On New Year’s Eve, Swedish radio P4 broadcast Gyllene Tider’s Ullevi concert recorded on 3rd August 2019 on the guys’ 40th anniversary tour. A pre-recorded studio talk with Per and Anders, as well as Sven Lindström was also on air.
In the beginning of the program Sven tells it was Per and MP who started a band first, Grape Rock. Per says they realized it quite early that they needed more people for a band. Then came Micke Syd and Janne Carlsson and that was the first setup of Gyllene Tider. Later Janne was changed, Anders and Göran joined them and they were complete.
Sven asks the guys what made them so special. Anders says it was a magical chemical mix. Per says 40 years is a long time, it wasn’t the same in their heydays, but when they later reunited, they became better and better every time, in 1996, 2004, 2013. That chemistry became more and more special and more and more magical. Now everyone thinks their 2019 tour was the best both musically and also in terms of how much fun it was.
Sven introduces the Ullevi show and says the stadium was cooking and it was a really special gig.
The guys don’t talk in between each song, so one can enjoy the live music as if we are there at the concert. In Ullevi, at the best show on tour.
After Puls they are talking again. Sven says it’s probably a dream for everyone who starts a band that they one day perform in Ullevi in front of 60,000 people. Per confirms it’s magical to play there and Anders also thinks it’s powerful and since Ullevi is not a usual stadium, the construction makes you feel that it’s even more full than it actually is. The first time Anders was at a concert in Ullevi it was David Bowie (1983). Per saw The Rolling Stones there first (1982). For GT it was the third time they played the stadium. The first show they did there was in 2004. Anders remembers that it was a pure energy shock. Almost 60,000 people were standing in front of them and all their love and energy was floating towards them on stage without any filter. He says it puts one into tears. Per says he is not as sensitive as Anders, he doesn’t really experience it being different to be playing at Ullevi or at Brottet in Halmstad in front of 11,000 people. One is focusing the same way and you work the same way, but at the same time, everything is bigger. It’s always magical to play at Ullevi though.
Before Flickorna på TV2 is playing, the guys are shortly talking about Gyllene Tider’s record contract Kjell Andersson (EMI) offered them in 1979. Per explains they had only 6 gigs before they became No. 1. with Flickorna på TV2. After their breakthrough it was still difficult to organize concerts, not knowing how good it would work out and it was a tough job for tour leaders too to find out what is right and what is wrong when it came to organizing. It was a learning by doing case. Flickorna på TV2 became a hit anyway and GT became Sweden’s hottest band. The guys say they were so young and it was strange that suddenly girls started screaming and they were stalking them in their gardens.
Before Kung av sand the boys are back again. Sven says there are 2 songs that defined GT in the ’90s, Kung av sand and Det är över nu. Per says Kung av sand became their big ballad, like Listen To Your Heart is for Roxette. Earlier they didn’t have such a big one. They of course had När alla vännerna gått hem and Honung och guld, but those were smaller. Kung av sand is majestic and it was fantastic to play it live again. The song’s energy spreads out to the crowd and it comes back from the audience. It’s wonderful.
Before the 1st encore, Sven, Anders and Per are talking about Tylö sun, which is the Swedish version of The Rivieras’ California Sun (1964). First the guys recorded it for a compilation album. It became a real summer hit for them, they Gyllene Tiderized it. Göran’s Farfisa fits it so well. Anders says he thinks there is a nice organ sound in the original as well, but Per can’t remember it. Sven says they check it after the program. (There is organ in The Rivieras’ version too.)
Per says the beginning of the ’80s was a very special period for them. They were 20-21, Göran was 18 and they got a huge attention. Sven says what happened with Gyllene Tider didn’t happen in 10-15 years in Sweden. Per says in 1980-81 they didn’t really realize what a big thing it was. It was the same with Roxette, they just didn’t realize it. Only now when they are looking back at the numbers and films they can get it.
The guys are getting back to the live show and after that, the concert plays till the end without a break. När alla vännerna gått hem is the last song. Sven, Anders and Per say goodbye.
There is only one hit they skipped in the broadcast: (Dansar inte lika bra som) Sjömän. If there weren’t news at 8 pm, they would have probably played that one too.
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
17. Tylö Sun
Encore 1
18. Billy
19. Det är över nu
20. Gå & fiska!
Encore 2
21. När vi två blir en
22. Sommartider
23. När alla vännerna gått hem
