Bob hund – Gothenburg Culture Festival: Review of Final Göteborg Show at Kulturkalaset with Photos

Bob hund singer Thomas Öberg, live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025

Swedish indie outfit bob hund has achieved near-cult status over their four-decade career. Their penultimate show at Göteborgs Kulturkalas was a bittersweet farewell packed with humour, chaos, and boundless energy.

For longtime fans, it was a final chance to say goodbye to one of Sweden’s most original live acts.

A Farewell Filled with Energy and Humour

Few Swedish bands have carved out such a unique place in the country’s music scene as bob hund (traditionally stylised in lowercase). Formed back in 1991, they’ve been celebrated for their quirky lyrics, jagged guitars, playful synths, and eccentric stage presence. More than that, they’ve meant a great deal to those of us who grew up with them—a reminder that Swedish rock could be both fun and deeply original.

This summer marks the end of an era. The Kulturkalaset show was the band’s second-to-last performance, and their very last in Gothenburg, with the grand finale just two days later in Stockholm.

For me, it was bittersweet. Having first seen them in 2010 at the short-lived Close to Home festival in Borås, and later at Liseberg in 2011 and 2016, I felt lucky to experience their unpredictable live show one last time.

bob hund singer Thomas Öberg jumping around, live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025

bob hund singer Thomas Öberg making funny faces, live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025

Thomas Öberg, in typical bob hund fashion, showing his energetic, goofy side.

A Quiet but Witty Beginning

Instead of launching straight into chaos, bob hund’s masked frontman Thomas Öberg started the concert with a calm, almost intimate monologue. He asked how many in the audience were seeing bob hund for the first time—and when plenty of hands went up, he couldn’t resist joking: “Where the heck have you been all these years?”

He reflected on how their notoriously wild shows have worn on the band over time, and even mentioned swapping his old mask for a new one because the original had “grown wrinkly.” Then, as if to test our patience, he told the crowd: “I hope you’ve learnt every single lyric in bob hund’s discography by now so you can sing along. We’ll start with one that’s completely impossible to sing along to.” Cue the slow, delicate “Rök i dina ögon.”

By the very next song, though—the classic “Düsseldorf”—the calm was gone. The energy was back in full force, and suddenly it felt like a classic bob hund gig from the old days.

bob hund with singer Thomas Öberg in the front, live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025. Black and white.

Thomas Öberg and the band in action.

bob hund singer Thomas Öberg live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025. Looking out at the audience.

Always close to the audience, Öberg makes even the largest stage feel small.

Cones, Chaos, and Comic Theatre

Some things never change. The gigantic orange traffic cones—long a signature stage prop—made their return. Just like years ago, Öberg turned them into megaphones, hats, and even took one out for a spin in the crowd. His mixture of awkward dancing, clownish antics, and razor-sharp wit was as funny as ever.

It struck me how familiar it all felt—like revisiting a favourite old film, knowing exactly what’s coming yet laughing and cheering anyway.

Bob hund singer Thomas Öberg live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025. Singing into a traffic cone.

Thomas Öberg singing into a traffic cone (like any other day).

bob hund live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025. Traffic cone surfing amongst the crowd.

Then sending it off for some crowd-surfing.

Bob hund singer Thomas Öberg live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025. Wearing a traffic cone as a hat.

Later returning it triumphantly as a hat (mission accomplished).

The Band’s Contrasts

While Öberg darted about, leaning into the crowd and constantly moving, the rest of the band provided their usual contrast. Bassist Mats Hellquist glared sternly at the audience, looking as if nothing in the world could crack his composure. Guitarist Johnny Essing stayed similarly understated, while Conny Nimmersjö injected more flair and movement.

Behind them, Jonas Jonasson manned the synths beneath his impressive moustache, and Christian Gabel drummed in a minimalist, almost classical style—sitting upright and moving little more than his arms, reminiscent of D-A-D’s drummer Laust Sonne—yet still driving the songs with sweat-soaked intensity.

Bob hund guitarist Conny Nimmersjö live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025.

Bob hund is quite a large band. Seen here is Conny Nimmersjö on guitar.

Mats Hellquist on bass, and Johnny Essing on guitar.

Bob hund keyboardist Jonas Jonasson live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025.

Jonas Jonasson operating the synthesisers.

Bob hund drummer Christian Gabel live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025.

Christian Gabel on drums.

Bob hund live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025. Backing singer and glockenspiel/xylophone player.

Last but not least, a young, uncredited band member on backing vocals and what looked like a glockenspiel.

Popkollo Joins In

One of the night’s loveliest moments came when a choir from Popkollo joined in on “Hjärtskärande rätt.” Öberg joked that the young singers shouldn’t feel pressured to make the song sound good, since even bob hund struggle with that themselves. But they were brilliant, and it must have been unforgettable for them to perform in front of the huge crowd filling Kungstorget on that Thursday evening.

Popkollo with bob hund live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025.

The Popkollo choir adds some vocal depth to “Hjärtskärande rätt,” fronted by the bob hund singer.

Photographers Everywhere

The sense of occasion wasn’t just felt in the crowd but also in the photo pit. Eleven accredited photographers were there—far more than usual for Kulturkalaset—and we even had to split into two groups, swapping places after a couple of songs. CrowdSnapper covered the third and fourth tracks: “Tinnitus i hjärtat,” and “Hjärtskärande rätt.”

It was a small reminder that we were witnessing something historic, and everyone wanted to capture it.

bob hund live at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, 2025. The photo pit with crowd and photographers.

There were plenty of people — on both sides of the fence.

The End of a Strange, Brilliant Road

As the night went on, it became clear that this farewell wasn’t about mourning. It was a celebration—of the absurdity, the creativity, and the energy that made bob hund so special. For me, it felt like saying goodbye to a friend I’d grown up with, one who never failed to surprise and entertain.

If this was indeed the last time Gothenburg got to see bob hund, they couldn’t have left in a truer fashion: eccentric, energetic, hilarious, and utterly irreplaceable.