Oslo, Norway
Compiled by Hermod Falch, May 2013
Flax 1 June/July 1971
- Hermod Falch – Vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla – guitar/piano
- Tore Sandsengen -bass
- Knut Grue – drums
- Rolf Ludvigsen – trumpet
- Granum-brothers – sax and trombone
Flax 2 September 1971
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla – guitar/piano
- Hans Rotmo – bass
- Knut Grue 1* – drums
- Rolf Ludvigsen – trumpet
- Granum-brothers – sax and trombone
1* Knut Grue left for Catalina, mics dancing groups
and ‘Sønner av Land’ w/John Hesla and Lars Hesla.
Flax 3 December the 12th 1971
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla – guitar/piano
- Hans Rotmo 2* – bass
- Roger Ramstad – drums
2* Hans Rotmo left and founded Vømmøl,
a giant in Norwegian folk rock.
Flax 4 October 20th 1972
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla – guitar/piano
- Arve Sakariassen 3* – bass
- Arild Myhre – drums (died in 2011-RIP)
3* Arve Sakariassen came from Sect, Radka Toneff’s backing band.
Radka became an international famous jazz-singer.
Flax 5 May 1972
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla – guitar/piano
- Arve Sakariassen – bass
- Morten Jakobsen 4* – drums
4* Morten came from Sect, Radka Toneff’s backing band.
Morten left later for Folque, a famous Norwegian folk group.
He played drums on the radio sessions when Polygram heard Flax.
Morten died April 2013. RIP.
Flax 6 January 1975
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla 5* – keyboards
- Arve Sakariassen – bass
- Willy Bendiksen 6* – drums
5* Lars Hesla also played keyboards in Junipher Greene,
a giant in Norwegian prog-rock, in the period 1974-1985.
6* Wllly Bendiksen came from St. Helena, a rock band from the north of Norway.
Willy left for Høst, a Norwegian prog-band, a couple of months before Flax started recording the first album, ‘FLAX ONE’.
Flax 7 June – August 1975
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla – keyboards
- Arve Sakariassen – bass
- Rolf Bakken 7* – drums
7* Rolf Bakken left for Babij Jar, a Oslo-based band.
Flax 8 September – December 1975
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla – keyboards
- Arve Sakariassen 8*- bass
- Bruce Rasmussen 9* – drums
This line-up recorded the first album Flax One on the Vertigo Label (> Polygram > Universal)
8* Arve Sakariassen left and joined Junipher Greene.
9* Bruce Rasmussen is an American-born Norwegian. Bruce left for Jahn Teigen, Alex and more, see the career-section.
Flax 9 May – June 1978
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla 10*- guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla – Keyboards
- Martin Viktorin 11* – bass
- Terje Pedersen – drums
10* John Hesla played guitar in Høst/Ice autumn 1977/spring 1978.
11* Martin Viktorin left.
Flax 10 July 1978
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla – Keyboards
- Jørun Bøgeberg – bass
- Terje Pedersen 12* – drums
12* Terje Pedersen left and formed Tom and the TomToms w/Jørun Bøgeberg later on.
Flax 11 August 1978 – April 1981
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla – Keyboards
- Jørun Bøgeberg – bass
- Willy Bendiksen 12*- drums
12* Willy Bendiksen rejoined Flax, August 1978.
This line-up recorded and released the single/7” ‘A Pain in the Ass/What’cha Gonna Do’ in 1978 and the second album
‘Monster Tapes’, autumn 1980.
April 1981 Willy Bendiksen and Jørun Bøgeberg left the band and joined Jannicke, founded Road. see career-section,.and
Jørun Bøgeberg and Lars Hesla also continued as Junipher Greene-members.
Flax 12 April 1981– June 1982
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla 13* – keyboards
- Arne Vevle 14* – bass
- Vidar Øverli 15* – drums
13* Lars Hesla left the band for a period.
14* Arne Vevle and Vidar Øverli came from the Oslo-based band, Bakruz.
15* Vidar Øverli left the band.
Flax 13 July 1982
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Arne Vevle – bass
- Willy Bendiksen 16*- drums
16* Willy Bendiksen rejoined the band and Arne Vevle left
Flax 14 August 1983
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Jørun Bøgeberg 17* – bass
- Willy Bendiksen – drums
17* Jørun Bøgeberg rejoined the band for gigs and recordings for the third album, ‘Flax Tracks’.
Flax 15 March 1985
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla 18*- Keyboards
-
Sid Øystein) Ringsby 19* – bass
- Willy Bendiksen – drums
18* Lars Hesla rejoined the band.
This line-up did the last gig February 15th 1985
19* Sid Ringsby joined the band for the last tour. Sid played with TNT, Tindrum, The Snakes, Wild Willy’s Gang,
Road, JORN, Ken Hensley (ex Uriah Heep) Live Fire etc
Flax 16 May 1985 – Autumn 1986
- Hermod Falch – vocals
- John Hesla – guitar/flute
- Lars Hesla – Keyboards
-
Jørun Bøgeberg – bass
- Willy Bendiksen – drums
This line-up recorded the the single/7” ‘Uptown/Taken In’ and the third album, ‘Flax Tracks’ in the period.
