Thursday, July 30, 2009
Getting there
I've been itching to post another video and concert description for a few days now. I've have a lot to do in the real world, so I haven't had a chance to post here. I hope to make another post and upload another video tomorrow or Saturday. Just thought I'd let you all know I haven't stopped posting videos and descriptions. After all, I still have the rest of Gatufesten, all of Törebodafestivalen, all of Stadsfesten and the interview with Jenny to talk about. Yikes!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Gatufest's Don't Turn Around
Jenny has introduced DTA via her speech and she's ready to stand and sing for the crowd. She readjusts her earpieces as Jakob plays the opening sequence. Someone cranks the smoke machine wide open for for this one, creating an eerie afterglow as the stuff slides through the blue and green concert lighting.
Ulf and Jenny share the front stage for DTA. You don't see too much of Jonas and Jakob in the background during the song. I don't even see the backing vocalists anywhere. They're tucked away in the back, providing a few supporting vocals here and there.
I turn the camera on the big screen a few times to get some good close-ups. My camera is not behaving very well with the close-up view on this song, so I grab a few bits of footage from the screen.
The front row fans enjoy it when Ulf takes his place on stage. He gets a big applause and flashes a quick grin after hearing all the commotion created by his entrance. He sits, sways and sings along with Jenny.
If NGSIS is all about movement, DTA is all about stillness. Everyone on stage stands in one general area during the entire performance. They walk a little, move a litte, but it's not the craziness of NGSIS.
DTA is calm, contemplative, and emotional. The performance is on a different level. More serious, less silly. Even Ulf's normally supercharged energy is contained during this one.
The crowd seems to know the lyrics pretty well. It's not as well known as TS or ATSW, but the crowd still knows it nonetheless. They may be expecting the reggae version, but they are enjoying this version too. They sing along with the chorus every time it rolls around. Personally, I like this version better than the original. It's more mature, more thoughtful.
Both Ulf and Jenny don't hesitate to let their feelings show during the song, which can't be easy to do in front of total strangers. They bear their true emotions in front of everyone and the performance is enhanced through their willingness to give everything they have to the song.
As Jenny sings the last few words, I realize this version of DTA is cathartic in nature. The song is like a good drama. We identify with the characters, travel along the path with them, and find closure at the end. The last few notes of the song evoke the most emotion, the same feeling you get after finishing a dramatic book or intense movie. It brings you to a deeper place than you were before it all began.
Ulf and Jenny share the front stage for DTA. You don't see too much of Jonas and Jakob in the background during the song. I don't even see the backing vocalists anywhere. They're tucked away in the back, providing a few supporting vocals here and there.
I turn the camera on the big screen a few times to get some good close-ups. My camera is not behaving very well with the close-up view on this song, so I grab a few bits of footage from the screen.
The front row fans enjoy it when Ulf takes his place on stage. He gets a big applause and flashes a quick grin after hearing all the commotion created by his entrance. He sits, sways and sings along with Jenny.
If NGSIS is all about movement, DTA is all about stillness. Everyone on stage stands in one general area during the entire performance. They walk a little, move a litte, but it's not the craziness of NGSIS.
DTA is calm, contemplative, and emotional. The performance is on a different level. More serious, less silly. Even Ulf's normally supercharged energy is contained during this one.
The crowd seems to know the lyrics pretty well. It's not as well known as TS or ATSW, but the crowd still knows it nonetheless. They may be expecting the reggae version, but they are enjoying this version too. They sing along with the chorus every time it rolls around. Personally, I like this version better than the original. It's more mature, more thoughtful.
Both Ulf and Jenny don't hesitate to let their feelings show during the song, which can't be easy to do in front of total strangers. They bear their true emotions in front of everyone and the performance is enhanced through their willingness to give everything they have to the song.
As Jenny sings the last few words, I realize this version of DTA is cathartic in nature. The song is like a good drama. We identify with the characters, travel along the path with them, and find closure at the end. The last few notes of the song evoke the most emotion, the same feeling you get after finishing a dramatic book or intense movie. It brings you to a deeper place than you were before it all began.
Jenny's speech in Sundsvall.. almost halfway through.
We're now up to Jenny's speech before DTA. We usually hear this part in English during the concerts, and it's almost the same speech each time. This time, she's working in her native language, so we hear a bit more extemporaneous speaking than previous go-arounds.
She says hello to everyone and thanks them for being there in Sundsvaaaaaal. She says the Swedish summers are wonderful but the people there that evening are even better. They're unbelievably great.
The crowd loves the buttering up, of course, and they scream their approval.
She wants to mention something that's a little bit more serious. She tells the crowd the next song is actually a dedication to her father and Jonas' father, who died 10 years ago. She says it feels as if he's waiting just around the corner for her, for Jonas, for the family. He gave her a poem when she was a little girl. Back then, she dreamed about being on stage with a big dress on. She shows off the dress and the crowds cheers.
After she mentions the dress, she points to Rickard Engfors and tells the crowd that he's the one who made the dress, then she says he'll probably have to hide now that she's mentioned him.
She turns the subject back to her father and says there are many heroes in life, as her father was for her. Then she goes into the poem. She mentions the man who wrote the poem, Harry Martinson, then she recites the poem.
My very liberal translation of the poem:
If you have two bits of change, buy a piece of bread and a flower.
The bread is for you to eat and the flower is there because life is worth living.
Jenny reiterates the last line, "and life is worth living, especially on a night like tonight". She stops to applaud with the crowd.
Then I have a difficult time hearing exactly what she's saying (from about 2:57 on in the video). She says something about love... then she tells us the next song is coming up.
She says hello to everyone and thanks them for being there in Sundsvaaaaaal. She says the Swedish summers are wonderful but the people there that evening are even better. They're unbelievably great.
The crowd loves the buttering up, of course, and they scream their approval.
She wants to mention something that's a little bit more serious. She tells the crowd the next song is actually a dedication to her father and Jonas' father, who died 10 years ago. She says it feels as if he's waiting just around the corner for her, for Jonas, for the family. He gave her a poem when she was a little girl. Back then, she dreamed about being on stage with a big dress on. She shows off the dress and the crowds cheers.
After she mentions the dress, she points to Rickard Engfors and tells the crowd that he's the one who made the dress, then she says he'll probably have to hide now that she's mentioned him.
She turns the subject back to her father and says there are many heroes in life, as her father was for her. Then she goes into the poem. She mentions the man who wrote the poem, Harry Martinson, then she recites the poem.
My very liberal translation of the poem:
If you have two bits of change, buy a piece of bread and a flower.
The bread is for you to eat and the flower is there because life is worth living.
Jenny reiterates the last line, "and life is worth living, especially on a night like tonight". She stops to applaud with the crowd.
Then I have a difficult time hearing exactly what she's saying (from about 2:57 on in the video). She says something about love... then she tells us the next song is coming up.
Monday, July 20, 2009
NGSIS @ Gatufest
The band quickly sets up for the next number in the background. Ulf talks to the crowd while they make those minor adjustments. He mentions the fact that this concert is the first Swedish one in 15 years, the last time being during Princess Victoria's 20th birthday.
Some drunken people in the crowd shout something I can't quite hear. I imagine they're not shouting good things. I think Ulf says something about these 3 concerts being the end of their one and a half year world tour, although I'm not entirely sure that's what he says. It's a little hard to hear over the crowd shouts. He thanks the crowd and introduces the next song.
As the song starts up and Jenny begins to sing, Jonas has some sort of technical issue. He's trying to communicate with one of the guys in the tour crew with hand signals. I think it's a guy named Ola who comes out to help. I'm not entirely sure what Jonas is trying to say but Ola runs off to the side to fix whatever is wrong.
Jenny's standing on the left side of the stage with an extremly large industrial looking flashlight at the start of the song. She's shining it in her face for dramatic effect. It's better than the gloves of Vina Del Mar at least. (The effect isn't too noticeable right now, although it's much more noticable when it's dark, as you'll see in Töreboda.)
Jenny and the two dancers/backing singers, Anna and Susanna strut their stuff in the choreographed portion of the song. Sundsvall is Susanna's home city, so I suspect she has a lot of friends there watching her performance.
Jenny walks over to Jonas' keyboard and takes a little breather as Anna and Susanna finish their routine. Jenny stays there, leaning against the keyboard and finishes up this portion of her vocals. Ola walks back onto the stage and brings out a guitar, then moves a microphone back to the side of the stage.
Everyone meets up at the back portion of the stage. Jenny, Anna, and Susanna walk from the back aisle to the front of the stage once again to resume their choreography. We cheer on the performance. Jonas and Jakob play together at the back of the stage while Jenny sings the vocals with emphasis.
Ulf stands at the right hand side drumming up a storm. Bengan steps out for a few seconds to adjust the keyboard, as Ulf continues his four minutes worth of drumming.
Jenny adds some vocal flourishes while jamming with Jonas on the left hand side of the stage. She returns to the middle of the stage and drops down on her knees right in front of us. We naturally think this is cool, so we let her know what we think by screaming, like silly fans do.
I wonder if some of the NGSIS background isn't extra footage from the BL video. It almost seems that way with all the movement, cars and roadway featured in the backdrop.
As Jenny returns to the chorus after the bridge, we all belt out the chorus right along with her. We sing it as if it's our theme song for life. We feel the words and we mean them! Jenny exits the stage to prepare for the next song and the rest of the crew take over.
Jakob is now playing Jonas' guitar while Jonas stands in the back with a microphone, ready to introduce everyone. Anna and Susanna take their place up front as they receive their introduction and show the crowd some dance moves.
Linnéa is introduced next and her singing is subdued for now. She sings strong but doesn't belt it out. Not yet. Jakob is introduced and gets a hardy cheer from the Acer section.
Jakob and Linnéa duel it out onstage between her vocals and his guitar. She throws out her strong and steady vocals while he hits back with some mad guitar skills of his own. They then join together as the vocals and guitar parts blend into one part.
Jakob hams it up by hitting the stage floor, playing for the crowd on his knees. I'm impressed with his skills and enjoy his stage antics. Linnéa gets some recognition of her own as we acknowledge her powerful vocals with a nice, long whoop.
NGSIS always feels like a party atmosphere to me. It reminds me of the end of the French CS video where everyone is dancing and singing, enjoying the fun. That's what this part of the concert feels like to me. A block party.
We thoroughly enjoy the performance, the rest of the crowd gives a customary clap, and the AOB crew hurries offstage to prepare for the next song on the setlist.
Some drunken people in the crowd shout something I can't quite hear. I imagine they're not shouting good things. I think Ulf says something about these 3 concerts being the end of their one and a half year world tour, although I'm not entirely sure that's what he says. It's a little hard to hear over the crowd shouts. He thanks the crowd and introduces the next song.
As the song starts up and Jenny begins to sing, Jonas has some sort of technical issue. He's trying to communicate with one of the guys in the tour crew with hand signals. I think it's a guy named Ola who comes out to help. I'm not entirely sure what Jonas is trying to say but Ola runs off to the side to fix whatever is wrong.
Jenny's standing on the left side of the stage with an extremly large industrial looking flashlight at the start of the song. She's shining it in her face for dramatic effect. It's better than the gloves of Vina Del Mar at least. (The effect isn't too noticeable right now, although it's much more noticable when it's dark, as you'll see in Töreboda.)
Jenny and the two dancers/backing singers, Anna and Susanna strut their stuff in the choreographed portion of the song. Sundsvall is Susanna's home city, so I suspect she has a lot of friends there watching her performance.
Jenny walks over to Jonas' keyboard and takes a little breather as Anna and Susanna finish their routine. Jenny stays there, leaning against the keyboard and finishes up this portion of her vocals. Ola walks back onto the stage and brings out a guitar, then moves a microphone back to the side of the stage.
Everyone meets up at the back portion of the stage. Jenny, Anna, and Susanna walk from the back aisle to the front of the stage once again to resume their choreography. We cheer on the performance. Jonas and Jakob play together at the back of the stage while Jenny sings the vocals with emphasis.
Ulf stands at the right hand side drumming up a storm. Bengan steps out for a few seconds to adjust the keyboard, as Ulf continues his four minutes worth of drumming.
Jenny adds some vocal flourishes while jamming with Jonas on the left hand side of the stage. She returns to the middle of the stage and drops down on her knees right in front of us. We naturally think this is cool, so we let her know what we think by screaming, like silly fans do.
I wonder if some of the NGSIS background isn't extra footage from the BL video. It almost seems that way with all the movement, cars and roadway featured in the backdrop.
As Jenny returns to the chorus after the bridge, we all belt out the chorus right along with her. We sing it as if it's our theme song for life. We feel the words and we mean them! Jenny exits the stage to prepare for the next song and the rest of the crew take over.
Jakob is now playing Jonas' guitar while Jonas stands in the back with a microphone, ready to introduce everyone. Anna and Susanna take their place up front as they receive their introduction and show the crowd some dance moves.
Linnéa is introduced next and her singing is subdued for now. She sings strong but doesn't belt it out. Not yet. Jakob is introduced and gets a hardy cheer from the Acer section.
Jakob and Linnéa duel it out onstage between her vocals and his guitar. She throws out her strong and steady vocals while he hits back with some mad guitar skills of his own. They then join together as the vocals and guitar parts blend into one part.
Jakob hams it up by hitting the stage floor, playing for the crowd on his knees. I'm impressed with his skills and enjoy his stage antics. Linnéa gets some recognition of her own as we acknowledge her powerful vocals with a nice, long whoop.
NGSIS always feels like a party atmosphere to me. It reminds me of the end of the French CS video where everyone is dancing and singing, enjoying the fun. That's what this part of the concert feels like to me. A block party.
We thoroughly enjoy the performance, the rest of the crowd gives a customary clap, and the AOB crew hurries offstage to prepare for the next song on the setlist.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Living in Danger @ Gatufest
After WOF09, Ulf says hello to the crowd... "We're in the capital of Norrland, the biggest, best, most fantastic... " The crowd loves it and gives a scream. He asks them if they are the best and, of course, they agree. He mentions being from GBG and thanks the crowd for coming out on "this fantastic evening".
He says the next song was the seventh single from their first album. He talks about performing it live in 1994 for the first time. He tells the crowd the song's title, Living in Danger, and seems almost out of breath as he says it.
Jakob plays some of the LID background music as Ulf speaks to the crowd. The stage crew is also working during his speech. They bring a guitar to Jonas and reset both Jonas and Jenny's mics to the proper places on the stage.
The song starts slowly, as Jenny and Jonas begin singing their lines. Ulf comes out with his bullhorn and begins his part.
I decide to take some crowd shots to see how the audience is doing back there. People are watching but not yet reacting to the song.
I am able to pan around to the big screen to see what it looks like from the perspective of people who are not as close to the stage.
The lighting is more muted for this song than the previous two. The lights have a blue, white and purple hue. The lighting slowly changes to red, yellow and orange with a little white mixed in as the fire backdrop plays.
My video camera picks up the performance but doesn't pick up on the band member's faces as well as in previous songs. The bass contains even more buzz in this clip and the drunk guy is again waiving his arm front of my camera.
Jakob is adding little flourishes to the music as the song moves along. I enjoy the fact that he adds new little twists to the song during each performance.
Ulf joins Jakob at his keyboard while Jonas and Jenny take their customary twirl and talk. Again, I wonder what Jonas is saying to her. I guess it changes for every performance. Sometimes she smiles, while other times she nearly cracks up laughing after he say something to her.
Ulf is bouncing away as he holds the bullhorn high while delivering his vocal lines. He gets more and more into it as the song goes on.
The band stands still for this song, staying near the front of the stage during the entire performance. No running or jumping like WOF09. They stick close together and sing the lyrics without any complicated vocals. Clear and clean.
The trio walks to the center of the stage for the back to back line-up. Again, a photographer is there to capture the moment for the morning papers.
The festival camera crew shows this shot from a side angle, providing a second perspective.
I stand there appreciating the extra lyrics added to the song. The song is no longer just a cold warning about people around you. It's also about seeing the humanity in others and seeing the needs of people around you. It's a more compassionate song with those extra lyrics.
I make another audience check at the end of it all. The front row is happy with the performance, although the crowd further back isn't as into it. They're more content to sit and listen than to interact. The square is nearly filled with people at this point.
He says the next song was the seventh single from their first album. He talks about performing it live in 1994 for the first time. He tells the crowd the song's title, Living in Danger, and seems almost out of breath as he says it.
Jakob plays some of the LID background music as Ulf speaks to the crowd. The stage crew is also working during his speech. They bring a guitar to Jonas and reset both Jonas and Jenny's mics to the proper places on the stage.
The song starts slowly, as Jenny and Jonas begin singing their lines. Ulf comes out with his bullhorn and begins his part.
I decide to take some crowd shots to see how the audience is doing back there. People are watching but not yet reacting to the song.
I am able to pan around to the big screen to see what it looks like from the perspective of people who are not as close to the stage.
The lighting is more muted for this song than the previous two. The lights have a blue, white and purple hue. The lighting slowly changes to red, yellow and orange with a little white mixed in as the fire backdrop plays.
My video camera picks up the performance but doesn't pick up on the band member's faces as well as in previous songs. The bass contains even more buzz in this clip and the drunk guy is again waiving his arm front of my camera.
Jakob is adding little flourishes to the music as the song moves along. I enjoy the fact that he adds new little twists to the song during each performance.
Ulf joins Jakob at his keyboard while Jonas and Jenny take their customary twirl and talk. Again, I wonder what Jonas is saying to her. I guess it changes for every performance. Sometimes she smiles, while other times she nearly cracks up laughing after he say something to her.
Ulf is bouncing away as he holds the bullhorn high while delivering his vocal lines. He gets more and more into it as the song goes on.
The band stands still for this song, staying near the front of the stage during the entire performance. No running or jumping like WOF09. They stick close together and sing the lyrics without any complicated vocals. Clear and clean.
The trio walks to the center of the stage for the back to back line-up. Again, a photographer is there to capture the moment for the morning papers.
The festival camera crew shows this shot from a side angle, providing a second perspective.
I stand there appreciating the extra lyrics added to the song. The song is no longer just a cold warning about people around you. It's also about seeing the humanity in others and seeing the needs of people around you. It's a more compassionate song with those extra lyrics.
I make another audience check at the end of it all. The front row is happy with the performance, although the crowd further back isn't as into it. They're more content to sit and listen than to interact. The square is nearly filled with people at this point.
WOF09 @ Gatufest
I can barely wait for WOF09 even though I know it's only a few seconds away. It's a high energy performance and that's just what I'm looking for.
Jonas stands smiling behind his keyboard as Ulf starts in on the song intro. Ulf starts by clapping his hands and is running all over the stage before long. I have a difficult time keeping the camera focused on him as he runs from one side to the other.
The smoke continues to pour out onstage, while Bengan, their tour manager tries to re-tape an Apple laptop back onto Ulf's drum set.
Jenny walks around the middle of the stage with a determined look, rocking to the music. She starts strongly on the main vocals, reminding me of the early sounds in which we hear a short gruff sound in her vocals when she's really into a song.
I see the photographers in front of us and notice that they're always taking shots of Ulf and Jenny as they're singing together. The papers all seem to include this same shot in every report.
I stand there enjoying the back and forth between Ulf and Jenny during the song. They push each other back from one side of the stage to the next as they sing their respective lines. I wonder how difficult it is to walk backwards in high heels on a smoky stage. Ulf gives a "here's Jenny" wave with his hand as the main vocals begin.
Again, the sound is not as loud as the fans would like. It's still difficult to really hear what they're singing. The lights combine with the smoke to create this eerie green effect in the background.
Ulf continues to run around onstage while singing his electro-vocals. I have a hard time deciding who to focus on. Ulf, Jenny, Jonas and Jakob, Ulf again, back to Jenny, Ulf is back in the frame, Jenny again during vocals...
Ulf jumps down on a platform that's lower than the stage to get closer to the audience. He runs right to left as he's singing the "my dad" lines.
The fans yell as Jenny flips her hair and begins again on the vocals. Ulf jumps around in front of her, stealing the shot until they join up again at the left hand side of the stage.
The stage is so smoky at this point, it's hard to see anything in the background. Everything from the pulsating asterisk to the backing singers is obscured. I begin to wonder what it does to their voices when all this smoke is rolling around onstage.
Ulf takes a little break with Jonas at the keyboard while Jenny launches into the "I'm in love" line. Jonas and Ulf then join her at the back of the stage. All three walk up to the front, creating a dramatic effect similar to the entrance during HN.
Jonas finally gets some face time during WOF as he stands front and center to sing for us. He seems comfortable singing in front of everyone. He generally stands still when he sings, walking to the left-hand side of the stage a little bit, while Ulf is still running from side to side.
Jenny and Jonas meet up at the front and sing together for a few moments, exchanging sibling glances and smiles.
The bass on the song buzzes in the recording, again due to the proximity of the stage. Had we been further back, the bass would have thumped like it should have. At this distance, it buzzes instead.
The three come back to center stage to sing the last little bits together. We whoop and holler as fans tend to do. The band gives a little nod of thanks and it's on to the next song.
Jonas stands smiling behind his keyboard as Ulf starts in on the song intro. Ulf starts by clapping his hands and is running all over the stage before long. I have a difficult time keeping the camera focused on him as he runs from one side to the other.
The smoke continues to pour out onstage, while Bengan, their tour manager tries to re-tape an Apple laptop back onto Ulf's drum set.
Jenny walks around the middle of the stage with a determined look, rocking to the music. She starts strongly on the main vocals, reminding me of the early sounds in which we hear a short gruff sound in her vocals when she's really into a song.
I see the photographers in front of us and notice that they're always taking shots of Ulf and Jenny as they're singing together. The papers all seem to include this same shot in every report.
I stand there enjoying the back and forth between Ulf and Jenny during the song. They push each other back from one side of the stage to the next as they sing their respective lines. I wonder how difficult it is to walk backwards in high heels on a smoky stage. Ulf gives a "here's Jenny" wave with his hand as the main vocals begin.
Again, the sound is not as loud as the fans would like. It's still difficult to really hear what they're singing. The lights combine with the smoke to create this eerie green effect in the background.
Ulf continues to run around onstage while singing his electro-vocals. I have a hard time deciding who to focus on. Ulf, Jenny, Jonas and Jakob, Ulf again, back to Jenny, Ulf is back in the frame, Jenny again during vocals...
Ulf jumps down on a platform that's lower than the stage to get closer to the audience. He runs right to left as he's singing the "my dad" lines.
The fans yell as Jenny flips her hair and begins again on the vocals. Ulf jumps around in front of her, stealing the shot until they join up again at the left hand side of the stage.
The stage is so smoky at this point, it's hard to see anything in the background. Everything from the pulsating asterisk to the backing singers is obscured. I begin to wonder what it does to their voices when all this smoke is rolling around onstage.
Ulf takes a little break with Jonas at the keyboard while Jenny launches into the "I'm in love" line. Jonas and Ulf then join her at the back of the stage. All three walk up to the front, creating a dramatic effect similar to the entrance during HN.
Jonas finally gets some face time during WOF as he stands front and center to sing for us. He seems comfortable singing in front of everyone. He generally stands still when he sings, walking to the left-hand side of the stage a little bit, while Ulf is still running from side to side.
Jenny and Jonas meet up at the front and sing together for a few moments, exchanging sibling glances and smiles.
The bass on the song buzzes in the recording, again due to the proximity of the stage. Had we been further back, the bass would have thumped like it should have. At this distance, it buzzes instead.
The three come back to center stage to sing the last little bits together. We whoop and holler as fans tend to do. The band gives a little nod of thanks and it's on to the next song.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Happy Nation @ Sundsvall
It's almost time for the concert to begin. Smoke begins to creep across the stage. The tour crew hustles off to the left.
Two men from the festival crew run to the front and pull back the Gatufest curtain. The announcer provides an introduction as the smoke rolls out. The crowd begins to clap and cheer.
A roar bursts from the crowd as the background images begin to roll. Lights flash and the smoke increases.
People make comments as the HN intro plays. Jakob steps up to the keyboard soliciting cheers from the front row. Linnea begins to sing the HN lament as she walks on stage. The dancers and background singers take their places.
We see the band walking through the backstage area. The band slowly walks to center stage and stops. They keep a serious look on their faces. A yellow light appears behind them as a blast of sound hits the crowd. Let the show begin.
Jonas can't keep from smiling and his look turns from serious to happy. Ulf takes his place at the drums. Jonas takes his place at the mic with his guitar. Jenny stands in the middle as the projections flicker in the background. Ulf's drumsticks are raised and ready to go while Jonas waits with pick in hand.
The music begins and the dancers, Susanna and Anna, start their opening routine. I hear both good and bad comments from people around me about the opening. Someone says it's cool while another comments negatively on the militaristic feel. I try to hold my camera steady during the Laudate, but a drunken guy and girl beside me keep putting their hands up in front of my camera. I keep having to push their arms down with my left hand. They finally get the message after a few minutes.
We're so close to the front that the projection screen is pixelating, creating green and purple squares during HN. Even though we cannot see it clearly, it adds some light to the background and helps get better footage for the camera shots.
The sound isn't the best, as we cannot really hear Jenny, or anyone else, very well. The crowd is easier to hear than the band, although it changes as the concert progresses. (I suspect this may have had something to do with our distance. Other clips on YouTube from farther away sound clearer).
As it is unfolding, I think to myself, "I cannot believe I am here right now. This is amazing. I'm watching AOB play in Sweden!" The reality stood before me and I still could not comprehend it. It is truly like a dream sequence when you're there. Time and place is forgotten. Now is the only thing that exists as you watch and listen. My second thought? "I love Ace of Base!"
(Jessi found this picture of me in the crowd on rockfoto.nu and I think it explains that "now" feeling)
All the Acers sing along and some people in the crowd also sing along. The crowd is mixed with all ages represented, though the majority seem to be between 15-35. Most people in their 20s, though a great deal are teenagers. We fit in with this crowd more than the EMD crowd.
Photographers and camera crews are in front of us snapping away and recording for newspapers and TV. They're taking a lot of pics during HN. Mostly of Jenny since she's out in front singing. A few snap some shots of Ulf and Jonas.
Jenny always looks so serious just before she turns around. I wonder what she's thinking about as she stands there with her back to everyone.
As Uffe runs out to sing his part, we automatically yell. I don't know how we decide when to yell and clap, but it seems like every Acer does it at the exact same moment. Ulf's energy is evident and it's contagious. He's fully in the moment when he's on stage. I wonder if he has ever accidentaly lost a drumstick during a performance.
Jonas looks like he's serious now, as he's concentrating on playing and singing. Jakob's right there with him in the serious department. He's in the back on the keyboards with an almost angry look on his face.
As I hear Jenny sing, "come true and I will dance with you", I remember that I've been singing this line incorrectly for nearly 13 years. It was only after the CPH concert that I realized the correct line is "come true" and not "come through".
Everyone seems to be more comfortable as the song progresses. A cool blue and green light shines in the background as Jenny finishes the end of the song.
The band gets a generally good response from the audience after it's over. The Acers appreciate it the most though and give a hardy cheer/scream/clap, especially Anna and Andi who give a thumbs up and number 1 sign to my camera after it's over.
Two men from the festival crew run to the front and pull back the Gatufest curtain. The announcer provides an introduction as the smoke rolls out. The crowd begins to clap and cheer.
A roar bursts from the crowd as the background images begin to roll. Lights flash and the smoke increases.
People make comments as the HN intro plays. Jakob steps up to the keyboard soliciting cheers from the front row. Linnea begins to sing the HN lament as she walks on stage. The dancers and background singers take their places.
We see the band walking through the backstage area. The band slowly walks to center stage and stops. They keep a serious look on their faces. A yellow light appears behind them as a blast of sound hits the crowd. Let the show begin.
Jonas can't keep from smiling and his look turns from serious to happy. Ulf takes his place at the drums. Jonas takes his place at the mic with his guitar. Jenny stands in the middle as the projections flicker in the background. Ulf's drumsticks are raised and ready to go while Jonas waits with pick in hand.
The music begins and the dancers, Susanna and Anna, start their opening routine. I hear both good and bad comments from people around me about the opening. Someone says it's cool while another comments negatively on the militaristic feel. I try to hold my camera steady during the Laudate, but a drunken guy and girl beside me keep putting their hands up in front of my camera. I keep having to push their arms down with my left hand. They finally get the message after a few minutes.
We're so close to the front that the projection screen is pixelating, creating green and purple squares during HN. Even though we cannot see it clearly, it adds some light to the background and helps get better footage for the camera shots.
The sound isn't the best, as we cannot really hear Jenny, or anyone else, very well. The crowd is easier to hear than the band, although it changes as the concert progresses. (I suspect this may have had something to do with our distance. Other clips on YouTube from farther away sound clearer).
As it is unfolding, I think to myself, "I cannot believe I am here right now. This is amazing. I'm watching AOB play in Sweden!" The reality stood before me and I still could not comprehend it. It is truly like a dream sequence when you're there. Time and place is forgotten. Now is the only thing that exists as you watch and listen. My second thought? "I love Ace of Base!"
(Jessi found this picture of me in the crowd on rockfoto.nu and I think it explains that "now" feeling)
All the Acers sing along and some people in the crowd also sing along. The crowd is mixed with all ages represented, though the majority seem to be between 15-35. Most people in their 20s, though a great deal are teenagers. We fit in with this crowd more than the EMD crowd.
Photographers and camera crews are in front of us snapping away and recording for newspapers and TV. They're taking a lot of pics during HN. Mostly of Jenny since she's out in front singing. A few snap some shots of Ulf and Jonas.
Jenny always looks so serious just before she turns around. I wonder what she's thinking about as she stands there with her back to everyone.
As Uffe runs out to sing his part, we automatically yell. I don't know how we decide when to yell and clap, but it seems like every Acer does it at the exact same moment. Ulf's energy is evident and it's contagious. He's fully in the moment when he's on stage. I wonder if he has ever accidentaly lost a drumstick during a performance.
Jonas looks like he's serious now, as he's concentrating on playing and singing. Jakob's right there with him in the serious department. He's in the back on the keyboards with an almost angry look on his face.
As I hear Jenny sing, "come true and I will dance with you", I remember that I've been singing this line incorrectly for nearly 13 years. It was only after the CPH concert that I realized the correct line is "come true" and not "come through".
Everyone seems to be more comfortable as the song progresses. A cool blue and green light shines in the background as Jenny finishes the end of the song.
The band gets a generally good response from the audience after it's over. The Acers appreciate it the most though and give a hardy cheer/scream/clap, especially Anna and Andi who give a thumbs up and number 1 sign to my camera after it's over.
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