Drönarbild över Klosters kyrka.
10 facts about the rock band Kent
The city of Eskilstuna is known for many things, such as Parken Zoo, the speedway team Smederna and the rock band Kent. Learn more about the band with these 10 facts.
1. Kent hasn't always been called Kent
The band had several names before they finally decided on Kent. The band was called Jones och Giftet, which translates to Jones and the Poison, when it was formed in 1990, but changed its name to Havsänglar in 1992. It was not until 1993 that the band changed its name to the now legendary Kent.
2. Who is Kent?
In an interview with Eskilstuna Kuriren in 1995, the lead singer Joakim Berg explained that Kent is neither a person nor a cigarette brand. The reason they chose the name Kent was because it was short, easy to remember, and felt nerdy enough.
3. Kent mobile phones
When it was time for the release of the album "Tillbaka till samtiden" in 2007, Kent collaborated with Sony Ericsson and released special Kent mobile phones. The models were called W580, W660, and W880 and included 12 backgrounds, 3 themes, 8 ringtones, and 2 screensavers that were not available anywhere else. In addition, buyers got access to the single "Ingenting" one day before its official release.
4. Kent video game
In 2010, the video game Singstar-Kent was released for Playstation. Singstar is a popular video game series where players can sing karaoke versions of famous songs.
5. The Kent forum
There is a preserved version of Kent's previous official internet forum called Kentforumet. The preserved version is from May 13, 2018, and includes 19 posts written by Joakim Berg.
6. Most Grammis awards in Sweden
Kent is the band that has won the most Grammis Awards in Sweden throughout history. They won a total of 23 awards during their 26 years as an active band. Kent won Grammis Awards in several categories, including "Group of the Year" and "Album of the Year". The album 'Vapen & ammunition' won seven Grammis Awards in 2002, making it the band's most successful record.
7. Kents best song
In February 2020, social media polls were conducted to determine which truly is the best out of all of Kent's 215 songs. Over 3000 people voted, and "Mannen i den vita hatten (16 år senare)" emerged as the undisputed winner.
8. Martin Roos
Martin Roos was the rhythm guitarist in Kent between 1992-1995, and then the band's manager until 2016. On May 1st 2012 Martin accepted the position as CEO of Eskilstuna Marketing, which later became Destination Eskilstuna. Today, Destination Eskilstuna is responsible for, among other things, visiteskilstuna.se, the website that you are currently visiting. Martin Roos resigned as CEO of Destination Eskilstuna on October 1st, 2022.
9. Kent non stop - Eskilstunas Kent choir
It probably comes as no surprise that the love for Kent is big in Eskilstuna. In February 2019, a Kent choir was started with the aim of "singing Kent, only Kent, spreading love about the band, their music, and the joy of singing in a choir". The choir project is called "Kent Non Stop" and consists of enthusiasts who meet and sing Kent songs together.
10. Kent and Eskilstuna
References to Eskilstuna can be found in much of Kent's material. For example, the name of the album "Hagnesta Hill" was taken from a district in Eskilstuna, and the cover of "Vapen & Ammunition" is adorned with a white tiger. Eskilstuna was long known for its white tigers from the city's zoo, Parken Zoo.
More of Kent? Walk in Kent's footsteps
''Vandra i Kents fotspår'' (Walk in Kent's footsteps) is a city walk with 16 stops where Kent has left its mark on the map of Eskilstuna. Or where Eskilstuna has made an impression on Kent. There is a bookable guide service for groups, and a downloadable map for those who prefer to walk on their own.
