Tagged: concert
We just got our lives back
I’ve been watching the live stream of Global Citizen all evening, coming from London, New York and Paris. Last year, this event consisted of artists who had submitted “from home”-videos, recorded from their back yard, living room or wherever. But there was no actual live event because of the pandemic.
I admired how people find solutions to everything – I thought it was sad in many ways that it had to be that way but the show had to go on.
When I turned it on today, I was met by something I had almost forgotten: CROWDS. Smiling people, singing people, people waving their hands in the air – just people as far as the eye can see. And artists on stage. It feels like the last time I experienced that was in another time and place, like it was a dream.
To be honest, it moved me, I cried a little. We’re through this shit. We are BACK TO NORMAL. It’s such an emotional thing to watch – and when Camila Cabello said, from the NYC stage, that it’s been so long since we’ve been able to gather like this, and that it’s scary for an artist to get on a stage in front of that many people – after so long – I got it.
A concert isn’t happening if it doesn’t consist of the the two most important elements: Artists and their audience.
Many tried streaming concerts in 2020. It just wasn’t the same. There was no exchange of energy, and that’s the whole point with live shows. You can’t recreate them – they must happen face-to-face.
I’m a bit nervous as well. I feel like I may have lost my ability to plan my concert-travels and most of all, I still can’t relax enough to enjoy the process, because there have been so many bumps in the road the past year and a half, that I’m almost afraid of getting too excited about anything.
“What if they close the borders again? What if new rules are made up? What if the show gets canceled? What if?”
I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve felt like a zombie living in a bubble since February 2020. I have existed, but I haven’t LIVED. My whole life is about music. When the pandemic hit, I stopped living.
I didn’t take out any vacation, because… what am I supposed to do with my free time if there is no gig to travel to??
So, to see this now is… huge. Amazing. Fantastic. Unbelievable.
UK announced more simple entry rules for entry from October 4th. The US is finally opening in November. The EU has pretty much been open for months already. Denmark announced the pandemic officially over and has scrapped all Covid-19 rules. Life if back to normal. Norway did the same. Sweden is letting go of most Covid-19 restrictions, and concerts are now allowed again.
I don’t know, it’s like my brain has adjusted to this vacuum after more than a year of sitting at home staring at the wall, this “you can’t go anywhere or do anything” that I’ve told myself that maybe this is how it’s going to be from now on.
But seeing THIS today, made me smile and cry at the same time! F**k this virus and all the misery it brought.
And thank you to all the scientists and doctors who worked tirelessly to get us out of this mess, I credit this to them.
ROCK’N’ROLL IS BACK!! <3
FIRST GIG SINCE FEBRUARY – AND WOW, WAS IT WORTH IT!
First gig since Monsters Of Rock Cruise in February. Jesper Binzer, D-A-D‘s frontman, doing his solo thing with his band at Karosserifabrikken in Helsingor in Denmark.
Man, that was like finding water in Sahara after having walked for miles being thirsty without a drop of water in sight!
It was the perfect way to kick our gig-arses back into gear – Jesper Binzer is one of those artists that is 200% genuine and so living-and-breathing rock’n’roll that you could throw him in someone’s back yard and he would turn it into a party. You simply can’t go wrong with an artist like that. He’s stuck to his guns for decades so I for one forgot that we were at a “Corona-gig”.
It certainly doesn’t suck that he’s also got guitar-wiz Soren Andersen (Glenn Hughes, Mike Tramp e.g) by his side up there, who oozes Rock Star with his guitar-hero moves and strutty attitude.
Kudos also to the light-tech who did a stunning job making the small club feel like Madison Square Garden with the mighty light effects. Even the sound this evening was good – and we were in the front where it usually doesn’t sound that good. So – it was a top-notch gig in every aspect, for a tiny, intimate, seated audience of 85 people, to meet the government live-event restrictions.
It was different, but you know what – everywhere I’ve been in the world does something different. You don’t think much of it, you just follow the crowd, cause at the end of the day, you get your reward – a kick-ass concert. And that’s what you came for, no matter what they ask of you.
Sanitize my hands before entering? No problemo, consider it done!
Sit on a chair that’s separated from others? Hallelujah, at least I don’t have to have a stranger’s elbow poking my ribs. It was great.
I’d also like to mention that the people working at Karosserifabrikken were true music enthusiasts, organizing these gigs even though they operate at a loss. But the show must go on.
We were so well received, with smiles, optimism, and a genuine love for what they do. I went and got drinks at the bar a few times even though I wasn’t really thirsty, but for the sake of supporting the cause.
We’re all in this together.
Right after we came back to the hotel, we bought tickets for Mike Tramp at the same place. Let’s keep this ball rolling!
Here’s from last night – the starting point back to LIFE! 
RINGO AND RONNIE WOOD JOIN PAUL ON STAGE IN LONDON
On my way to the airport but a short one… It was pure Beatlemania at the O2 just about one-two hours ago, when Paul McCartney announced a guest… and then another guest… Those being Rolling Stones-guitarist Ronnie Wood and then – fellow Beatle Ringo Starr!
The crowd went absolutely nuts, the roar tore down the roof!
Gotta run but this is all you need to know – enjoy it!!
GUITAR UNIVERSE – Day 1 [Tampere, Finland]
The much anticipated Guitar Universe tour 2014 with Gus G and Marty Friedman finally hit the roads of Europe, and so did I!
My journey started at Malmö central station where I took the train to Stockholm on the 30th of April. It’s one of the most relaxing ways to travel, especially in the spring where you can truly enjoy the scenery. When the train crossed a few little lakes, it felt like we were “walking on water”. Beautiful.
I arrived at a busy Stockholm central, and used my smartphone’s GPS to find Hard Rock Cafe where I was meeting up with a friend later that day. I enjoy walking, and it’s especially enjoyable to take a walk in the sun. :)
Hours went by, I spent some time in the Hard Rock Cafe bar playing drink inspector. I love colorful, sweet drinks…! My friend Tina finally showed up and we could catch up a little. Haven’t seen her in years.
It started getting darker and that was my cue to get going so I could find my airport hotel before it got dark. Airport transportation is usually pretty expensive, but by reading tips from other travellers online, I found a way to get there pretty cheap by rail and bus.
I fell asleep pretty early (for my standards) cause sleeping is luxury when you’re out on these gig-trips. You try to get as much sleep as you possible can.
When I woke up early next morning, around 5 AM, I could barely believe my eyes. May 1st in Sweden – and there was SNOW outside?! It was freezing cold, and I didn’t’ have winter clothes, cause when I left Malmo it was spring! Oh brother….this was going to be interesting.
[The first thing I saw when I looked out the window in Stockholm, May 1st, 2014!]
The airport transfer bus was jam-packed. Got to Arlanda airport, my next destination was Tampere, Finland.
There were maybe 10 people on that tiny little SAS-flight and I could only laugh and shake my head at the fact that the plane was 55 minutes late because it needed de-icing…in MAY!
The captain went: “Well, we’apologize for the delay, but the de-icing station is slightly understaffed. We usually don’t need their services this time of year...”. :)
[Flying into Tampere, Finland…]
Tampere airport was like a ghost airport. Very small and absolutely nothing to see or do. I took a cab to Omena hotel which I thought was going to be my temporary home in Tampere. But when I got there, it dawned on me what kind of “hotel” it was. No reception, no staff, no nothing.
You got a key-code to access the premises and your room. And that didn’t work. The code/key would be “activated” at 4 PM. So there I was, at 10 AM, freezing my ass off, still tired, hungry and just needing a place to put my bags, change and relax before heading off to find the venue.
A McDonald’s was right around the corner and as much shit as you can shove on McDonald’s for various reasons, it has been my saviour many times when I’ve been out on these trips. It provides cheap food, free WiFi and bathroom. It’s the small things that count when you’re out travelling on your own.
I tried to get in touch with the Omena staff by e-mail, explaining the situation, asking if there was any possibility to get the access code to work a bit EARLIER than 4 in the afternoon, that’s extremely LATE. Nothing. To this day they still haven’t replied in any way, shape or form.
So, I thought… fuck it. I looked up another hotel nearby on my booking.com app and just walked in, asking if they had anything available for 1 person, 1 night. That was Scandic Hotel Tampere Station. The best thing I could have done! Sometimes, shit happens so that it can turn into something good.
The guy at the reception was super nice, I got a good discount, he asked what kind if room I would like, tub or shower, explained the details and was just helpful without being “in your face”-nice. When I opened the door to my room, I almost heard angel choirs and harps…! Wow.
It was modern, cool, had everything you needed and then some! It’s, hands down, the second best hotel I’ve ever stayed at. The best is still hotel Avalon in Gothenburg. But this is a worthy competitor. Normally I would have praised this place in booking.com’s review section but since I just walked in off the street, I’ll just mention a few things here in case other travellers to Tampere are looking for a great place to stay. It wasn’t that expensive either.
Sound proof – I couldn’t hear a thing from the rails, the street or other guests. Wonderful silence…!
Warm floors. Even in bathroom.
Usually hotels are focused on male travellers but this one had thought about the female ones as well. There was plenty of space to put my makeup in the bathroom, a huge mirror and good lighting.
The soap was organic and smelled great.
Another thought-through detail was the “night light” in the bathroom – a small, tiny light that lit up the commode so you don’t have to turn the big, bright lights on when you get up in the morning and need to go to the bathroom. THAT was probably my favorite feature. Again, it’s the small things that count. :)
And the BED…! I could have slept there all day, so comfortable. I felt like a queen.
But the best thing of all: It was right across the street from the venue, Klubi!
I walked down there to check out the premises, looked like a typical rock club. No activity going on though, so I went to get some dinner.
When I came back, I heard drums – actually, you could hear those thundering, wild drums all the way up to the railway tracks…!
A guy who was obviously from the club, approached me and started talking Finnish, so I told him I didn’t understand a word he just said.
– Oooh, sorry. I’m looking for a woman, but I don’t know what she looks like, he said.
OK, well. Hard to help you there my friend. :) A bit later on, I was picked up by a kind and familiar face and brought into the nice and warm club. At that point I felt like an ice-lolly or something, man it was cold!
But when you’re out on these things, there’s really nothing better to do than hang around the venue – as crazy as it sounds. There’s only so much you can do at the hotel or a restaurant, and even that gets old. Anyway, I caught a few minutes of the sound check, which was great.
It was nice to see all the familiar people and hear a little bit of Marty’s stuff as well. Mats came down to say hi when they were done, and Jo kept me company for a little while, as always, before heading off to grab a bite somewhere before the show. It’s always great to see him, I was really glad he was announced as the drummer on this tour.
That’s what I enjoy the most I think, the super sweet guys in the band and crew. In a way I share a lot of their memories cause we’ve been to the same places, all over the planet, pretty much. :) Europe. the US, Australia…
Doors opened and people started coming in. I noticed a slightly different type of crowd than you would find at a Firewind gig. Many “geeky” guys who were clearly guitarists and were there mainly to check out the fretboard techniques of Gus and Marty…
And then it was finally time to kick off this tour with some brand new music from the young guitar virtuoso Gus G and his rock-tight band. It’s always a ballsy thing to do, to go on the road with a brand new album, presenting a brand new concept. I’d say that most of the crowd didn’t know the material yet, as “I Am The Fire” came out only about two months ago.
The crowd wasn’t the drunk Beavis & Butthead type of crowd, but I watched some of them, trying to “scan” the reactions of people, and noticed the approving nods and the very concentrated looks on their faces. If you were a mind-reader you would probably hear them go “damn, this guy is SICK…!“.
There are different ways to show appreciation and this crowd was most approving indeed, but in their own, silent kind of way (to start with at least, they got into it soon enough!)
As for me, seeing THIS constellation for the first time too, I’d say it was as tight as a frog’s ass. I was there when drummer Jo Nunez was brand new in Firewind and I’ve seen him grow with the band since then. He was brilliant back then as well, but now he’s a confident showman too and really fun to watch.
I received a message from a fan who had seen the videos from Tampere who said that he wouldn’t mind just watching a “Jo-cam” cause he’s entertaining. Thumbs up for that, it’s awesome.
Both Jo and bassist Or Lubianiker are working double shifts on this tour. Or, as Or put it on his Facebook-page: “Me and Jo (one hell of a drummer) held it down nice and tight for Marty, Gus and Takayoshi to pour some guitar awesomeness on top.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself. :)
Mats is the born frontman, he is just a natural talent in every aspect. He looks and sounds the part – and he’s working his butt off. So is Gus, and he always delivers. I wouldn’t be out here for the third year in a row, if he didn’t.
It’s a shame though, that Gus tends to gets stuck in different “boxes” that limits the type of crowd he could and should be drawing.
His solo album is not a “guitar album” – you do get great guitar work if that’s what you’re looking for, but most of all, it contains a bunch of great, classic style hard rock songs.
So now, it’s a “guitar-crowd” when it should be a regular hard rock crowd as well. It’s definitely not an easy business to be in. :)
[For the guitar-enthusiasts:]
I’d say it was a good evening with a crowd that started out as slightly reserved but ended up rockin’ like a real metal crowd once they got a little loosened up! :)
I haven’t seen Marty Friedman since his days with Megadeth, so I had no idea what to expect. I was pleasently surprised. Eventhough I didn’t know the material and it was 100% instrumental, I found myself getting closer and closer to the stage cause he has an interesting way of mesmerising a crowd.
It’s not just his playing. there’s no point “reviewing” guys like Gus or Marty – anyone with ANY knowledge or music, knows what they can do and what level of musicianship they’re on.
But Marty exudes such joy, enthusiasm and pure passion on stage. You can see every single emotion that he goes through in any given moment, by just watching his face. He’s like an open book and I think that really appeals to people. You don’t have to be a guitar geek to be fascinated by this guy. Anything that is genuine will ALWAYS get the attention of people.
I heard a girl saying after his show in Stockholm, “I don’t really like this kind of music, but I stayed throughout the whole show, I didn’t want to leave”. I rest my case. :)
And then…. as icing on the cake – the evening was concluded with this. See the video footage below. I was right in the middle of the warmed up crowd and it was awesome. :)
I left straight after the show to get some sleep. Had an early wakeup call the next morning.
Next destination: Helsinki
[Watch for the next tour blog in a few hours…]
Rolling Stones – 60 000 tickets in 30 minutes!!
So the general ticket sales for ROLLING STONES started this morning. It’s been 7 years since Jagger, Richards & co visited Sweden (the last time they were supposed to play here, they had to cancel all gigs because Keith Richards fell out of a freaking coconut-tree!)
It’s just a band that I always wanted to see but the few times they’ve been in Sweden, I’ve either been too young, or too broke, I wasn’t in the country or they cancelled… So THIS time, it was time to get those much anticipated tickets!
As always, there’s a bit of an adrenaline-rush when tickets for something go on sale. It’s a race, it’s exciting and nerve wracking, cause you KNOW that thousands of people all over the country are waiting, just like you, for THAT very second when the sale begins, to get their hands on those precious tickets!
In my case, it was extremely bad timing.
I had to be at the doctor’s this morning, and since you never know when you’ll be able to get another appointment, I couldn’t cancel it. But it was at 8.55 AM and the ticket sales were supposed to start at 9.00…….
I had plan A, B and C ready in my mind.
Plan A was to show up VERY early and hope I would get called right away. I would be out the door just in time for the ticket sales.
Plan B was to “go to the bathroom” in case they were late calling my name, and get those tickets using my smartphone. What are they gonna do, tell me I can’t go do the loo? :)
And plan C was to just either not show up at all or simply tell them to let somebody else go before me.
Either way, I wasn’t about to miss this opportunity!
I was lucky. I got there early, got out after less than 10 minutes and went to my car to get in the virtual waiting line for those tickets…!
It said that I was in line and when it was my turn, the page would refresh and let me choose my tix. After 10 minutes, there was still nothing. Totally dead. I thought I had missed my chance.
I called my friend Mari to ask her if it looked the same on her PC and she confirmed that it did. It looked stuck, but she told me to hang in there, it was the same for every single major ticket sale. I know that but patience is not my strong side when it comes to things like this. :)
So, I put the smartphone on the passenger seat and drove off, figured that maybe I would have better luck trying from my PC.
Then, in the middle of traffic, I saw that the page had updated! And it told me to choose my preferred seats/tickets!
WTF!!
I pulled up to the side of the road and stopped so that I could finish my purchase.
And I got my tickets! The day was saved!! Ten minutes later, the 60,000 capacity arena, was SOLD OUT!
It’s 2014. The bands and artists that wrote music history won’t be around much longer. This is the last chance to see legends – real, true superstars in every sense of the word. They wrote the book. Everything that came after them did just that – came after them.
[John Lennon & Mick Jagger]
It’s the real deal, simply something as close to music royalty as you will ever get.
[Jimi Hendrix & Keith Richards]
I’m glad I got to see Tina Turner and Paul McCartney, and I’m so glad that I got to meet Beatles-producer George Martin.
Stones and Elton John are on the road this year. I’ll try to get good tickets for Elton as well. It’s a privilege I’m not missing out on. :-)
[Me, front row, Tina Turner at Ullevi, Gothenburg, August 5, 2000]
IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR 