Per Gessle Unplugged Tour – #18 – 6th May 2022 – Helsingborg

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Helsingborg I thought would have been an obvious place when it came to the PG Unplugged tour and I remember I was surprised it didn’t make it to the dates in 2021, because all Swedish tours visited Helsingborg in the past. I was glad to see that in 2022 it got on the list. More than that, it got to the No.1 spot on my personal toplist of the concerts on this tour leg!

Anders Roos was on spot again and made THIS stage building time lapse video. Always very cool to have such an insight!

Per and the band were in top top top shape and the audience was just fantastic. Some people made me remember that Helsingborg gigs are usually fun, because the alcohol a bigger part of the audience drinks before the shows cheers the people up even more. Haha. They were clapping and singing along to almost every song! Sounded wonderful! They also applauded the gang for a longer time after each song and were clapping even during songs we usually didn’t clap before, e.g. Juni, juli, augusti. That was amazing! And it was the first crowd that made the first encore a bit different than usual.

It was also the first place where appr. 10 people came in only after the first song and while Mr. G was talking, they tried to find their seats. When Per noticed them, he greeted that little group and told Christoffer they were probably queueing for the T-shirts. Chris said or for his solo album. The whole audience laughed.

It seems that Per realized on the previous concert that he has all the right and can stand up more often than before. Not for complete songs, but to check on the crowd or just to take a break from sitting and do some little exercises. Haha.

It was also fun, when Helena, Magnus and Christoffer left the stage before Ljudet av ett annat hjärta. Per mentioned that he wrote the song on the tour bus in 1981 and they were to be in the movie, Parkliv back then. He told Parkliv is one of Christoffer’s most favourite films besides the Rambo movies. Chris now walked back on stage for a second to confirm. Haha.

The O’boy and capo jokes were not missing, as well as the usual stories. The audience was grateful not only for all the songs, but the fun story-telling too.

From the band introduction it turned out that Magnus is coming from Malmö, but he was born in Helsingborg. He got a loud cheering from the audience.

The crowd stood up before the first encore and wanted the gang back on stage asap. When they were back, Mr. G thanked for the audience’s kindness. As I mentioned, the first encore became a bit different vs. all previous concerts. A guy on the left side, who came several times to the front to take pics of Chris and Per, stood up and started dancing to När vi två blir en. Then he demonstrated that everyone should stand up and so the whole audience stood up and was listening to NVTBE standing. Per and the band loved it and that cheered them up even more.

We stayed standing before the second encore and waited for the band to perform more. For Vid hennes sida we sat down, but for Sommartider we stood up to party. Magnus stood next to Helena and they were now singing into the same mic. PG hi-fived Magnus after the song. It wasn’t the first time that Christoffer – due to the crowd’s awesome reaction to the song with a long and loud cheering – started playing Ljudet av ett annat hjärta (the fast version) after Sommartider, but this was the first time the crowd joined in with clapping and humming. It was fantastic! For När alla vännerna gått hem everyone sat down, but it was yet another gig that ended with standing ovation. Best so far!

Next stop is Umeå on 9th May after well-deserved two days off!

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:

Wow! Six shows in seven days. Not bad at my (and Clarence’s) age! And yes, what a truly great gig it was tonight in Helsingborg!!! Super crowd + band in top shape! We had a blast. This tour is one of the greatest I’ve ever experienced!!!! So much very special feedback from people + I can play my music in a most intimate way. Love that. Two days off now then we’re going north! Look forward to every second of it. Have a fab weekend y’all!

Per Gessle Unplugged Tour – #17 – 5th May 2022 – Karlskrona

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Karlskrona wouldn’t have happened, if the December dates of the tour weren’t postponed. This concert was added as a new date to the 2022 tour leg. And what a great idea was to add this one! Not only because it sold out fast, but because it was one of the best concerts so far.

The whole show was filmed by SVT and is said to be available on TV around Christmas time. PG & Co. were in fab shape and great mood. Totally cool for the filming! And the audience gave their best during the whole evening. They were clapping and singing along to most of the songs and it was lovely to hear their applause when a song started and they realized which one is that.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the time lapse video recorded by Anders Roos about building the stage HERE. It’s amazing to see how it’s all done and what professional work the crew and staff do to make everything work for the concerts.

Per stood up more times than he generally does during these unplugged concerts, e.g. during Flickan i en Cole Porter-sång he stood up checking on the crowd. The stories in between the songs were the same as usual, but there were a couple of improvised jokes. O’boy had its „promo” last night too and Per’s capo adventures also got back. I’m wondering how many of these talks will appear on TV in the end. Usually it’s a 1-hour-long program or maximum 1.5, but it would definitely be nice to see the whole thing. So if not the whole gig appears on SVT, we are always happy to have a DVD with the complete show. Just saying! Haha. Anyway, it’s unbelievable how many cameras, cables and other strange technical stuff are needed for such a recording. No wonder the end result is always so professional. Looking very much forward to it!

The encores were fantastic. The crowd stood up before the first encore and was cheering and clapping until the guys and girl came back on stage. Before the second encore everyone was again up on their feet. Vid hennes sida was a sitting song, but for Sommartider we immediately stood up. Big party song with a neverending applause after. Thanks, Magnus! For När alla vännerna gått hem everyone sat down, but the gig ended with a standing ovation, of course.

Next stop is Helsingborg on 6th 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 Karlskrona för en fantastisk torsdag. Vilken underbar publik ni är. Supertacksam att fått spela + sjunga för er här ikväll och känna denna härliga respons. Vi hade SvT med oss ikväll som bandade alltihop så med lite flyt så kan ni se o höra allt igen i jul nångång. Life’s good! Tack + syns igen. Badabam från PG.

Roxette’s music becomes a musical

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Roxette’s vast catalogue of hits is the soundtrack for generations all over the world. It is now time for it to be used in a brand new musical, based on the hit author Jane Fallon’s novel “Got You Back”. The opening is scheduled to be in the autumn of 2024 at Malmö Opera in Malmö, Sweden.

The Swedish duo Roxette, Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, is one of the most successful pop groups ever. Their iconic songs like “Listen To Your Heart”, “It Must Have Been Love”, “The Look”, “Joyride” and many more have ruled the charts around the globe. The classic Roxette catalogue will be the soundtrack for a brand new musical, based on the English hit novelist Jane Fallon’s book “Got You Back” with a script by the Swedish playwright and director Klas Abrahamsson. Per Gessle is the hugely successful songwriter and frontman of Roxette which he formed with singer Marie Fredriksson in 1986. Their sales to late exceeds 80 million albums since their first release.

Per Gessle says:

My immediate feeling is that Roxette’s music is perfect for a musical, a rich bunch of songs with lots of familiar melodies. The mix of our legacy and Jane Fallon’s brilliant story feels like a match made in heaven. I look forward to this exciting project.

Jane Fallon is the celebrated TV-producer who became a successful author. Fallon has published eleven novels since her debut “Getting Rid Of Matthew” in 2007 and the sales has passed the million mark in UK alone.

Jane says:

I love musicals and I love Scandinavia and I love Roxette’s music so this is like a dream come true. I’m so happy to be part of this production.

The playright and director Klas Abrahamsson has been praised for several of his plays like “Camping”, “My Friend The Fascist” and “Ingvar! A Musical Furniture Tale” – the two latter together with composer Erik Gedeon.

Klas says:

The music is so great and cool and the story is important and has a most relevant intrigue. I’m so thrilled.

Malmö Opera is one of Sweden’s biggest producer of musical theatre. Carina Ostrander says:

Malmö Opera has yet again shown the power to launch new projects, from the first idea to a full stage production. We do look forward to the collaboration with Per Gessle, Jane Fallon, Klas Abrahamsson and all of the skilled professional craftsmen necessary for a successful stage show.

The musical is a collaboration between Per Gessle, Nordiska ApS and Malmö Opera.

Tickets will go on sale in 2023/24.

Per Gessle Unplugged Tour – #16 – 4th May 2022 – Malmö

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Malmö would have also been a December 2021 show if things hadn’t happened. After one day off, the gang was back on stage last night. Anders Roos was on spot again with all his cameras and MP, who wasn’t present during the past three gigs, rejoined the team, as well as Åsa.

The venue was very interesting, with a lot of rows, you almost couldn’t see the end. Haha. The acoustics weren’t the best. As Christoffer said after the show it had a dry sound. They couldn’t really hear the crowd reactions, but they weren’t alone. It felt like the sing-alongs started in the rows in the back and somehow it took a little while for the sound to get to the front.

Per also recognized the unusual shape of the crowd area. He said it feels like being in a long train. He waved and shouted into the mic to those in the back „hello over there”. The audience shouted „hej” back at him.

The audience was mostly singing along GT songs and all Mazarin tracks. The clapping wasn’t too loud during the songs, but rather after each song. Then it was really intense.

O’boy was again in focus, the kidding with each other goes on and on. E.g. when Per was drinking tea after Tuffa tider, Christoffer said it’s O’boy in the mug and when Micke N-S brought a new mug of tea on stage, Per joked it’s „a new O’boy” and he said it’s yummy when he drank from the mug.

Mr. G’s capo-fixing technique is getting better and better. Last night there was only one time when he was fluffing with the capo for a longer time.

The band presentation started with Christoffer and Per said he is incomparable and he tries to find a new superlative for Chris every night, but it’s not too easy, he feels like he ran out of them. Christoffer helped him out with the word „nice-smelling”. Haha. Regarding Clarence, Per told again that he doesn’t have a microphone, because he talks too much nonsense and sings poorly, but he added that Clarence was the singer in his old band, Overture in the 70’s. Producer father to all Roxette songs as well. Magnus was introduced as a real Scanian, the newcomer with his 18 years of collaboration with PG. The fantastic Helena Josefsson and Magnus felt very much at home in Malmö, that was clearly visible and the audience loved them.

During the past two concerts it was Min hälsning when the crowd realized the show will end now very soon, so they got more active after that. A big part of the crowd stood up before the first encore and then before the second encore everyone was up on their feet. We all sat down for Vid hennes sida, but Sommartider was an immediate standing song and after it, the audience was cheering the band for a long long time. Per thanked for it and for the fantastic evening and he repeated „Malmö” twice in the mic, pointing out that such a crowd reaction can only happen in Malmö. Before starting the last song, Mr. G said „I really hope to see you soon again and I also hope you’ll have a fantastic summer in these crazy times”. Everyone stayed standing for När alla vännerna gått hem. Yet another show that ended with a standing ovation. So wonderful!

Next stop is Karlskrona on 5th May! And be prepared, everyone who is coming, because the show will be recorded for TV, as Per informed after the gig!

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:

Wow! Amazing wednesday in Malmö!!! Slagthuset var en ny bekantskap för mig, en härlig avlång baguette-liknande gammal biolokal perfekt för sådana som vi att smycka i de bästa ljud vi kan. Wunderbar publik + bandet är i toppform just nu. MP är tillbaka vid mixerbordet. Många vänner i publiken. Tack för en synnerligen trevlig afton. Badabam from PG.

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

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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!!!!!