Peter and Linda live and breathe rock music

Rockfickan in Hova, Gullspång Municipality, celebrates its fortieth anniversary as an association next year. And it’s a lively jubilar to be celebrated! What once started as a music association aimed at giving young musicians the chance to develop has grown into a rock club that welcomes well-known bands to the small town every year.

Peter Friman and his partner Linda Bäckström are two of the people most involved in the association, which has about ten board members in total. Peter has worked in the music industry for a long time and has built a wide network of contacts. He says Rockfickan is quite well known in the music community.

“A lot of bands reach out wanting to come and play. I’ve been told that the gigs here feel special, and that we stand out from other venues - in a positive way. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite from the acts we’ve had, but Hardcore Superstar’s show this summer was fantastic! This spring I’m looking forward to Korslagda - it’ll be fun! And The Dahmers will be something different, they’re a band with a horror aesthetic. Then LOK is coming too. It’s a great lineup with a lot to look forward to!”

Peter and Linda are keen to emphasize how important the board is to the club. Because the work is entirely voluntary, the club is what it is today thanks to those who get involved.

“The association is one strong, tight-knit team, that’s also what makes Rockfickan so unique!” Peter says.

A big part of Peter and Linda’s engagement in the club is that they attend many events themselves to listen to bands and find the gems they want to invite to Rockfickan.

“The best thing about running a rock club is that we get so close to the bands. When we’re out at concerts, we’re always scouting for who we want to bring here. It gives us the chance to talk to the bands, which has provided us with tons of contacts,” Linda says.

Unique Venue

In addition to booking bands, Peter is the one who has put in the most hours preparing the venue. His interest in fine carpentry has given the space its unique look and is an important part of Rockfickan’s charm.

“Everything we do is voluntary- from working the bar to booking bands and building stages. I’ve spent several thousand hours building all the environments in the venue. We pitch in where we have skills. I have the craftsmanship, and another board member, Peter Smedberg Fredriksson, is in charge of sound and lighting. He owns pretty much the entire fantastic sound and lighting rig, works as technician at the gigs, and has put in countless hours to create an amazing light show.”

It’s a huge effort from Peter, Linda, and the rest of the board that has made the venue what it is today.

“The municipality owns the building, which has been both a cinema and a theater. It was condemned in the 90s, but we brought it back to life! The latest addition is the large outdoor patio.”

Even though Rockfickan is primarily a rock club, Peter and Linda are clear that it is run by a music association - not a rock association. Making everyone feel welcome is important. In addition to concerts with well-known rock bands, other musical events are arranged as well.

“We have a very mixed audience. On a typical night the age range is from 20 to 80. We want everyone to feel welcome. We regularly have vinyl record nights and troubadour evenings. One time parts of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra played here. It was an unusual night for us, lovely music,” Peter says.

Besides concerts, the club also hosts a major annual event: one of Europe’s largest vinyl fairs, attracting around 3,000–5,000 visitors per year. It coincides with Hova’s Medieval Week. During that period, Rockfickan is open nine nights in a row.

“Then the board really needs a vacation,” Linda laughs.

Friends for Life

For Peter and Linda, Rockfickan is not just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. The couple is involved in every event held at the venue, book the bands, and help with all preparations before concerts. They’ve even opened their garden for camping.

“One downside of running a club in a small town is that there’s not much accommodation nearby. When Rockfickan is open, all hostels, hotels, and campgrounds in the area are full, but it’s still not enough. We’ve opened our garden for camping, if someone needs electricity, we arrange that too,” Peter laughs.

Their work at Rockfickan has also given the couple lifelong friends, both in Sweden and abroad. People from other countries show up regularly, and many stay in touch and keep coming back. All the connections they make are among the best parts of running a rock club, according to Linda and Peter.

“At a concert this summer we had people from seven U.S. states! We let them stay overnight at our place, so now we’re invited to stay with them if we ever decide to go there,” Linda says.

“Thanks to everything we’ve done here at Rockfickan, I’ve also gotten exciting carpentry jobs. For example, I built a studio for a member of the band Sator, who is also a music producer. Several major artists have now recorded albums there,” Peter says.