Has it really been four years since Gyllene Tider toured last? So many things have happened in the meantime. Let’s find out if at least GT have stayed the same.

Halmstad. There is no other place in the world that smells more like Gyllene Tider than Halmstad. Here’s where it all began, where all the music was made (not counting this little trip to France some years ago) and here is where you can experience their lyrics first hand. Small hint to the local tourism industry: Liverpool actually has guides showing you Beatles places, what have you? 

Anyway.

So, this here is about Halmstad #2, apparently the gig after Halmstad #1 of which my dear colleague Thomas said it felt as if GT 40 never ended. We shall see. First of all, Brottet, an old quarry now turned into a swimming and relaxing area is directly by the coast but embedded in trees, so it feels like summer and holiday and fun. People here are happy, some are tipsy, no one is here cos they’re bored. They know what they are here for. And of course, Halmstad is the secret world capital for all Roxette fans, so it’s no surprise to see familiar faces (some of them I failed to recognize, I’d been up that day and busy since 4 a.m., sorry for that). 

What’s new? There is this shiny new stage, it has HUX FLUX in huge letters written on top of it. What you don’t see from the first row is that they can shine in various colours. And they do shine once the sun has set. 80s pop galore! Then instead of the split screens four years ago, there is now a huge video wall behind the band. Sometimes it shows live feeds from the stage, switching between the band members showing them up close so that people in the rear of the audience can see who plays there. There are video clips to almost each song playing in the background, there’s a girl walking through a field, there are old movie scenes of people dancing when you’re supposed to dance, and there was footage from GT’s Parkliv movie from 1981. Actually, at least for me, this was the first time I enjoyed a show from further away more than closer to the stage. Don’t ask why, we will have to find this out still.

Yes, right, the music. Basically GT40, haha. Well, not entirely so. First thing to say is that they added two new songs. Gyllene Tider igen is opening the show and it kicks ass. And then there is a dream come true: Gammal kärlek rostar aldrig, which kicks even more ass. In fact, this is the nicest little surprise you could hope for. A fresh power pop tune that makes everyone on and off stage swing their hips and stomp their feet. It’s fun to see how all the band moves along in the rhythm of the drum track. Maybe we will get to watch more dance moves in the next shows? Would be so worth it. By the way, check out our review of the HUX FLUX album recently and find out what we thought about the two songs in regard to their potential for the tour. Interesting, right?

As Per often said, people do not only come for the new album but they want to hear the good old hits. So we get everything Gyllene Tider is famous for, from Billy to Sommartider, from Leva Livet to Tuffa Tider, there is Kung av Sand as well as Juni, Juli, Augusti. Micke Syd, the infamous drummer you can book for private mind tapping courses (true thing!) must still know things about Per that latter prefers to remain hidden from public so once more he was allowed to sing his one hit wonder Min tjej och jag. 

Second tour in a row, and hopefully many more to come, Dea and Malin-My are with the band again and add wild movements to the performances while the five boys (read: men in their best ages) prefer to stick to the safe zones around their mic stands. Always a pleasure to watch. In one of the following tour reports, I shall praise Malin-My a bit more. You’ll see.

Next stop will be Sofiero near Helsingborg. Keep fingers crossed that the rain will have passed before the show begins!

The set list

Gyllene Tider igen
Juni, juli, augusti
Det hjärta som brinner
Skicka ett vykort, älskling
Gammal kärlek rostar aldrig
Flickorna på TV2
Vandrar i ett sommarregn
(Hon vill ha) Puls
En sten vid en sjö i en skog
Flickan i en Cole Porter-sång
Tuffa tider
Min tjej och jag
Kung av sand
Ljudet av ett hjärta
Ska vi älska, så ska vi älska till Buddy Holly
Medley of:
(Kom så ska vi) Leva livet
(Dansar inte lika bra som) Sjömän
Tylö Sun

Billy
Det är över nu
Gå & fiska!

När vi två blir en
Sommartider
När alla vännerna gått hem

/Pics by K