Roxette’s Charm School World Tour is underway... with extension planned!

Written by Lars-Erik_Olson on February 28, 2011 to Exclusive, Live and Roxette.

Fans have been hopeful in recent years that with Marie's recovery from brain cancer, that Per and Marie would reactivate Roxette: take the stage again… perhaps tour… and if all that wasn't possible, at least get into a recording studio and release new material. We've known for months now that all of these wishes are coming true, and today marks another milestone in the duo's career with Roxette.

Per, Marie, and the band – along with a very small entourage – boarded what Per has dubbed the "Roxjet" late yesterday morning and flew to Kazan, Russia where, tonight, the first in a long series of concerts will take place in the large basketball arena there.

After a handful of successful concerts that Roxette performed this past summer (the results of which are an impressive addition to the deluxe edition of their new Charm School album), they've now set out on a full-fledged world tour that is expected to span at least five continents during the year (see below). By all accounts, both Per and Marie are returning to the world stage full of renewed enthusiasm. While Roxette toured the U.S. in 2000 (Greatest Hits) and Europe in 2001 (Room Service), their last real world tour took place in 1994-95 in conjunction with the “Crash! Boom! Bang!” album.

“If you’d asked me a couple of years ago, if there would ever be a new Roxette tour I would have very quickly said 'No!',” says Per. “Knowing what Marie had to go through in recovering from her severe illness, this is not only unbelievable, it seems almost magical to me. It will be wonderful to meet all our audience on Planet Earth again.”

Band member Christoffer Lundquist, speaking to The Daily Roxette after having arrived in Kazan, said “Roxette are back and it really feels like the world wants to hear Roxette again. Everyone really feels the difference compared to the last tour – 2001. There's so much more enthusiasm and demand and curiousity about Roxette and it really affects all of us. And of course the obvious… I mean Marie's amazing comeback. It's really a miraculous recovery. And also, her personal strength… the way she has been fighting for this and not giving up. The whole thing is mind-blowing to me.”

About the tour, he says “We're playing really, really great songs and singing and playing live… with as much energy as we can possibly muster!”

MORE GOOD NEWS TO COME!

Additional concert dates, beyond those that are confirmed and appear on our concert calendar, are expected… both within the current time frame, and beyond it. Per, in an interview with German radio station NDR 2 for which readers of TDR were invited to submit questions, revealed that plans are underway to extend the tour into the fall with about 25 more shows. While he mentioned that some would be in Germany, it is expected that other dates will include stops in some of the countries that seem to be obvious omissions from the tour including, perhaps, a North American segment. There has been speculation that that is why the Mexico City date was replaced with Montevideo, Uruguay.

HAPPENING IN KAZAN

TDR's reporter in Kazan, Svetlana Kulalaeva, has let us know that it should be possible to view the scheduled press conference over the internet (link below), and that the Mayor of Kazan (who by some accounts is a Roxette fan himself) is expected to officially welcome Per and Marie.

Coverage of Roxette's arrival in Kazan (photos and video) [KP.ru] | Press Conference (with LiveNation's Thomas Johansson)

Additional reporting by Michi1506 in Germany. The photo of the Roxjet is an artist's rendition of the actual plane (which LiveNation has leased from a company in Finland — thus the "OH"), with the addition of a Roxette livery.

31 comments

alainmendez said on February 28, 2011 06:58:

25 concerts to be added!!!!!! wonderful ,please don´t forget MEXICO!!!!!!!!!! comeback before you leave

DEFAULT_GREEN said on February 28, 2011 07:34:

Does anyone know anything about the stage? will it be a normal one like in CBB or something like in RS

Lars-Erik_Olson (moderator) said on February 28, 2011 08:27:

Yes... there won’t be many bells and whistles. We’re told they’ve got a really good lighting designer... but that they want the emphasis to be on the music, and thus they’re not doing some elaborate stage show. With Marie’s more limited mobility... an elaborate set wouldn’t really work very well anyway.

wilmpie_dimpie said on February 28, 2011 09:05:

... their new Party Crasher album ?
;-)

RJ1976 said on February 28, 2011 09:49:

The picture of the plane is absolutly STUNNING good.

Could we please have a large version for use as a wallpaper ?

Please :’)

Sascha said on February 28, 2011 10:03:

Nice article! Wonder if they’ll do some kind of video show like in 2001...

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RobS said on February 28, 2011 10:05:

Hehe, Party Crasher, wouldn’t that have been interesting.

Hope everyone that is lucky enough to go to a concert has a great time.

tomos85 said on February 28, 2011 10:42:

Sascha, I think it will look the same as 2010 tour - no screens, no special effect - just music.

BWAD said on February 28, 2011 12:18:

First of all I love the ROXJET and secondly ith a possible of 25 more shows., That probably means 6 shos for Australia. 1 in each City of Brisbane, Sdyney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. As if it asn’t for Australia, Marie ould have never of meet her husband

Lars-Erik_Olson (moderator) said on February 28, 2011 12:42:

Interesting point Brett (BWAD)! “Sentimental” reasons...

CoyRoy said on February 28, 2011 12:52:

I’m so excited about this tour kicking off tonight. Hopefully by tomorrow we can see what the stage will look like if someone take some pix.

I just printed those 4 new photos of Roxette on a laser colour printer - it looks STUNNING, to say the least!!

I hope you Aussie fans get a tour, as well as UK and USA - would be nice.
If they do make it happen in those 3 countries, PLEASE tell your friends and family to join you so there are tons of people. Seems the USA have forgotten those Swedish “one-hit-wonders-that-just-wouldn’t-go-away”. Hahahaha

The other day I was chatting with a girl in USA, and she asked what music I like - I mentioned Roxette, and she asked me if that was some kind of chemical!!!! I almost fainted!

I LOVE the RoxJet - hopefully we’ll get a better look at it soon enough. Someone have a picture in large format??

rossyrox said on February 28, 2011 13:34:

I just noticed that security bloke in the pics is the same one from the Party Crasher tour.....well it looks like him anyway!

first girl on t... said on February 28, 2011 13:51:

In a 3 days I will see Per and Marie!!!!!!!! So happy, can’t wait!!!!!!)))))))

SilverBloo said on February 28, 2011 13:57:

STILL no UK dates?! What the flip is happening here?¡¿! ψ(｀∇´)ψ 

Ingo said on February 28, 2011 14:20:

@SilverBloo

I guess they wait until the UK release of CHARM SCHOOL with the dates.

CoyRoy said on February 28, 2011 15:21:

the security guy looks the same as the one they had when Roxette visited SA in 1995

Roxerally said on February 28, 2011 15:45:

The security bloke [lol] has a name, it’s Bo, and he is the Tour Manager and a very nice friendly guy he is as well! :)

Back on the Joyride tour it was Dave Edwards, a very funny guy originally from Liverpool but he now lives in Sweden and he is also the voice on the beginning and end of the Joyride album... not sure who did the 94 / 95 tour... possibly Dave...

Sadly I foresee the UK album being a downright flop, no promotion from EMI UK and since I already have three copies of ’Charm School’ I am not sure I require another copy unless it is different in any way! Although if I can walk into HMV on the release day and actually but it off the shelf then I will obtain a 4th copy... ;)

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tomos85 said on February 28, 2011 15:45:

I thought BoJo was with Roxette since earlie 90-ies?

pwbbounce (moderator) said on February 28, 2011 15:45:

It was Dave on the 94/95 tour as well. He was featured on the ’Really Roxette’ documentary...

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Roxerally said on February 28, 2011 15:48:

@tomos85 No it was Dave Edwards during Joyride, he is on the ’Making of Videos’ you can see him in a UK black cab... rather funny to watch, got to love that scouse accent! He’s a wonderful friendly guy! Perhaps Bo did something else with Roxette, maybe security... or something else...

ritoman said on February 28, 2011 16:14:

We really want Roxette to come to Mexico. We need info about this!!!! Can’t wait for an update to EMI Mexico’s tweet about the Roxette’s concerts in Mexico announced on February 24.

ncurran said on February 28, 2011 17:52:

I’m confused......I thought the tour was supposed to kick off on 1st Marchm which is tomorrow, not tonight....or is your tour calendar wrong?

tridy said on February 28, 2011 18:00:

And I am still hoping for Stockholm show some time.

roxtexanet said on February 28, 2011 18:13:

So does this mean the tour finally has a name? “Charm School World Tour”? Or is this just what we’re going to call it to distinguish it from the others? I would have liked “Roxette Go Back to School World Tour” myself :-D

There’s a cool article in Expressen about the new tour: http://www.expressen.se/noje/musik/1.2348034/hela-varlden-vill-se-roxett... In it, Thomas Johansson says that they’ll have sold a million tickets by the end of July when the tour ends (which is hopefully NOT when the tour will end, ha ha!).

@ncurran: The tour premiere date got moved back a day ages ago, but you’re right - originally it was to start March 1st.

coyboyusa said on February 28, 2011 20:19:

please nyc if they come in the fall it will be right around one of my vacations PLEASE!!

so say we all

Mr_Floppy said on March 1, 2011 01:03:

I remember Bo to be with the gang for a veeeerrrrrryyy long time. Here is the proof: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSVREwmjmuc You can see him at the very end of the film when he leads the band to the stage.

And regarding the topic: http://www.tatar-inform.ru/photo/2011/03/01/954/16350/ and the arrival yesterday: http://inkazan.ru/kak-vstrechayut-roxette-v-kazani/ (with a better pic from the plane as well)

Joazul21 said on March 1, 2011 02:53:

...and don’t forget to come to the USA either!!!!!!!!! PLEASEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! :)

BWAD said on March 1, 2011 04:09:

Thanks LEO, I have another question/point. Per said something about 25 shows and autumn/fall. Did he mean that the concerts will be held in the fall or will we find out the dates in the fall?

BWAD said on March 1, 2011 04:15:

Bo also did the RS Tour as I met him on the plane (long ith Marie and her kids) flying from Innsbruck to Vienna back in November of 2001.

Roxerally said on March 1, 2011 15:39:

@Mr_Floppy Thanks for that video link! :)

vickymexico said on March 2, 2011 23:22:

MEXICO PLEASE!!! you will make me the happiest woman in the universe if you come to Mexico!!

Roxette’s Charm School World Tour is underway... with extension planned!

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