As with most Roxette shows, a line had been neatly organized by Daniel W., with him and others taking turns taking attendance at regular intervals. My sister and I arrived at the venue shortly before 10 am and got numbers 19 and 20, respectively. However, I didn’t get a great spot towards the center as was my intention, courtesy of a mad woman who would stick her hand out on the fence multiple times in the hopes of securing a place, despite the fact that she didn’t even have a number on! The nerve of some people, jeez!

As a result, I could barely see Norpan, Jonas and Clarence. I had to stand on tiptoe to get a glimpse of them… It was a warm day, perfect for a concert. Gates opened at 18.30 and the supporting artist for the Gothenburg shows, Norwegian pop sensation Dagny, took the stage at about 20.00. She definitely succeeded in keeping the crowd entertained and made time go by really quickly. You should definitely check her out! Shortly after 21.00 Per, Lena and the rest of the band took the stage to the new intro music of the ‘60s Swedish talk show  Hylands hörna.

After the first two songs, Per greeted both the domestic and international audience, with fans coming from countries all over the world: Hungary, Spain, Australia and Brazil to name but a few. My previous show, Madrid, had a shorter setlist -with 17 songs-, so I was glad to see the band treated Gothenburg 2’s attendees to a few more songs, bringing the setlist to 20. To my surprise and delight, “Wish I Could Fly” made it back, as did “Vulnerable” and “Milk & Toast & Honey,” even if not as full songs. I can only wish they bring “Things Will Never be the Same” back, so those of us only attending their European concerts can have a chance to enjoy all those guitar riffs and licks in their full glory. I wonder whether they will wait until the autumn concerts to play it, so Valencia will be the last chance for me so far.

The band was in top form, with Christoffer entertaining us like he always does with his antics while shy Jonas Isacson hides in the back of the stage. I almost had to go on tiptoe to see him. Lena seems more confident in her skills and this new role as Roxette’s lead singer as the tour progresses. She does remind me of Marie Fredriksson, as both seem to struggle with the lyrics every now and then. Not that us fans really mind. Lena’s stage presence is undeniable. She really seems to be having a great time on stage in songs like “Dressed for Success” or “Dangerous,” she’s in full party mode! I also appreciate the fact that she leans on Dea in “Stars,” creating a very special moment. I’d say Lena and Dea get on like a house on fire! While queuing up before the show, fans shared their thoughts about the tour, hoping for longer setlists – if Paul McCartney can manage 3 hour-concerts so does Roxette- and for some rare songs to be included. I, for one, would love to hear “June Afternoon” being played live. I can understand Per’s take on the tour, i.e. the fact that fans want to hear the hits, but especially in cities where Roxette plays more than once, they could spice up the setlist a bit and give fans something to look forward to. There were rumors of upcoming releases as well, so they might surprise us with a digital live recording from this tour or with another tour book. Who knows? But then again, we’re still waiting for that promised live concert from Joyride Mr. G. mentioned a while ago, which he seems to have forgotten about. I’ll believe it when I see it.

And here are a couple videos I’ve uploaded to my YouTube channel. Enjoy!

Video 1: “Vulnerable” & “MATAH” https://youtu.be/GD_pNbeLA14?si=JmLS_S_e1e4hApGs

Video 2: “Queen of Rain” https://youtu.be/jel7xAx-crA?si=RLRl1lwQFfLc2hz6

Next show for me will be Valencia, at the newly-built Roig Arena in November. Really looking forward to it. Hope they play a longer set… A girl can dream, right?