HUNTER VALLEY – A week ago, Roxette rocked out Victoria’s Yarra Valley and now it was Sydney’s turn to take a trip out to the winery to say farewell to our beloved band. About two hours north of Sydney’s CBD is one of the country’s best known wine-making regions; the beautiful Hunter Valley. For many locals, a trip up to the Hunter is a regular treat – whether it’s a weekend away with friends or a romantic getaway with a loved one or a just fun road trip for the afternoon, Aussies love a trip to the vineyards and spending the day sampling many of the acclaimed wines and locally produced cheeses.

And, as they say, all good things must come to an end so what better setting for Roxette to say farewell to Australia and their Aussie fans than this scenic location at the lovely Bimbadgen Estate under this bright, glorious sky!

Marie was rocking a new black leather jacket and looked like she was having a lot of fun on stage, Per was his usual adrenaline pumping self and a tighter set list tonight kept the energy high and gave the crowd exactly what they wanted – the big hits!

The Set List:

01. Sleeping in My Car
02. The Big L
03. Stars
04. Spending My Time
05. Crash! Boom! Bang!
06. Crush On You
07. She’s Got Nothing On (But the Radio)
08. Watercolours in the Rain/Paint
09. Fading Like A Flower
10 How Do You Do!
11. It Must Have Been Love
12. Dressed For Success
13. Dangerous
14. Joyride
15. Listen To Your Heart
16. The Look

But overall, as much fun as it was to see Roxette on the “A Day On The Green” concert – it was a bittersweet moment for us die-hards. The waves goodbye and the “thank you” to the crowd seemed much more poignant than ever before. It could just be the emotional side to me, but it seemed Per and Marie took a little longer during their bows to say bye and to absorb this emotional moment – and they took extra care to ensure they visually clocked off all the “familiar faces” in the front row before they left the stage. There was a special sense in the air but also the lingering question permeating in our minds – was this the last time for the Aussie Roxers?

After nine sold out shows, incredibly positive reviews from the mainstream Australian Press and the loud crowd sing-alongs, Roxette know they have claimed Australia. This is one territory they no longer have to worry about in a commercial sense – they’ve conquered Down Under and have become adopted Aussies! There is so much goodwill here for Roxette and it feels that Per and Marie are conscious of that. They know they can come back anytime now. Build an Arena and Roxette will fill it – it’s really that simple!

It seems every second year Neil Diamond is here in Australia touring and performing and the same goes for Rod Stewart – you can’t get rid off them – these evergreens just keep coming back for the Aussie sunshine – and now Roxette definitely feel like they’ve got that permanent welcome mat here in Australia – commercially and critically speaking! Anytime, you’re welcome back!

As this article gets published – the RoxBox moves up to #12 on the Australian ARIA Album charts! What more vindication is needed that the 2012 Tour was no fluke?

Roxette returned this year to back up their incredible success from three years and in this reporter’s humble and terribly biased opinion, they did a better job this time around than 2012!

So, with a tinge of sadness – the Roxette baton gets passed over to the reliable and trusty hands of Europe. No excuses Italy! You better be loud. We hand Roxette over to you in great shape – treat them well and keep the energy flowing! Best of luck and thanks for the memories.

Next stop: Milan, Italy – Sunday 10^th May