The Daily Roxette

Roxette World Tour 2011 schedule

Roxette live in Kazan: a promising start to the World Tour

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

KAZAN, RUSSIA (Updated) - It was a shaky at the beginning, with Per and Marie encountering audio problems during the first three songs… but Roxette mangaged to get through that and, according to reports from various fans amongst the approximately 7,000 in attendance, the rest of the concert went very well.

TDR's reporter in Kazan, Svetlana Kulalaeva, filed this report:

The audience seemed to be very reserved at the beginning. Also, because not many people speak English in the province, most people could hardly understand what was said. No welcoming applause to "Hello from Hollywood", though by the first chords of "It Must Have Been Love" the arena exploded with applause and noise.  But the guys were great! Really! They did their job and worked and enjoyed what they were doing, and it was like a fire for butter. Slowly, slowly the audience started to make noise, applaud loudly, shout and show signs of appreciation.

Roxette didn't ask the crowd to raise their hands (nothing like "raise your hands in the air" or this kind of cheap stuff), they inspired people, and after a few songs people started to move, dance, clap hands, behave somehow to show that they liked what they were seeing.

The arena where the show took place is the biggest in Kazan, and it was full… but mostly the seats. There was a lot of space on the dance floor and between the rows, so in the beginning it looked more like a symphony concert.  I suppose it's a display of the Russian character: we start slowly, we need time to pick up speed, but once we get going we can hardly stop. By the end of the show, people jumped close to the stage and danced in the gangways!

The band was great, they are professionals in the best meaning of the word. To start in a cold atmosphere without showing any disappointment, it costs a lot. They felt some disappointment I suppose, I could feel it by the behavior of Marie most of all, she was quite reserved too, but she was good… really good. Smiling, the voice was beautiful as always, and Per inspired everybody by the music and he did it very well.

It was a good mix of new and old songs, and we accepted everything, waiting for their old hits of course.  They did win over the audience and the cold Russian winter!  They made the snow melt, and spring has finally arrived to our place!

And one of our readers (gearshift) told us that “'Listen to Your Heart' was gorgeous. Half of the stadium was collected at the front of the stage and the other half was waving cell phones. It was a full magic moment. Marie was singing almost two hours in a row - FANTASTIC!!”

Video of the first three songs [KP.ru] (the audio problems had not yet been worked out) | Video of "The Look" [fancam] | Video of "Listen to Your Heart" [fancam] | Video of "Spending My Time" [fancam] | Video of "How Do You Do"/"Dangerous" [fancam] | Video of "Joyride" [fancam]

Fridapeeples and Roxtexanet contributed to this article. 

94 comments

DEFAULT_GREEN said on :

I don’t know... it seems that they key is to high and marie’s voice is going to crack glass... I also found the same problem on the new cd especially in speak to me

And the stage is a HUGE dissapointment!!!!! Marie can hardley move around anymore and there is NOTHING else to look at execept a stationary wallaper at the back... the story about they want to focus more on the music is a load of crap... they did not want to spend the money... I am taking someone to the live concert and this will be there first concert experience... what a dissapointment it will be ... they might as well let everyone sit on the grass and not have a stage at all...

It is a world tour and everything about this comback is becoming a dissapointment... b-side cd release and now a Kurt Darren (If you don’t know who that is look him up) stage for a world tour...

DEFAULT_GREEN said on :

and for crying out loud... get marie a lyrics screen so that she has something to look at when she forgets! I feel so sorry for her and it must be embarassing for her if she forgets the lyrics... why don’t they help her with a kareoke tv build in the stage like alot of other artist are doing!

Heidi van Rensburg said on :

DEFAULT GREEN you clearly do not know much about Roxette do you? And I really do not want to start a negative back and forth argument here!!
Roxette is now a vintage band; one can not expect the same performance from them as in 95 or 2001 for goodness sake! Marie has had a life threatening disease, fought to beat it and is trying to give back to the fans what they’ve been dreaming about for so long. What does it matter if she forgets a chorus line here and there? The performance is still great!
Marie’s voice is super - there is nothing wrong with it, yes it has matured like everyone’s does (believe it or not) but she still sings bloody fine!
All I’m saying is give them a break; look past the stuff that most expect nowadays like the massive screens, the dancers, the artists on stage with no clothes on etc etc.
This is about great pop/rock music; nothing else and if you are a true Roxette fan then you will go to the concert and enjoy the performance of two great musicians.
You must be a fellow South African....To compare them or the stage to Kurt Darren & his stage is silly really. (REALLY) Roxette is a legendary band & if you don’t know this they’ve sold 1 million cd units in the country alone (do you have any idea how many cd’s that is!!!) so hey it’s your choice if you want to go to the concert with a negative attitude or to go with a positive one and enjoy what is a miracle in itself.
I am going to go to the concerts to listen to some fantastic music!

joyrider said on :

@Default_Green: Right (in 1 point), it would be better for her to have a little orientation with a “teleprompter” for the parts she isn’t that save anymore. But maybe the reason for not having one is because she can not read properly anymore? I don’t think she feels embarressed, and she shouldn’t feel at all!! She’s doing great! If you look at some of the pictures from last night, you can see how proud she looks at the audience.

A screen in the back or at the sides with live-camera (or even crazy clips like they had on RS-tour) would have been a nice “visual encore”, though.

However, I am so looking forward to the Götheborg-show!

Kiwein1 said on :

@DEFAULT_GREEN: You really missed an important fact... Marie HAD a lyrics screen in Moscow last year and things went even worse than before. That’s why she doesn’t use and want it anymore. And then: Give her time to get in shape. She isn’t who she was anymore and during NOTP we learned that she needs some time and shows to feel better and secure on stage. Everything will be fine!
——————————–
www.marie-fredriksson.com www.planet-roxette.com www.roxetteblog.com

Dude said on :

Anyway, doing this tour is a risk. It is not only the “fans” attending the concerts these days, with the new album and sort of a comeback they are in focus of the media and yellow press and lots of new audience will be at the concerts. People spending lots of money for the shows, so they expect an up-to-date and good performance (and stage...), and I fear most of the people won´t be tolerant enough to excuse the forgotten lyrics and mistakes like in the Listen to your heart snippet... Personally, I don´t need a bombastic stage, but Roxette is and will never be Lucinda Williams or Neil Young, who are able to do it without too much glitter with more deepness in their songs, but Roxette is just a power pop band. Maybe someone should have protect Marie from doing this and being judged hard by parts of the audience for her problems.

It is not my personal attitude to critizize the whole thing, but I hope Marie and the band too are tight enough to get through this tour.

Wicf said on :

I guess most people know that the woman part of Roxette has gone through brain cancer... so they should be tolerant. It’s really sad that she’s got so many problems on stage, but as we learned from NOTP or the 2010 minitour, it’s gonna get better ;-) But I really wish Marie hadn’t sung some parts in falsetto, we all know she can do it better (LTYH on the CS bonus disc is a good example). She needs our support, not negative comments. I still think she’s very brave undertaking this world tour

Roxerally said on :

I see we have the ‘moaning whinging people’ on this section of the forum also...

There is bound to be some teething problems in the opening gigs, it can only be expected, but I am sure those ‘true fans’ in the crowd couldn’t care less about the little inappropriate things like Marie forgetting her lyrics at times. It takes time to build up your confidence; you only have to look back over the NOTP performances to see how strong Marie became as the shows went on. Those who judge on just one show are somewhat pathetic.

I love the background, same as last year, simple choice but very effective!

Marie is an astonishing woman who has come through so much over the years; she must have a lot of strength to do what she is doing over the coming months with this tour and the amount of travelling involved. I was one of the lucky ones centred on the second row for the Amsterdam come back in 2009 and to say that night was magical was something else, the emotion felt from the other fans and also from Per, Marie and the band was stirring and if you were there then perhaps you could grasp why seeing Marie on the stage again almost two years later embarking on a world tour is just simply amazing if not breathtaking.

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pwbbounce (moderator) said on :

I’m not going to comment on the above for fear of saying something I shouldn’t!

BUT: I hope that these comments don’t get back to Marie - don’t forget Per read’s TDR sometiems. I’m sure he wouldn’t tell Marie what ’fans’ were saying, but it could still get back to her...

Things will improve, like it’s been said above.

One more thing: Any pictures from the show online yet???

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fridapeeples said on :

36 pics here : http://www.tatar-inform.ru/photo/2011/03/01/954/16351/#hl

starts at the last pic, the link to click back is underneath :-)

jag vill känna tro

fridapeeples said on :

also, who needs a teleprompter when you have your own personal Per looking out for you http://vk.com/video3239337_159352540
;-)

jag vill känna tro

joyrider said on :

1:0 for you ;-)

DEFAULT_GREEN said on :

oh my word you guys can jump on your horses quickly... no one is saying anything bad about marie... I actually feel sorry that se is not getting help...

as regards to the stage... U2 is an OLD VINTAGE band and their new stage was AMAZING (and I don’t even like U2)... so OLD and VINTAGE does not have to mean boring! The stage looks boring, it looks like any local artist in my country would do... and they are an INTERATIONAL band!

I don’t care if Per reads these coments... they are not perfect and can make mistakes... any newcomer that goes to the concert that have been to other international concerts before will be bored with the stage... why do I want to look at a picture of them at the background when the are standing right infront of me to look at...

anyway... sorry that I have high expectation for an interantional group

pwbbounce (moderator) said on :

Thanks for the pics! The audience wasn’t very lively! ha ha

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DEFAULT_GREEN said on :

@fridapeeples OMW that is a priceless moment :)

frankie said on :

i‘ll be very careful in how i put this but to those who can find nothing better to do than put negative rubbish about these concerts - SHUT THE F*** UP- unless you can do better.
it‘s a miracle that these are going ahead and i can‘t praise Marie enough for her strength and courage.
both Marie and Per deserve our support, not rubbish comments.

Roxwriter said on :

LOL - AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW how sweet when PER helps out MARIE with Listen To Your Heart!

The poor thing, she’s trying SO hard... and Per steps in to guide her... bless her! Such a sweet moment... that could’ve easily remained a cringeworthy incident lol

Hey, she’s trying!

Dude said on :

@frankie: it is not putting rubbish, it is a try to be objective and not to see the world through super-fan rose coloured glasses. This is an ability some should go for. They decided to do the big thing in big arenas all over the world, so they have to go with criticism as anyone else. And most of the people paying 60 Euros or what will expect something for the money. Most of the ones have been to the concert yesterday won´t arguing it was one of the first concerts of the tour so it is ok to have a bad sound and mistakes, they want a proper show as anyone else in the upcoming shows, me too.

Lennon said on :

I think it is okay to criticise music or a performance. Anyone releasing something to the public must be able to deal with negative responses. The only thing I do not understand: Why do these critics often lack any respect for the artists? Did you REALLY expect Marie jumping around or doing stage-diving? And would you really expect for any band, that their first concerts of a tour are already perfect? Roxette are not Lady-Gaga, so it seems obvious to me that they do not use big show-elements. Marie survived a serious illness and finds her way back now. I even would appreciate and support this for ANY artist, because it deserves respect – even if I would criticise a performance or would not like the music.

I am not able to judge about the quality of this particular concert by seeing these few snippets, so I will wait until June to see them live by myself in my country. I am happy that they are back and that they are encouraged enough to do this tour, in spite of all those doubters, sceptics and croakers being around. I am looking forward to this event!

Heidi van Rensburg said on :

I think Per is a great guy for doing this! They obviously know that there will be hiccups here and there; that is to be expected of course and I think they do have back up plans in place in case something like this happens like Helena and Per guiding her in the right direction.
Can you guys imagine how scared and nervous Marie was last night!!!! Anyone who has performed live on stage in front of people will know the nerves can make you physically ill. And this is in front of the world stage again!
I am just saying everyone had a glimpse of Roxette 2010 during the mini tour so If you did not like what you saw then why are you buying tickets for the 2011 world tour???
I also believe that the performance will get better and Marie will have the self confidence back after the first couple of concerts. I am excited and I am loving Charm School!!!

colby1982 said on :

To make my position clear, I think that for Marie to even be on the stage in how own way is a fucking miracle, the fact that she can sing in English still is amazing, on top of that she has gone and made a new album with Mr G, which 9 years ago no-one at all thought it would happen, if Lady Gaga (looks like a madonna reject) had Cancer to the severaity that Marie had it I can tell you because of her egomatic attitude that she has now,,she would never get that confidence, I think that instead of slagging Marie off for afew errors which for the record English is NOT her first language and has had to learn it again after having a piece of her brain removed try to be more supportive, she is a miracle in her own right, and at least she can sing unlike alot of the artists today that Mime.

As for about Per, I look at them on stage and do you know everytime that he has been on there with her since she went back on stage, he has always been supportive of her, like an your protective brother, and it is a beautiful thing to see, and if im honest and im not ashamed to admit that it actually moves me to see it, as he realised as you can tell by the interviews since that he almost lost a sister (not that she is but he will feel that way from how he says things)

In the recent interviews P stated that it was Marie’s choice to come back and to do concerts which will be going on until after Christmas, she made the choice, not P, even thouhgh she had her own doubts she decided to do it for the fan’s, the people who have supported her all the way through her horrible ordeal, not the people who slag her off because she fucks up afew words in the concerts, when she came onto the concert P did when she came back to perform IMHBL and LTYH, she was a shell of the women she use to be, but the fact is she has got stronger because she felt the love from us dedicated fans,

So before you critise think carefully because to be honest you hurt alot of people’s feelings and she has alot of fans that love her,

P.S. sorry admin for the swearing, Im just saying how I feel about it, if you need me to edit or you want to then please do so :-)
C.P.FREDRIKSSON

Miami said on :

Oh, such a lovely moment when Per helps Marie with the lyrics! :)

I hope Per hears the critics and adds a screen to following shows. Since they look so good, why shouln’t we see them.

My opinion: critics is okay, but childish complaining is not. Where’s the difference, it’s sometimes hard to tell.

mareo said on :

@ colby1982: I basically very much agree with you.

And I think that for all those who do not like the development and progress of the shows - don’t buy tickets and don’t go to the concerts since you knew how it would be given the 2010 tour. I am not fond of wearing “everything is perfect” glasses, but I think we should be mainly supporters and not mainly critics of what Roxette does. It won’t always be perfect, but are we, any of us, perfect in what we do in life, especially (as is the case with Roxette and music), are we perfect in our jobs? Always? I do have to perform in public as a teacher at the university and I make many mistakes (especially when I’m not speaking my mother tongue), so what? Should I hide myself and never leave home or should I face life?

bradhdyd said on :

I don’t have a problem with the stage, vocals etc. I think its just awesome to be getting all this (hooray!) But I must say that the stage for the New Year’s Eve concert was rather awesome.....(although I guess rather expensive looking and impractical to move about on tour). Anyhoo, can’t wait for the next show!!!!! :)

latterobert@gma... said on :

as it comes for the stage in warsaw for new years, it was from Polsat, and Roxette was a guest,
it is so great to see roxette back, and i think people love them the concert sell well
so be happy cant wait to see them

robert owczarek-latte

DEFAULT_GREEN said on :

Let me put it this way and maybe some of you will understand my point better:

No one is saying bad things about Marie here. She did a great job.

My point is that I have to fight for Roxette when I tell Other people I like their music... whenever they do something I tell them see I told you it would be great... but I am sorry I cant say that it will be a great show with regards to the multimedia experience that goes with the songs... In other words the Candy that comes with the show is just not there...

I am not comparing Kurt Darren’s music with there’s I am comparing THIS stage with his stages... basicaly the same... music with a bunch of lights going on and off... nothing special.. please READ my comments.

If you are someone who just seen the U2 concert and then this one... this one will be a BIG letdown... cause a big part of the live experience is also the stage and the setup and they eye candy... otherwise they might as well have just sat down and sang... if it was not important... it looks like a cheap production for a stage, which is a letdown and disspointing... I cant understand why Per would be ok with just something OK... it can only be a money issue I suppose.

roxulikeababy said on :

Funny, I was actually thinking yesterday, when I knew Roxette would be getting on the stage soon, that I was glad I wasn’t going to the very first show of the tour, because I knew they would take some time to work out the bugs in the show. Of course the first one isn’t going to be perfect. Let’s give them some time to hit their stride and be appreciative of the music these ingenious people have brought us over the last 25 years.

Re: the simplicity of the stage setup, I actually appreciate it...HOWEVER, as one who will be traveling from the US to Europe this summer to attend (I’ve never seen Roxette live and I have no intention of missing them altogether if they don’t end up coming here)...it would break my heart to travel all that way, then be stuck way in the back of the stadium and not at least to have a big screen for a closer view of what’s going on on the stage. I know it would make the tour more complicated & expensive (extra crew for setup, cameras, etc.) but I deeply feel this is a major oversight or a poorly judged decision.

That being said...see you in Sofia!! and Berlin!!

Sunshine is a lady who rox u like a baby!

gessle-addict said on :

Even Per had a better stage during his ’Händig man’ tour. Let alone GT 25. I think it’s not necessary to keep up with artists like U2 or Lady Gaga, but something like what Per did in 2004 would do. Sadly, everything regarding the comeback is low budget.

PolicarpoAroca said on :

As I predicted, they use the same stage with that horrible old picture of them behind, and an ugly red cloth to hide the instruments in the stage. This is totally unbereable in a concert production of 2011. I´m not asking Marie to jump and getting mad at the stage, ´cos that it´s not possible nowadays. But it is clearly possible to launch a modern stage, with screens behind them and other materials that would make all the spectacle more attractive. It´s my humble opinion.

PolicarpoAroca said on :

Gessleaddict: that´s correct. The answer for this is exactly that: lowbudget. If they don´t do promotion, at least make your concerts attractive to earn money. But come on...this is just rubbish. And one thing more: they haven´t included Speak to me in the track list because I´m quite sure Marie is not able to get the high notes recorded in the studio version of that song. Simple and sad like that.

Wicf said on :

@PolicarpoAroca: That’s not the best explanation, since it’s not that hard to change the key, is it? I’m sure this song will appear on the list later...

kriszta said on :

I want see and hear Roxette,and don’t want show effects!If I want show i will going to circus!Some groups make bad music,they want sell themselves with big show!
ROX ON!!!

roxulikeababy said on :

@kriszta: I agree. If I go to a Roxette show, I want to see Roxette. Screens please!!

fridapeeples said on :

For those who are interested in the concert - Spending My Time...ELECTRIC! http://vkontakte.ru/video3128605_159311960

jag vill känna tro

mareo said on :

About “Spending my time”: I love this version, I can only imagine it after a few shows when they make it almost perfect and in a HQ video... would be awesome!

ncurran said on :

As far as my opinion goes, I sit somewhere in the middle. I am not concerned about Marie forgetting lyrics. Her confidence will grow and the show will get better as the tour progresses. I don’t see it as any big accident that they are starting the tour in obscure eastern european cities!

I do think the staging looks a little cheap though. I don’t want a massive stage set up, but even a screen with some graphics in the background wouldve worked. This is a world tour....and as someone said if Per could afford a better stage for en haendig man, why not for a roxette world tour? I don’t care that much personally.....I know I’ll still love the show and I can’t wait, but it does look rather cheap.

joyrider said on :

Maybe we should take it as a “Club Tour”, only in bigger venues ;-) It’s always a matter of ’how’ you look at things, isn’t it?

Roxerally said on :

Really enjoying the photos, the band look so happy!

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fridapeeples said on :

How Do You Do!/Dangerous http://vkontakte.ru/video26593049_160038243
Joyride (clip) http://vkontakte.ru/video5833191_159399073

jag vill känna tro

coyboyusa said on :

you know i kinda wonder if what we’re seeing isn’t her forgetting but perhaps being frustrated. I mean she’s no dinosaur, she’s still rather you and what has happened to her has robbed her of some things that made marie an intergral part of roxette..her range and her ability to interact vibrantly with a crowd. She still seems very uncertain where her range is now...the pace the ” new band” plays some of the songs doesn’t seem to help. And i think to the monitors she uses in both her ears don’t work right it’s almost as if they cut out at times and she goes flat...it’s not reall her fault. And i’m gonna chalk up what some people are posting to fan frustration. I think we all wanted them back bigger. HAND was supposed to be thier big ” comeback” and it fell flat thanks to emi and no tour. RS was a great tour with well I’ll say it a mediocre album. Now you have a fairly strong album, a world tour, but a very minimalist approach that some peopel just can’t grow accustomed to. And oh the whole u2 thing, bono almost ended up paralyzed thanks to that” awesome” stage they have so scre you in even suggesting anything like that for roxette

so say we all

ncurran said on :

U2 is a completely different kind of band from Roxette....really don’t think you can compare them. I would’ve prefered a little more effort into the stage.....maybe a screen at the back with some graphics, old clips and photos, etc.....something along the lines of what they had for the Room service tour. Not particularly expensive or extravagant, but it would look less cheap than a curtain at the back of the stage. I’m really not too fussed about it though.....the music is much more important really and I really can’t wait for the (so far) 2 gigs I plan to go to in Berlin and Gothenburg.
I was really happy to read on Roxetteblog that they have rehearsed 40 songs and plan to vary the setlist too in different countries....and that they want to extend the tour into Australia and North America.....and of course I’m still desperately holding out for a UK date or 2!!

Lars-Erik_Olson (moderator) said on :

MODERATOR’S NOTE: While we appreciate a lively discussion, we remind everyone that while it is OK to disagree with someone else’s opinion, it is NOT OK to make that into some kind of personal attack. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. Be nice to each other. – LEO

Mr_Floppy said on :

I can tell you that they tried out the teleprompter thing in Moscow last year (a few days of rehearsel with it before) and it went totally wrong. Marie was to much concentrated on it, forgetting everything else around her. That gig wasn’t that great. So they decided to do it without it again and I can tell you that St. Petersburg was one of the best gigs I have ever seen (since 1991).

CoyRoy said on :

@ The Moderators of this “fan”site: Thanx for taking out my remark - guess I’m not entitled to MY opinion, hey? Democracy rules!!!!!!!!

Anyway - I think the BEST thing we can all do is just ENJOY everything!! Enjoy Marie - even if she does forget the lyrics - we’re gonna have to deal with it, it will NEVER change. She can’t just snap her fingers and Wha-Wha - everything is back to normal again. I see on the “Listen To Your Heart” clip, Marie thanx the fans for singing the lyrics for her. Let’s ALL do that. I think Marie is under overwhelming stress because of this. If she relax more, then se can concentrate more on the lyrics and her movements.

Get OVER the stage guys!! It’s NOT that big-a-deal!!

Jud (moderator) said on :

It’s nice to see the good ol’ TDR forum activity back.. NOT!

I won’t write anything else of what is going on in my head here (I did somewhere else anyway) because Lars will moderate me if I do ;)

Just a suggestion to the positive-good-mood-gang: breathe in, breathe out and don’t react to the comments with more negativeness, write the positive you have in mind instead :)

@fridapeeples lovely! ♥

We have collected some more links to videos over at roxetteblog... a fan has uploaded so far 3 videos on youtube with full songs.. it’s really great stuff!! Thanks to everybody sharing stuff, ROX ON! :)

___________________________
Marie Fredriksson Online
Be strong, speak true

RoXoR said on :

hmmm.... I hope Marie does not come to know of this discussions... she is still sooooooo good, even better than during crash boom bang and room service in my oppinion, but it all depends on her self confidence... why didn’t they start the tour in a country where the people are known for their enthusiasm, like Brazil, etc.
By the way, do you think that Marie and Helena sound good together?
Love to see Roxette in spring!!!

One Wish said on :

anybody know how many audience/ fans came to roxette´s first show? ;-)

Linda06 said on :

I really hope they announce UK dates soon. Marie sounds so good in those vids. I think we should give her all the encouragement she needs. It’s a miracle that she’s even able to go up on stage at all and it shows how strong a person she is for being able to do that. A lot of people probably wouldn’t have been able to.

mr jefferson said on :

@One_Wish: According to roxetteblog.com 7,000 people were attending the show.
@Everyone: What an exciting and joyful time to be a Rox fan! I for one am very grateful for what I’ve been hearing and seeing of Roxette lately. There may be the odd downer, sure, but it can never outweigh the pleasure of witnessing Marie, Per and the Band having fun on and off stage. Music is all about fun and enjoyment, and they’ve been giving us so much of this we shouldn’t pick on details. I’m happy! :)

(PS: However, I do agree with the (politely put!) comments about the lack of screens. It would indeed be better if the people in the back could see what’s happening on stage. This is indeed a shame, but the tour has only just begun... Let’s see what happens. Stay positive!)

latterobert@gma... said on :

by robert owczarek
i cant wait to see roxette, the best group ever !!!!
great selection of songs
and again tickets are sold out in Poland,
Per can you please add another gig?

Gabba77 said on :

Oh, really nice to hear an “electric” version of Spending My Time :)

But for Christ’s sake - drop that flaccid “The Look” version and bring on the bleeding guitars!
It’s a crime against music to keep playing that horrible new version of The Look! ;)

___________________
I kinda like it like that!

dariorules said on :

A true Roxette fan doesn’t care about the magnificence and/or state-of-the-art stage, we simply want to hear Marie’s beautiful voice again. She looks amazing, she can sing her heart out and I LOVE IT. Have loved them since day one. In my eyes they can do nothing less than perfect. I am a fan. And I do not compare Roxette to U2. That’s just silly. But just to give you an idea of what a fan I am, if U2 were there in the neighborhood on a stadium with their 360 stage and all that comes with it, I’d still go see Roxette nearby in a smaller auditorium just to hear Marie’s voice. U2 can put on a show.... But Marie can outsing Bono anyday. And that’s what a TRUE FAN really wants from a concert of this kind. Great GREAT music. Roxette are back and I LOVE IT

Wicf said on :

I love the new version of The Look, and Christoffer’s guitar solo just bleeds :) And I love that Beatles reference in there

echo666 said on :

I agree. I don’t really understand why they play these strange versions of The Look or Joyride....they don’t fit........I hope they have change the setlist a little bit too when they come to Gothenburg. In my opinion they should start with something else than “Dressed for Success”. And skip Big L. There are so many good songs to put in the setlist like The Rain, Almost Unreal or Run To You. And why not a song from Pearls Of Passion? Per has said (exactly like he did about the Room Service-tour) that this is some sort of a greatest hits-tour. If that is right, why always skip the first album (both on concerts and gr.hits-records)? Most of the fans will sing Neverending Love anyway, if they play it...
I might sound a little negative but I still found it fantastic that they go on tour again....it’s a guite big miracle....And yea, Speak to Me is a really strong single-candidate :)

RobS said on :

ncurran said:
“and that they want to extend the tour into Australia and North America.....”

Where was this mentioned??

EDIT: just read roxetteblog.com - great news!! the fact that they want to do it means there is more of a chance that it might just happen.

RobS said on :

Just had a listen to SMT, and damn does it sound good.

tomos85 said on :

To all about missing screens: on 2010 mini tour only two cities out of 7 didn’t have screens - it was St. Petersburg and Moscow. So I think when Rox will move to other places, the screens will be there for all people to see this concert perfectly :)

Talking about how many people attended Kazan gig - according to Expressen it was 5,500 and according to Aftonbladet it was 7,000. On the other hand organizers climed that 80% of tickets were sold - and arena holds about 10,000 people. So that was the reason that we - as RXB - picked up Aftonbladet data.

And hey, Swedish tabloids are positive about the first concert! Why not to highlight this one instead of moaning? ;-)

tomos85 said on :

And yes, it seems like Per in every latest interview wants to state that they - Roxette - want to play in North America, Australia or UK. I think he just tries to convince Live Nation’s departments in those countries that it’s worth time and energy to have Roxette on those concert-markets as well. Good strategy, Man.

For those who expected more songs I have a good news - Per said that they would add one song per continent - so now the first chance for a new song would be the first concert in Europe (as Kazan is in Asia) or the first concert in South America.

CoyRoy said on :

I always thought “Spending My Time” is the ultimate Roxette song. Can’t wait to hear them sing it nowadays.

Would be great if they could perform “Speak To Me” and “No One Makes It On Her Own”....GREAT songs

bradhdyd said on :

I agree 100% with dariorules, who cares what the stage looks like, we go to a Rox concert for Rox music.

Oh and I know the stage was Polsat’s, I just really like the cool design of it. I wouldn’t want anything more elaborate than that because it would be too distracting from the music. And impossible to transport.

You need to factor in the sheer cost of more elaborate sets, the logistics and cost of transporting them, the size limitations of some venues and the possibility of complex sets malfunctioning on the road with no one available to fix them. So then you’d have ppl complaining that they didn’t get the full stage show experience that they got in some other city.

The fact that its a basic set up probably is one of the reasons we’re getting such a large tour. I’d hate to think what it would be like transporting a U2 or Kylie or Pink style stage to 30 or w/e countries on multiple continents.

ON a side note, I just realised that being such a large tour, us fans have a lot of potential new live material coming our ways over the next few months – youtube vids, fan recordings, pics, articles, official stuff = awesome, bring it on!!

japeke said on :

Thanks for going back on tour! Awesome!

And TDR, thanks for hosting all the news the past days!

JUNROX_BR said on :

Oh My God!!! SPENDING MY TIME was amazing!!! That’s why I always loved this band for years and years! MARIE you are the most fantastic singer in the world! I’m looking forward to see you soon again in Brazil. I’m going to see 4 shows here in Brazil. I’m so pround of you! FANTASTIC!!! GOD EXISTIS!!!

CoyRoy said on :

I still pray that ONE day, Roxette will release a dvd set of all their old VHS concerts and some shows from each tour they did.

Imagine a dvd set with the following:

1. Sweden Live / Look Sharp! Live
2. Live-Ism
3. Crash! Boom! Live!
4. Live 2001
5. Live 2010
6. Live 2011

I wish....i wish.....i wish....
I can’t wait to hear Spending My Time....

This is a GREAT time to be a Roxette fan - they spoil us tremendously!!
And I keep saying this, but Marie sounds GREAT and I thank the Lord above that she’s here with us today - and I support her 10000000000% And I won’t take critisism towards Marie lightly - knowing what she’s been thru, it’s not fair to insult her. It’s inhuman and unGodly. We all know that she will never be the same, so, we have to adapt to her new circumstances as well and deal with it - She has!!

All of us can learn from Marie’s experience and enjoy the fact that she’s back - albeit a bit changed, but we must get used to it.

I agree with some of you saying that the new version of The Look is not to your taste. It’s terrible, and I won’t even say what I think about the new version of Joyride... - It’s almost as bad as Cooper. He-he-hey!!!

edufs said on :

@CoyRoy I totally agree with you. I can’t understand the reactions of some fans in this site. Maybe i’m very different, but I’m in heaven with this tour and all that is happening. Marie stills an angel, and she will get better day by day in this tour. I can’t wait for the Rio gig!

“And I keep saying this, but Marie sounds GREAT and I thank the Lord above that she’s here with us today - and I support her 10000000000% And I won’t take critisism towards Marie lightly - knowing what she’s been thru, it’s not fair to insult her. It’s inhuman and unGodly. We all know that she will never be the same, so, we have to adapt to her new circumstances as well and deal with it - She has!!”

CoyRoy said on :

@EDUFS: Thanx buddy! I may be overreacting, but it’s different critisizing someone who, for instance, hasn’t learned to count to ten because he/she is too lazy. BUT to critisize someone who actually LOST some irriplacable thing like Marie, is totally inhuman.

Yes, this world tour is rehab for Marie, and the human body has the amazing ability to heal itself, but we all know that damage to the brain is less likely to just repair itself to its former self. So, Marie did get some damage to her brain and I think she’s coping well with it. She don’t need people to make her feel like she’s “disabled”. I really take my hat off to Marie and salute her!!

bradhdyd said on :

Live DVD collection - yes please!!!

Spending my time = awesome!
OWID, SGNO = awesome!
Rox Live = AWESOME!

Thanks guys! Keep it up.

Hotblooded said on :

I have to say that video of Per helping Marie with the lyrics is so touching! It’s so nice to see him looking out for her like that. She is one brave woman to get up in front of thousands after all she has been through.

As far as the stage goes.. I saw John Mayer in Sydney last year & he only had a curtain with some lights on it not even any pictures yet it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen! I also saw U2’s 360 tour & sure I loved it but the whole stage thing was at times more of a distraction then anything else! In the end it’s all about the music, if that’s good then it doesn’t really matter what’s going on around you. For me I’m happy to just look at Marie for 2 hours & watch this miracle in action : )

Whilst we would all like certain things to be different ie stage show, video clips, the new album etc etc... I think back to Sept 2002 & the years just after & have to pinch myself that we are getting any of this at all! It could so easily have been over.

coyboyusa said on :

actually I’d like them to offically release just 1 show in its entirety. The bonus disc to charm school was a mish mash....for once I’d liek say stockholm 2001 in it’s entirety on cd coupled with a dvd. Eh wishful thinking. not getting my hopes up about them coming to the states that was supposed to happenw ith rs....

so say we all

echo666 said on :

Spending my Time was really awesome...they play it like in the old days...I don’t care that Marie forgot the lyrics...I’m sure she will sing it better later on the tour....
I wish they could play Joyride and The Look like this too...similar to the album-versions I mean...The famous “Rox-sound”

Katya said on :

@Ncurran: “obscure Eastern European cities” is not very polite, is it? There are a lot of Russians at this forum, and I think it would be wise to respect them, even if Kazan or Yekaterinburg aren’t your favourite holiday destinations.

coyboyusa said on :

just found only when i deam and she’s got nothing on yourtube wow i mean wow she’s got nothing is just like center of the heart...it becomes an entirely different and better song live and only when i dream rocks...ugh i am envious of people in other countries sometimes :(

only whne i dream is in here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db0RJIiZ9a4

she’s got nothing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJOp3wWV92M

so say we all

One Wish said on :

hmm, i don´t understand, why isn´t sgno in the swedish-charts? -isn´t the song release as single their or why? :-/ thx 4 answer

latterobert@gma... said on :

the stage, the stage is simple because Marie cannot run on the stage anymore as we know why.

maybe the stage should be bit better but is it why we are going there? we are going for the music not for the stage, only few funs seen the stage, i didnt
and it is a chance to see roxette again, we thought 2 years ago that it would never happen, we have roxette on tour and you people are unhappy
i hope we can see roxette even 10 years from today more albums

roxette
rocks!!!!

robert owczarek-latte

seba said on :

I agree with kriszta.

If I go to a concert I don’t need a great stage or some people dancing. All I want is to listen to the concert.
Many artists hide their lack of talent with big effects, dancing, coreography and old kinds of stuff. If you are good enough you don’t need all that.

CoyRoy said on :

I can tell you guys ONE thing: Let’s say Roxette do put on a HUGE stage with dancers and half-naked peolpe running around, i can PROMISE you, more and more fans will have even more and more negative reactions to that.

So...why don’t you get something else to complain about!! First it’s the single, then it’s the album, then it’s Marie’s voice, then it’s B-side songs put together as an album, then it’s the album cover, then it’s Marie’s movements, then it’s the stage.....Where the hell is this going to end?????

By the way - what have YOU done lately that is so mind-blowing??

How is GLOBAL WARMING coming along?

mareo said on :

Hey CoyRoy, didn’t you know that we, the fans, are absolutely impeccable in everything we do in live? You should’ve known that:))))

Now seriously, following your list: I love the single, I love the album, I love Marie’s voice, the cover is OK, Marie’s movements are what they should be given what we know, the stage is OK... and seeing Roxette live will be awesome... espacially hearing Spending my time, Radio, Only when I dream, Nox... What can I say? “Why isn’t there a concert in Spain” is the only thing I can think of... Maybe in autumn!

CoyRoy said on :

Oh yea, Mareo, I forgot....you’re right! Hahaha

I LOVE Spending My Time - the BEST Roxette song ever!! Would love to hear the new songs too.... I’m sure Spain will happen, just be patient.

Heidi van Rensburg said on :

I am only now really looking at the fan cam clips....Marie singing perfect day perfectly. Things will never be the same...chills down my spine especially the ironic words that was then this is now....things will never be the same....Marie’s voice is superb. The big L nice!!! Wish i could fly...the first few intro sounds by Marie...wow wow wow that voice! Great! I can only imagine what must go through her mind. Only when I dream!!! Oh my God!!!!
Roxette I am astonished!!! Can’t wait to see you live in Cape Town!! The performance will only get better and Marie will get the confidence back to fully go out and kick ass! Per Gessle and the rest of the band is superb!

CoyRoy said on :

Off topic = Does anybody know what car Marie has?? I know she doesn’t drive herself, but what car does she and her hubby own??

I can’t find a clip of “Only When I Dream” - will check tomorrow again.

Nico Duva said on :

Who cares when Marie forgets a line? It ’s a Godgiven miracle to have her back on stage! Says someone who is watching the videos from Russia with upcoming tears in his eyes....
I think it ’s not fair to compare 2011 with a long time ago. I went to Roxette in Rotterdam in 1994 at the age of 39, togeher with my oldest son, then aged 14. We both visited quite a few Roxette-concerts since then. But we get older: I’m 55 now and my oldest son 31 and we’ll be going to Berlin next June, this time joined by my second son, now aged 27, who joined us to NOTP 2009 in Arnhem. Who said anything about a generation-gap ?? I still scream as loud as in 1994, but I don’t jump that high anymore. Why should Marie?
Why should there be a “superstage” with all kinds of (distracting) technical stuff? We went to Hamburg in 2009 (Gessle over Europe) and there ’s nothing wrong with a “simple setup”; it ’s the music - and not to forget those who bring it - that counts!
By the way: I ’ve never met an artist who is more “accessible” to fans as Per. Before the 2009- gig in Hamburg he appeared in a mall and stayed longer than planned untill the last fan had a change to get an autograph. And after the show he appeaered “frontstage” to give autographs. Don’t think Lady Gargle Gargle would do that...
Every period has it’s own highlights. Roxette 2011 can not be an exact copy of Roxette in the 90 ’s of the last century. Charm School is not Tourism or CBB, but it ’s Roxette and that ’s all that counts, at least for me!
Per has never stopped making his own music, in many different styles and in English as well as in Swedish. I don’t care and just sing along!Having Marie back on stage with Per after what she ’s been through is nothing more then a prayer being heard an something to be mighty thankfull for.
So let’s all enjoy what’s coming to us this year and as I hope in the years to come!

Rox- fan build 1955....

Raëlian said on :

I have to wait until April to attend a concert myself. But, judging from what I’ve seen in youtube, I can’t say I liked what I’ve seen.
- Marie missing the lyrics... I can’t say I enjoy it, I’d prefer a flawless performance. But we all knew that could happen, so I can live with that.
- I agree with Default_Green: the whole show looks cheap, somehow. The stage could be better. Not in a U2-way (that’s slightly overwhelming and over the top), but some screens, something to add an extra value to the music. I am paying a full-price ticket (and it’s not cheap, indeed) so I expect something 100% professional in return. The visual aspect is also important.
- The moderator’s attitude here is frankly ridiculous. First they say everybody’s entitled to have an opinion. But there’s also a hidden message of “stay possitive, any attemp to be critical will be discouranged and/or ignored”. That’s what I call double standards.

CoyRoy said on :

@Raelian: Yes, it’s MY message they “blocked” or moderated, but it’s okay.
I’ll get what I want in the end anyways. There are many ways to skin a cat!

Frankly, I think they should close this comment section anyway, it serves NO good - it’s the Devil’s playmate. But they also know that in doing so, their website will die a slow, painful death. It’s DEFINATELY not the colourful design and exciting layout of this site that holds it together. Neither is it the BRAND NEW information we get from them, days after Per announce it on Facebook.

I must agree with you on some of your points. It was not fun seeing Marie struggling with the lyrics. I think the best thing for her is to get with the program, and just relax. Nerves can be devastating. I think Marie concentrate maybe too much on the lyrics. I sometimes do the same. When you stress about a certain thing too much, your brain goes numb and lets you down. Haha.
I don’t know on what basis she works nowadays. I think she should take all their old recordings and listen to the songs over and over again, whilst reading the lyrics and learn it like you learn a parrot. Maybe she does that, i have NO idea. It’s just a simple suggestion. It’s what I’m doing with every new cd I buy. I take the lyrics and listen to the songs over and over, until I have the lyrics. Not because I’m a singer, but I do like to sing along. Hehehehe

On the CBB tour they also had this “simple” stage with just a blocked cloth in the back. I don’t see why THIS tour’s stage is such a big problem. But I can understand the complaints too. I’m not ignorant. I do think a video screen will do the trick, that way all the people can see the show. But I also know video screens probably cost a lot to transport. But is the STAGE the problem, or are the problem with us as fans? Are we complaining with a champagne bottle and caviar under our arms???

Roxette is not a big an act as some other acts, and I think EMI would spend more money on their stage if they were a bigger act. Dunno...I think it’s silly complaining about the stage now. I wonder what will be next on the “Complaints List”.

I can’t wait to go see Roxette in South Africa!!!! This is the best year of my life!!!
Been waiting 20 years to see them live

Jud (moderator) said on :

I don’t know if you didn’t read that or it was posted somewhere else (so many sites and FB :)).
Rox had big screens on ALL concerts last summer except in the 2 Russian ones. So maybe it’s the same this time. We’ll just wait and see :)

7Twenty7 rocks big time! And so do the other 2 new songs. Amazing rocking show they are delivering. And I tell you, it’s even better when you are standing in front, surrounded by 19291732 fans, jumping and singing along. And Marie’s voice is better than ever. YAY!

___________________________
Marie Fredriksson Online
Be strong, speak true

pwbbounce (moderator) said on :

Raelian, We had good reason to moderate comments the other day. The rules for being able to self-post/self-publish are still the same as when we had our SmallTalk forum open. Homophobic remarks will NOT be tolerated! Personal insults will NOT be tolerated here either. If you don’t agree with someone’s comments, just ignore it. There is no need to personally insult people!

******************
facebook.com/pwbbounce
twitter.com/TheRealPWB

Jud (moderator) said on :

oj oj, that was brave Paul ;)
___________________________
Marie Fredriksson Online
Be strong, speak true

Kiwein1 said on :

Reading your comments I realize that I must be a true fan. Reading complaints about the stage I must admit that if this was any other artist’s stage and performance I’d probably complain about it as well. The thing is: I pay 60 or more Euro to see a 90 minutes or 2 hour show and all I get is two singers not moving much, just singing. No screens, no effects, no dancers, nothing special about the show. I don’t expect a huge show when I pay 30 Euro or 40 Euro for a ticket - most often artists who aren’t well known cost about 30 Euro in Germany. So when I went to see Aimee Mann in Cologne some years ago I knew it would be her and her band and some guitars and nothing else. Just her voice and her songs. But when it comes to paying 60 Euro or more I certainly expect some entertainment - more than just to hear the songs. Best example is Tina Turner’s show in 2000 or 1996. This was just WOW and breathtaking, but the tickets were VERY expensive as well.
But in this case I somehow don’t care. I don’t need screens, dancers or special effects. The most special effect is to be there and be part of this miracle. It’s just a pity that non-fans will attend the shows and I can promise that some of them will be disappointed because they expected a dancing Marie or whatever. *I* don’t care about it.

——————————–
www.marie-fredriksson.com www.planet-roxette.com www.roxetteblog.com

Jud (moderator) said on :

60 Euro? I must say I have no clue what I have paid for the tickets so far... just know that Bryan Adams in Berlin costs the same and I doubt he comes with dancers or starts dancing himself...
To me all this show-around-a-concert was always a way to hide the weaknesses of a band live, with some exceptions (Pink? U2?) but still, in many cases that’s the deal.

I have just looked at Eventim and I see that prices for “normal” shows are approx 50-60, if you want some more entertainment tickets cost a lot more, just saw for example Metallica starting at 71 euro.... I don’t remember U2 tickets at 60 Euro for a LONG time.

Anyway, it might have to do with the kind of shows Rox had until now that you are all so upset. If they had had “simple” concerts like Aimee or Melissa Etheridge do since they started going on tour, it would be normal for everybody to see Rox in such a set-up. Times have changed, they have changed, I still don’t know why they shouldn’t tour like that if they want to and people pay for that, it’s not like they aren’t selling any tickets ;)

And the show is good, one cannot tell me that it’s boring or whatever, they have powerful guitars and drums and all and of course, their hits.

Oh, and I just realised Texas is on tour :O *me goes and checks the dates*

__________________________
Marie Fredriksson Online
Be strong, speak true

Kiwein1 said on :

It’s a boring show when you expect more than you get. I paid 35 Euro for Pink and got one of the best shows EVER. Of course, Rox won’t do that and I really don’t care about it, but if you can’t or don’t want to move much you should definitely offer some screens or effects IMHO. But I am not upset. As I said before: for me it’s full of special effects, just because it’s a miracle.

——————————–
www.marie-fredriksson.com www.planet-roxette.com www.roxetteblog.com

Jud (moderator) said on :

35 for Pink?
I think the price policy in Germany is very different to Austria. Tickets didn’t go below 60 here... I think I paid 75 or 80 for my seats :O

Yes, Pink show was amazing, but that is also what she is selling since she started. I wonder if the next tours will include her acrobatics and flying over the stage after her injure and now being a mum.... I won’t find it weird or disappointing or whatever if she changes that. I loved Sober, but if I have to choose, I prefered the acoustic part(s).. Mr President and the others, her chatting and improvising, taking the teddys (no! the frogs or?), cheerios (or whatever that is she love) from the audience and taking posters from the audience to sign them in the middle of a song.

But again, that’s me, MUSIC is all about it. I have enough with 1 person playing the guitar and singing, or a full band of course, this is why I enjoy going to jazz clubs or to small club concerts, it’s this inmediate communication and reaction artist-audience.
One of the most amazing concerts I’ve ever seen was with Two Gallants, it’s really just 2 guys on stage, one guitars, one drums, sometimes they had a 3rd doing percussion. And their voices. And they gave a damn good concert. I think they didn’t even have a background photo but a black back ground ;)

Ah well, whatever. My suggestion is for those who haven’t seen them live yet, just go to the concert and then decide if you like it or not. If you don’t good for your pocket - if you do, bad for your pocket because you’ll want more ;)
___________________________
Marie Fredriksson Online
Be strong, speak true

Kiwein1 said on :

I agree - but I don’t when I have paid 60 Euro or more.
——————————–
www.marie-fredriksson.com www.planet-roxette.com www.roxetteblog.com

CoyRoy said on :

@pwbbounce: I’m a HOMO myself, bru!!! I was insulting the local South African singers. And if you knew what was going on here, you’d understand more.

If you are all disappointed with Roxette’s shows, then sell your tickets on Ebay and forget about it. It’s no biggie.

Miami said on :

I don’t long for any special effects, but screen would be more than nice for those whose seats are far from the stage. But what I miss is the communication between the band members and especially between Per and Marie during the songs. Of course communicating with the audience is also important, but P & M really playing together makes the atmosphere warm and special. But I guess that has a lot to do with the audience too, that the artists can feel themselves relaxed etc.

Miami said on :

Just finished watching the last one of Olga’s videos. I really don’t mind at all if Marie forgets some lyrics, the songs become even more beautiful when Per’s helping her out with his singing like 1:12 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GIwoPw8JFw&feature=related

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