing a "secret" show at Scharinska in Umeå tonight alongside Hårda Tider and UX Vileheads. No doubt the internet will explode with pics and video tomorrow, if it hasn't already (along with many complaints from locals that couldn't get in).