Just about two weeks ago, the staff at the former Rock In announced that the pub would be changing its name to Fot. The new concept for the 25-year-old metal bar was set to shift toward alternative rock, reggae, funk, and a variety of other genres, with smaller acts performing every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The driving force behind this change was the newly appointed booking manager, Jørn Hansen, also known as Jam Solo, who was slated to appear frequently on Fot’s stage himself.
However, the name change — and the excitement surrounding it — turned out to be short-lived. The Fot concept has now been shut down, and Rock In will not be rebranding after all.
In a Facebook event posted on Fot’s page, it was confirmed that the third edition of the Fot concept would also be the last. Only one more concert will take place — a performance by Ada Keita on Thursday night.
From Fot’s Facebook event:
“Sadly, the FOT adventure has come to an end.
I won’t go into the details, but I want to make one thing clear: everyone involved – myself included – was paid for their work.
There have been many strong opinions about the leadership at Rock In. While I personally disagree with the decision to shut down FOT after just three weeks (especially considering I only had control over 75% of the booking), I wish the management and staff nothing but success in their new direction.
One thing I know for sure: Oslo needs a venue like FOT.
If you’ve got a PA and a love for live music – reach out. I’ve learned a lot about booking and promotion through this journey, and I’m ready to take that further.
But before we move on – we’re closing this chapter with something special.
This Thursday’s show will be the final FOT concert – and we’re ending on a high note with the incredible Ada Keita.
Her voice is rich, soulful, and full of warmth – delivering a late-night set of classics and modern gems that will pull you in and hold you there.
If you’ve ever supported FOT – this is the night to show it.
Come and give Ada the energy she deserves – and help us prove how much this city values live, intimate music.
I know it’s not always easy to leave the couch, find a sitter, or get time off – but this Thursday, make it happen.
Let’s fill the room. Let’s go out strong. Let’s make sure Ada Keita gets the audience she absolutely deserves.
See you there.”
Exactly what went wrong is unclear, but it seems likely that audience numbers were simply too low to sustain the new concept. On his personal Facebook profile, Jørn Hansen writes:
“Thursday is (for now) the final night of FOT!
To those who’ve cheered me on – come down and support the artists and the concept one last time.
To those who were certain it would fail – feel free to come too. You’ll probably have fun pointing and laughing live.
Either way: it’ll be a night worth attending!”
He also points a finger at the lack of audience turnout in the comments:
“Times are tough in the nightlife industry, so if concepts like this are going to survive, we need people to get off the couch, step away from the screen, and at least drop a couple hundred kroner at the bar.”
One supportive friend replied:
“Maybe it’s the location… If you’d been on the corner at Stortorvet, more people would’ve found their way there. It’s not your fault.”
Unaware, perhaps, that Rock In — under the management of Erman Atabay — has occupied its current location since May 11, 2018, and even managed to thrive during the pandemic years.
Since March this year, when new owners took over Rock In, the venue has been plagued by chaos under its new leadership. Staff resigned in protest, regulars boycotted the place, the new team announced two name changes, and the owners’ lawyer even took to Facebook in a failed attempt to win public sympathy. Now, with the Fot concept officially scrapped, the venue finds itself back at square one — and the turmoil is far from over.
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