Australia is missing Roxette

Live Nation Australia & New Zealand shared Roxette’s setlist on RDIO to let anyone relive the Australian shows. As they say:

Roxette have only just left our shores but fans are still singing their hits!

February saw the triumphant return of Swedish superstars Roxette, celebrating their 30th anniversary. From wineries to the Sydney Opera House Forecourt every show was the ultimate sing-a-long.

You can stream the entire setlist on RDIO to keep the dream alive.

The setlist was a bit different at almost each Oz show, mainly because of leaving out a song or two, or changing the order of the tracks, but all in all, it’s still a nice idea from Live Nation to keep the Roxxxpirit up in Oz. Enjoy listening to it by clicking HERE.

 

rox_ln_oz_nz
Pic by Live Nation Australia & New Zealand

 

 

Roxette XXX Tour – Auckland, New Zealand – February 7 – #16

When the news started spreading in May 2014 that Roxette would tour Australia and New Zealand, all Kiwi fans must have been over the moon. They have been waiting for long since the last time Rox would have performed there in February 2012. Per fell ill on his flight from Stockholm and they had to cancel the show. Earlier, Roxette visited New Zealand for a promotional visit at the end of the 80’s, but never performed there. Roxette kept their promise to come back and Per now luckily avoided eating strange stuff on board or maybe it was his airline PJs that kept him healthy this time.

Before the show, fans could check the merch stand as usual. Besides the new XXX water bottle you’ll find an XXX baseball cap and the Tour Program as new stuff. The tour program looks extremely hot with fab pics inside. The scarf they have now looks like it’s made of a different type of textile than what we could get in 2014.

Before the gig, the audience could see a sign that said: ”Tonight’s concert (and possibly audience) is being filmed at the request of the artist. Enjoy the show!” Maybe it’s for a new project or just to see how the new stage design works with the audience or any other reason. I hope we’ll get to know it one day and most importantly, see at least a part of that recording.

Vector Arena was fully packed, everyone was sitting impatiently while waiting for Roxette. There was a support act, Ekko Park starting at 7.30 pm. Roxette was set to hit the stage at 8.30 pm, but they entered with appr. 20 minutes delay. During the support act and the beginning of the show the background elements of the new stage design were still “rolled up”, but already during the first song the audience got to see the new stuff in action. There were cool lighting effects and lyrics appeared on the background every now and then, as well as the band’s name. It was quite colorful and looked stylish and fresh. Stunning like Pelle’s beard, to quote PG. 😉

We thought New Zealand can be warm enough for Per to leave his glam rock jacket behind, but he kept it for the first 3 songs. Marie kept the tradition of being barefoot. Both of them and the band were in great mood and they were very energetic. There were some light mistakes here and there in the lyrics, but who cares when you get the crowd on their feet and make them sing along and stand until the end of the show. Marie was sitting during 2 ballads, The Heart Shaped Sea and Perfect Day, but then she got up again and rocked on. The crowd went nuts at many songs and Roxette was bringing down the house in Auckland.

To many Roxers’ big surprise, there were fab changes in the setlist. However, one can miss Real Sugar and Fading Like A Flower, 3 of the songs that many fans wished for appeared on the setlist. First of all, Crush On You! Sounded awesome live again after so many years! You can check it in this video. Then Almost Unreal was performed as well. These 2 songs were already cool additions, but they kept something more for the extras. From Watercolours In The Rain when it’s only Marie and Dea on stage there was a transition into Paint. What a wonderful version it was! Even if it wasn’t the complete song, it’s just amazing they added it. Check it out here! Awesomeness is the word! We know it’s not too easy to have a new setlist too often, so it’s much appreciated that there are these extra marvellous changes. So huge thanks for listening to what hardcore Roxers asked or voted for on the XXX Tour poll (already 4 songs out of the top 10 or album top 3 have been played since we run the poll, including Real Sugar!)

Per got a new set of guitar picks for the New Zealand – Australia leg of the tour. And he used them, making many in the crowd happy to catch them. The phrases “THROW THIS AT CHRIS” and “WHERE AIR PER? / PER AIR HAIR!” are simply hilarious.

Per & Co after the show:

AUCKLAND UPDATE: Yeah! Super gig tonite in front of around 6000 wonderful NZ ppl!!! First time for us here, we felt very welcome!!! Thanks all of you who attended the show. New stage production (which made us all slightly nervous from time to time), a couple of new tracks in the set list and and brand new hardcore guitar pix couldn’t stop this Saturday from being a winner!! Vids to follow tomorrow when I’m awake. Cheers everyone… Love from P&Co

Next gig is on Tuesday (10th February) in Brisbane, Australia.

 

Articles and photos

Instagram: 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7;

13thfloor.co.nz (review and photos)
musicnation.co.nz (photos)
libel.co.nz (review and photos)
livenation.com.au (photos)
thebreeze.co.nz (photos)

 

Videos

Crush On You
Paint
The Look; another The Look vid
Listen To Your Heart
It Must Have Been Love (part)
Almost Unreal

PG interview via phone on TV4 (in Swedish)

Instavideos:
How Do You Do! (with lyrics appearing)
Almost Unreal

 

Setlist

Sleeping In My Car
The Big L.
Stars
Spending My Time
Crash! Boom! Bang!
Crush On You
She’s Got Nothing On (But The Radio)
The Heart Shaped Sea
Perfect Day
Almost Unreal
How Do You Do!
7Twenty7
It Must Have Been Love
Dressed For Success
Dangerous
Joyride

Extra:
Watercolours In The Rain / Paint
Listen To Your Heart
The Look
Queen of Rain

 

 

Thanx a lot for your cooperation, Celestte Williams and Alexis Schettler! Huge thanx for the extra videos, Celestte!

Q&A with Per at Live Nation – The answers!

roxetteloveAs we informed you some days ago, you could tweet your questions to Per on Live Nation Australia & New Zealand’s Twitter account. Per replied to 14 questions so far.

It’s not yet known if he continues to answer the remaining Qs or if new ones are coming, but we will keep our eyes open and let you know if he does so. Article will be updated then.

 

 

 

Q: – Per, how do you deliver a song like I’m Glad You Called? I mean clearly it was an emotional hell that break up!

Per: – There are of course bits & pieces of me in those lyrics. But I’m a writer, I make things up.

 

Q: – Per is there any song from a previous album that you regret not choosing as a single?

Per: – LS, Joyride & CBB had lots of potentials. Sleeping single. Paint. WSL? & more. Tough competition.

 

Q: – What makes a crowd exceptional to you?

Per: – Every crowd is great. Rox-fans are glowing with positive energy. How could you not love that?

 

Q: – Hello! Will Roxette be re-releasing any rare songs like “I Want You” in the near future?

Per: – Not IWY. It was made with other artists & belongs to another rec. company. But other fun stuff might pop up.

 

Q: – 24 years wondering what will be the perfume that he uses? Time flies.

Per: – Perfume is good for you. I change a bit. Bottega Veneta got some nice ones for guys like me.

 

Q: – U talked about re-release old roxette’s vhs and DVDs. It will happen? When?! Looks promising!

Per: – Hope so. Everything is kinda upside down at the moment with the EMI/Warner-merger. One of these years.

 

Q: – Can you please do that epic mashup of ‘crash boom bang’/’anyone’ again please?

Per: – Yea, that was cool. No promises though…

 

Q: – Are there songs that are tricky to do live? Have u ever tried 1 that u couldn’t make work live? If so, which?

Per: – Most early ones are tricky because they were made for the studio, not necessarily to be played live… You have to re-think some songs to make them work live w/ a band w/o using computers & other devices.

 

Q: – Can we expect high-tech lighting or any mind blowing, dramatic stage production changes in 2015?

Per: – Cirque de Soleil here we come!

 

Q: – When you tour do you find it hard to adjust to the different timezones?

Per: – No, it’s fine. As long as you get some sleep you’ll adjust pretty easy.

 

Q: – Per! Do you plan to tour for many more years? Will Roxette be neverending?

Per: – Yes, both Marie and myself love to tour and perform so I’m pretty sure we will continue.

 

Q: – Do you ever see photos uploaded to social media of yourself with fans and wish you could have a retake?

Per: – Every day!!!

 

Q: – So glad you are coming back to Oz! Can we expect some surprises like maybe some unreleased songs in your shows?

Per: – We start rehearsing in September so until then I don’t know. But we’ll try out some different stuff for sure.

 

Q: – Per, what out of all the Roxette albums is your favourite one?

Per: – LS! is cool because it just came down from the sky. It was created without fame, fortune & expectations.

 

Some more answers were added on 25th June:

Q: – Does it blow your mind that there are so many hard-core fans in distant lands (New Zee) after all these years?

Per: – Yes, never take it for granted.This biz eats acts for bfast=to have global fans after all these years is fab!

 

Q: – Tell me your favorite Roxette lyrics, the ones that mean the most. I need ideas for a tattoo!!!

Per: – I’m living in a box but I’m out when opportunity nox!

 

Q: – G’day from Oz Per! With all your frequent F.L.Y.I.N.G, have you ever thought of buying your own private Jet?

Per: – Hahaha. Good one. Of course. Per Air!

 

Q: – When you sit down to write, do you write both melody & lyrics or does one come first (usually)?

Per: – Both work for me. I usually start with music but sometimes a phrase or an idea for a title makes me tick.

 

Q: – What is the biggest advantage of playing live? Are there also disadvantages?

Per: – Live = very different from being in the studio. All songs are written for the studio so you have to make them work live, which can be tuff.

 

Q: – Per, what song took the longest to piece together (vocals, music etc)?

Per: – Most of In My Own Way was written in 84 but only finished in 2010. Very unusual=I’m fast when writing.

 

Q: – Per do you like the You don´t want love production? You think in the next Rox album will inc a song like this?

Per: – I really enjoy some EDM music. Definitely you’ll hear those influences in the future. But in our special way.

 

Ask Per a question!

Live Nation Australia & New Zealand posted a video with Per Gessle promoting the upcoming Roxette world tour’s Oz & NZ leg. If you ever wanted to know anything about Roxette, now here is your great chance to ask Per anything you want! He’ll be choosing his favourite questions to answer personally. So be creative and try to ask him something else than when they will come to your country! There are already some questions to him on Twitter.

Tweet your questions to @livenationoznz and don’t forget to use the hashtag #ROXETTELOVE!

It’s not yet known until when you can tweet your questions and when and how Per will answer them. Once we get to know it, we will update this article. Good luck, Roxers!

 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeC4LrE3_0w

Roxette to visit Australia and New Zealand in 2015

roxette_goes_on_tour_2014According to Australian newspaper Herald Sun, Roxette will visit Australia in February 2015 as part of the new world tour that will start in October this year. In addition, the New Zealander news website Stuff reported today that Roxette will give a concert in Auckland as well.

These are the dates announced so far also by Live Nation. Tickets go on sale on May 27th, 2014. Pre-sale is on May 21st.

February 7th – Auckland , Vector Arena, New Zealand

February 10th – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
February 14th – Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
February 17th – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
February 20th – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
February 21st – Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley, Australia (A Day on the Green*)
February 23rd – WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong, Australia
February 27th – Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
February 28th – Bimbagden Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia (A Day on the Green*)

*A Day on the Green is an outdoor event that combines “good food, fine wine and great music in magnificent locations” as indicated on their website. Rochford Wines is about 60 minutes drive from Melbourne and Bimbagden Winery is 50 minutes from Newcastle / 2,5 hrs from Sydney. Maybe Per will get inspired for new wines to add to his collection?

Just make sure you are seating when you see the prices; they range from 99 to 525 AUD in Sydney, the latter for first row seats with VIP packaged, for example. Understandable to read negative reactions on the net, the prices are very high. The VIP packages include access to the VIP area, drinks and a couple of souvenirs like a tour book or a laminated card.

Don’t miss the interview published on Herald Sun! Per talks among others about playing in Australia, Marie’s solo tour and the preparations for the upcoming tour.