And the Winner is… Wollongong!
Hands down, the best show of the recent Aussie concerts was Wollongong – the crowd was on fire! Sorry, Melbourne but the “Gong” wins!
Tonight, an electrified Roxette performed at the WIN Entertainment Centre in the coastal city of Wollongong and the vibe from the energetic crowd was that approximately 6000 very loud fans left satisfied after yet another stellar performance.
Simply put, the band was on fire – the guitars were rib crunchingly loud and the crowd were running on pure adrenaline! Perhaps because it was a slightly smaller venue that the energy was far more palpable. This crowd was hungry, they came for some rock and they got it! A recurring question that has been asked throughout Roxette’s career is “are they a poppy rock band? Or a rocky pop band”? After tonight’s incredible display, the answer is very clear – get the pop outta here – this is a classic ROCK show!
Regarding the show itself, Lena Philipsson continues to raise the bar – she is digging so deep to deliver high intensity in her vocal performance to keep these classic songs alive and kicking. Her vocal highlights were “Crash! Boom! Bang!” which soars in its full rock-opera vibe and “Listen To Your Heart” – an epic performance!
When “Opportunity Nox” finished, Per was handed an acoustic guitar which meant that “Wish I Could Fly” was dropped – but fear not, soon after the acoustic interlude, Christoffer Lundquist began playing the classic intro to “Things Will Never Be The Same” which made a welcome return to the setlist. The song gives that middle section of the set list a lot more pace and most of the crowd were playing the role of backing vocalists!
Overall, it was a very hot crowd, from “It Must Have Been Love” to the very end, everyone was up and out of their seats!
Yet another wink to the die-hards appeared tonight as “Neverending Love” seems to be getting longer, with Jonas Isacsson now joining in on the fun with Clarence, by adding in that recognizable guitar riff as Clarence teased the crowd on the piano – but the front row had the last laugh as they belted out the chorus to the song before Per stepped in and said, “ok… maybe next tour”, with a smile before continuing with the band introduction.
In addition to the wild, loud and hungry crowd – one of the other many highlights of this show, indeed the entire tour, is the exhilarating combination of the fiery, Wild Man; Christoffer Lundquist on guitar – and the cool, calm and collected “Ice Man”; Jonas Isacsson. This is an incredible spectacle that every fan needs to experience live.
While Christoffer brings the flare and the high rock energy with his flamboyant stage presence – in the background, the legendary Jonas Isacsson appears to be barely breaking a sweat! The OG remains steadfast in his role as the six string maestro – ever precise, focused and intense, fully immersed in the proficient delivery of the classic riffs and licks that he helped create back in the day.
Meanwhile, Christoffer (or as Per described him “the oldest hippie in Sweden”) – and the only man in 2025 who can pull off the “double denim” look, is out in front bringing the audience to their feet. Not only a musical virtuoso, Christoffer is also entrusted with the entertainment factor as he dazzles the crowd with his wild man antics! It’s a perfect combination, a yin and a yang, so to speak. This “fire and ice” combination is a partnership made in Roxette heaven! Merging two different eras and styles, all with one common goal, to elevate and amplify these classic Roxette tunes. And that they did – indeed all the players did as the Roxette freight train continued to deliver!
And while the classic Roxette songs once again were the stars of the show, the fired up Wollongong crowd were most definitely the true winners!
Setlist below:
The Big L
Sleeping in My Car
Dressed for Success
What’s She Like?
Crash! Boom! Bang!
Fading Like a Flower
Opportunity Nox
Vulnerable
Milk & Toast & Honey
Things Will Never Be The Same
Stars
She’s Got Nothing On (But the Radio)
It Must Have Been Love
Band Intro (with a musical nod to “Neverending Love”) **
How Do You Do!
Dangerous
Joyride
Spending My Time
Listen to Your Heart
The Look
Queen of Rain
★ The author:
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★ Publishing date:
March 9th, 2025
Internal reference code for TDR's Good Reporters: [tdr 1061219]
This article was posted here on TDR in these categories:
TDR:Live, TDR:Roxette.
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