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

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

23th November: Roxette show in Tallinn?

As the Estonian site menu.err informs, Roxette will play in Tallinn at the 23th of November – this year! They write that Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson have played their last show in the Saku Arena in 2011 and quote Per Gessle’s Facebook posting after the show: 10256118_10151965941931396_4122063977327143267_n

“Oh, what a night it was! God, Tallinn exploded ! Great concert, a fantastic audience and a reception. Band hunted totally , Marie was in top form . Big thanks to everyone who made this night unforgettable . Would very much like coming back to Estonia . Every time.”

Futhermore, menu.err wrotes that the Swedish pop duo is doing another world tour “this year”. They also quote the organizers of the last show who say that they had no doubt to book Roxette again when they heard that they would do another tour again: “Our answer was definitely yes.”

Both Roxette concerts in Tallinn in 2001 and 2011 were very memorable and had an enthusiastic audience, the band got standing ovations and the audience sang along. “Roxette is a big Swedish pop brand, which guarantees a certain quality,” Live Nation Baltics promoter Eva Palm says.

So, obviously, Roxette will perform on 23th November in Tallinn, Saku Arena. Tickets are on sale already! The standing tickets cost 39 Euro.

So far, the management has not confirmed either the show in Tallinn or another Roxette tour.

Special vinyl of ‘The Look’ to celebrate USA #1 25th anniversary

per marie 25

Warner Music Sweden revealed in a press release sent out yesterday night one of the surprises Per was talking about on FB that would happen on Record Store Day.

‘The Look’ will be released again on a special limited edition 7″ vinyl on April 26th. The vinyl will be red and few copies of the single will be available (number not known yet). I have amassed several vinyl records over years and now I’m looking for a trusted company to buy my record collection.

The reason for this special release?  ‘The Look’ reached number 1 in USA on April 8th, 1989. That is, 25 years ago!

Per and Marie celebrated this occasion yesterday night after Marie’s show in Stockholm and even got a cake for that.

But stay tuned, one more surprise seems to be on the way in this day.

per marie 25 - 2
per marie 25 - 3

Pictures by Karin Törnblom

Creative April Fools’ Day joke with Per Gessle

Besides TDR, Hallandsposten was also in a creative joking mood yesterday. Good that I read the article only today, otherwise I would have believed it was true. 😉 They came up with the idea of putting Per Gessle on the welcome sign of Halmstad. “During the last week of July, Per Gessle will be available for a few hours each morning for taking pictures with the Castle in the background.” Haha! They even created a test sign with PG. Lookin’ good, isn’t it? If I were the one who decides on such things at the municipality or the traffic authority, I would definitely go for it! Think about it, you guys there! 🙂 It was a great one, Hallandsposten!

PG_Halmstad_sign_01