Smooth entrance during the Roxette tour? Vote now!

roxette_goes_on_tour_2014The 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
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, but maybe 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!

The RoxBlog Team

The Per Gessle Archives – limited edition single is out!

KIMB_LC_Per_GessleI’m not sure how many of you could get hold of Per’s limited edition vinyl (500 copies) yesterday, on Record Store Day in Sweden. There was some info from here and there that the single has never reached some record stores. Most probably, it was not sent to all of them in Sweden, so online ordering seems to be the most secure way to get your copy. CDON and Ginza had it for some days online, but I think they sold the number of copies they had very fast, so they took the item off their websites already. Bengans announced it will be available at them (the remaining copies after Record Store Day) at 3 pm CET on 28th April. Be fast with your order on Monday, because it will work like first come, first served.

Now getting down to the songs. Kvar i min bil (AGM, 28th April 2007), an outtake from En händig man album (as Anders Nunstedt mentions), ending up in Tomas Alfredson’s film, “Låt den rätte komma in” (= “Let the Right One In”) we could already hear earlier in the movie, as well as e.g. on YouTube and the lyrics to it were already available. I love the fact that now this great 60’s party song is released.

Loud Clothes, which was written for Have A Nice Day in 1998 is the B side of the single. To me it’s no surprise it was left off the album. Somehow it really doesn’t fit the HAND tunes. One falls in love with this song (T&A Demo, 30th August, 2002) in a second. How fabulous Gessleish lyrics again! I’m always amazed at Mr G’s songwriting skills. How can one come up with such words and lines? Ringa-linga rama-lama joy. Haha. My favourite! Sounds too cool! The whole song might remind you of Substitute (For the Real Deal). At least this melody came to our minds when listening to it. Instead of faded and fading clothes we get loud clothes. Here you have the lyrics to the demo:

 

Loud Clothes
Words & music by Per Gessle

She puts on loud clothes
She looks like a ringa-linga rama-lama joy
She puts on loud clothes
She talks when she walks blowing kisses through the noise
She puts on loud clothes
She looks like you wanna put your fingers on her skin
You can’t stop lookin’
She moves through the common people pulling every string

She really knocks you out
She really blocks your mind
It feels like you knew her
From somewhere back in time

She brings silence
Her lips never mention what you really wanna hear
She brings silence
You can’t find the words when you’re dying to get near her

She really knocks you out
She really blows your mind
It feels like you knew her
From somewhere back in time

To be here makes sense to be
To be here makes sense to me
She’s got loud clothes

 

After listening to these 2 songs, you are just longing for hearing more. As it was announced, the first 2 volumes of the total of 11 vol. of The Per Gessle Archives will be available on Spotify in May, but to hear all the almost 200 songs (172 to be more precise) we have to wait until 24th September 2014, when the complete box-set is released in form of CD and vinyl. Bring on September!

 

Fan book – a ”thank you” present for Marie

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.

Vad_vore_vi_utan_dig          Astrid_and_Marie

Cover of the book © Astrid Lenhard                        Astrid handing over the book to Marie © Astrid Lenhard

 

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!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWWD4c1y-78

 

The cheering fans say thank you to Marie and the band!

mariebandumea

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.

rxb team1

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!!)

Read more

Roxette announce another world tour for end of 2014!

Indications for another Roxette tour just got confirmed on Roxette’s official website and Facebook page. Read the following info:

ROXETTE – BACK ON TOUR 2014!

So now it’s finally official – Roxette are ready to embark on yet another world tour this year! It has been two years since one of Scandinavia’s biggest pop exports ever ended their sensational comeback World Tour 2011-2012. A tour that took them around the Globe twice, playing for 1.5 million people in 46 countries on 6 continents! And now it’s time for Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle to bring their string of much loved hits to the world once again.

Roxette’s fantastic come-back started with the release of the hit album ”Charm School” (2011) with the No 1 single ”She’s Got Nothing On (But The Radio)” and during the first leg of the world tour, the album ”Travelling” was recorded and released 2012. In December last year the blu-ray/dvd/cd ”Roxette live: Travelling The World” was released.

Since the last tour ended, Marie and Per have been working on their separate Swedish careers; Per with his former band Gyllene Tider who did a massive Swedish tour last summer on the back of a brand new No 1 album. Marie released her first studio album in Swedish in 8 years and is currently ending her first, highly praised, solo tour in Sweden since the year 2000.

This year marks the 25 anniversary of Roxette’s world wide break. The hit single “The Look”, from the album “Look Sharp”, reached no #1 on Billboard US Chart in the spring of 1989 and that was the start of one of the world’s biggest and longest pop careers. Their first Billboard No 1 was followed by three more; “Listen to Your Heart”, ”It Must Have Been Love” and ”Joyride” and their albums have sold well over 75 millon units to date.

And so the Roxette joyride continues and their next world tour kicks off in Russia 2014 [RXB: of all places…]. Come join it! Dates and places will be added as we go along but here are the first ones:

Roxette-Live-2014Tour dates:

Russia:

28/10 Vladivostok Worckshop 9
30/10 Habarovsk – Platinum Arena
2/11 Krasnoyarsk– Sport Palace Yarigin
4/11 Novosibirsk– Expo Center
7/11 Magnitogorsk – Arena Metalurg
9/11 Yekaterinburg – KRK Uralec
12/11 Saratov – Ice Palace Cristal
14/11 Rostov-On-Don – Sports Palace
16/11 Krasnodar – Basket Hall
19/11 St. Petersburg – Ice Palace
21/11 Moscow – Crocus Hall

Estonia:

23/11 Tallinn – Saku Arena