Gyllene Tider – avskedsturnén documentary on TV4

During the tour we could already sense there would be a GT40 documentary later because of the filmings at each concert and with more cameras out at Ullevi and in Kalmar. Gyllene Tider – avskedsturnén (Gyllene Tider – the farewell tour) premiered on TV4 on 26th December. The story about a pop band that conquered Sweden. Again. And again. And again… 1979-2019. Unfortunately, as usual, it is available only in Sweden, but here you can read an English translation of it and see some screenshots.

The documentary is of premium quality both recordings and soundwise, as well as in terms of content. There is a lot of footage from the GT40 tour, interviews with the Golden Guys done by the mighty Sven Lindström, footage from the rehearsals before the tour and the studio in France, old interviews, photos and private videos, Pappa and Mamma Syd, as well as Micke Syd’s then girlfriend talking about the old days, Niklas Strömstedt, Lasse Lindbom, Kjell Andersson, Marie Dimberg also talking about Gyllene Tider’s greatness. Grumpy Productions did a fantastic job once again.

The documentary starts with Per telling it was Micke Syd who came up with the idea to finish GT with this latest tour, because with their habit of doing a tour every 6-7-8 years, who knows how they would be next time when they are 67-68 years old.

 

It’s amazing to see cuts from the 1981 Parkliv version of songs and the 2019 tour next to each other. It’s the same energetic band as ever.

Right at the beginning when Per talks on stage about Harplinge and Micke Syd’s mom who had a hairdresser salon, a part of the Mamma Syd interview is cut in where she says when Per was there for the first time, he had a long coat and a hat on. He looked a little special. And she laughs. Sven asks Per about the period when he became a teenager. Mr. G says he was a music and pop nerd. He never thought he could play anything, but he just started writing lyrics or rather poems. MP says when he first heard about Per was in the first grade at high school.

Anders says the first time he met Micke was when they started playing football together. Micke Syd says those who lived in Harplinge went to school in Halmstad. Göran says he asked his music teacher if he knew anyone who played in a band and got the phone number to Anders. He called him and asked what they were up to.

 

Mr. G’s classmate, Peter played the bass in MP’s band. They met more and more times and Per and MP became best friends. Micke and Anders were best friends too, Mamma Syd says. They listened to albums together and went to the record store every day. Anders and Micke decided to get more involved in music and left football. Their trainer told them they would never succeed.

 

Per describes his experience of hearing MP’s band, 4 guys playing at the rehearsal studio in Harplinge as a fantastic noise. He felt he also wanted to play in a band.

Pappa Syd visits the old Tits & Ass studio in Styrdal. Someone else is living there now, but he lets Ingemar in and he shows which room the recording studio was. It has changed a lot, but the the studio window is still there. Per says he spent a lot of time on sending out cassettes to all possible places: local radio, journalists, newspapers, etc. When they recorded their yellow EP, it went out to all record labels. Kjell Andersson (EMI) says when he heard Billy, he got stuck to it, because the singer reminded him of a young John Holm who was his favourite those times. Lasse Lindbom says he and Kjell were running around Stockholm clubs and listened to punk bands and they realized the guys in GT knew what music was about.

Sven asks MP if he would thought when they recorded their first album that they would become one of Sweden’s greatest pop bands. MP says not at all. When they were there in the studio, they were not thinking like this, but there was a supernatural driving force in all of them. They were dreaming with the songs, they rehearsed a lot to become better.

Per says that in January 1979, Kjell from EMI called him. He lived at his mother’s then. Kjell says Per’s mom picked up the phone and said his son was still sleeping, but she could wake him up, it was 12 am after all. Micke Syd says when Kjell called them, it felt like winning the lottery, the Nobel Prize and becoming the father of 4 at the same time. Lasse Lindbom went down to Halmstad to see if they could play. Lasse met Per at motel Hallandia and says Per was quite nervous, he had sweaty hands. Micke says of course they were nervous. Recording an album at a big record label with Lasse Lindbom! Per took Lasse to their studio and when they were there altogether, they became more confident. All other bands who rehearsed there went to see Lasse Lindbom. Pappa Syd says Lasse listened to the guys in the cellar of the old nursing home. Lasse then went back to Stockholm and told Kjell he wasn’t totally convinced. He was a little sceptical about the singer’s pop star status. But there was something in Per’s lyrics and how they could perform their songs. They were talented musicians.

Per says it was magical that they could record an album, but still no one knew who they were. As small town boys they felt quite lost in the big city. In the ’70s all record labels were in Stockholm. Those days there were only 2 TV channels and 1 radio that played pop music. Laila Berger, a childhood friend says the guys didn’t have an image. They came from the countryside, in clogs, jeans and T-shirts to EMI in Stockholm. Lasse says the first to get out from the taxi was Göran. He was showing the receipt and asked if he gets money for that. At that moment EMI probably didn’t think of them as future pop idols.

They recorded the album at EMI’s little studio 2 in Skärmarbrink. The studio was so small they could hardly fit in all five of them with the instruments. Micke says they got the small studio because Björn Skifs was recording in the big one. Per says there was something magical in all this. No one knew them, they didn’t have any success, they just wanted to record their album. They went home at nights and shared a room. Per, MP and Anders were in a triple room. They were sitting there and listened to the cassettes to hear what they recorded during the day and they thought that was the best they ever heard. Revolver upp, Sista gången jag såg Annie, those songs. Mr. G says he thinks the record label didn’t really know what they wanted to do with them when they recorded their first album. They picked Himmel No. 7 as the first single with Flickorna på TV2 on the other side. Lasse Lindbom says they had to change the sides and re-release it. Kjell says it was Niklas Strömstedt who first saw the qualities of Flickorna på TV2. In the summer of ’79 he was a DJ at Atlantic, a club in Stockholm where all the hip people were going. Niklas says his first impression of GT was that they were quite curious, nice, a little clumsy guys from the countryside.

The first time MP went to Atlantic he was wearing clogs. The security guy was so nice to him he said he can lend him his private shoes so he can change his clogs and pick them up when he is leaving. After this, MP’s clogs were left home for good. Susan Hübel, Micke’s then girlfriend says Anders and Micke went to Ullared and bought the most awful clothes ever. Göran says he was only 17 and he went to clubs like Atlantic and Victoria.

Per says they had to learn how to handle fame. Even if one thinks it’s cool to become famous and have fans, they were not prepared for it. It was very strange. They were super happy of course, but also surprised that it happened so fast. Teenage girls were screaming and fainting, it was hysterical. They did only 6 live performances in front of an audience before they became No. 1 with Flickorna på TV2. Micke says they suddenly had everything they dreamed about. Attendance records, screaming girls, guys were showing their middle finger to them while girls were falling in love with them.

Pappa Syd enters Börjes konditori where the GT guys were hanging around a lot to eat or drink something, but also to meet friends. He says Harplinge was a vivid town, but after the railway disappeared in 1986, the town became kind of dead.

Per still lived with his mom and says when they were hanging out his washed clothes they got stolen by fans. But not only that. Anything that could be moved was gone. Even the registration number plate from the car. Mamma Syd confirms that girls were totally crazy. They were sitting in the ditch outside the house and were waiting for Micke to come home. Susan remembers she once received a pillowcase from a girl with a letter to ask Micke to sleep on it and send it back to her. Micke was so nice that he did sleep on that pillowcase.

Lasse Lindbom says he was surprised by the monumental success of GT, but not because he didn’t believe in them, but because one never thinks that something can become so huge. These things just happen. Kjell also says he never thought they could be so huge. At least not that fast.

Niklas thought that the guys could accompany him on his first album in 1980, but GT became so big that they didn’t have time for that. So he had to find another band.

When Per had his 22nd birthday in 1981, he received more than 3000 letters in 2 big bags that were waiting for him in front of his mom’s house.

Even if the guys became famous, they weren’t popular in Harplinge and Halmstad. People were shouting at them not to think they are now something and ”you fag!”. Göran says it was just jealousy. For Anders it was so hard to deal with the reactions that he moved to Stockholm quite early.

Micke says that after their break-through, there came a 2-year-long touring. Per says when you have such a huge succes, you lock yourself into your job. Of course, people recognized them when they fuelled the car or outside the hotels it was filled with people when they were touring, but they worked even more focused.

Micke says he started playing the drums when he was 5. He took a pair of knitting needles and played on an ashtray. Then he built a drumset from O’boy cocoa and coffee cans and played on them. Lasse says Micke wanted to be a pop star. That was his thing. Niklas says to say that Micke is a photobomber is an understatement. He likes to be in the front, in the middle of attention and he is not ashamed of it. Marie Dimberg says Micke Syd is a bit of an all-over-the-place guy. He is doing 800 things at once. Lasse says he was driving a truck and was a pop star at the same time. He could cope with it. Mamma Syd says Micke had his first job as a truck driver and when he was eating together with the others, he was constantly drumming. They told him he should stop drumming, otherwise he can’t eat together with them next time.

 

MP says back in the days there were only 3 radio stations, P1, P2 and P3. 95.4 was the highest frequency, so he thought to use the frequency somewhere between 99 and 100. He used a tape,  so he had 45 minutes to borrow his dad’s Amazon and put the radio on and listen if he can hear what he put on and it worked. Then he was driving around in Harplinge to check the range. Niklas says MP is one of the most musical people he has ever met. According to Lasse, MP is a musical genius, but also a very odd character. He was the one Lasse thought of the least that it could work outside Halmstad. Kjell says that one night on a tour MP knocked on Per’s door. Per opened it and MP told him he had solved the riddle of life. Then he closed the door and in the morning he couldn’t remember anything.

Göran tells that they had a pump organ at home and he played it when he was 4 years old. He always liked music. He was wild and always happy. He had a lot of energy. He was selling beer and soft drinks at the age of 14-15. Niklas says Göran likes to be on stage. It’s fun to see him now. He doesn’t look like he did in 1979, but he is the same on the inside.

Per says he was much of an introvert. The world of pop was very interesting for him. More exciting than his real life. He was ranking all songs on LPs, band members as well. He had lists of the nicest covers, best hairdos, coolest clothes, etc. Susan says Per was a pop star right away. He was the first guy she saw using nail polish and eyeliner. Per says he was selling Christmas magazines and stuff like this and bought records from the money he got. When he was 10, he already had 100 LPs. Kjell says Per has always been the engine and the driving force in all this. Marie Dimberg says he is a leader, a quite responsible leader. He is hard-working, pedantic from head to toe, meticulous, professional and organized. He has a good sense of humor and knows what he wants. And even if he is a world star, he is incredibly down to earth. It’s only his cars that are extravagant.

 

Anders says he bought his first bass guitar in secret and was hiding it under his bed so that his father couldn’t see it. He and his father worked at the same place, but Anders left the job when Gyllene Tider had their first show in Kalmar. He thought his father would die. His dad had never said anything regarding GT in his life. He wanted Anders to have a real job. When Anders was in Nashville with Per to record an album, he found some clipping from a newspaper that his father had kept and it was bewildering. Niklas thinks Anders is a divinely gifted pop bassist. According to Kjell, together with MP they are probably the most skilled musicians.

Per says that everyone who is coming from a small town eventually doesn’t want to come from there, because there are no possibilities. There is only one common dream: get out and succeed with your music.

After a couple of successful years they thought the next step should be to release an album in English to be able to hit the international market. They sold a lot of albums, so the record label invested money in them and they could do whatever they wanted. MP says they lost the grip, he doesn’t know why they recorded an English album. They thought they had already done what they could, so they had to find something else. Anders says it was a flop in all senses, productionwise as well. Lasse says an English album was not what anyone wanted from Gyllene Tider. Micke says they wanted to succeed abroad too, but with this they went away from what they actually were. But they didn’t know it back then. Anders felt that something would happen because they were getting far from what the direction in the music world was. Duran Duran came out with Girls on Film which was hypermodern and they were standing there asking how the hell they are doing it.

The guys had a tour that wasn’t too successful. Nothing really worked and it was the first time since their break-through. Then Per had the idea to get back to Swedish. The 5 of them had a dinner at restaurant Svea, in Grand Hotel, Halmstad. Per had a list with him of what they should do. Per presented it, but Anders said they can do it, but without him. No one expected it to happen, that Anders would leave the band. There had been no signs of it before. They weren’t pop stars anymore. It was hard to deal with it in the beginning. Everything you were so far disappears. Göran didn’t know what to do, Micke didn’t know it either. All they knew was that they didn’t want to go on with the band without Anders. It wouldn’t have been the same without him.

Anders got a job in a music store in Stockholm. Suddenly there were cheap computers and sequencer programs, so one could make music with synthesizers in a simple way. So he learned everything about it.

Per started working with Marie. Here comes a part of an old TV show from 1983 where the reporter asked him if Marie was his new support in life. Per said of course and kissed Marie on the hand. Per continued to work and write songs together with MP and recorded all his demos with Mats. They wrote together Listen to Your Heart, Spending My Time and Queen of Rain. Anders became producer for Roxette together with Clarence Öfwerman when they recorded The Look.

When Listen to Your Heart became No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, Per called MP to come over because they had to celebrate something. MP was surprised because there were journalists and cameras all around. It happened so fast and it was hard to take in for MP.

When Roxette went on tour, Anders became member of the band and he was programming all they needed and played the bass. Per says he didn’t escape from the GT guys. Göran and Micke were less around, but he worked together with MP and Anders.

Per remembers he was sitting in a dressing room in Tokyo and wrote Det är över nu for Gyllene Tider, because they were to release a compilation album, Halmstads pärlor and they needed new songs for that. He wrote Kung av sand for that too. Both songs became big hits. Per was free after the Roxette tour and they decided to do a tour in 1996 with GT. They also decided for recording an EP for the tour. There was Gå & fiska! and Juni, juli, augusti on it and these songs became big hits too.

Sven asks Anders what makes Gyllene Tider sound like Gyllene Tider. Anders says it’s like a secret sauce. Why is a chocolate cake better than the other? Micke says you can set 10 drummers with the same drumset to play Gå & fiska!, but it is only him who sounds like that. And it’s not about how good Micke is. There is some kind of chemistry among them one can’t explain. Per says he can’t put his finger on it. They learned it all together. Niklas thinks GT could manage to create some kind of mix of commercial pop and humorous lyrics, fun arrangement and pop they could never hear in Sweden before Gyllene Tider.

Sven asks Per if they know why they became so big. Per says he has no clue. They didn’t sound like anyone else. They come from another planet and have another DNA in their sound. Per thinks his songwriting is special and MP’s input too. Micke and Anders are a bit younger and come from another route. And Göran too. It became a hybrid that could sort out what they were good at, so it became a special sound.

While they are in the studio in France, Per says they had been a power pop band from the very beginning. Then they tried to develop their own sound while they wanted to keep their identity. But on the last album they wanted to take a step back. They wanted to record clean guitars like on Moderna Tider. They thought there was no reason to find out something new at the age of 60. So Samma skrot och korn became nostalgic and sad. Even in terms of the lyrics. Per wanted it to sound like this band had been together for 40 years. They grew up and they love pop and this is what it has become when they are now around 60.

 

 

 

Marie Dimberg is asked about how GT can always succeed with their comebacks. That they can be away for 10 years and then make success again. Marie says it’s exactly because of that. Because there is this ”How can we miss you when you won’t go away?” thing. They go away and let people miss them. At the same time, their hit catalogue finds new audiences every time. And they are associated with tons of lovely things, including summer.

Sven asks when they will come back for a next farewell tour. Per says in 4-5 years maybe and laughs. They are in the peak of their lives, so they are doing a little finale now. One can never know. Marie Dimberg is also not sure that it was the last time last summer when they were on stage together. It felt like that in the very beginning though. Micke says there are people who still can’t believe it was their last tour, but he still thinks it was. Göran says it was the last time, because they decided it. MP says the same. Niklas thinks one can’t just stop. Maybe there comes a day when they think, shit, we have all these songs. Wouldn’t it be fun to play them again?

Towards the end of the documentary, when När alla vännerna gått hem is playing, there are cuts of the song from Parkliv 1981, Återtåget 1996, GT25 2004, DATPR 2013. And when the 1996 part comes, it’s Marie singing for a few seconds and you just can’t hold your tears back.

 

 

Micke Syd says the pride stays with them, but he will miss being on stage knowing that only they can do it together. MP says a better tour than this was can’t be done. One couldn’t feel in their playing that it was a farewell tour. It’s just an absolutely incredible feeling. Göran will miss the fans the most. They are the reason why GT existed at all. Why they became so big. Without the fans it wouldn’t have happened.

Most live footage is from Ullevi (but there are cuts from e.g. Dalhalla and Piteå as well) and it’s amazing to see the band and the crowd in those parts of the docu. I miss hearing the songs in complete and the flow of a complete gig, but I assume, we will get that on a DVD later. Would be just awesome!

 

All stills are from the documentary.

Thanx for the technical support, János Tóth!

Update: there is a YouTube upload of the docu.

Gyllene Tider 2.019 – en sista refräng

When earlier this year, months before the GT40 tour it turned out that there would be a book about Gyllene Tider written by Jan-Owe Wikström and photographed by Anders Roos, I knew the end result would be fab. This duo created another wonderful book, Alla tiders Gyllene Tider 6 years ago, but not only that. Jan-Owe already wrote a book about the band and another about Roxette many many years ago and actually, he wrote the very first Hallandsposten article about a young band, Gyllene Tider more than 40 years ago, on 8th July 1978. He has been following the guys ever since. Anders’ work we also know from other Per Gessle related projects. His amazing photos we could see from several tours and studio sessions over the years.

Jan-Owe and Anders visited the Golden Guys in France when they recorded their last studio album, Samma skrot och korn and were following them on their farewell tour to catch and eternalize the magic around this boy band 40 years after their break-through.

Already by looking at the cover, one can be sure that what’s inside is of high quality. The front cover shows a pleased and proud gang in 2019, while when you turn the book around, the back cover shows a young, promising band in 1981. Wonderful. And this time travel appears inside the book too.

I don’t know how others start reading it, but to me the book shouted out for a start from the end. Which is actually the beginning of all. You will read about all the important years in GT’s life, how MP and Per met and decided to become pop stars, how Anders and Micke met and how Göran with his Farfisa came into sight and how all 5 of them got together to establish one of Sweden’s, if not the greatest bands ever.

In between the historical happenings over the decades, the break-through, early tours, studio sessions, the break-up, the come-backs detailed by Jan-Owe one can read a couple of fan stories about what GT means to the fans. Stories from the ’80s, about Gyllene songs being played at weddings or even funerals, hunting the guys and their autographs. Things what only fans can understand.

Besides all these, you can also get to know what albums and bands had an impact on Per, MP, Micke, Anders and Göran and what their Top10 GT songs are. The lists are not so different, but there isn’t one single song that you would find in each band member’s Top10. How strange.

After the past, you turn the book around again and arrive to 2019. The Intro and the Outro, before and after the very last Oslo gig give a great frame to the whole GT40 farewell. The chapters guide you through the complete process from what happened between the last concert on the GT tour in 2013 and the first thoughts of an anniversary tour, through the creative process of recording a last album and creating the set for the last shows, till the very last performance of the greatest Swedish band of all times.

Besides the Golden Guys’ feelings and actions, their stories of how they met their wives and how their families (their parents and their close families now) supported them over the years, the book also tells you about other important people around the band. You can read about what BoJo’s (Bo Johansson, Live Nation tour leader) job is on a tour as per logistics and organizing all details, what the head of crew has to do and that a gig couldn’t happen without the best crew. You get to know how Malin-My Wall and Dea Norberg came into sight for this last tour and how they contributed to the shows, but you can also read about veteran Fredrik Lilliestråle Stéen and Micke Syd’s friendship that resulted in the fact that GT invited a group of policemen, firefighters and ambulance, as well as defense veterans to thank for their service at each GT40 concert in Sweden.

The fans’ part in 2019 is represented by a handful of hardcores. Thomas Evensson (an essential establishing member of TDR) is there from almost the very beginning of Gyllene Tider. You get to know how he got involved and became the creator of the non-official GT website. You meet Bradley Coverley from Australia, who represents all the non-Swedish speaking fans from around the world and shows that distance is nothing when it comes to your idols. Jan-Owe and Anders travelled together with Sandra Knospe who saw now more than 250 GT, Roxette and PG related concerts in her life and travels thousands of kilometres on each tour to follow the band to as many places as possible. She can also compare how touring life of a hardcore fan was in the ’90s and how it is nowadays. Nowadays I join her in this ”craziness” and travel together with her. The GT40 tour was the first one for me when I had the chance to attend each gig and added my reviews show after show on RoxetteBlog.

In the book, almost all stops on tour are present. The emotional ending in Halmstad with all the TACK signs held up by fans couldn’t be left out either. Including the tears on and off stage, of course. Per’s words to the crowd at the last concert in Sweden: ”Thank you for following and supporting us for 40 years. Without you, we would be nothing.”

Anders Herrlin is right about what GT’s essence is.

Gyllene Tider is like a mud pie. There are lots of different recipes for mud pie, but here I, Micke and MP are the bottom of the cake with our own way of playing together, while Per’s voice and Göran’s Farfisa are the topping on the cake. However, how much you add from each element, that recipe is a secret and is locked in a safe in Harplinge.

This book is really a must have for all the fans, but also a good reading for anyone who has ever bumped into Gyllene Tider’s music. How Jan-Owe writes down the discussions it feels like you are there with guys in the studio in France or the final rehearsal before the premiere gig or at the concerts themselves. And the photos taken by Anders Roos give you a visual to all this, so you have kind of a movie playing in front of your eyes.

Yeah, now we need a DVD too. To be able to relive the GT40 magic as many times as possible.

 

 

 

 

Gyllene Tider – GT40 – PLECtionary update

Collage of the recently added picks by Sandra Knospe

It’s nice to update the PLECtionary each year, because that means there is a tour each year. This time it was Gyllene Tider’s farewell tour that provided us with some additional guitar picks. Per shared a picture of his new set of 7 GT40 plectrums mid June and then we could start working out our pick-catching techniques for July-August.

Many fans were lucky enough to get hold of some of the plecs Per threw to the crowd during the gigs or before leaving the stage at the end of the shows. Sometimes even Micke Syd helped Mr. G in distributing his picks from the stage. Haha. This time MP was also in the mood to throw his own picks at the concerts, so those who were standing on the left in the audience had a good chance to become the new owners of MP’s plecs.

Sandra could of course obtain the plectrums and we are happy that she found the time to take pics of them and provide us with info she got to know about each of these little plastic beauties.

7 new picks are added to the PER GESSLE’S GUITAR PICKS – GYLLENE TIDER section, 6 picks are added to the MATS MP PERSSON’S GUITAR PICKS section and 1 pick has been added to the MIKAEL NOGUEIRA SVENSSON’S GUITAR PICKS section as well. Anders uses non-customized picks, so his pick from the GT40 tour is now added to the OTHER RELATED GUITAR PICKS section. Check out the PLECtionary HERE!

Thanks a million for the updates, Sandra!

Pic by Patrícia Peres taken in Karlstad 2019

 

Gyllene Tider at the roof of the Opera in Oslo

Mid May it was announced that Gyllene Tider would be one of the performers at an event organized by OBOS, Norwegian housing construction group. The association organized the event at the roof of the Opera in Oslo for the fourth time this year and all revenues go to child and youth care. The venue seemed to be an exciting one and I soon decided that this concert can’t be missed. I was not alone. Tickets got sold out in only a couple of days and that meant 8500 people would be there to see GT.

Gyllene Tider was not the only band for the night. 3 other acts were to perform before them: Ina Wroldsen, Timbuktu & Damn! and The September When.

I remember when we met Per on our way from Trondheim to Fredrikstad, we talked about the fact that we would also attend the gig in Oslo after the GT40 tour was over. He said that actually, they would play 2 shows in Oslo. Haha. Too bad that we couldn’t be there at the first one, because it was a closed corporate gig. OBOS celebrated their 90th anniversary and for that reason they invited their employees and partners to celebrate it at Telenor Arena in Oslo the day before the Opera roof event. GT hit the stage after A-ha and Timbuktu, at 23:00 CET and played for an hour. What I loved is that during all other acts (even during A-ha) the audience were still sitting at their gala tables, having dinner in between the acts, but once Gyllene Tider appeared, they rushed to the front and stood there during the show. Cool! They performed: 1. Skicka ett vykort, älskling; 2. Juni, juli, augusti; 3. Flickorna på TV2; 4. Kung av sand; 5. Ljudet av ett annat hjärta; 6. När vi två blir en; 7. Sommartider; 8. När alla vännerna gått hem.(Maybe more songs too, but they are not confirmed.) After seeing the set, I was very curious how it would be the next day.

18th August was to be a cloudy, rainy day and even if the sun was out during half of the day, unfortunately, when it was time to get to the Opera, huge, grey clouds started gathering. Thousands of people were entering the area at the same time at 4 pm and everyone tried to find a place with a good view. We aimed for the front, as close to the stage as possible. Oh well… The closest possible was appr. 20 m far from it, with water between us and the stage. Haha. We were prepared for that as we already checked some previous events’ photos, but seeing it in person… Hm. Anyway. We still thought it would be a fun night.

The event started at 5 pm and all 3 acts before GT performed for 1 hour and then there was a 30-minute-long setting up for each upcoming artist. The artists were getting to the stage through a little bridge and so we saw Per and Co. walking through some minutes after 9 pm. They were to perform between 9.30 and 11 pm.

The rain was on and off, so we put our ponchos on and off. During the band that played before GT, the weather got quite OK, so we prayed it stayed like that, but… we weren’t lucky. Once the Pink Panther Theme was on, it started raining and it was one hell of a rain. We held up a banner during the opening song: ”SISTA DANSEN! VI ÄLSKAR ER!”, but I’m not sure anyone saw that from the stage being it dark, far and raining. Haha. Whatever… we tried. 😉 The raining stopped after some songs, but after 1-2 songs without rain it started pouring again. Then in the 3rd third of the show there was no rain anymore.

Compared to the tour, everything was different. Not just the venue, but the stage set, the setlist, part of the stage clothes. It wasn’t the same feeling as during the concerts on tour, but it felt nice being there anyway. To have an extra performance from the 5 Golden Guys and the 2 Golden Ladies and hear some songs live again. For a real last time.

The difference in the stage set was that there were no screens in the background. I mean those 5 panels were missing, so there was no projection during the songs. There were screens on the 2 sides of the stage, but that was for the crowd to be able to see the happenings from far far away, from the most distant spot of the roof of the Opera. The lights were surely not tested properly for GT, because during the whole show it was only Per who was lit correctly, but Micke Syd, Göran, Dea and Malin-My stayed hidden in the dark. Also Anders and MP didn’t get too much light. It was better to follow the screens on the sides than the stage. Somehow the camera recordings looked much better, with more light.

The guys and girls performed 17 songs altogether. One of the biggest regrets was that they skipped Det kändes inte som maj and things weren’t the same without Tuffa tider and Micke Syd’s stand-up part, as well as his singing of Låt denna trumslagarpojke sjunga! Missed it badly. The band presentation came after Flickan i en Cole Porter-sång and this time after Per introduced all members, Micke Syd stayed behind his drums and introduced Per from there. There was one encore and Per didn’t change his clothes to the white set. Det är över nu wasn’t played, but all other encore songs from the usual 21-song tour setlist were.

The best working songs on the Norwegian crowd were again När vi två blir en and Sommartider. The audience (joining the other 2 Norwegian crowds on tour) was not the loudest when it came to singing along, but they were cheering, shouting and clapping heavily. Some groups were even dancing. For the jumping, the roof of the Opera is not the most leg-friendly place, because of the sloping surface. No need to go to the gym for a while after you were jumping on that roof. I won’t. Haha. The acoustics of the place was great by the way. The water must have helped it too.

The concert ended with När alla vännerna gått hem. Micke Syd took a black towel with him and put that on the edge of the stage to sit on it, not to get wet. Per thanked the crowd for coming and said it was fantastic to play for them. I prepared another banner for fun which said: ”U CAN DO IT, PER! THROW YOUR PICK! :)” Referring to the big distance between the front row and the stage and having water in between. We held it up at the end when they were taking a bow, because usually after the bow Per throws his remaining picks from the mic stand to the crowd. Last night he didn’t do that. During the concert he threw some picks while playing, as if they could reach the other side, but the closest flying pick still landed at least 3 metres too far from the front row, in the water. The picks stayed on the surface for a short while, but then they sank. Hopefully, there won’t be plastic pollution headlines with the belly content of seals or cormorans. Just kidding of course, but if any fan feels like diving for 4-5 picks, they are still there in the Inner Oslofjord. Haha.

All in all, it was a real fun happening in Oslo and it was nice to see Per, Micke, MP, Göran, Anders, Malin-My and Dea again for one last time. We’ll miss them!

Setlist

  1. Skicka ett vykort, älskling
  2. Juni, juli, augusti
  3. Det hjärta som brinner
  4. (Hon vill ha) Puls
  5. Flickorna på TV2
  6. Vandrar i ett sommarregn
  7. (Dansar inte lika bra som) Sjömän
  8. Flickan i en Cole Porter-sång

BAND PRESENTATION

  1. Kung av sand
  2. En sten vid en sjö i en skog
  3. Ljudet av ett annat hjärta
  4. Ska vi älska, så ska vi älska till Buddy Holly
  5. (Kom så ska vi) Leva livet

Encore

  1. Gå & fiska!
  2. När vi två blir en
  3. Sommartider
  4. När alla vännerna gått hem

All pics in the article are taken by Patrícia Peres.

Tusen tack för allt, Gyllene Tider! – thanx from the fans

19 concerts all around Sweden, taking a turn to Norway for 2 shows, 28 different songs played live, 7 most talented and fantastic musicians giving their 120% energy night after night on stage, 254 233 fans of all ages saying goodbye to one of Sweden’s best, if not THE BEST bands ever on their 40th anniversary tour by singing, dancing and clapping along, as well as cheering loudly. It was definitely one of the most gyllene summers ever! Truly unforgettable!

Since not all the fans could attend the very last show in Halmstad to hold up their TACK signs, I thought I would collect some thank you notes from fans around the world. Some of them travelled several 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 all or almost all gigs. Of course, it’s impossible to collect thanx thoughts from all 254 233 people who spent any time on this summer’s joyride, but all appearing in the video below represent the joy and fun we all had on tour.

Dear GT, take this VIDEO, as well as the fans’ thank you notes below as a HUGE THANK YOU for the whole tour and for 40 years of hit making and golden summers! It goes to all involved on and off stage! Your music will live forever in all our hearts and ears and … you know that you are welcome back anytime! 😉

I tried to collect the thank you notes by countries, but since GT is connecting people and there are some group thanx notes containing thoughts of fans from different countries, travelling together, you might find your note under one of your friend’s country in the list below.

Argentina

Paula (originally from Argentina, but living in Sweden): Nu har alla vännerna gått hem … det är över nu … men jag kommer ihåg alla stunder med er… för evigt etsade i mig! Så många härliga minnen! STORT TACK AV HELA MITT HJÄRTA för alla dessa år av äventyr som gett oss puls, alla resor, konserter där vi dansat mycket bättre än sjömän!!! Alla skratt, upplevelser av svenska sommartider i alla dess sidor… från Tylö sun till regn på en akvarell … onekligen befinner vi oss allihopa i himmel nummer 7 nu! Taaaaaack! Hoppas ni hör ljuden av mitt och alla andra hjärtan som verkligen brinner för er, allt gjort och kommer göra! Tusen tack! Ni är helt enkelt bäst!

Flor & Eze: Vi heter Florencia och Ezequiel och bor i Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vi gifte oss i januari 2019 efter att ha träffats genom var gemensamma kärlek till Roxette för många år sedan. Tänk att även om vi bor så långt bort från Sverige, vi har lyssnat på Gyllene Tider sedan 90-talet när vi båda var tonåriga. Deras musik har varit (och fortfarande är, som början av “Ljudet av ett annat hjärta” har alltid varit Florencias ringsignal!) en stor del av våra liv. När vi fått veta att GT skulle turnera en sista gång bestämde vi att besöka Sverige och se på dem spela live för en enda gång. Vi är så tacksam och lyckliga att vi fått chansen att göra det. Tack för tre underbara och oförglömliga konserter i Halmstad och Malmö. Att Florencia fått sjunga “Gå och fiska!” på första raden i Halmstad var en dröm som blev sann, hon var så lycklig! Vi har tagit hem ett minne för livet. ¡Gracias! <3

Ines, Valentina, Lucia Matilde, Clara, Emilio och Manuel: Tack GT för detta fantastiska musikresa. Det kommer att vara svårt att glömma Ullevi, ni var den äkta svensk pop maskin!!!

Silvana: Thanks so much for such an amazing tour! Thanks for the music, love & art! Jag älskar er!

María: Thank you GT for keep making memories for life throughout all these 40 years!

Diego: I just feel so lucky of I was been  able to experience this other part of the soundtrack of my life for this one last time. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for the fun. Thank you for the ride. Thank you golden boys, we gonna miss you. Thank you!

Australia

Bradley: Hi guys I’d really like to say thank you for the music throughout the years. I have met a lot of special friends over the years at shows which has been awesome. Thanks for signing the new LP to me and my two mates that was special. Thanks for the drumsticks and plectrums and thanks for letting me backstage for a solo meet and greet in Helsingborg I will never forget that. Your music will forever play in my home . Also It was very special to be interviewed by Jan-Owe Wikström and Anders Roos for the book that’s really fantastic. Your new album is great! I can’t believe how u can fly to France for 2 weeks and release something so brilliant, I sometimes wonder what would happen if u went to the studio for a year….. then I think nah! That would not be fair to the other Swedish artists haha! Enjoy retirement it’s awesome to go it in to of your game.

Austria

Karin (from Austria), Anne (from Sweden) and Jana (from Czech Republic): Thank you for all the fun.

Connie & Judith (from RoxBlog) (Österrike), Poli (Argentina, nu: Sverige), Alex (Spanien), Nadja (Tyskland), Ktoto (Spanien): Det var sommaren 1998 – Poli, underbar människa från (då) Argentina, hade planerad en resa med några av sina brevvänner igenom Sverige – fans allihopa förstås. Gemensam satte vi fot på svensk mark för första gången… under denna resan hamnade vi så klart i Halmstad. Det var av rena slumpen att vi råkade gå på en konsert med The Husbands på Kavaljeren, där en ung Micke Syd var med den där kvällen. Ganska nervösa fick vi ta kort och småprata lite med honom då… Nu, 21 år senare, efter en oförglömlig sista spelning på Brottet, var det dags att ta en farväl bild med såväl Micke som underbara vännen Poli – jag (Nadja) själv hade inte så många tillfällen att möta nån i gänget, men fick delta i andras glädje av att vara nära de på olika sätt. Så: TACK att NI alltid varit tålmodiga mot fansen, skojade, tog oändlig många kort och lyssnade – det betyder så mycket!

Brazil & Uruguay

Flavia and Bianca (from Brazil) and Majo (from Uruguay): Tack för musiken. Ni är bäst! Vi kommer att sakna er! Kram från Sydamerika!

Canada & Belgium

Katy (from Canada) and Ann (from Belgium): Thank you for a wonderful summer and a lifetime of amazing music!

Czech Republic

Valeria and Lenka: Bästa GT, för ni är det – Per, Micke, Göran, MP o Anders – ni är ett synonym med svensk sommar för mej! Tack vare Roxette har jag en gang för länge sen upptäckt att det även fanns ett annat band – som later sa annorlunda, ända sa otroligt bra, sa jag föll direkt när jag första gangen hörde Halmstads pärlor, sen dess har jag sett er uppträda under nagra av dem vackraste somrarna, alltid i Stockholm 2004,2013,2019 – det förblir oförglömliga stunder för mej! TUSEN TACK för alla refränger, sommarkänslor, ofta pa en o samma gang – nu är det med ett vemod i hjärtat att inse att det verkligen är dags att tänka pa refrängen – men ni slutar när ni är som bäst – med flaggan i topp o sa ska det vara! GT, jag kommer alltid älska er o musiken ni gav, ett tack räcker inte – men jag säger det fran hela mitt hjärta, det som alltid brinner för er, nu när det blir lite tuffare tider för oss, alla drömmare, TACK GT!!!

Petra: Hello Per and the boys, I would like to thank you for your fantastic tour! I attended 5 shows and I enjoyed it so much! I loved every mintute, every song from the tour. 🙂 A time to remember! Best Wishes to you all 🙂

Barbora and Katka: Thank you for all the magic moments with Gyllene Tider!

Finland

Mari: Tusen tack Gyllene Tider!

Germany

Melly och Chrissie: Tack för en underbar kväll i Ullevi!!

Nicole och Nadja: För mer än 20 år sedan blev vi barnflickor i samma familj vid bästkusten, lite söder om Göteborg (Hälsningar till Helena och Claes med familj!). Det var musiken som förde oss dit. Fem musikanter från Halmstad som gjorde att vi blev interesserade av Sverige och Svenska språket mer än vanliga tyska turister som nog mest tycker om älgar (resp. vägmärken). Efter var sin tid återvände vi båda två tillbaka till Tyskland – men med Sverige i hjärtat för evigt och en vänskap som vi nu tänkte fira med våran första gemensamma GT konsert, som tyvärr skulle bli den sista på samma gång. Familjsemester bokad på Öland för den ena, hushållspengar investerad i en oplanerad småsemester utan familj för den andra. Men: det blir aldrig som man tänkt sig…  Det var Kalmar vi skulle se. Som vi alla vet, var det influensan som förstörde ungdomsdrömmen. Inte minst till barnen som också skulle följa med. Hela året hade vi väntad på… Vi blev ganska ledsna allihopa. Så tog vi en “tysk” minut istället, satt på en sten vid Östersjön vid en skog, drack vin, tittade på solnedgången och drömde om flourt…ä nej, om vilken grymt kväll det skulle ha blivit – – – Var och en fick vi till slut se ER på scen. Båda med människor som betyder mycket för oss, fast inte med varandra. Men vänskapen återstår. Och så är det inte bara musiken, känslorna och minnena vi vill tackar för. Vi säger TACK FÖR ALLA VÄNNER ni skänkte oss.

Riccardo och Andreas: Billy, Jo-Anna, Henry…Riccardo och Andreas…och alla dom andra – vad skulle blir av dom utan er?! Vi var med under många år – år av glädje, sommer och sol … och nu sista svängen… Vem kan fatta det? I alla fall inte vi! För vi hade så himla kul med er, med era sånger, under era konserter… Tack för alla dessa ögonblick!!! Önskade vi kunde fråga Henry om han har en plan för det här med. Det blir tuffa tider…

Nicole, Helgo och Per: Det blev en till semester i Kalmar inom 2 veckor, helt oplanerat. 90 mil per väg från Tyskland för en sista dans med Gyllene Tider och med samma affisch som på Återtåget turnén 1996. Den här gången med min man och vår son, men tyvärr utan vår kompis Nadja som skulle ha följt med oss på konserten som blev inställt. TACK för alla åren och roliga minnen!

Manuela and Silvana: Greetings to you from Germany!

Irina + Claudia + Stephanie & Thomas: PROSIT GT40!!! Vi ska sakna Er musik och att Ni spela live!!! TUSEN TACK och tusen kära hälsningar!

Cabby: Very tired and everything’s hurting – back, legs, feets and at least my heart. But every single second of the last 4 weeks with 12 concerts and soooooo many incredible experiences were worth it – both with you guys from Gyllene Tider and with all the friends from the front rows! TACK for your music, for beeing so kind, talking to us, making pictures… let me feeling happy!!! TACK FÖR ALLT! WILL MISS YOU!!!

Chrissie: TACK för en gyllene sommar och TACK BoJo!!! Hälsningar från Chrissie RTW (Rocking The Wheelchair)

Cabby and Chrissie: Den här GT40 sommar kommer vi aldrig att glömma!!! TACK för ALLT!

Rickie: Tack så mycket för en underbar tid <3

Rickie and Cabby: Samma skrot och korn på väg mot GT40 Avskedsturnen. Vi hade det kul och med en gyllene överaskning på Strandvägen. TACK att du kom till oss!

Tanja: Dear Per, MP, Göran, Micke & Anders! Thanks a lot for the great entertainment the last years! I enjoyed to the fullest! During your last tour I saw several concerts with my family because I wanted to introduce you to my 3 year old son before it’s too late! He liked it and he use to sing „Sommartider“ now! Gyllene Tider för Rock‘n‘Roll!

Nancy: Tack for the music!

Daniel and Alex: Thank you for this amazing GT40 tour. It’s been a pleasure to be part of this last Sommartider journey. You totally rocked. How big and cool was Ullevi?! Still impressed! Thanx for the music, the countless reasons for travelling to Sweden, for being such an important part of our musical education and for being the kind and funny guys you’ve always been. We have been following Gyllene Tider’s music and history since the early 90s and for sure will do so forever. Sad to see you go – but happy we’ve been there so many times and grateful for the sound of one of the greatest swedish bands of all times. We loved every single note. Dankeschön, macht’s gut.

Ülfet & Ugur:

You made us laugh, you made us cry,
You made us sing along and jump up high 😉
Tack for the magnificent shows- we enjoyed them a lot! GT may have finished their tour after 40 years, but what remains is the gorgeous music & true love! Tack för allt!

Christian: Thank you for 40 years of inspiration. I enjoyed your concerts so much. Will miss this summer vibes.

Vera & Chris: Thank you for the last 4 amazing tours! #memoriesforever

Sandra: A huge thanks goes to the guys and girls on stage and also everyone off stage who made GT40 possible. It was the most fantastic final GT tour one can think of. So many memories that came up from the tours in 1996, 2004 and 2013 and so many new wonderful memories that have been added. I will miss it badly but I also feel glad and blessed that I had the chance to be part of it for one last time. TACK!!!!!!

Hungary

Patrícia (from RoxBlog): RoxBlog was there! Haha. Indeed. And enjoyed every second of all 19 shows to the full! When I first heard about Gyllene Tider in 1994 and got a copied Moderna Tider cassette from one of my friends’ father after he visited Sweden that year, I had been longing for seeing the band live one day. The first time I could see you on stage was in 2013. The premiere gig in Halmstad back then was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Never thought that 6 years later I already have to say goodbye to you. Tack GT för 19 grymma och oförglömliga konserter! Kommer att sakna er! Jag vill aldrig att musiken ska tystna, jag kommer aldrig sluta lyssna på era låtar. Tack för alla hitsen och alltid positiva vibbar!

Gyöngyvér: My second tour with GT; 14 concerts, 200+ hours of queueing, many nights with just a few hours of sleep 🙂 & I would start it again any time! 🙂 I hope you know you’re one of the best bands ever existed in this Universe! I am lucky I could see you live! Our life wouldn’t quite be the same without your music! Special thanks to Micke Syd for taking the time to greet us in Leif’s, you don’t know how much it meant to me! I will cherish this memory forever! “So much to mention but you can’t find the words…” I’m greatful, happy and sad. I’ll never forget the adventures on the tours, the music, the energy and love from the stage,  and I’ll live in hope it wasn’t the last tour! 😉 I am wishing you all good health and happinnes in your lives!

Lithuania

Auryte (from Lithuania, living in Denmark) and Eliza (from Poland, living in Sweden): Tack för musiken, för magiska konserter, för vännerna, för de underbara minnen. De tar aldrig slut, de stannar kvar för evigt i våra hjärtan. Tack för gyllene tider.

Netherlands

Sandra: Thanks so much for four amazing shows. I am very happy that I could be part of this amazing farewell tour. Goodbye!

Norway

Monica and Arnhild: Takk for 40 år med fantastisk musikk, Gyllene Tider! Dere sprer glede og varme, og alt dere har gjort vil vi for alltid gjemme i våre hjerter.

Elisabeth og Monica: En gång i livet möter du nån som ändrar det som sker, som ändrar det du det ser….. TAKK Gyllene Tider. Per, Mats, Micke, Göran og Anders for at dere og musikken deres har vært med oss nesten hele vårt liv, som et soundtrack til livet vårt. I alle livets opp og nedturer finnes det en Gyllene Tider låt som passer. Vi er Monica fra Namsos til venstre, og Elisabeth fra Bergen til høyre. Helt fremst er Marianne, søster til Elisabeth. Ikke så dedikert, men var på sin første GT konsert på selveste Ullevi nå og digget det! Vi er fra Norge såklart. Garantert de største fansene fra Norge! Takket være Per ble vi to kjent og fikk vennskap for livet selv om det er drøyt 80 mil mellom oss. Historien vår startet i 1992 når Elisabeth sendte ut en kontaktannonse/etterlysning til bladet TOPP hvor hun etterlyste Monica som hadde vært avbildet under «jeg møtte en kjendis» sidene i samme blad, der hun var avbildet etter et stjernemøte med Per. Misunnelig til tusen men nysgjerrig på å finne en like dedikert fan som den unge Elisabeth på den gang 11 år ble starten på et langt vennskap hvor vi har delt mange konserter sammen, og før i tiden, kasser på kasser med brev! I brevene oppdaterte vi hverandre på det som var skrevet i Okej, Topp osv. og byttet posters, kassetter, opptak og VHS filmer med tv opptreden og konserter. Vi lærte oss svensk som en bonus, livet var herlig og ubekymret. Og postmenn både i Bergen og Namsos var sikret jobb så lenge det ble produsert noe på vestkysten av Sverige. Tenk så vakker musikk er, som fører mennesker sammen! Vi feiret 25 år med vennskap sammen på Ullevi nesten helt fremst, etter 7 timer i kø. Så verdt det, kvelden var et fyrverkeri av en fest, et høydepunkt og en drøm som gikk i oppfyllelse. Jeg vil på vegne av meg og Monica takke for musikken, de nydelige tekstene, og takk for at vi har fått følge dere i så mange år! Det å være så trofast og dedikerte som fan er noe veldig spesielt og fint, og noe denne generasjonen aldri vil forstå. Mine barn bare rister på hodet og forstår ikke hvordan man kan høre på samme sanger i 30 år. Takk for en fin reise, ringen er sluttet, men for all del, vi ses igjen! Tror vi…. Eller håper…. Kanskje på Bettans bar en sommerdag i juni, hvem vet. Lova at ni aldrig glömmer bort oss, vi glömmer aldrig er………..

Poland

Tomasz (from RoxBlog): Gyllene Tider for rock’n’roll! Got to know the band properly around 15 years ago with Finn Fem Fel album and during this crazy phase of myself learning Swedish… First I saw these guys in 2010 in Halmstad during Roxette revival gig. Then fast forward to 2013 and 2019 tours, 9 concerts in 5 cities, travelling back and forth to Poland. What a journey it was! I understand that all good things must come to an end, but hey, why did it happen to Gyllene Tider?! Fattar ni vad det handlar om?! Big thanks to everyone involved: Anders, Göran, Mats, Micke and Per in the first place for bringing these great tunes to life – live. And thank you to all my Rox-GT friends – Patricia, Basia, Sandra, Slawek, Lukasz, Eliza, Auryte and whoever I met, greeted and sang with. See you around. Music lives on.

Basia: Thanks for making yet another summer an unforgettable memory for lifetime. It was a pleasure to be part of it, sharing the best moments with people on and off stage. There is nothing better than friendship,  passion and music – and we had it all for those few weeks, sharing joy and happiness of being in the very right place in the very right time with the very right people…. and it was like that. The very last “När alla vännerna gått hem” in Halmstad was one of the most magical moments ever. Thanks for making it all happen! Tack tack tack! From Poland with <3

Russia

Kate: Kära Per, Micke Syd, Anders, MP, Göran! Tack så mycket för denna turné. I was very lucky to see you in Halmstad on the first concert of the tour. And the rain made it even more unforgettable. It only proved that the joy and happiness that you bring overcomes everything and it’s worth the wait, rain and cold all the way), Stockholm, Karlstad, Eskilstuna… Wish the list would be longer… Even though it’s a farewell tour ( I really don’t like to think of it), GT stays forever with me as big part of my life as it’s been for the most of my life. The happiest and important moments in my life are connected with you. And min svenska definitely gets better with every GT tour)). Love you forever!

Masha: Tusen tack!!!!! Dearest Gyllene Tider!!! Per, Micke Syd, Anders, Göran! It’s always a privilege to see you LIVE. I feel at home at your concerts, so happy, so at my place. Love you forever!!!

Evgeny: 1000 T A C K för allt! Ni är bäst (när det gäller).

Julia, Evgeny and Sergey: Tack för ni är så kul och het!

Yana (Russia/Sweden), Alex (Ukraine/Sweden), Christian (Germany), David (Germany): Thank you for the music that we are keeping in our hearts from early childhood and it will stay there forever. Your music breaks any borders and unites nations into one big world of joy and happiness. P.S. from Yana and Alex. Anders you are hot!!

Mikael: Tack Gyllene Tider för att göra mitt liv ful av den här fantastiska musiken, kärlek och trevlighet! Jag är så glad att 15 av dessa 40 år ni var med mig. Tack! Tack! Tack!

Alexey: Opening GT concert in Halmstad was my first and last time I’ve seen you. I was empowered by your drive and energy, I really felt like I can do everything. Incredible feelings and emotions, many many thanks for letting me feel so alive!

Alex:

My heart is in Halmstad, my heart is not here;
My heart is in Halmstad watching Gyllene Tider;
Watching Gyllene Tider, from the very first row;
My heart is in Halmstad, wherever I go.
Farewell to my Halmstad, farewell to the North,
The birthplace of Gessle, the country of worth;
Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,
Best concerts at Brottet, forever I love.

Spain

Mariana, Alex, Ktoto, Judith, Rosa, Caridad, Carlos (from Spain), Nadja (from Germany), Connie (from Austria), Mattias, Candela, Paula (from Argentina-Sweden): Tusen tack ska ni ha! Tack för alla dessa gyllene år! År av musik, resor, konserter, träffar med vänner, så många goa skratt!… och alla minnen som kommer leva i oss för evigt! Ni är bäst! Älskar er!

Sweden

Christel och Åsa: Vi vill tacka för en fantastisk sommar som vi aldrig kommer att glömma! Vi har dansat, sjungit, skrattat och gråtit med en under 14 underbara kvällar den här sommaren. För att göra det möjligt så har det blivit många mil för turnébilen att rulla, galet mycket fler timmar i kö än vi vågar tänka på och ett antal nätter med extremt dålig sömn. Vi har vandrat i sommarregn och njutit i solsken. Men inget av det spelar någon roll när vi står där längst fram och vi får ögonkontakt med någon av er om så bara för en tiondels sekund. Den glädje ni har spridit bara genom att göra det ni är bäst på gör alla våra strapatser värda det, men våra familjer är eventuellt av en annan åsikt. Nu när turnén är över och vi har sagt hej då till Gyllene Tider känns allt tomt, så tomt. Allt som finns kvar nu är massor av underbara minnen från våra 40-åriga liv. Ja, Gyllene Tider har funnits med hela våra liv. Ni har funnits där som tröst, glädjespridare och trygghet i hela vår uppväxt och våra vuxna liv. Vad ska vi göra nu när vi har sagt hej då till vår uppväxt? Livet går såklart vidare, men det kommer vara lite tristare, lite gråare och tyvärr ganska mycket mer normalt. Vi hoppas ni förstår hur mycket ni och er musik har betytt för oss i våra liv. Tack för allt!!!

Camilla (from Sweden) and Thorsten (from Germany): ”Det är över nu”?! Är det verkligen så, har svårt att riktigt förstå… Den här sommaren har varit såå fantastisk, you guys are the best!! Vilken glädje och energi, både hos er och oss i publiken, energiboost! (I ur och skur) TACK för alla år, GYLLENE TIDER är och kommer alltid att vara svensk sommar!! By the way, You understand it’s ok to change your mind, right?!

Åsa J.: Have so much to thank about. Been there from The beginning! And I Just love Gyllene Tider. Over all I want to thank Göran Fritzin, my biggest idol. Just love them!

Peter och Carola: Tack för 40 år av fantastiska låtar, grymma turnéer och underbara minnen!

Jonathan: Tack för en fantastisk sommar, en ovärderlig låtskatt och för alla oförglömliga tider!

Angelica: Tack Gyllene Tider för 16 fina år! Ni har gett mig så mycket.

Liselotte och Anna-Karin: Som nyblivna GT-fans vid 11-års ålder, svor vi med ett barns naivitet att alltid vara trogna fans. Nu, 38 år senare, kan vi konstatera att det blev så. Vi träffades på en konsert 1982 och har varit bästa vänner sedan dess. Ni har präglat vår vänskap och er musik har alltid varit med oss genom alla faser i livet såsom barndom, tonårstid, familjebildande, jobbiga tider och gyllene tider. Er musik har format oss och gjort oss till dom vi är idag. GT, tack för musiken! Vi älskar er.

Victoria och Daniel: Tack för underbar musik och helt underbara konserter. Det kommer att vara ett tomrum efter er som inte går att fylla. Vi hoppas innerligen på ett GT50. Hoppas att vi ses.

Jimmy: Jag står i evighetsskuld till Gyllene Tider. Min fru och jag träffades på en kurs i svenska. Om hon inte hade varit förtjust i Gyllene Tider i många år, om hon inte hade lärt sig svenska för att kunna alla låtar utantill, skulle vi aldrig ha träffats! Tusen tack!

Erina (Russia / Sweden): Kära Per, Micke, Anders, Göran och MP! När jag (en småstadsflicka från Ryssland) var 16, upptäckte jag er musik och då började mitt liv förändras. Nu vet jag att så manga underbara saker bara har hänt tack vare er alla. Förra juli gifte jag mig i Tylösand och nu bor jag med min älskade man Jimmy i Umeå (fast jag drömmer fortfarande om ett litet hus på bästkusten 😉 ). Vi skulle aldrig ha träffats om jag inte hade börjat läsa språket! Jag har världens bästa vänner med vilka jag har rest runt om i Sverige i sista 12 år bara för att se er spela live. Mitt liv är som jag har tänkt mig. Tack för att ni hjälpte mig tro på att drömmar kan bli till verklighet. Er underbara musik är ett ljudspår i mitt liv, den spelar dagen runt i mitt hjärta och är en stödpelare när jag är i nöd. Jag är oerhört tacksam för allt. Jag älskar er och kommer alltid vänta och hoppas på en ny turné.

Switzerland

Inga-Kerstin: När beskedet kom att ni ska ge er ut på turné en sista gång var det inte alls självklart att det skulle gå vägen för mig att få se en av era konserter. Jag är 39 år gammal och kommer från Schweiz och är rullstolsburen. Jag är ett stort Roxette fan sedan 90-talet och då kan man ju inte undgå Gyllene Tider, och svenska språket heller, vilket jag jätte gärna använder så ofta jag kan. Jag fick se fyra fantastiska konserter med er genom åren; 2004, 2013 och jag fick nu ännu en grym kväll i Helsingborg på Sofiero Slott med min kära vän Anne som jag nog aldrig hade träffat om ni inte fanns. Er musik är Sverige sommar Tylösun glädje men mest… KÄRLEK. Tack för alla låtar som kommer föralltid vara en del av mitt liv. Ett specielt stort tack till Micke Syd för trumpinnarna och det fina samtalet mitt i natten. Du kommer altid vara Sveriges snällaste trumslagarpojke för mig. <3

Jörg: Tack för musiken. Tack för att du dansar. Tack till GT-flickorna (Dea und Malin) för all den positiva energin.

Karin: Thank you for 5 wonderful concerts. It was a fantastic joyride. I will never forget it and makes me so incredibly happy! Tusen tack!

UK

Ailsa: Skål!! Thank you for the music, friendship and unforgettable memories. It may be over now, but wow it was fun! TUSEN TACK!!

Ally: 27 years of listening to GT, translating songs from a cassette back in 1992 sent via a German penpal, to seeing you perform live for the first time in 2004 and meeting you guys backstage in Stockholm. GT’s music will always have a special place in my heart. This years tour was amazing, the perfect ending to some amazing music. Tusen Tack GT!

Jackie: Tack GT, for some fantastic music! Your music will live on!

 

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 gt40tack@gmail.com. /PP

Watch the fans’ “thank you” video HERE!