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Roxette World Tour 2011 schedule

“Gessle over Europe” promo sheet

Written by tevensso on October 17, 2009 to and .

Just to be clear: this isn't an article, this is the promo text from Per's promo folder for the new album. The text is written by Sven Lindström.

 

"Gessle Over Europe - the 2009 club tour captured live!

Since Roxette’s ”Room Service” tour in the fall of 2001, Sweden has been able to keep one of their true pop superstars more or less for themselves. Starting with 2003’s massively successful Swedish solo comeback “Mazarin”, Gessle kept himself busy in Sweden as a solo act or reuniting with his former group Gyllene Tider. But in the spring of 2009, the Roxette songwriter Per Gessle finally took an acclaimed step back to the international scene.

With a back catalog of songs from multi-million selling Roxette albums as well as solo material from his 1997 international debut “The World According To Gessle” to the 2005 double package “Son Of A Plumber” and last year’s “Party Crasher” album, Per had plenty to choose from.

Between April 16 and May 10 fans in Finland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Poland, The Czech republic, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland and England could experience a seemingly never-ending stream of Gessle-penned hits in an intimate club environment. They got revamped Roxette classics like ”Joyride” and ”The Look” next to more recent solo material like ”Hey Mr DJ” and ”Doesn’t Make Sense”—all in a new and inspired setting that made even a more than 20 year old-faithful like “Dressed For Success” seem like it was written yesterday.

But why did he do it? ”First of all to have a blast on stage with this incredible band. And then I wanted to get out there and say, ‘Hey—these are my songs’. My music is much more well-known than I am. People all over the world can sing along to the Roxette classics, but they don’t know that I’ve written them. So the idea was to perform some of my English favorites while putting a face to the songs”, Gessle smiles.

Summing up some of the brilliant musicians he’s been touring with in Sweden the last years—Helena Josefsson (vocals), Clarence Öfwerman (keyboards), Christoffer Lundquist (guitar/vocals) and Magnus Börjeson (bass/vocals) plus the seasoned Roxette anchor Pelle Alsing (drums)—Per quickly found the high-energy power pop drive he was looking for.

The sound was guitar based, gritty and in your face. Fat, ringing Gibson chords against three-part harmony vocals in the choruses. Heavy and feather light at the same time, constantly accompanied by a singing, whistling and cheering crowd.

The tour gave Gessle the chance to dust off Roxette rockers like ”Sleeping In My Car”, ”She Doesn’t Live Her Anymore”, ”Opportunity Nox” and ”7Twenty7” and up-tempo solo hits like ”Stupid”, ”Do You Wanna Be My Baby?” and ”C’mon”. The energetic pop drive was mixed with the thoughtful melancholy of ”Late, Later On”, ”Wish I Could Fly” and the majestic set closer ”Queen Of Rain”.

”I had no idea what the reaction would be. Over the years I’ve learned not to have too big expectations—just do it and see what happens. But the public reaction was overwhelming and after a few shows only—I think it was Copenhagen—I suddenly realized why I was back playing the clubs after all these years. It was terrific to be on stage and do all these songs again.”

All this and more is captured on ”Gessle Over Europe”, a real treat for fans who wants to re-live or experience this quite remarkable club tour. With 21 live recorded tracks on CD, the complete final show at Cirkus in Stockholm on May 9 on DVD plus assorted goodies featuring 100 “home videos” filmed during the tour as well as additional clips and interviews taken from Per’s international solo career, ”Gessle Over Europe” deliver more than a Roxette or Per Gessle fan could ever hope for. You don’t get any closer than this, without actually standing on the stage yourself.

The vinyl collector Per Gessle also has made sure that ”Gessle Over Europe” will be released as a vinyl double album, which is great news for those who think today’s music business would be better off with albums like ”Frampton Comes Alive” or ”Made In Japan”. And if you wonder whether it’s possible to maintain a true pop heart after more than two decades of international chart successes and World tours, just listen to the inspired take of Paul Revere & The Raiders ”(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” from 1966. It hasn’t sounded better than this in a long time…"

See scans, here and here.

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31 comments

Excellent review, thanks Thomas! I’ve already pre-ordered both DVD and LP, can’t wait to get them at the post!!!!! %))))

Ha ha, this isn’t the review, this is the promo text.

Tev what a wonderful article! I think i will never forget this tour. It was a amazing experience. I really wish that Per considers the idea play this kinds of tours on the near future. We are a lot of people over the globe wainting to see “the heavy metal kids” on stage again.

I think tha Spain, italy, Russia, Asia y Sudamerica and northamerica among others will be pleased to to see a leg of that memorable tour rolling again.

Thomas, is there a possibility to see PDF or scan of this promotion folder?

I’ll scan it tomorrow.

Sorry Per, but there’s already a face to the songs: It’s short-haired, blonde and female. You won’t change that anymore with 500 tours. ;-) Quite normal that people don’t know the songwriters of songs, be glad if people know it’s ROXETTE. More than enough to be proud of!

btw. there’s a Swedish word left in the text: “och” after “Mr. DJ”.

this is a press release, no article or review :D
the text is written by Per’s surrounding to promote the album ;)
___________________________
Marie Fredriksson Online
Be strong, speak true

Very lovely to see the artwork of the promo and I am really looking forward to having the DVD!

A few funny things:

“Per Gessle finally took an acclaimed step back to the international scene.”

...For those whose native tongue is not English, the term “a step back” is a negative statement, so I am kinda surprised to see it used here. And how about this for an awkward sentence: “The vinyl collector Per Gessle also has made sure that ”Gessle Over Europe” will be released as a vinyl double album”

Not bad, but rather poorly written! I can’t wait for the DVD :-D

MC Rene
What’s the release date for germany?

Chris, I don’t think “a step back” sounds negative at all. It is all about the context, and in this case it is meaning a return to the limelight, which is a perfectly acceptable usage of this term. I think it is written quite well.

The only thing I don’t like is that it uses American english :(

I think this is quite common in Sweden.. after all they are quite “americanized” ;)
___________________________
Marie Fredriksson Online
Be strong, speak true

Blame me for that Neil. The “original” was (and is) more British, but as I myself speak American English my programs are set for that language and therefore changed the s:s to z:s etc. :)

@René2

The release date, according to EMI websites, for Germany, Austria and Switzerland is November 6. As for Denmark, Norway and Poland it’s going to be October 26. UK and Italy will also get GOE on October 26 but only as a digital download.

Swedish premiere will be October 23.

Don’t know anything about any other countries - is there any kind of official release date list (the same as we got with Party crasher release)?

P.S. I’m very courious how many people did attend “Party crasher tour”. With every past tour there was some kind of informations about that - is it possible to get to know how it was in this particular case? Sweden with 6,000 people, there should have been at least 10,000 for the whole tour, right?

Wow 26 october will be release here in Italy!!!
Only digital stores but is good....great cd/dvd!

Thomas, after looking on these three scans, it seems like “C’mon” video as well as SOAP and PC documentaries are not on GOE DVD? Am I right or is it just a mistake in printing?

“C’mon” was removed earlier. No idea about the other things yet.

If anyone’s interested, you can watch the new video single from Helena here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18cJhALptnk

Ok, I’m confused. The text is written in English but the text I saw in the pictures on Roxette.blog was in Swedish?

So Tev, did you just translate what is a “Swedish” written article or will we get an English-write up on the CD/DVD?

american english? wtf?

so say we all

@Roxwriter

This promotional folder was printed in Sweden and that is why it’s in Swedish, but I assume the GOE booklet will be only in English :)

Sven translated it, this is the official English text.

MC René
No informations about that. I think more than 10,000 people for the whole tour.
Three fantastic shows in germany (especially cologne - THAT WAS BIG !) with about 1,300. So with 450 - 700 (more or less) people at every show it should be 12,000 - 14,000 Don‘t you think so?

This tour was big!!!
The best Per ever did.

In Gent was only 100 or so.

Poland and Denmark get the same release dates??? Tomasz, I can’t believe that we will be going to record stores on the same day, but in different countries. Well, I hope, that you are buying the album, my naughty Polish friend :P

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I wish you the best there is before you go to sleep

@Rene That’s just some kind of estimation - for exemple on Warsaw gig there was like 800 people, but at least 200 free tickets were given in few contests around Poland, so it’s hard to say after all of that how many people in fact paid for theirs tickets. Anyway - it could have been even 12,000 - I don’t really know :)

@alexandru According to what I know at least 300 in Gent :)

@Auryte ha ha ha, yes, I’ve already ordered the album. Don’t really expect to find it on the shelves, though as a dreamer, I’m going to visit few shops on Monday (or maybe even on Friday - you never know with Polish premiere dates ;)

Tomasz, let’s do it on Monday, my friend :)
Wow, Poland got 200 free tickets!!! Pretty much, I’d say...

*****************************************************************
I wish you the best there is before you go to sleep

Auryte, to be honest I would say Live Nation Poland wanted to sell as many tickets as possible (there was a massive campaign in the media, belive me or not) and that was one of the reasons why they have decideded to give out about 200 tickets in some contests. I know, from some sources, that LNP was critisized by Per’s menagment (poor tickets sale and so on...), but as always - it’s a secret, you know... :)))

@tomos85, Yes, corect! Sold 280 tickets.

@Tomasz: Really, Management complained about poor tickets sales in Poland? How about other countries then??? They should have gone mad about those in Gent LOL

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I wish you the best there is before you go to sleep

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