Rockeklubben i Porsgrunn, commonly abbreviated RiP, is a volunteer-run live music club at Jernbanegata 2 in Porsgrunn, Norway. Established in 1990, it presents rock, punk, hardcore, metal and alternative music alongside occasional concerts from other genres. The club operates at Sort & Blå Scene, a compact basement venue with a capacity of around 160 people. Despite its size, RiP regularly hosts established Norwegian artists, international touring bands and musicians from the Grenland region.

RiP grew out of Porsgrunn’s DIY music environment around Kulturhuset Øvre Frednes. The name Rockeklubben i Porsgrunn was first used for a concert with Chris Erichsen Orkester and Englevakt on 18 August 1990. When police cut the electricity during the show, the musicians continued acoustically. During its early years, the club organised summer concerts at Øvre Frednes as well as indoor shows at venues including the basement of Hotell Vic and Folkets Hus. Seigmen was among the bands to appear at the outdoor Frednes stage, playing there in June 1993. Activity slowed considerably in 1996, before Pål Berby and Tove Nystrand took over responsibility for the organisation the following year.

In 1999, RiP joined forces with Grenland Bluesklubb to establish Sort & Blå Scene. After periods at Folkets Hus and the basement of the Park nightlife complex, the venue returned to the latter location in 2003, where RiP has remained ever since. Grenland Bluesklubb left the partnership in 2013, leaving Rockeklubben i Porsgrunn to run the venue independently. The club continues to rely heavily on volunteers and retains the DIY approach that has characterised it since the beginning.

Although the programme has always extended beyond metal, heavier music has remained an important part of RiP’s identity. Artists appearing over the years have included Kvelertak, Pagan’s Mind, Monolord, Truckfighters, Order, Dwaal and Kvaen, alongside a strong representation of punk and hardcore. In April 2026, RiP also hosted the first live performance by Avrak, the project featuring Darkthrone’s Nocturno Culto and Porsgrunn musician Anders Hegna. The club’s delayed 30th anniversary celebration, billed as 30+2 in 2022, expanded beyond the basement with an outdoor stage featuring Kvelertak, Honningbarna and bob hund.

Rockeklubben i Porsgrunn has received several awards for its work. It was named Årets Helårsarrangør by Norske Konsertarrangører for both 2017 and 2025, and received Porsgrunn Municipality’s cultural award in 2006 and volunteer award in 2023. Over more than three decades, RiP has become an important part of the rock, punk, hardcore and metal scene in Porsgrunn and the wider Grenland region.

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ADDRESS:
Jernbanegata 2, 3915 Porsgrunn, Norway

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