Per Gessle Unplugged Tour – #15 – 2nd May 2022 – Växjö

This concert was newly added to the 2022 tour leg once the dates for the postponed gigs were clear. After the two fabulous Örebro shows, it was the 3rd concert in a row!

We’ve been missing photographer Anders Roos on this tour leg until now, but he has arrived and set his cameras up all over the stage, so we expect some hot shots from the Växjö show.

It’s also nice to see that more and more international fans join the unplugged tour!

After Per greeted the crowd, he said he thought they would play some songs he has written during the past 44 years. Christoffer told „it will take a while”. I wish! Actually, the more shows I see, the shorter the concerts seem to be. Haha.

After Min plats, Per asked Magnus if the double bass is his. Magnus said it came from Eastern Europe via Christoffer. Christoffer said it was smuggled. Then when Per asked Christoffer to talk about Gubbens hus at his studio, PG said he can drink some tea until then. Christoffer added: „or O’boy”. The funny thing is that a small pack of O’boy was there prepared next to Per’s tea, so Per held it up and showed it to Chris and the audience. Haha. Later Per asked Christoffer if it was him, who put that O’boy on his chair that holds the tea, harmonica and other stuff. Chris said it was actually not him. Per showed it again to the audience and said „practical joke”. Everyone laughed. It was probably the joke of Micke N-S.

When Helena, Chris and Magnus left the stage before Ljudet a vett annat hjärta, Per told Clarence „I’m lucky that you stayed here, Clarence”. The song sounds extremely beautiful every time (I know I repeat myself quite often with this), but when the audience also joins in with their sing-along, it’s even more wonderful. That happened last night.

When PG told he bought his first ukulele for GT’s 25th anniversary „in 1912”. The crowd was laughing. „That was the first 25th anniversary”, Magnus said.

After Tuffa tider, which was a great sing-along song, Micke N-S brought Per his next guitar and took the ukulele off stage. Per said it would be great to have some warm tea and Micke brought a new mug of ginger tea. Per introduced him „the guy’s name is Micke”. The crowd applauded MNS. Christoffer said it’s „tea” of course and Per reacted „it’s O’boy and tea mixed”. Ugh.

It Must Have Been Love got a huge applause, then Per said there comes a little more uptempo song, Vilket håll du än går and that was great to clap along. Här kommer alla känslorna was a cool sing-along.

The band introduction contained multi-instrumentalist Chris, whom Per knows since too long, Clarence without a microphone, who is father to all Roxette songs as a producer, newcomer Magnus, who is from Malmö, but that shouldn’t keep him away and the wonderful Helena Josefsson.

Little detail that was much in focus is that Per had a plaster on his left hand’s thumb and while he was talking, he continuously checked on it. Hopefully, the thumb gets well during the day off and it disappears for the next gig, not to distract him. Haha.

The crowd stood up both before the first and the second encore. During Sommartider, Per stepped next to Christoffer at some point and when everyone was singing „hej, hej”, he took off and put back and took off and put back Christoffer’s hat. It was hilarious. Haha. The crowd was cheering the band for a long time after the song and they stayed standing for När alla vännerna gått hem. Standing ovation at the end of the show, as usual!

We are at half time, so 6 gigs left on this tour leg. Next stop is Malmö on 4th May!

Setlist

1. Kung av sand
2. På promenad genom stan
3. Flickan i en Cole Porter-sång
4. Småstadsprat
5. Min plats
6. Tycker om när du tar på mej
7. Det hjärta som brinner
8. Ljudet av ett annat hjärta
9. Varmt igen
10. Tuffa tider
11. Juni, juli, augusti
12. It Must Have Been Love
13. Vilket håll du än går

Band introduction

14. Här kommer alla känslorna
15. Min hälsning

Encore 1
16. Födelsedag
17. Listen To Your Heart (dedicated to Marie Fredriksson & Pelle Alsing)
18. När vi två blir en

Encore 2
19. Vid hennes sida
20. Sommartider
21. När alla vännerna gått hem

 

Photos in the article are taken by Patrícia Peres.

Per after the gig:

Tack Växjö för en fantastisk måndag!!!! Vilken underbar respons. Jag böjer min nacke. Fantastiskt!!! And thanx all you international friends who were there. Lots of familiar faces. Hope y’all had a good time. We certainly did! Day off tomorrow, Malmö på onsdag!!!!!

Marie’s tour: Växjö, 8th March #7

Setlist (no changes)

1. Så stilla så långsamt [1992 – DSR]
2. Kom vila hos mig [2013 – Nu!]
3. Bara för en dag [1987 – ES]
4. Det regnar igen [1992 – DSR]
5. Sista sommarens vals [2013 – Nu!]
6. Ber bara en gång [1996 – IETSV]
7. Sparvöga [1989 off the Swedish drama TV series]
8. Ett hus vid havet [1985 – DSV]
9. Ett bord i solen [2007 – TFT]
10. Så skimrande var aldrig havet [1990 off Taube compilation album]
11. Ännu doftar kärlek [1984 – HV]
12. Så länge det lyser mittemot [1992 – DSR]
13. Om du såg mig nu [1987 – ES]
14. Efter stormen [1987 – ES]
15. Den sjunde vågen [1985 – DSV]

16. Mellan sommar och höst [1992 – DSR]
17. Den bästa dagen [1985 – DSV]
18. Tro [1996 – IETSV]

Comments
Marie appeared barefoot and remained like that throughout the whole show. The energy this time was amazing, both from Marie and band and the audience.

Efter Stormen turned into a big party, everybody standing up, dancing and singing along. When Marie left the stage after Den sjunde vågen the audience stood up as well and kept on clapping until she came back for Mellan sommar och höst, which rocked big time, still with a standing audience. During Sjunde something funny happened too: at the end when Chris was doing his guitar solo she was so much into it and enjoying it that she was surprised that somebody was on stage to pick her up and leave the stage, she laughed in a ‘oh yes. I have to go now’ way.
During Tro everybody stood up again, but this was because Marie made the sign to us to stand up.

There were many international fans in this show too and Marie took the chance to greet all the Roxette fans and said that ‘they are great’.

All in all for me the best concert so far. It seems Chris agreed, at least he said so to some fans after the show.

We had the chance to interview Jokke before the show.. stay tuned!

Videos

Ännu doftar kärlek by Ivan Kelava
Så skimrande var aldrig havet by Christina Tholander

Articles

Växjönytt 1, 2, 3
SMP

Updated with video summary of the concert. Thanks Alison!