ALONE IN THE DARK

How Enslaved’s Cato Bekkevold became the real wild man of rock…

Drummer Cato Bekkevold appears on reality survival TV show Alene (‘ Alone’), currently airing Norway. Ten contestants were cast out to survive alone in the wild north, with only basic equipment and a camera, to see how long they could last. He explains how he got on…

HOW MUCH DID YOU KNOW ABOUT SURVIVAL BEFORE THE SHOW?

“I know quite a lot about nature, because I spend so much time out in it! If there’s the possibility to do some fishing, that’s what I do apart from playing drums.”

WHAT DID YOU HAVE GOING IN?

“We got one pair of boots, a couple of pairs of socks, some pants, a jacket, a warm hat and some gloves. And a rucksack to carry it in, and a light mattress. No tent, just a tarp for shelter. And a knife, an axe, a kettle, a cup and basic fishing gear – just a line and some hooks and sinkers. And a box of worms!”

WHAT WAS THE HARDEST BIT? “Eventually it became a bit boring, because there was no one else to talk to. You’ve probably seen Castaway with Tom Hanks, when he ended up alone on an island. He paints a volleyball with his own blood and calls it Wilson – the camera was like my Wilson! But I found some garbage in a lake that I made use of. They told me, ‘If you can find stuff lying around, you can make your own drumkit and film that’ – so I did!”

HOW LONG DID YOU LAST?

“I can’t tell you. But there were gigs coming up, so I knew that at some point I would have to throw in the towel. I had the best beer, shower and sleep I ever had after I left! My motivation to was to prove I was able to survive outdoors, at the mercy of nature, and I’m proud to say that I did.”