The Tables

The Tables was an underground/DIY pop group formed in Oslo, Norway, in 1987, by Bartleby (vocals, real name Tore Sørensen), Robert Birdeye (bass guitar and drums, real name Steinar Buholm), and Reg Trademark (guitar, real name Ståle Caspersen), from the ashes of a band called The Bottle Collectors. This trio recorded their first 7-inch EP, Diary EP, released on the new-founded Voices of Wonder label in 1988, now Voices Music and Entertainment.

For their first vinyl album, Shady Whims & Obstacles, released on their own Schtooopid Records in 1990, they recruited Sandy Shore (real name Kjersti Gravklev) on Farfisa organ, and Mono (real name Benedikte Sterner) on drums. The Tables broke up soon after the release, but the original trio reformed in 1996 or 1997 to record their second album, Holiday at Wobbledef Grunch, released on Perfect Pop Records, a small label that was run by the group members and others from the indie-pop scene in Oslo. The band once again broke up, but reformed in 2000, resulting in their third and final album, Nevermynd the Hillocks (Treble Without a Cause), again on Perfect Pop Records and released in 2002. The band had a host of different members during this stage, most of them contributing to their last album. Between their first and second albums they also recorded eight songs for a split album with Astroburger, under the name Monsters of Doom, consisting of Bartleby, Reg Trademark, Robert Birdeye, Sandy Shore and Mike Mushroom (real name Mikkel Bay Vold). All of The Tables and Monsters of Doom output has been released on CD by Oslo-based Perfect Pop Records. The music on all The Tables' three albums was a mixture of English 60s popsike inspired by the Rubble compilation series on Bam Caruso Records and early indiepop à la TV Personalities, while the Monsters of Doom tracks were more psychedelic and hard-edged. With their whimsy, part-surrealistic lyrics, and catchy melodies, The Tables achieved a semi-legendary status in the Norwegian underground and other parts of the world.

Discography
  • The Diary EP (Voices of Wonder, 1989)
  • The Lantern Light Flexi 7-inch (1990)
  • From Trash To Gloss (fanclubcassette, 1990)
  • Live at Bootleg (fanclubcassette, (1990)
  • Shady Whims & Obstacles (Schtooopid Records, 1990)
  • Lost on Venus Split-LP w/Astroburger under the name Monsters of Doom (Perfect Pop 1991)
  • Shady Whimps with Spectacles (fanclubcassette, 1993)
  • Excerpt from the Bruce Springsteen Report 7-inch (Farce Recordings 1995)
  • Holiday at Wobbledef Grunch (Perfect Pop, 1997)
  • Kjære alle sammen cdep/7-inch (Voices of Wonder, 1997)
  • The Tables Play Idle Race 7-inch (Kippers Records, 2000)
  • See Emily Play/Arnold Layne 7-inch (Two Zero Records, 2000)
  • Nevermynd the Hillocks (Treble Without a Cause) (Perfect Pop, 2003)
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