Måkeskrik (Gulls Cry) is a two-day alternative music festival in Kristiansand, Norway in the genre of rock/pop/metal and with affordable ticket prices. Måleskrik was arranged for the first time on 27 and 28 July 2012 as a replacement of the so-called Quart Festival which was canceled in 2008 filing the managing company for bankruptcy. Read how a stubborn desire to run music festivals in Kristiansand saucceeded.
The Quart Festival was an annual popular music festival that took place in the beginning of July. It was the most visited music festival in Norway. It was first named Qvadradurmusivalen in 1991, but changed into the more ear-catching Quart Festival the following year. For several years Quart was the largest music festival in Norway, but went bankrupt in 2008 in part due to tough competition from other festivals.
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Alternative music and scandals
The Quart Festival was revived by one of the original organizers on 30 June to 4 July 2009. Slash’s performance was backed by Teddy Andreadis, Jason Bonham, Chris Cheney, John 5 and Frankie Perez, and included guest performances from Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie Wood and Fergie.
The festival was an economic disaster with low attendances and slow revenues. The festival was by mid-September 2009 still not able to pay their employees and filed again for bankruptcy.
There have been some scandals during the years. A local band Flying Crap fired a shotgun from the stage in 1995. Marilyn Manson ripped a bible on stage in 1999. The Kovenant burned a bible on stage in 2000. Mayhem threw pigs’ heads at the audience in 2001. Eight musicians from hiphop group Equicez were arrested for drug offences in 2003. Kristopher Schau attached an engine to a dead pig and used it as a boat in 2003 and two persons from rainforest charity group Fuck For Forest had live sex on stage during a concert with The Cumshots in 2004.
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A Stubborn Desire to Run Music Festivals in Kristiansand, Norway
In the fall of 2010, the dream of Gulls Cry was born. Cathrine Sørensen, who has grown up in Kristiansand, wanted to build a new festival in beautiful Bendiksbukta where the Quart Festival left behind a huge void in the city’s cultural life.
The plan was to establish a more intimate festival where the audience could discover new exciting artists and more established bands in the southern archipelago. With good friends and some hundred volunteers, the dream became reality in the summer of 2012.
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Gulls Cry Festival
Måkeskrik has since then worked to strengthen the cultural offering in Kristiansand. The festival was established as an association and run on voluntary basis.
Over seven years, Måkeskrik has presented over 80 bands and artists on stage in Bendiksbukta. The festival has a strong focus on Scandinavian artists and the unique live experience. 12 and 13 July 2019 will be no exception!
A Stubborn Desire to Run Music Festivals in Kristiansand, Norway, written by Tor Kjolberg