Magnus Börjeson

Whatever works – but does it work? My take on Per Gessle’s Roxette tour

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Per Gessle has started his European tour last Sunday, October 7th in Prague, Czech Republic in front of nearly 1,000 people. It’s the first time since 2009, where he hits the bumpy roads of Europe again and is going to visit 20 cities in the coming weeks.

This time he is no longer the man from Roxette as 9 years ago, the project is labelled “Per Gessle’s Roxette”. He admitted in our exclusive RoxetteBlog interview back in April that it’s a great name: “since it’s exactly what it is. This is my personal version of Roxette. I play Roxette-songs I’ve written, music that still is such a big slice of my life. In the perfect world Marie would have been by my side to sing and perform, but that won’t happen anymore. I have to live with that. You do too. The options I have are to perform the songs without her or not perform them at all. I chose the obvious one.”

When I was compiling the potential setlist predictions back in June, I was thinking this is going to be something similar to the Party Crasher tour. Back then – meaning 2009 – we still didn’t know exactly what good and bad future would bring, but we were happy to get these very personal interpretations of Roxette’s vast catalogue from Gessle. This year I truly felt coming back to Roxette music with a mix of Nashville vibes and 2017 band (big hand to new additions to the band: Andreas, Ola and Malin My) would be a fantastic way to introduce these songs in a new & exciting way. Per already tested the ground during 2017 Scandinavian concerts – several Roxette tracks were played and got ovations from the crowd generating even more unforgettable sing-a-longs.

How the setlist looks like in the end? There are some surprises, which always is a surprising thing at the Per Gessle concert, wink-wink. We actually got a track that was never performed live before though recorded 28 years ago. The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye was performed by Per on the lead and Malin My & Helena doing the chorus. Gessle has always been highlighting this as a forgotten gem among other pearls from the early 90s. For understandable reasons. It also a nice way to end up the concert, instead of a worn-out Church of your heart closer. Hope it stays in the setlist as long as possible.

You might have been expecting to hear more tracks from English solo albums as it’s a solo concert after all. Well, no, not really. There was nothing off The World According To Gessle, which left many unhappy about that decision. Still, I Want You To Know could’ve found its way as a modern country version. I have a party in my head and Doesn’t make sense re-appeared in the set, which already was kind of unexpected as the latter one was never a single and I have not predicted Son of a plumber would find its way among all those Roxette tracks. There were 2 songs off Small Town Talk, though the second single, Being With You, was left out for the reasons one could only wonder. It reminds me the time when Party Crasher’s Silly really was omitted due to “being impossible to perform live”. It must have been a different thing with an accoustic song this time. Small Town Talk is my absolute highlight of the evening in which Per Gessle pairs with the band’s own Christoffer Lundquist for an amazing duet. We need more of Chris’ singing at the concert! The Finest Prize is as powerful as it was last year with Helena Josefsson taking over the second verse, so scrapping the song in Leipzig is definitely a miss.

Was the Roxette part of the setlist unexpected? Well, im Westen nichts Neues (all quite on the western front). There was The Look to start with which is a wise move as it brings everyone in this very party mood that stays throughout the concert. Then Joyride for the end with 3 lonely fan-brang balloons flying over the audience. Did they change anything in the arrangements? Very little if you ask me, but I might be deaf as well. Adding pedal steal or violin here and there is a little bit too little to say it’s been a major change.

Per Gessle performed 10 songs on his own, where e.g. “Milk and toast and honey”, “It must have been love” or “I’m glad you called” were 50:50 duets with one-of-a-kind Helena Josefsson. She is one of the most talented persons Per has worked with anyway. She was switching constantly places – from being in the back next to Malin My to the front position between Per and Magnus. And she owned both positions superbly.

What I have really mixed feeling about is actually leaving some of the most prominent tracks like “Spending my time”, “Queen of rain” or “Listen to your heart” to Helena herself. She’s a very talented singer – if I haven’t highlighted that already enough  – and I absolutely adore her in many songs during the concert (“I’m glad you called” acting-game for instance), but some of Roxette arrangements weren’t particularly friendly to her voice. I feel like “Fading like a flower” in a slower arrangements doesn’t do the justice to this somewhat wonderful power ballad. If you expect Per would do all songs himself, that’s not the case this time. He is really presenting new versions of Roxette songs now; this is how he now imagines the Roxette world where Marie cannot longer perform. Does it mean female voice is essential for those songs to survive? Would Per’s interpretation be worse than Helena’s versions? How would it sound if they had replaced this with a duet? There are so many questions and so little time. You need to hear this yourself to be able to judge.

In a certain way I feel like calling this a Per Gessle concert is misleading and I do not mean anything negative here (there’s too much of that childish shit over social media now). It just doesn’t really do the justice for the concert itself. For my part it was Per Gessle AND Helena Josefsson concert with Roxette songs in the focus. Helena plays the vital role to Per’s 2018 concert as the starting riff to The Look. I really miss his versions we’ve all known from 2009 as I preferred a male narrative, it gave a totally new dimension to the lyrics and the accoustic arrangements back then were to die for. If I was to compare “Listen to your heart” anno domini 2009 to 2018, I would definitely go for the Party crasher version. But hey, it seems like – for the reasons I can only guess – this is not what works for Per any longer.

Is there a space for a change? Limited. From the Leipzig gig it seems like the band plays 2 songs less – “Silver blue” and “The Finest Prize” were kicked off the field. We might hear “Sleeping in my car” or something already performed in the past like “7twenty7”, but obviously it’s always tricky to predict the future.

This new concert is definitely not something everyone can approve. Though I have a lot of mixed feelings about the arrangements and songs picked up to perform, the audience reaction was rather positive, which makes me think this can have a future as a long-going set of different performances in clubs all over the world.  Whatever works and it seems actually to work, no matter if you like it or not.

If you feel like reading more about the Prague concert, here’s the Patricia take on it.

(c) Tomasz Wysocki

Per Gessle’s Roxette – Prague, Czech Republic – 7th October 2018 – #1

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Another year, another tour! The Per Gessle’s Roxette tour premiered last night in Prague, Czech Republic. Being it the first show, Mr. G & Co. did a longer soundcheck. They started at appr. 4 pm and it lasted for about 1.5 hours. We could hear the gang playing Spending My Time, Listen To Your Heart, The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye, Fading Like A Flower, Opportunity Nox and The Big L. and since the doors were closed, we sometimes could just hear noises we couldn’t recognize. Haha. It was a nice teaser for the gig anyway.

The gates opened a bit after 6 pm. The first thing we could check was the merchandise. I already shared some pictures on our Facebook page, so you could see there are T-shirts mostly, also ones that include the dates. The correct dates and places this time, woohoo! There is a gym bag which is new, Small Town Talk CD and the rest we know from past tours (RoXXXette power bank, PG’s tour photo book from last year, Roxette’s 30 Biggest Hits CD, The RoxBox CD, PG cards from the tour last year).

The security guys told us 900-1000 tickets were sold as far as they knew. It was a cozy place and it was very hot inside. There was a support act, Robin Mood and before and after him we could of course listen to Per’s mix tape, which didn’t change much vs. the last one. Great songs to get into the mood. When the setting up for PG & Co started, I could have a glimpse of the setlist while the technicians put it to each band member’s spot. Running through it I was happy with all the songs and even the length of the setlist, however, I missed 2 songs badly: Vulnerable and Name You Beautiful. I hope they pop up later on this tour.

The show started at appr. 21:00. The setlist was as follows:

1. The Look
2. Milk And Toast And Honey
3. The Finest Prize
4. Crash! Boom! Bang!
5. Dressed For Success
6. She’s Got Nothing On (But The Radio)
7. Spending My Time
8. I’m Glad You Called
9. Small Town Talk
10. I Have A Party In My Head
11. It Must Have Been Love
12. Opportunity Nox
13. The Big L.
14. Fading Like A Flower
15. Silver Blue
Band presentation
16. How Do You Do! (in a medley with No. 17)
17. Dangerous

Encore
18. Queen Of Rain
19. Doesn’t Make Sense

Encore 2
20. Joyride
21. Listen To Your Heart
22. The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye

 

The Look: After seeing the opening song, I was quite surprised. It’s not the obvious choice of starting the shows with, but it’s definitely a great direction. Start with a huge uptempo hit and grab the audience already at the very beginning. It worked totally fine! I decided to go live on our Facebook page with the tour opening, but I couldn’t keep my camera steady after a while, I got too much into the mood, so stopped filming in the middle of the song. I realized it only after the live stuff started that Facebook changed some settings, so landscape doesn’t work for live videos. Sorry for that. Haha.

After the first song, Per talked a bit to the audience, mentioning it was the opening gig on their European tour and that he likes Prague, because it’s a beautiful city. He also recognized some familiar faces. He also mentioned he’s been writing songs for more than 40 years, which is crazy. He said most of the songs he wrote for Roxette and during the night they dig very deep into the Roxette box of songs, but he also sneaked in a couple of his solo songs.

Milk And Toast And Honey: One song Per mentioned during the interviews lately, that it’s among his choices, because he loves it and they never played it live before (which is not true, we all know, but well… time flies). It sounded great in this arrangement and it was nice to hear Per singing in it. He said after the song that it felt good.

The Finest Prize: Last year we could hear the Swedish version of this song live, Första pris and somehow it felt obvious they would include the English version on the setlist. Love it, no matter in which language, and it sounds fab live!

Crash! Boom! Bang!: After TFP Per talked to the audience again and told about their journey to Capri in 1993 to record CBB. He said there were very expensive pizzas and a very drunk producer, haha, he said he is just kidding, it was the drummer. Per started singing it, then Helena sang the other half of the song. Sounded beautiful! Only one person shouted ”Marie!” during the song, but that was the only one occasion during the whole show.

Dressed For Success: Speeding up a bit, Per asked to tighten our shoelaces. And we needed it! Great party song and the clapping coreography still works.

She’s Got Nothing On (But The Radio): To go on in party mood, PG’s left leg stomping at its best and swaying his hips during the whole song. This song is still great both on the radio and live! After playing it, Per asked the crowd if we were having a good time and we shouted yeees! He said he trusts us. Haha.

Spending My Time: Before they started performing it, Per said it’s a very special song for him, he wrote it on the same day as Joyride. It turned out to be one of the songs Helena was singing alone. Which was a bit strange, we expected it being divided half-half between Per and her. It’s also a very special song to fans, a real Marie-song, so probably this could have been the hardest part of the show for Marie hardcores, but the arrangement was so different vs. how Marie sings the song that it makes no sense to compare. It became a totally different song and Helena sang it beautifully. She got a huge applause from the audience and she was so happy about it. Once you would think the song was over, but they went on playing it after some seconds of pause. By the way, Helena is standing in the back with Malin-My and is singing into a mic on a stand, but when she sings in the front, she holds the mic in her hands.

I’m Glad You Called: This was probably the most hilarious part that we could eye-witness during the show. Everyone has to see it live! Per acting! Haha. Singing a duet with Helena, without the guitar in his hand, standing there (and walking away!) like a schoolboy. So lovely! For this song, Magnus, Clarence and Andreas went off stage and only Malin-My, Ola and Christoffer stayed there to play behind Per and Helena.

Small Town Talk: Per told the audience he went to Nashville to record his latest solo albums and now they would play the title track of the English album. Malin-My started with her wonderful violin-playing. So beautiful! Then PG went on with the first verse and I thought it would be Helena singing the rest, BUT: a huge surprise in this one! The part sung by Nick Lowe on the album is sung by Chris live. It was amazing! He has such a beautiful voice and together with Per this song sounded fabulous! We were all very happy that Christoffer got THIS moment during the concert (instead of playing a local song again 😉 ). The crowd loved it to the full and he got a huge applause, he got distracted, he said after the show when we congratulated him.

I Have A Party In My Head: LOL! Another hilarious moment! When the intro started to play, it sounded like Opus’s ”Live Is Life”, so Per sang: Na Na Nana Na. It was so cool! The crowd just laughed out loud. 🙂 Then came the flutes, the flutes! Of course, on this song. One could guess it during the rehearsals when Per posted a picture of Helena and Malin-My. Sounded great!

It Must Have Been Love: Per introduced the song as one he wrote during the soundcheck earlier yesterday. Haha. I would say it was in the very same arrangement as during Per’s tour last year and the crowd loved to sing-along.

Opportunity Nox: If you ask me, THE best part of the gig started here for 2 songs. We wished so much to hear OppNox live again and we got it! And it’s still rocking! Wonderful party song!

The Big L.: Party on! Malin-My came to the front next to Chris and rocked her violin.The whole song was superb, we were jumping so much!

Fading Like A Flower: Per said let’s stick to the ’90s a bit. The ’90s were great. He asked Magnus what he thinks and Magnus said he hardly remembers, he was very young. Per asked him about the girls, Magnus said they were great. Then Per joked and asked about the boys, haha, Magnus asked if there is something else Per wants to know. Then the song started. This was the only song that didn’t really work for me in this arrangement and it was another song sung only by Helena. She sang beautifully and all, but this song is living in its rocky version. Hard to beat.

Silver Blue: Per and Helena were singing it half-half. Sounded beautiful.

Band presentation: Per said he wants to introduce his amazing band whom he bribed to join him. Magnus said it wasn’t cheap. Haha. This time the introduction started with Christoffer, then came Ola, then Andreas (straight out of prison, haha). Then Per said that’s it. He was kidding and turned to the other side to introduce Clarence (the Mozart of Hammarby), then Magnus, then Malin-My (on violin and flutes and platform soles, haha) and ”last but not least, Helena Josefsson on lead guitar”. Haha. Per got used to introducing Chris as the last but not least, that he just added the lead guitar automatically. Helena’s reaction was she played air guitar. Haha. Per said it’s getting late for him. 🙂

How Do You Do!: One of those 3-chord songs again. The crowd went crazy and started clapping so hard. It was great to hear it live again!

Dangerous: How it was a medley during the Roxette tour, it was arranged the same way this time again, right after HDYD. After this song, the gang went off the stage. The crowd was shouting Gessle, Gessle and clapping and whistling too. It didn’t take much time until the band and Per came back on stage.

Queen Of Rain: The first song of the first encore, another song from the ’90s. Per said he wrote it for the Joyride album, but it didn’t make it, because they had too many ballads. They kept it for later and it became a single. The crowd was happy to hear it. Another song that was sung by Helena.

Doesn’t Make Sense: What a fab song this still is! It was wonderful to hear it live again! Chris went absolutely wild on this one, together with Andreas. The gang went off the stage again to come back for the 2nd encore 2 minutes later.

Joyride: Per came up on stage and he said they had a wonderful evening and hoped we did too. The first song of the 2nd encore was Joyride. There can’t be a show without it. And Per turning around and around and around with his guitar during this one is still a must. Haha.

Listen To Your Heart: It was in the same arrangement as last year, Helena singing it. She got a huge applause in the end.

The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye: Great closing song, awesome to hear it live! Nicely arranged version that gives the song another life. Loved it!

 

Regarding the stage set, on the background Per’s drawings were proyected and sometimes videos and also the Per Gessle’s Roxette tour background during the band presentation. So a bit of a mix, but I have to see another concert or even more 😉 to be able to pay more attention to the background as well.

The stage clothes are very nice and I like how they all fit each other. Now everyone is in the same style of clothes. I can’t identify with the platform boots of Malin-My and Helena though. Haha. And hey, there is no nail polish for Mr. G!

Åsa was there and filmed a lot, so the vids will surely pop up on Mr. G’s sites soon. One thing I can tell, the videos don’t give it all back. You can only judge how a concert is when you are there. I know many fans were skeptic about the whole thing and it’s mainly hard for Marie supporters to deal with this, but with all my love towards Marie, I have to say this concept worked. No one wanted to replace Marie, no one wanted to act or sing like Marie. The songs got another life, different arrangement, different style. And all sounded great. Even Per and the band were quite nervous in the beginning, you could see it, but with each song they got the confirmation that what they are doing is good and they enjoyed it to the full. So give it a chance and attend a show to be able to judge yourself. You can still get your tickets HERE.

 

Per about the premiere show:

THANX ALL YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP AT THE PRAGUE SHOW. OPENING NITE = NERVOUS ARTIST + MUSICIANS. IS THE SHOW TOO LONG? TOO BORING? TOO MANY BALLADS? TOO MANY SINGALONGS?

YOU MADE US FEEL THAT WE HAVE A GREAT CONCEPT AND CONCERT IN THE CAN FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY OVER THE NEXT SIX WEEKS OR SO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEEDBACK AND FOR BEING THERE!

WE CERTAINLY HAD A BLAST . EXTRA SPECIAL THANX FROM ME TO MY OUTSTANDING BAND WHO MAKES MY MUSIC SOUND INTELLIGENT AND SPECIAL AND PROBABLY BETTER THAN IT ACTUALLY IS.

SEE Y’ALL IN LEIPZIG!

P.

All pics in the article are taken by Patrícia Peres.

More photos:
Musicserver.cz
iDNES.cz
ireport.cz

Videos:
Dressed For Success

 

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

 

Per Gessle – En vacker kväll in Vasa, Finland – 25th August 2017 – #20

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Show No. 20. 20??? Ojojoj, the second to last gig on this fantastic Per Gessle tour. The concert in Vasa, Finland happened at a festival. First this festival was planned to be held at another venue, but due to the high interest, in June it was moved to a bigger open-air stadium.

When we arrived at the venue late afternoon, there weren’t too many people, so the first 2 acts didn’t get a big crowd. There were 5 acts before Per and Per being the headliner was to start only at 22:00.

During the 3rd act, One Desire, it started raining, but fortunately, it lasted only for some minutes. However, it was freezing cold. Felt like winter and I’m not joking. These summers in the North are fabulous for all who are coming from warmer countries. But also tough for those who live in Sweden or even Finland.

BoJo and the technician guys started preparing everything before the last act before Per. Andreas came checking the drums of the last act (The Heartbeat Band) before PG. He was even filming them during their performance and singing along to their songs.

To set up the stage, the crew needed some more time and Per and the band could start the show at appr. 22:20. I felt sorry for them, because they of course had their stage clothes on and all those clothes were rather made for summer. But they were all on a high, so I guess the adrenalin inside heated them well. They were all smiles during the whole show. We loved it!

The crowd that became far much bigger (appr. 3500 people) for PG than for the acts before him, they also thought it’s better to move not to feel the cold. So they were active. Mostly with singing along, shouting, whistling and clapping though, but waving and jumping during the uptempo songs were also happening.

 

It was again Kung av sand when the rain started falling, but we didn’t get our ponchos out, just kept our fingers crossed it would go away very soon.

Between the songs Per talked to crowd in Swedish. Vasa is a bilingual city and Swedish is the first language of one third of its population. So it made totally sense. Other acts also talked to the crowd in Swedish.

Malin-My was translating the lyrics of Här kommer alla känslorna (på en och samma gång) into gestures towards us showing she was also sad that the tour was coming to an end.

During the band presentation everyone got a huge ovation. When Per and Magnus had their stand-up comedy talk, Magnus mentioned that Finland is an independent country since 100 years this year and for this reason he thought they could talk a bit about Finland’s history. Per said ojojoj, Kimi Räikkönen. Haha. Not much he knows about Finland’s history it seems. Magnus asked PG who his favourite Finnish historical person was from the three he mentioned. The first 2 names didn’t ring a bell for Mr. G, but the third, Tumppi Haaranen did. He was a tour manager on the Roxette tour. So he chose him as his fave Finnish historical person.

Chris played Säkkijärven polkka as the inro to The Look (not the first he played this in Finland) and the crowd went crazy for that. They were clapping so loudly. The Look was a highlight again. Chris stayed psychedelic during the whole song and there was a part during his and Per’s guitar duel when Chris was ”walking” on his knees ”attacking” PG. It was hilarious!

Andreas went so wild with the Sommartider intro that at the end of it he threw both sticks into the crowd just after the last tact. The song turned out to be awesome – as usual.

Per offered Småstadsprat as a night snack and with that the concert ended. It started raining again during the closing song and it was raining cats and dogs after the gig.

19 songs! We didn’t expect such a ”long” festival setlist, so we were absolutely positively surprised and loved the fact that Per could finally decide for a longer set on a festival where HE is the headliner and no one else is playing after him, so he didn’t need to keep a short time of playing. Much appreciated!

At the very end, there were fireworks organized by the promoter. Sadly, it was behind the stage, so we didn’t see much of it.

Per after the show:

VAASA, Finland. Oh yea! Truly amazing crowd considering the pretty chilly evening. Loved that my solo stuff went down so well. Thanks everyone for singing along and showing us a good time. Promise to come back. Love it here! Kiitos & tack så mycket. /P.

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
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:

Juni, juli, augusti
It Must Have Been Love: 1; 2;
Gå & fiska!
Sommartider: 1; 2;

Articles, pictures:

Pohjalainen: 1; 2;
Vasabladet: 1; 2;
Hagstrommedia.pic.fi
Österbottenstidning
Samuli Keskitalo Photography
Forth Photography