Ten Electric Years
by James Morman
For a decade now, Tempest has been storming across the U.S. and Canada delivering their unique style of Celtic rock 'n' reel, all with the fiery energy and creativity that fueled the band in the beginning. "I had played for so many coffeehouses and folk concerts, and I was tired of people knitting in the front row. I wanted to sweat on them, and I wanted them to get up and dance," explained charismatic bandleader, mandolin player and lead vocalist Lief Sorbye. Incorporating Celtic, Norwegian, various European and other styles of traditional music, Tempest presents their music in a rock format that appeals to a broad spectrum of audiences, all the while remaining true to the roots of the music they're interpreting.
Born in 1957 in Oslo, Norway, Sorbye grew up with a passion for music, first playing the Youth Club circuit with his teenage friends, later with a blues-rock band called Aktela in the early 70s. His discovery of The Incredible String Band opened his eyes and ears to the use of exotic instruments and the mixture of folk with other styles of music. As he started following bands like Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and the whole British folk-rock scene blossoming at the time, Sorbye became more and more interested in his own native music and its potential in a rock setting.
As his interest grew, Sorbye introduced new and fascinating instruments like mandolin and banjo to his bandmates, resulting in his first folk-rock band, Evil Delight, who copied the Fairport and Steeleye sound, but incorporated Norwegian traditional music. In 1988, Sorbye formed Tempest. "I was after an energy in traditional music that I was hungry for and didn't see anyone else projecting."
With the introduction of new band members Jon Land and Dave Parnall, the band is coming full circle and, oddly enough, making Tempest one of the tallest bands in the world (or so Sorbye claims), with Sorbye, Parnall and Land standing at 6'2", 6'3" and 6'6" respectively.
So what do the next 10 years hold for Tempest? Perhaps Sorbye put it best: "We're going to take what we're already doing to the next level, still evolving out of the same source with an established foundation, but looking at a whole world of uncharted ideas."
This is an excerpt from Dirty Linen #78
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© 1998 Dirty Linen, Ltd., Baltimore MD
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