Originally, Fredrikstad would have been the closing gig on the GT40 tour, even if no one believed Gyllene Tider should end their 40-year-long career in Norway. The concert was sold out quite fast, so it had to be moved to a bigger venue and yes, that got sold out soon too. 10000 people got hold of a ticket for the show.
The gates opened at 4 pm, but most of the people queueing were there to find a seat on a bench close to the drinks and food court. There were 2 support acts and the first (they were singing their own songs) started at 18:40, the other started some minutes after the first act ended. The latter band performed covers and they sounded quite cool.
Per, as usual, talked to the audience for the first time after Juni, juli, augusti, but before that, Micke N-S came and changed his guitars and checked the prompter, because it probably didn’t show the things it should. Mr. G went out to tell MNS about it already during the song. So when he started talking he thanked the crowd for waiting for GT for so long and mentioned that Fredrikstad is actually one of their very last shows. He asked the people to sing along and dance if they find the place for that. I was in the 2nd row now and it was tight there too.
I don’t know what happened to the black and white Rickenbacker Mr. G always plays on Det hjärta som brinner, but during the song there was a very quick guitar change. MNS came up on stage and like a shot from a gun, Per took his Rickenbacker off and grabbed the other black guitar and played on. It stayed for Puls and Flickorna på TV2 too.
During Det kändes inte som maj (which rocks live big time!) MP started a bigger circle around the stage and Per joined in the fun. He was following MP until he got back to his own position on the left.
Micke Syd’s intro talking to Låt denna trumslagarpojke sjunga! was entertaining again and hey, even if he got the lyrics sticked on the stage now, he didn’t have to look at it. By the end of the tour he seems to have learnt the lyrics. Well done! When we met, I asked him about the lyrics in Trondheim, why he didn’t have them sticked on the stage floor. He said it was simply forgotten to be taken inside from the truck. Haha. The finger smacking and swinging worked well on this crowd too.
When Per stopped to talk before Ska vi älska, så ska vi älska till Buddy Holly, he couldn’t start talking right ahead, because the audience started on with the ojojoj ojojojoj ojojojojojojoj. It was so loud and the band was happy to hear the crowd reaction. It happened several times during the concert. Per said they leave the 80’s and go on with the 70’s. And play some disco. Fast reaction to that was a short disco drum session by Micke Syd. It was funny and a nice little addition.
I always think the band reached their highest level of performing at the actual show I attend, but they can always top it. And that with hardly any days off between the gigs during the past few days. They are a.m.a.z.i.n.g., all them 7 wonderful people!
The setlist was exactly the same as in Trondheim: 21 songs, only 1 encore. At the end of the gig Anders Roos took a picture of the 5 guys with their backs towards the audience. That’s what they skipped in Ullevi.
Fredrikstad was a fab show, but I’m happy that it wasn’t the last stop on tour in the end. Gosh! It was anyway the second to last show! Sista chansen, sista dansen tonight in Halmstad! There are still a few tickets left, so get yourself one if you haven’t decided yet about coming to the concert.
Setlist
1. Skicka ett vykort, älskling
2. Juni, juli, augusti
3. Det hjärta som brinner
4. (Hon vill ha) Puls
5. Flickorna på TV2
6. Vandrar i ett sommarregn
7. (Dansar inte lika bra som) Sjömän
8. Det kändes inte som maj
9. Flickan i en Cole Porter-sång
10. Tuffa tider
BAND PRESENTATION
11. Låt denna trumslagarpojke sjunga!
12. Kung av sand
13. En sten vid en sjö i en skog
14. Ljudet av ett annat hjärta
15. Ska vi älska, så ska vi älska till Buddy Holly
16. (Kom så ska vi) Leva livet
Encore
17. Det är över nu
18. Gå & fiska!
19. När vi två blir en
20. Sommartider
21. När alla vännerna gått hem
All pics in the article are taken by Patrícia Peres.
FREDRIKSTAD!! Wow! Vilken fantastiskt ynnest att få spela i er vackra stad och få den här responsen. Tack alla 10000+ som dök upp igår och sjöng och dansade med oss. Vilken kväll det blev, sköna spontana inpass från bandet blandat med enorm allsång från alla er! Svårt att toppa!!! Nu är vi tillbaka på hemmaplan i Halmstad och ska försöka avsluta GT40-turne’n med bravur ikväll på Brottet. Kommer att bli grymt! See ya there! /Love from GT