The Bear Quartet

The Bear Quartet
Pictured from left to right: Jejo Perkovic [sv], Mattias Alkberg, Jari Haapalainen, Peter Nuottaniemi [sv], Calle Olsson
Background information
Origin	Luleå, Sweden
Genres	Alternative rock indie rock prog rock post-punk
Years active	1989–2010
Labels	A West Side Fabrication [sv] Adrian Recordings [sv] Sticky Records
Past members	Mattias Alkberg Jari Haapalainen Peter Nuottaniemi [sv] Jejo Perkovic [sv] Calle Olsson See band members section for others
Website	thebearquartet.com

The Bear Quartet was a cult indie rock band^[1][2] from Luleå in northern Sweden.^[3] They were formed in the summer of 1989 with the original roster of Mattias Alkberg on guitar and vocals, Jari Haapalainen and Johan Forsling on guitar, Peter Nuottaniemi on bass, and Magnus Olsson on drums. However, the band's lineup changed significantly before eventually settling on Mattias Alkberg on vocals and guitar, Jari Haapalainen on guitar, Peter Nuottaniemi on bass, Jejo Perkovic [sv] on drums, and Calle Olsson on keyboards.^{[4][5][non-primary source needed][6]} Their name is a reference to the novel Gentlemen by Klas Östergren.^[7] Although they were formed in 1989, they didn't garner the attention of a record label until 1992. They made records at a steady rate from 1992, with their debut album, Penny Century, to 2010 with their final album Monty Python. Their albums were often received favorably,^{[8][9][10][11][12][13]} but they never resulted in large sales, usually only selling between 1,000 and 10,000 units per disc.^[14] The band is very obscure across the world, although they are much better known in Sweden.^{[citation needed]}