Per Gessle

Per Gessle on TV show ”Robins”

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A week ago it turned out that Per Gessle would be a guest on Swedish talk show “Robins” on September 30 on SVT1. We all got excited to see an interview with Mr. G on such a program. It’s similar to the late night shows you can see on US channels and stand-up comedian Robin Paulsson, the host is often called the Swedish David Letterman.

The recordings happened on 28th September and since then we could see many pictures where Per, Robin and the other guest on the show, Keyyo appeared. We couldn’t wait anymore for tonite when a teaser video was published yesterday, with Keyyo getting pranked. Seemed to be a fun TV program and we could already see in that teaser that Mr. G had a good time during the show.

Finally, tonight we could watch the real deal, the complete program with the Per Gessle interview in it. The show starts with Robin telling Per backstage that the lyrics to The Look is a bit confusing. Keyyo starts reading it, then Robin continues. Per says he finds nothing strange in it, but Robin says they don’t understand the text. Then Per says it’s in English. Robin and Keyyo say: aaaah, English, then they can understand the rest too, na-na-na-na-na-na… Haha.

Per enters the studio at around 5 minutes in and gets a huge applause and loud woohoo from the audience. First Robin and Per are talking about the differences between their jobs. Robin says he envies Per, because he can play his songs from the ’80s and people love them, but no one wants to hear a comedian telling a joke from 1981. Per says it might not be true. He saw Monty Python on their farewell tour in London and was wondering if it could be fun to hear a joke what he already heard so many times, the ”Parrot Sketch” and it was much fun even if he knew exactly when the fun part came and what the joke was about. Everyone loved it. Robin says he as a comedian can get tired of certain jokes and throws them away. He asks Per what happens if he is doing a concert and skips Sommartider. Mr. G says it’s good to have some more songs. As a last comparison of their jobs, Robin tells Per he can fill in The Look with nanananana and everyone loves it, but he can’t come up with nanananana in his jokes, people would miss something. Per says nanananana is good, because it’s international.

The guys are talking about Per’s new album. Per tells he recorded 2 albums in Nashville, En vacker natt and En vacker dag. Robin mentions it’s said to be Per’s most personal release ever. Robin asks Mr. G how he means it’s the most personal and Per tells about the tough times in his family, that his mother, brother and sister passed away during the past 3 years and it affected the atmosphere of his music. Robin asks Per whether it is more difficult to write a personal song or a summer song like Sommartider. Per says one of the questions he gets most often is how to write a hit. He has no clue. He never plans to write a hit, he just can’t plan it. Robin is surprised that it means that Per never knows which song would become a hit. Then Per tells him he is the worst at choosing singles. He wanted to leave “Här kommer alla känslorna” off Mazarin. Robin concludes Per is a very good musician, but at the same time also very bad.

Robin says it feels like Per is a normal person despite him being a pop star, very down-to-earth. He asks Per if success has ever gone to his head. Mr. G says he doesn’t know, it’s hard to tell, because he was 19-20 when Gyllene Tider broke through, so he lived all his life in this “celebrity fame”. So he doesn’t know how life is without all this. Maybe he would be unbearable. Robin says he is not unbearable, they met backstage. OK, he had to pay for an autograph, but that’s OK. Haha.

To see how the pop star life touched Per, Robin asks questions and Mr. G has to answer whether it’s typically an everyday thing or a typically luxury thing. If he replies everyday, he has to drink milk, if he replies luxury, he has to drink champagne. Per asks what kind of champagne it is. Haha. Robin says Per is such a gourmet. Ready, steady, go! Robin’s first question: Ferrari or bus? Per takes a sip from the champagne. Next question: Russian caviar or Kalles caviar? Per chooses Kalles and takes a sip from the milk. Next: patent shoes or clogs? Per takes a sip from the champagne. Robin asks if Per has clogs. Mr. G says no, he drinks. Next: Venice Beach or Tylösand? Here Per asks which one is which. Haha. Good question. He chooses the champagne and says Tylösand. Next: watching a Real Madrid or a Halmia match? Per chooses Halmia and drinks champagne. Robin concludes Per is a big fan, but also mentions that it doesn’t go so good for Halmia now as for Halmstad. Per says: soon! Haha. Last question: sitting on a throne in a palace or on a rock by a lake in a forest (på en sten vid en sjö i en skog)? It’s the rock! And Mr. G takes a sip from the champagne and says it’s a good one, the champagne.

Robin says let’s turn back time to the ‘70s. How was it being Sweden’s biggest pop star at the age of 20? Per says it was bewildering. Gyllene Tider did 6 concerts before they became No. 1. They came from nowhere. Robin says 6 gigs are nothing, one can’t become confident on stage after only 6 shows. Per says they weren’t too confident at their seventh gig either. Haha. Robin asks which song was No. 1 then. Per says Flickorna på TV2. Robin says it must have changed Per’s life. Mr. G says totally, it was cool. Suddenly he got 2000 cards on his birthday, people stole his laundry that hung in the garden to dry, everything movable disappeared, e.g. the number plate on the car.

Robin asks Per what the key to success is. Per says the 3T: tur, tajming, talang, i.e. luck, timing and talent. Robin adds hard work maybe. Per says yeah, one has to do his own 10000 hours, but there are a lot of coincidences and you also have to be in the right place at the right time.

Robin says it’s easy to believe that Per’s career has always been going upwards, but there was a period between Gyllene Tider and Roxette, around 1985 when it was a tough time. He asks Per if he could describe that period. Per first says no and laughs. Then he tells Gyllene Tider was over in 1984 and he didn’t have a record contract or a vision what he should do. He started writing songs for others, because he had the reputation as a songwriter. He says the coolest was that he knew Marie Fredriksson since years then as they shared a rehearsal room in the ’70s and they were talking about doing something together. Per wrote a song to Pernilla Wahlgren, Svarta glas, but she has never recorded it. Then Per translated it into English and that became Roxette’s first single, Neverending Love, which was a big hit in Sweden in 1986. They recorded an album from all his refused Swedish songs. Per translated the songs into English and that became Roxette’s first album.

Robin says when he was a child he thought Per and Marie were a couple. Per says many thought so and many others thought he was Marie’s manager and Marie was called Roxette. A TV studio had a dressing room for Marie and they showed the green room for Per.

Robin mentions that It Must Have Been Love was played 4 million times already until 2005 on the radio in the US. It’s like playing it non stop for 35 years. Per says he can talk about this song for long. It was written in 1987. They tried to get on the market in Germany and they were said that it’s easier with a Christmas song. So he wrote “It Must Have Been Love (Christmas for The Broken Hearted)”. When they played it for the German, they hated it. So they released it in Sweden and it became a Christmas hit in 1987. Robin says one doesn’t think about this song as a Christmas song. Then Per tells the story how it became a song for the movie Pretty Woman some years later. Robin concludes Per recycles a lot. Everyone laughs.

Robin asks Per if he has ever felt it’s enough now. Per says he is not done yet. Nowadays he feels more confident about what he is doing than 20 years ago, because back then he wanted to prove things for himself. Now everything is more relaxed and he is doing things for his own sake. It’s more fun now. It was fun before too, of course, but now it’s devilishly fun.

With this the interview ends, but Per stays in the studio while Robin’s other guest, Keyyo arrives. She is a 20-year-old YouTuber who is very popular in Sweden. She is originally from Russia, but lives in Sweden since she was 8. Robin asks Keyyo if she listened to Per, his music. Keyyo says she has to be honest, she didn’t listen to Per, but her mother did and now her mother envies Keyyo a lot for being on the same show as Per Gessle. Keyyo tells a story that when she was 8-9 years old and they were driving in the car and Tycker om när du tar på mej came on the radio and exactly this part: ”Jag tycker om dina bröst i morgonljuset”, she always thought it was so filthy. Haha. She also compliments Per saying he is so normal. Everyone laughs.

Then the show is about Keyyo who also got pranked and you can see Per had a good time also in the second half of the show. It was a nice program. Would be fun to see Mr. G more on TV shows like this. Cool thing!

Watch the TV show HERE!

 

Per Gessle – “En vacker dag” entered the charts!

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In April, 1 week after its release date, ”En vacker natt” entered the Swedish album charts at No. 1. Now ”En vacker dag”, the second Nashville album has entered the album charts at No. 2 and it’s No. 1 on the vinyl charts! The album was No. 1 on iTunes in Sweden already on release day and it stayed there for some days and switched places with other artists’ new albums in the Top3 for days.

Congrats to Mr. G!!!

You can listen to the album or get your copy here: , , , , , , .

Save Me a Place, Per Gessle!

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In case you missed some EDM, here is a recent Per Gessle collaboration in that genre. The song is: Mono Mind – Save Me a Place. Actually, the single was released already on 14th July, but somehow we haven’t heard about it until now. And the most interesting about it is that THIS seems to be the common project with David Guetta from 2014. I share what I found, but we definitely miss some more details. 😉

As stated on Mono Mind’s Facebook page:

Mono Mind is meant to be a musical laboratory where everything is possible. Mono Mind’s home turf is Sweden but the collaborators are plentiful and can be from anywhere.
Mixing the inspiration from the current music scene with an insatiable appetite for vintage pop, electronica and ambient music Mono Mind strives for electrifying beauty and something quite different.

Billboard info on Mono Mind, “Save Me a Place” published on 17th August:

Sweden-based conglomerate Mono Mind starts at No. 39 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay with “Save Me a Place,” the first Billboard chart entry for the mysterious act, which describes itself on its official Facebook page as “a musical laboratory where everything is possible.” “Save” takes the entirety of its airplay from two core-dance outlets: SiriusXM’s BPM and Music Choice’s Dance/EDM channel.

You can listen to the song on these digital platforms or watch the lyric video HERE. Sooo, is that Per Gessle and Helena Josefsson on vocals? Sounds like that! And who is (are?) Mono Mind? PG himself? Hopefully, we get to know more about this project and this whole Mono Mind thing. Actually, there seems to be another song, Sugar Rush, which was also published under Mono Mind already in 2016, but there is much less info about it than about Save Me a Place.

 

Save Me a Place

(David Guetta / Mono Mind / Giorgio Tuinfort)

When you come around
Doesn’t matter when
I’m soakin’ up the sound
I dare to face the bend

And I won’t miss a beat
Attack and then sustain
Lose myself in love
Dryin’ in the rain

And I will look at you
When you look at me
Mighty like a mountain
Precious like a sea

Save me a place next to you
Save me a place next to you

That’s where I wanna be
That’s where I wanna be
That’s where I wanna be

Almost like a prayer
When I go to bed
Underneath the layers
Deep inside my head

And I won’t miss a beat
Attack and then sustain
Lose myself in love
Dryin’ in the rain

I will speak to you
Like you speak to me
Everything’s in motion
Leaves upon a tree

Save me a place next to you
Save me a place next to you

That’s where I wanna be
That’s where I wanna be
That’s where I wanna be

 

Thanx for the hint with the YouTube link, Roxette Rosario!

 

En vacker sommar – thank you to Per Gessle & Co from the international friends!

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21+1 concerts all around Sweden, taking a turn to Norway and Finland as well, 27 Per-penned songs played live in this or that form, 8 most talented musicians giving at least 120% energy each night on stage, more than 120000 loud fans of all ages having fun off stage from at least 25 countries, a tireless crew setting up everything perfectly for each gig, 2+1 great support acts, 2+1 lovely surprise guests. All this resulted in having uncountable wonderful memories of Per Gessle’s En vacker kväll tour! Unbelievable that this journey is over, but visst var det en vacker sommar!

After Mr. G’s beautiful words he posted when the Swedish part of the tour ended, I thought I would collect some thank you notes from as many ”international adorable friends” as possible. Some of them travelled thousands of kilometers to Sweden to see at least 1 or 2 shows, others attended more concerts and there were even a handful of hardcores who saw almost all shows.

Take this , as well as the international friends’ words below as a HUGE THANK YOU for the whole tour! It goes to all involved on and off stage!

Sooooo, här kommer alla ”thank you” notes på en och samma gång!

Argentina

Brenda & Lionel & Juanjo & Roxana: ”We just wanna say a BIG thanx to Per and the whole band and all the people working around him. We love them. Per you mean for us more than you can imagine. Thanx for a great summer. See you around.”

Cristian Navarro: ”My first time in Sweden, a BEAUTIFUL country and also in Per Gessle concerts in Stockholm and Borgholm something magical, dream fulfilled. I promise to return as many times as I can in my life. Thanks Per for giving us your music, it was a pleasure to be part of the international front row, an incredible summer, a dreamy summer. I’ll be waiting for the next tour. THANKS PER, greetings from Buenos Aires!”

Diego Carballido: ”It was so emotional and such a blast of fun to be able to witness this so amazing, relax and such a party tour! Seeing Per so confident, enjoying the music he does… certainly a gift for myself. Gracias Totales!!”

Jorge Coyle: ”Once again your music allowed me to enjoy a great time with friends. It was fantastic to be able to fulfill the dream of being in a concert in Borgholm.”

Marcos Carballo: ”My first trip to Sweden, my first Per Gessle concert in Borgholm, then Halmstad, it was amazing, magical, a great summer, unforgettable, a dream come true, Thanks from Argentina.”

Maria Francovig Valero: ”Thank YOU Per for always keeping the magic in every single concert I attended this summer! Everytime you hit the stage with “På promenad…” you would light up the night and I was transported into a new dimension till you would wave goodbye! You made fantastic and unforgettable memories (once again!!!) that I will treasure in my heart for as long as I live! Special mention to the band who was always in top shape and rocked the stage in every single gig! Each and every concert I attended was a piece of the endless Swedish summer I wanna live in! You are the Sommartider and we don’t really need to bring the sun ‘cos YOU ARE THE SUN, Per!!! *Ingen sommar utan PG* Thank you again for such a wonderful summer, it’s been a pleasure to have been part of the international first row! And as I told you, all the way from Argentina, always by your side! *Already thinking ’bout next summer!*”

Myriam Garcia: ”It was long time planning where I wanted to go, where I could go… I had to fit many places on the schedule, and finally the answer arrived: Helsingborg and Örebro. I prepared my flag, “EN VACKER KVINNA FRÅN ARGENTINA” and wished to be in the front row and you can see me… my dreams came true, I was there singing along and those were the most amazing vacker kväll ever…  wish you had a great time having your hardcore fans singing, clapping, dancing, it is pure love coming and going! Thank you!”

Roxana: ”Beautiful tour it filled my soul of joy. I´ll treasure it forever in my heart. Per you are the sunshine, You give all on stage thank you! I hope you can feel we give you back all good vibes and love. Thanx to each member of the band for being so wonderful, so profesional and good people. Special thanx to Helena for her warm heart, angel voice and unique style. Lots of love and hugs from Argentina!”

Sebastián Baioni: ”Thank you guys for this fantastic tour. I had the opportunity to attend two gigs that meant a lot of fun, from crossing a dark forest in the middle of the night and sleeping in the open air in Borgholm, queuing all day, meeting friends from here and there, to enjoying the concerts. It’s always great to be back in Sweden, especially if there is a Roxette, GT or Solo tour.”

Australia

Daniel Rezmann: ”Thanks to Per and the band for a great tour. My wife and I made our journey from Australia to see 3 shows and meet friends from tours past. We both had a great time seeing some songs live for the first time and really enjoying the classics as well. As always, for me a highlight is watching Christoffer do his thing, I got a thumbs up from him after his intro in Halmstad, which was cool and we were able to meet again and have a brief chat after the concert where he remembered me from Sydney.”

Gaby Hildebrandt: ”Dear Per, what an amazing time I had! A tour is always a great opportunity to meet my magic friends on the road! Thank you, Per and band members, for all the fun we had dancing, jumping and singing along at the concerts, for your smiles, and the time you took for pictures and chatting! You guys are one of a kind! It was worth every kilometer to travel! Let’s do it all again soon!”

Austria

Manuela & Maria: ”Dear Per, thank you so much for the wonderful concerts that we could enjoy, we can’t wait to see you again!”

Azerbaijan

See Evgeny & Co’s message in ”Russia” section

Belgium

Ann De Vos: ”Thank you all for the awesome tour!! Hope to see you on the road again soon.”

Brazil

Flávia Rocha: ”Hej, Per! Thank YOU and your amazing band and crew for the incredible summer tour! I could only attend Göteborg and Stockholm gigs; however, they are going to be in my heart and mind forever! I flew all the way from Brasil just to see you perform with your happiness and energy. Thanks for the amazing friends we make along the way! Words cannot describe the feeling of seeing you live… I just feel lucky and grateful and overwhelmed with love! Hope to see you down the road again someday!”

Bulgaria

Ivelina: ”I want to thank you for keep playing these beautiful songs and for being the reason for us – the fans to gather together and to share beautiful moments, memories and stories. These are not simply concerts to us… it’s more about keeping the tradition alive, showing our respect, love and enjoying the chance to be closer to the artists we adore.”

Czech Republic

Barbora Kolmackova: ”Thank you Per for making this summer unforgettable, I really appreciate your respect for the fans and it was great to see you smiling and enjoying every minute on stage. So much energy… Lots of love and I´m looking forward to seeing you next time! Special thanks to the band in top top shape!”

Petra: ”Dear Per and the band, thank you for another fantastic tour! I was so happy to see you again. I was in Stockholm, Borgholm and Halmstad and it was so amazing! Best Wishes to you all!”

Valeria Zvarova: ”Hej Per, inga ord räcker till att uttrycka min tacksamhet för att du ville åka på turné o göra oss lyckliga igen. Du är grym på scenen, ger precis allt, både du o ditt otroligt duktiga band! Det var en upplevelse utan desslike! Du är vår hjälte, dina låtar betyder otroligt mycket o så sant som det är sagt – ingen sommar utan Gessle! Så nu ser jag fram emot nya plattan o DVD:n o mycket mer framöver, du sviker oss aldrig, det vet vi! Du är bäst! Tusen, tusen tack!!”

Denmark

Stina Tholander: ”Kære Gessle & hele bandet, Igen endnu en sommer tilbragt med verdens bedste venner og kolde drinks, god musik og ture ud i det blå. Når I turnere ved vi at festen er der! Jeg mødtes med alle vennerne som er en del af mit liv pga din musik, Gessle! Igen tusind tak for en fed sommer og mange fede minder!”

England

Ailsa Plain: ”To Per and his most fantastic, enigmatic band! Thank you so much for an amazing summer full of beautiful memories captured whilst listening to your sunny melodies. Days like these are what makes life pretty special. Looking forward to whatever comes next!”

Finland

Mari Pudas: ”Thank you, Per & band! Summer without Gessle isn’t real summer.”

Tiina Pitkänen: ”Tack för den fantastiska turnén, tack för alla vackra kvällar i Sverige och Finland. Det enda jag skulle ha ändrat var vädret men vi kan inte få allt. Vi ses på nästa turné!”

Germany

Andreas & Riccardo: ”Hej Per och hela gänget, wow wow och wow igen!!! Ja, att folk blir kär på dajtingsajter har man hört. Men att man kan hitta ett sånt vackert band där hade vi inte förväntat oss. Vi hade hur kul som helst och följde med på 7 konserter. Det var verkligen en JOYRIDE och vi haden dom bästa SOMMARTIDER vi kunde få (även om vi hade regn då och då) tillsammans med dom andra magic friends. Vi tänker kommer tillbaka nästa år och göra det igen. Er du/ni med? Tack för alla vackra kvällar och underbara minnen…”

Anika: ”Thank you so much for a wonderful evening in Halmstad! And most of all for another summer at the beautiful swedish west coast. We travelled from Germany with my dad as a babysitter for the kids during the Halmstad gig. Love Anika”

Christina, Sandra, Isabelle & Johanna: ”We are all magic Friends – getting together trough your music! Going on vacation together, sharing the same music and some wonderful memories and finding new friends. The Halmstad-gig was full of emotions – laughing, crying, loving! Thanks for that! It hopefully won’t be our last! Thx for your Music! We love you sooo much! Greetings from good old Germany: The Tussilagen”

Christine Klinger: ”Tack så mycket för den vacker kväll i Stockholm!!!!!”

Doreen Jurack: ”Thank you for the great tour. I had 5 concerts and every single concert is unforgettable for me.”

Ivan Kelava & Gyöngyvér Simon (Hungary): ”Hej Per, hej band, thanks for this great summer. We both enjoyed the shows we have seen on your tour through Sweden. And we really felt  the “Good Karma” from all of you. Tack så mycket. Hope to see you soon again!”

Jana Günther: ”Thank you for this tour and for your music, which brings so many people together. Keep going on with doing what you love. We will love it too, for sure.”

Rickie & Cabby & Chrissie & Lisa & Christina: ”Tack för några vackra kvällerna, PPP!”

Rickie med Knut, Elisa och Lukas: ”Äntligen tillsammans med min familj. Tack så mycket för en underbar kväll i Malmö.”

Sabine Seyfarth: ”It was a great tour with so many memorable moments, lovely songs and surprising new versions of them! I loved the vibe and the laughing! Thanks & please do it again!”

Sabrina & Norbert Becker: ”A dream comes true – live gig in Borgholm slott. Thank you for 3 wonderful concerts!”

Sandra Knospe: ”I was lucky enough to see 20 magnificent gigs plus Smygpremiär. What a tour, what a band!!! Every minute was a firework of emotions. I’d wish the band could stay in that constellation. They fit so well together and AQD, Malin-My and Ola are a real benefit. Thanks to everyone who was involved for all the joy you gave me during this summer. Yet another marvelous tour to remember. Hope to see you all again somewhere.”

Stephanie Zogbaum & Thomas Frenzel: ”Hey Per and Crew! Thank you for the best shows in Borgholm and Malmö. It was wonderful. Borgholm is the best place ever! Thank you for the best Music ever!”

Tanja: ”Hej Per! This time it was only possible for me to see the smygpremier… but I enjoyed every second!!! Thanks for ‘En vacker kväll’!”

Tina, Sabine and Chrissie: ”Music is the universal language. It brings people closer together. (Ella Fitzgerald) Thank you for making this summer special! Cheers!”

Hungary

Patrícia Peres (RoxBlog Team): ”Loved each and every second of all 16+1 shows I could attend! You made it yet another best summer of my life! Per, your music is the most vacker thing in the world and I can’t get enough of seeing and hearing you live! Loved all good old wonderful band members (Angelvoice Helena, Keyboards Magician Clarence, Guitar God Chris, Stand-up Comedian Magnus) as much as the fab new musicians (Violinrocker Malin-My, Drumkiller Andreas, Pedal Steel Guitar God Ola). What a Beautiful Band! Also thanx a lot to the entire crew for their great work, as well as Åsa’s neverending kindness and for filming so much. Tusen tack and lots of love to you all! See you soon again! I hope!”

Israel

Ilya Hirschberg (Germany): ”I can’t express my gratefulness to Per and all the people, who were responsible for organising and bringing this amazing tour to life. All the band members and the music you create are very inspiring! You excite people, bring them together, touch their very souls and make hearts beating faster. Your art provokes the best feelings and emotions (which come at once) – and this is priceless indeed. Please, don’t stop bringing the light with you! Special thnx to Hella & Malin-My for striking sparks!”

Italy

Valeria Felluca: ”I had the luck to attend two awesome gigs: the first one in Helsingborg and the one in Örebro. I loved every minute of the shows: needless to say, Per’s charisma charmed the crowd and he proved he’s indeed the king of stage! He was supported by his amazing band who kept the energy high and I want to thank each person involved in the shows for their great job.”

the Netherlands

Gerdy: ”Hello Per, What should I say, so unbelievable to see you and your great band in Halmstad on 11 august. It was there for the first time I saw a solo concert of you in your own country. Thank you very much for the fantastic evening and the great experience. I was really happy to be there. And I like the songs you played very much. For me the highlights are the duet with Lars Winnerback and Sommartider. It was a beautiufll night. Thank you very much, from the Netherlands”

Remco Verhaaf: ”Only one concert for me this time, but what an evening it was at Skansen! Great to finally hear the new songs live and very refreshing to hear the “oldies” in a new style, with special mention for the addition of Malin-My’s violin and Ola’s pedal steel guitar. I wouldn’t mind seeing and hearing some more of that in the (near) future!”

Norway

Monica Pettersen: ”Tusen takk Per & co for en fantastisk, magisk kveld i Stockholm ? Sommeren blir alltid best med gode venner og PG på scenen. Gleder meg til fortsettelsen. Takk”

Pakistan

Sara H.: ”When Per Gessle announced his 2017 summer tour, there suddenly was hope all around. It felt different – a good different. The band got updated, the genre got a little twist and Per Gessle gave a very heart-touching approach to things. The tour didn’t only turn out to be musically magical – it was another chance for fans & old friends to catch up with one another and just have a great time, together. I was in Borgholm & Malmö, and my my Per, you’re loved and admired all over the world, you know?”

Poland

Basia Konarzewska: ”Tack för en väcker sommar, Per! That was another awesome joyride from jolly Tylösand to Eskilstuna and yet another wonderful Juni, Juli, Augusti we had.  And the most important – thanks for bringing us all together – old friends, new friends, those living just across the street and those coming from the other side of the world were united again in Sweden, laughing together, crying together and sharing all the emotions. Such wonderful time wouldn’t have been possible without you!”

Gosia Puterman: ”Hej Per! THANKS to You I had the best Joyride of my life! Meet and greet in the wood, staying in your wonderful Hotel Tylösand (you have great staff!!!), dinner in Leifs Lounge and the best concert ever! WISHES COME TRUE!”

Tomasz Wysocki (RoxBlog Team): ”My first ever Per-concert was Malmö in 2007 during En händing man tour. I feel like coming a full circle and seeing 4 gigs during 2017 – ten years older, not so wiser. Thanks Per for hitting the road again, for all your energy and music. Please promise it won’t be long before we see each other again!”

Romania

Andreea, Andrei, Adrian, Andreea and Cristina: ”Thank you for your outstanding performance at Eskilstuna, especially for the song Forsta pris! It’s a pleasure to see such you and your whole band in such a good mood and so energetic! Your music sounds better and better. Best regards from your Romanian fans!”

Russia

Anya Kulikova: ”Thank you for the unforgettable emotions! The concert in Borgholm castle was much more perfect than I imagined! I want to thank everyone: dear Mr. G, for sharing with us one more time your amazing songs, all the band for their magnificent performances on musical instruments, ‘Good Harvest’ and ‘Strandels’ for such great support. And one more BIGGEST thank you goes to Helena who sang Marie’s party in ‘IMHBL’ with great respect and tenderness. Thanks for the beautiful memories! LOVE IS ALL!”

Evgeny Perekopskiy & Alla Remizova & Alexandra Konyaeva & Anar Gasimov & Kristina Bordovskih & Julia Krainova & Valentina Kolpakova & Valeria Miroshnichenko: ”Oj oj! Today is the 2nd day after your tour ended and we’re already missing you and the band and de vackra kvällarna. Spasibo to Helena for her smiles and voice, to Malin for her humble charm and magic violin, to Magnus for his 1000 talents, to Clarence for his priceless contribution, to Ola for his sexy moves and incredible guitar performance, to Andreas for energy and virtuous drum sessions, to Christoffer for his friendly nature and inimitable guitar play, and to you, Per, for everything that you created and gave to us as a gift! See you down the road, With Neverending Love from your Russian, Ukrainian and Azeri fans”

Kristina Bordovskih: ”Oh God! I’m so happy I joined at least the last two shows! It was like to meet the best friends after a long parting! I haven’t seen Per and the band since august ’15. So yes! That were exactly my emotions! I really loved the show! Adorable setlist and wonderful sound and Helena’s angelic voice and Per’s special moves but first of all soulful atmosphere! Thank you for my new rox event that I gonna remember! I love you all guys! Including everyone on stage and behind! You are my magic friends!”

Yana Tarasova (living in Sweden): ”I’m blessed you came into my life. I’m blessed you came to stay forever. You light my world with love tonight. Tonight has no ending ever. Please take my gratitude and love. You have them any time and season. I hope you’ll always have in mind your pure magic is simply healing.”

Spain

Judith S. (RoxBlog Team): ”It was the first Per summer tour that I joined and loved it!! For me it started with the “live preview” at Leifs, already then I realised we were in for a treat. I loved the combination of songs, slow and fast, Per solo, GT, Roxette, and the new arrangements. There were too many favourite parts for me to mention here, actually, after my first concert and knowing which songs come when, more or less, I was looking forward to all moments in the show. I think I would like to mention the songs where Helena was singing, which she turned into very special moments. It was also great to see the rest of the known faces in the band as well as the new ones.  I think they all gave the songs a fantastic touch. I really look forward to the 2nd album of this “vacker” concept/project, and would love for more concerts to take place, maybe in a calm (=theatres) setup.. but hej, here I am, asking again. Let’s go back to the thanks. Thank you for the magical evenings that I had the pleasure to spend listening to the awesome band and great Per!! You rock!!”

Mariana Gumuzio: ”I must confess that I didn’t like the idea of listening to Roxette songs live again knowing that probably we will never hear Marie singing them again, but as I told Helena, that feeling changed completely after the first song. The way you all treated those songs made the shows even more special! I loved ‘It Must Have Been Love’ version it sounded different, fresh and great! I hope you repeat this kind of shows in the future! Thanks to all of you for the incredible work you’ve done and I hope to see you all again in the future. Mariana alias ‘txiqui’, from Spain.”

Marta Artesero: ”I just want to say “thank you” for this tour which has been amazing!!! You all do a great job up on stage. I had so much fun together with my magic friends!! It’s always so great to travel around our loved Sweden following you. I had met many nice people because of that. Wishing to have more adventures like this! You are the best! ;)”

Rosa Planas & Alex Usero & Caridad Ortega & Estanislao Parczewski: ”Thanks for another great tour! We really enjoyed listening to this new band during the shows. We had lots of fun singing along with you some of our favorite songs. We hope to see you soon again  around the world in the future!”

Sweden

Adina Engström: ”Thank you Per and band for the creation of such lovely music and for the opportunity for me to share this with you and my friends. Special thanks from me for playing the song “Första pris” combined with “Segla på ett moln” this summer. You made me cry of happiness. Thank you for being the best band in the world!”

Angelica Stålnacke: ”I am so thankful for this tour! Loved it!”

Anja Hoppe: ”Stort tack för denna fina sommarturné! Den mysiga smygpremiären, konserten i fina Sofiero och ÄNTLIGEN en konsert på platsen jag har velat se en konsert ända sedan jag såg “Listen to your heart”-videon för första gången! Borgholm! Vilket ställe, vilken kväll, vilken stämning! Så mycket fin musik, ett sådant begåvat och glatt band och så mycket fina Roxettevänner! Tack återigen för denna sommar!”

Carola & Peter & Tobias: ”Jag (Carola) och min bror Peter har Roxette att tacka för våran vänskap med Tobias. Via Roxettes musik har vi funnit varandra & sett många konserter med Per & Marie både solo & med band. Nu senast i juli en vacker kväll på Skansen i Sveriges fina huvudstad. Tack för musiken Per!”

Christel Johansson: ”Tack för denna sommaren! Har haft nöjet att se dig och ditt fantastiska band hela 9 gånger, från Tylösand till Eskilstuna. Har även uppskattat Strandels mycket. De lär ha en ljus framtid utstakad framför sig.  Nu laddar vi batterierna och ser fram emot GT40! Det har verkligen varit “En vacker sommar” med många skratt och knasigheter både innan och efter konserterna. TACK!”

Eliza Öberg (Poland): ”Tack för en fantastisk sommar! Det blev 18 underbara kvällar för min del, inkl. smygspelningen och Allsång på Skansen. Tack Per för att du skriver så bra låtar! Tack till det eminenta bandet för att ni levererar inte bara musik utan även en bra show. Utan er underbara publikkontakt skulle konserterna inte vara så beroendeframkallande. Tack till Åsa för alla filmer och värme som du sprider! Och ett stort tack till alla fans, både de som jag träffade för första gången och de som är gamla vänner. We’re all magic friends!”

Emilio Bahl (Argentina): ”Thanks Per and that once again unforgettable band for letting us fill our memories and hearts with magnificent moments. I wish you keep that hunger and passion so we can enjoy your music and acts for many more years! Emilio Bahl, and family that moved to Sweden because of the Party Crasher tour.”

Erina & Jimmy: ”Dear Per! Your songs have always been the best soundtrack to my life. I can honestly say that a lot of wonderful things would never have happened to me if it wasn’t for your music. And this summer tour was extra special for me: I attended gigs with my friends as usual, but I also got to share this amazing experience and emotions with the man that I love (and he has become a fan, too!) Thank you and your great band for this magic! Hope to see you again soon!”

Jani Kauppinen: ”Tack för tolv underbara sommarkvällar för den här gången. Vi ses igen någonstans, någon annan gång! Hälsar familjen Kauppinen”

Kia Engvall: ”I saw you and your amazing band two beautiful evenings this summer. I look forward to more concerts and more wonderful music with you in the future. Thanx, you´re the best!”

Nico Radoi: ”En vanlig tisdag sitter Per
På en dejtingsajt och ler.
Ler mot folk som dyker upp
För att samla dem ihop.

Två tjejer och fem killar
Dejtar han och äter sillar.
En kan sjunga, en kan dansa,
En från Hongkong med Lufthansa…

Gammal kompis måste med!
Svarta handskar t.o.m.!

Lappland ska Per inte missa,
Annars funkar inte visan.
Sist och absolut minst gör
Att alla i publiken hör.
Vi tackar er för denna sommar
För ni uppfyllde våra drömmar!”

Olle Rydqvist: ”Var på din konsert i Borgholm tillsammans med min mamma och en av mina äldsta vänner Elin. Vi kom till köområdet väldigt tidigt, och som den lyckans ost jag är fick jag nr 50 på handen hehe. Sen väntande och väntade vi. Line up efter lind up Och tillslut efter mycket om och men fick vi komma in i ruinen och resten är historia. Vilken jävla kväll. Elins förväntningar höjdes likt Burj Khalifa under kvällen och jag var helt tagen. Regnet märktes knappt och det märks inte att du nyss fyllt 28! Tack för mer än en vacker kväll!”

Paula Cafiero Högström (Argentina): ”Kära Per och hela fantastiska bandet!!! Tack för fyra vackra och oförglömliga kvällar i Helsingborg, Göteborg, Borgholm och Malmö!!! Bland gamla goa vänner alltid, med alla er på scen… i eminenta Borgholm – en dröm (ännu en!) som gått i uppfyllelse … och med min fina familj i Malmö!!! Tack!!!! Många nya minnen etsade i hjärtat och själen för evigt. TUSEN TACK!”

Sanna & Mimmi: ”Tack alla i bandet för att ni gjort den här sommaren magisk! Vi fans har levt vårt egna turnéliv parallellt med er med långa körningar om nätterna, tält och köande. Blod, svett och tårar men mest av allt en fantastisk glädje och kärlek varje gång vi stått där framför scenen och bara fått känna känslan av att finns till. Hoppas vi ses snart igen, vilket håll ni än går så följer vi med!”

Åsa Florholm: ”Som sjukskriven för depression är det inte mycket som kan göra mig glad. Men ingen antidepressiv medicin funkar lika bra som en underbar konsert … eller sju. Jag mår aldrig lika bra som jag gör på en bra konsert. Tack för en fantastisk sommar! Jag önskar att jag hade haft råd att gå på fler konserter än jag gjorde.”

Switzerland

Cathérine Frei: ”Letting anticipation grow for months, travelling from the cheese country to beautiful Sweden, visiting small and big cities, meeting so many fan-buddies, spending a weird day in front of the venue and then going crazy when you enter the stage… Priceless! The magic of seeing you live in front of me, playing the songs that I love, never fades. Thank you for being around. Take care and see you “next time”!”

Fredric Norberg: ”Här kommer en hälsning från Schweiz och från Genève-sjön! Jag var uppe för 48 timmar i Sverige och såg Malmö konserten den 2 augusti: vilken show och vilket gig! Jag har fortfarande små filmer på min mobil som Jag ser åter och åter och kann bara säga: detta var årets bästa konsert, enkelt! Ett fantastiskt band och bra kombination med låtar. Stort tack för att ge oss alla ett så fint sommar minné! Ser fram emot att se dig eller Gyllene Tider åter (visst blir det en turné!!!) nästa sommar!”

Ukraine

See Evgeny & Co’s message in ”Russia” section

Uruguay

Alejandro Molina: ”Jag vill tacka dig för din musik för jag känner mig som en 14 årige pojke även om jag är 40!!! Vi ses igen snart!”

Maria José: ”Tack för en underbar turné!! Varje gång jag lyssnar på din musik känner jag att någon förstår och jag är inte ensamt…dina låter kan förvandla en kallt vinter i en evigt sommar, man blir ung igen och alla drömmar kommer bli sann. hoppas vi träffas snart igen!!”

USA

Amy (Hawaii): ”I’ve listened to your music for 2 years now-found out about your Swedish music when I watched the movie Let The Right One In-ever since then I’ve been hooked and I listen to you everyday! I traveled from Hawaii to see you and it was a dream come true and best concert I’ve ever been to. I’ve fallen in love with Stockholm-it was my first time visiting! Thank you for an amazing show and I will travel the many miles to see you again!!!! So many great memories from this trip and I’ve met so many nice friends because of your music.”

Jennifer Malcome: ”Per & everyone, Every one of the 7200 kilometers I traveled from to see you on the En vacker kväll tour was totally worth it. Even though I only got to see one show, it was the most fantastic night of the year and one I’ll never, ever forget. Thank you, Per, for the music that has been making my life better for the last 26 years. Can’t wait to do it all over again. As long as you keep playing, we’ll keep coming! With love, Jennifer Malcome”

 

In case your message can’t be found above, but you would like me to add yours too, please, send me an e-mail to pgsommar2017@gmail.com. /PP

Watch the fans’ “thank you” video !

Update on 1st September 2017: Per’s reaction to the “thank you”-s:

My Gosh, I’ve been in the studio w/ MP + Helena. Didn’t see this until now. I am, as always, honoured by your endless love and affection. You’re truly amazing all of you. Thank you from the bottom of my drawer full of vinyl singles!!! Luv, P.

 

Per Gessle – En vacker kväll in Borgå, Finland – 26th August 2017 – #21

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When the tour started 2 months ago, I knew that time would fly fast, but I wasn’t prepared for it to be flying THIS fast. The last ”En vacker kväll” concert was a festival show in Finland, at Popkalaset in Borgå. When we bought our tickets, we already saw there were priority tickets and the rest and there was a weird seating plan on the website, but we thought it might be a mistake how the crowd area was shown. It wasn’t. The thing is, the organizers separated the priority area from the standard area in a strange way. If you had a priority ticket, you could stand on the right side, if you had a standard ticket, you could stand on the left side. Huh? And since the separation they solved with 2 lines of fences, they even erased 2 nice front row spots. Haha. Whatever.

At this festival, Per Gessle was the headliner again, he was to start at 22:00 and there were 7 acts before him. One of them was Good Harvest, playing after 16:30. Another band was One Desire, they also performed at the festival in Vasa. During their performance there were fireworks and fire flames on stage and it looked quite cool. Would be fun to see such things – or at least confetti cannon – on some future PG tour. Just saying. By the way, good that we had some fire, because it was freezing cold and during One Desire’s gig we had a heavy rain shower too.

Right before Per, Egotrippi, a Finnish pop band was the last act. It seems that Mr. G likes what they are doing, as he posted one of their songs, Matkustaja on Roxette’s Facebook page the day after the concert, stating that it’s an amazing song. Egotrippi of course saw the post and they felt honoured, even wrote a nice comment under the post.

After Egotrippi, we saw the dark grey clouds coming and while the stage was being prepared for ”Per Fucking Gessle” (to quote the presenters, LOL), a heavy shower started hitting us again. Thank God it lasted only until the 2nd or 3rd song in the set and then was no more rain during the night.

We missed Åsa in Vasa, but she joined  the gang again in Borgå and filmed a lot. She enjoyed the show as much as we did. At least this is how I saw it. The crowd was cool. Loud sing-along people, putting their hands in the air quite often. And this was the first time on tour when during Här kommer alla känslorna (på en och samma gång) the crowd was dancing together. 2 to the left, 2 to the right. Even Åsa joined the choreography, dancing on the left side of the stage. It was lovely!

We got the same setlist as it was in Vasa, including 19 songs. So great that it didn’t get shortened. The only difference vs. Vasa was that Good Harvest joined Per on stage for Honung och guld, just like in Uppsala and Eskilstuna.

During the band presentation each band member got a huge applause and shouting from the crowd, but the biggest applause went for Magnus, who had his 50th birthday after concert day. The band and crowd sang the Swedish birthday song, ”Ja, må han leva!” to him. It was awesome! HERE you can watch my video recording of it.

Per and the band were in great mood. They had much fun on stage. You could feel they knew that was the last time they played together, so they enjoyed every second of it to the full. Hopefully, it was a last play-together just for a while though.

I wanted to mention some highlight songs, but actually, probably because for me it also felt different being the last show, I could mention all songs as highlight during the evening, for this or that reason. It was a fab closing gig, that’s for sure.

 

At the end of the concert, before performing Småstadsprat, Per talked to the audience, saying this was their last show on tour and he wanted to thank the band, their families, Live Nation and everyone who helped them, as well as all the people who came to the concerts. He said: ”We love you!” and sent kisses to the crowd. Tears in our eyes…

After Småstadsprat, Per applauded the crowd and the front rows. They took a bow, waved goodbye to us and off they went. It’s always so emotional when a tour ends and we don’t know when we see each other again.

The band and crew celebrated the end of the tour and Magnus’s birthday after the concert.

Per after the final show in a post shared on HIS Facebook page:

TOUR FINALE BORGÅ. Thanx everyone for coming to these 21 fab gigs. Some of the best months in my life! Had so much fun. Love this tour. Love this band. Love these crowds. Love these songs. See you soon again! /P.

In another post shared on Roxette’s Facebook page:

Tour finale in Borgå, Finland last night. Awesome. Thanx everyone for showing up and singing along during the last seven weeks and givin’ us an endless amount of good vibes. Priceless! Love to y’all. See you soon again! /P.

Mr. G also shared a lovely tour finale picture of the gang, including Åsa. Pure love!

All photos in the article are taken by Patrícia Peres.

Setlist

1. På promenad genom stan
2. Vilket håll du än går
3. Juni, juli, augusti
4. Det hjärta som brinner
5. Segla på ett moln / Första pris
6. Min plats
7. It Must Have Been Love
8. Honung och guld (together with Good Harvest)
9. Kung av sand
10. Här kommer alla känslorna (på en och samma gång) / Flickan i en Cole Porter-sång
11. Ljudet av ett annat hjärta
12. Spegelboll
13. Gå & fiska!
Band presentation
14. The Look (with Säkkijärven polkka as intro)

Encore:
15. Varmt igen (with Queen of Rain as intro)
16. Tycker om när du tar på mej
17. Joyride

Encore 2:
18. Sommartider
19. Småstadsprat

Videos:

It Must Have Been Love
Ljudet av ett annat hjärta: 1; 2;
Band presentation
The Look
Tycker om när du tar på mej
Sommartider

Articles, pictures:

Uusimaa.fi
Svenska.yle.fi
Photo Minna Hatinen
Janne Ekman