Roxette’s new world tour is around the corner, at least it feels like that with all the ticket-buying-stress for the countries that are already known. Per explained in an interview with one of the Australian newspapers that Marie has been calling him regarding songs to play live and that they will start rehearsing in September.
As some of you may know, we already run a poll back in 2010. “Silver Blue” was the winner and Roxette listened to the fans and played this song for all of us during the previous tour.
So we decided to start a set of polls and ask you to choose two non-single songs from each album that you would like to hear live. Each poll will last for a week, from Thursday to Thursday. We will then present all the results to Marie and Per and see what happens, maybe some of the songs end up in the set list! We are sure this will at least bring back some memories and maybe you’ll even re-discover some favourite songs again.
So let’s start with “Pearls of Passion”. In this case we listed all the songs since probably many of us have never heard any of the songs live, besides “Soul Deep”. When was the last time you listened to this album?
The fact that Roxette goes on tour at the end of this year made all Roxers incredibly happy. There were rumours about it since long, but the time to announce some dates had just come last week. And the list of tour dates will be longer than just those 13 shows in Russia, Estonia and Lithuania, that’s for sure.
It might sound insane (oh no, it IS insane), but yes, discussions about queuing in front of venues and how to get to the front row already started… We are used to waiting tremendous amount of hours in front of venues and tons of us are used to run-run-run to the front row after the entrance is open. It’s really funny to read conversations on Facebook already now about how to organize the entrance by the fans themselves. We are fond of the numbering system, but what could we do with it, if there is no control over the lining up and when the doors are open, everyone is just running like hell? Should we ask local Roxers to be there at the venue early and ask the security guys to let us in some minutes earlier than the rest of the crowd? Or should we contact the local security team some days before the concert actually takes place? But they might not be used to any systems like this, so they wouldn’t care about the fans too much. What should we do then? I admit it: this is crazy to discuss it this early! And it’s half a year before the tour starts… We’re getting more and more fanatic it seems. 😉 At the same time, if something is going to be decided officially by the organizers, it needs a lot of time and negotiations to organize everything in advance for the whole tour. Wishful thinking it might be.
Atli (Show Security Sweden) at a Gyllene Tider concert in 2013
Since last year’s Gyllene Tider tour, where we experienced how calmed down and smooth the entrance could be if a well-prepared and cooperating security team is in charge, there is no discussion among Roxers about such things without mentioning Show Security Sweden. You might remember our article about them. The team did an outstanding job during the whole tour in Sweden, even at the biggest venue with the biggest crowd (Ullevi, Gothenburg). They paid attention to the numbering system, took control over the lining up and let us in only some minutes before the normal entrance. No running, no danger, no being nervous, just a smooth walk to the stage. Of course, they needed cooperating fans, but when you can see they absolutely know what they are doing and are fully in charge, plus their aim is the same as ours: to have a great concert experience without any troubles, then you can only wish they or a company with the same targets would be in charge at all of the future shows we attend. It was already nice to see them at Marie’s Stockholm concert. Why not having such system on Roxette’s tour? We know it’s almost impossible and maybe not the most effective to bring so many security guys from Sweden to all over the world, butmaybe it would be enough to have a great team of supervisors like Atli or Malin, who can coordinate the local security teams. If I’m right, it was the same at the GT shows. We saw different faces among the security guys, so they surely worked together with local teams in different cities of Sweden. And it worked amazingly well.
We know it’s not our business who is chosen as security company, but it would be great if Live Nation would consider the possibility of implementing this working numbering system or something similar on the upcoming Roxette tour to make the entrance more secure and smooth and this way, the concert experience even better for both the band and the fans. Because as Micke Syd mentioned in the interview Judith did with him during the tour last year:
I think it’s just making the concert experience a lot better. We feel it too if you have been queuing for hours and then you are frustrated because of all the stress to get to the front row. If you are relieved of all that you can just relax and enjoy. And then we also have more fun.
So, how about a poll? Let your voice be heard and vote below! We are curious about your opinion. Voting is anonymous.
Would you like Management / Live Nation & a security team to organize a smooth entrance during the upcoming Roxette tour?
[poll id=”7″]
After you voted, you can share the poll on Facebook or on Twitter by one click to the share button below, so even more Roxers could vote and share their opinion. Thanx for your help in advance!
Astrid Lenhard, one of the die hard Roxers had the idea of making a book for Marie. A bit more than a month ago she asked fans to send her one page designed by themselves if they want to join in. The idea sounded awesome! Many fans decided to create their own page, saying thank you to Marie, writing some lines, including pictures of themselves or even with Marie. Astrid created the design of the book itself and besides summarizing the idea, also saying thanks to Ms Effe and including the list of fans who joined, she designed a beautiful cover. ”Vad vore vi utan dig” (= ”What would we be without you”). Exactly. What would we be without our beloved Marie?
Astrid had the plan to hand it over to Marie in Luleå or Umeå. And she succeeded in it. In Umeå she met Marie before the last concert during the tour and had the chance to give her the book. Marie was very happy about it and liked it a lot.
Astrid also put together a wonderful video where you can see how the book looks like, page by page. Thank you very much again for the fab idea, Astrid!
When the tour was announced (or confirmed…) I knew I would have to try and go to as many concerts as my holidays and wallet would allow. I always regretted not going to more concerts in 2000 and not being able to go to any “Den ständiga resan tour” concerts. I had always wanted to see Marie live in theatres and in front of small audiences, so I knew this was THE moment to make up for it.
I didn’t know what to expect though. So many questions went through my head the months before the tour premiere in Helsingborg. What songs will she play? How will it be with Chris and Pelle who also play with Roxette? And the new guys Jokke and Surjo? The few days before the premiere I was so excited I couldn’t really concentrate on anything else, and I know that many went through the same. It was M A R I E live solo! After all the years, after all what happened… and suddenly the first concert started. The lights went down, Marie walks on the stage, Chris on guitar… I remember I was blown away by the stripped down start of the concert and in fact of the tour with Så stilla så långsamt. And suddenly, without really realising it, the lights go out again – this time to say goodbye to the sound of Tro in Umeå.
Two months have passed by extremely fast, just as all the months waiting for the tour went by very slow, slower than ever. And suddenly we are giving our last roses to Marie and saying thank you to Marie and the band. Thank you for two months full of not only amazing music but also two months full of emotions, feelings, happiness, tears, smiles, laughs, memories, kilometers driven / travelled, new friendships, old friendships getting stronger, love, affection, support, planes, airports, train stations, visiting new places……. Many fans added concerts on the run here and there. Just because it felt great, just because we wanted to feel those 1,5 hours again. And no concert was like the other. All concerts were as special. And… 4 out of 5 of RXB Team met at the same place for the first time! Of course, we had to capture that forever in Jönköping.
For me, many things won’t be the same after this tour. Many things have got a different meaning or became special during these months. Bishops Arms, where we would meet the band after the show and give and get feedback and lots of smiles. Roses or hearts that we gave Marie at the end of quite some concerts. Elite hotels where we slept or could make our dreams come true and say hi to Marie. Somersby cider that we drunk after the shows to celebrate another night full of emotions and deep looks and laughs. And I could go on and on, probably you have your special things too. And, of course, who won’t feel the urge to stand up and clap when hearing the first drum beats of Kom vila hos mig? Or Efter stormen?
After the last concert in Umeå we were able to say bye to Marie and the band. We were all very touched by Marie and the band thanking us for being there and our support. And now it’s our turn. Many fans from all over the world travelled to Sweden to see Marie live the past months and cheered the first rows (and sometimes not really first rows, but we stood up and partied proudly!). Here are “thank you” messages from some of us.
PS: we are looking forward to the live CD (and would love to repeat this one day!!)
Manuel Terrón Browa is a long-time fan of Roxette and Marie Fredriksson. He has been teasing us, Roxers since some weeks that today, 14th February something special is coming from him. There was even a very nice teaser video saying: ”Sometimes all you need to say is thank you.” So we could be kind of sure it was going to be a a thank you video to Marie.
Now it’s out and we can see Manuel made a beautiful short film in which he says thank you to Ms Effe. Marie is his inspiration and he wanted to express his feelings via this artistic video. The most touching part starts at 03:13. Look at Marie and Manuel, how lovely their meeting was and listen to the wonderful words Marie tells him. Awesomeness!
Manuel says this video is his ”gift for Marie and all the people who are able to live in the moment and believe in the good in life”. CLICK HERE or on the picture to watch it!
Here are Manuel’s words to the video:
We all experience music in our very own ways. This movie was made out of pure appreciation. To share this film with people who love music and who live their passion is very special to me.
The clips used in this video were shot in New York, Berlin, Osnabrück, Rotterdam, Bretagne, Moscow, St. Petersburg, on the road, in cities, in nature, in concerts. All recordings are my own and were taken throughout several years.
Additional video footage was filmed by the same guy who edited this film. Thank you, Mr. Friedrichs.
A very special thanks goes out to Yana, who filmed a very special moment in my live.
A lot of the footage is very personal and meaningful to me. Maybe you are able to feel it.
I’m looking forward to Marie Fedriksson’s tour and meeting a lot of people again at those concerts.
Roxette’s new world tour is around the corner, at least it feels like that with all the ticket-buying-stress for the countries that are already known. Per explained in an interview with one of the Australian newspapers that Marie has been calling him regarding songs to play live and that they will start rehearsing in September.
The fact that Roxette goes on tour at the end of this year made all Roxers incredibly happy. There were rumours about it since long, but the time to announce some dates had just come last week. And the list of 
