PROGRAM 2026
Book bath - the story of The Jet Blacks
With Robert Dyrnes and Kent-Einar Myreng
The Jet Blacks were Tromsø’s first rock stars. With their distinctive “barbed-wire” sound, they marked the transition from the 1950s to the 1960s and left a lasting imprint on the city’s music scene. They became Northern Norwegian champions of pop music, won Tromsø’s city championship for pop artists, and were the first band from the region to travel to Oslo to release records.
Robert Dyrnes has now written a book about the band, and together with several former members, they will take us on a journey through Tromsø’s musical past. Expect stories, photos, and an engaging conversation about what the local music scene was like in earlier times.
The conversation will be moderated by Kent-Einar Myreng.
The panel includes Robert Dyrnes and several former band members.
There will also be an opportunity to purchase the book after the talk.
About the book:
THE STORY OF THE JET BLACKS
This book tells the story of Tromsø’s first Shadows-inspired band, The Jet Blacks. The band made its concert debut in 1960, using portable radios and tape recorders as equipment. They were easily recognizable in their black trousers, black shirts, white ties, and red jackets with embroidered band logos. On stage, they performed choreographed steps and kicks—just like a true Shadows band.
The Jet Blacks were the first band from Tromsø to acquire Fender guitars, travel to Oslo, record music in a studio, secure a record contract, and release records. They performed concerts and toured as a backing band for English rock artists as well as Norwegian singer Kirsti Sparboe. By the mid-1960s, they had become major role models in the music scene, both in Tromsø and across Northern Norway, known for their energetic barbed-wire and beat music.
Toward the end of the decade, the band gradually shifted toward dance music and went through several name and lineup changes, along with longer breaks. They also performed under the names Peter & The G-Clefs, Peters, and Peters Kvartett.
This is the story of Trond Graff’s first band, which he later left to form what would become The Pussycats. It is also the story of many other talented musicians who helped shape Tromsø’s music scene in the 1960s and 1970s.
The book covers the full history—from the band’s beginnings in 1960 until they disbanded just over ten years later—and concludes with the Pussycats’ reunion in the 1970s, a band whose members all had roots in The Jet Blacks / Peters.
The book is published in a strictly limited edition of 150 copies, and includes a unique 4-track vinyl EP.
The book will be available for purchase at this event.