Robert Dahlqvist was a Swedish guitarist and vocalist best known for his nine-year tenure with the rock bandThe Hellacopters. He was also the lead singer and guitarist for Thunder Express, a band originally started as a side project to his work with The Hellacopters. At the time of his death at age 40, Dahlqvist had nearly completed his second solo album, under the name Strängen.
Career
Early life and career
Dahlqvist was born in Uddevalla, Sweden, and got his first guitar at the age of ten and attended music school but quit after a month frustrated over not being allowed to play Kiss songs. At age fifteen, his mother got him an electric guitar and he started to focus more seriously on his playing. Dahlqvist soon started playing in bands and worked at a bar where he got to know members of the Swedish rock band the Hellacopters.
The Hellacopters
After losing original guitarist Dregen and utilizing temporary guitarists Chuck Pounder and Mattias Hellberg, the Hellacopters sought a new permanent guitarist to join the tour for their 1999 albumGrande Rock. Hearing about this, Dahlqvist contacted the band and requested an audition, after which he joined the band full-time. His first full album with the Hellacopters was High Visibility in 2000, and by that time they had given him the nickname "Strings." During his time in The Hellacopters, Dahlqvist was also a member of Stefan Sundström's backing band, and appeared on albums by The Solution and Diamond Dogs, both of which featured his Hellacopters bandmates. With the Hellacopters, Dahlqvist recorded four studio albums, four EPs, two split albums and many other releases. In October 2007, the Hellacopters announced they would be breaking up after releasing their last full-length album Head Off and completing their The Tour Before the Fall farewell tour. The band reconvened in 2016 but without Dahlqvist.
Later activities
Dahlqvist first formed the band Thunder Express in 2004 as a side project in conjunction with his work with the Hellacopters. They released the albums We Play for Pleasure in 2004 and Republic Disgrace in 2007. That band then switched to Swedish lyrics and renamed themselves Dundertåget. They released the albums Skaffa ny Frisyr in 2008 and Dom Feta Åren är Förbi in 2010, before disbanding in 2011. Dahlqvist's next project was Strängen, the Swedish translation of his nickname "Strings" from his time with the Hellacopters. He released the single "Rocken är inte död!" under this name, and announced a new album which would be his first full-length work in five years. According to his manager, the album was nearly finished at the time of Dahlqvist's death in February 2017, with some of the final sessions having taken place a few days earlier.
Death
Dahlqvist died on 1 February 2017 at age 40. Sound Pollution, distributor for the Hellacopters, stated that Dahlqvist died accidentally at home, having drowned in a bathtub following an epileptic seizure. At the time of his death, he had several concerts and appearances scheduled for the coming weeks.
Musical equipment
Dahlqvist favoured vintage guitars, effects and amplifiers. ;Guitars:
