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The headache came immediately. Listening to the first seconds of “Afterski i Queill” is like being Donald Duck when he is caught by an avalanche, he is shaken and slammed and hammered and battered inside a huge snowball that only gets bigger and bigger and rushes towards the high mountain hotel there the rest of the guests enjoy après-ski. Ow it hurts! Let me off! Let me off! But no:
“Ra la lalala lalalalala la”, sings Durek Verrett.
– Doomed to lose
The Jacketeers
With “Afterski i Queill” The Jacketeers (Lars Berteig Andersen, Bjørn Alexander and thus Durek Verrett) thunder straight into the rock-solid wall that is Norwegian party music, more precisely the subgenre après ski. It goes straight into the ski track after Freddy Kalas, Broiler, Tix, Staysman and the whole sulamite. The song has all the conventions of the genre: Thundering and dusty monotonous rhythms, shouting chorus and lyrics about ski slopes and after parties. And, not to forget: Humor.
Because even though the song can in many ways be considered as inaudible, it’s impossible not to love it too. Just listen to what Durek sings (rapper?): “My fancy pantsy Gucci nikkers, cross-country skiing with flags and stickers. Dancing just like I don’t care, so take a pic for Se & hør. Because I’m raving at the mountain party. Go ahead and grab your shorty»!
And: “Get your spirit optimized, ’cause afterski is super size”!
Okay, it sounds better when he says it. But I admit it: I love it. Giggled through the song. Had to hear the whole thing again, even though it was horrifying.
“Ra la lalala lalalalala la”, sings Durek Verrett.
Declaration of Peace
It may be stretching it far, far, far too far, but I interpret this song as a kind of peace declaration from Durek. There has been some friction, now he extends a hand. Because what is the most Norwegian of all things Norwegian, what is as quintessentially Norwegian as bunad, brown cheese, waffles and Dovrefjell? Yes, Norwegian après-ski culture. And now Durek is going to fight at Hemsedal, he wants to fight at Trysil, he wants to fight at Hafjell. Durek Verrret simply takes a stick for the country.
It’s both fun and terrifying.
Because, as he says (raps, the gods know what): “Guys, now we’re having fun”!
