During the late 1980s and into the ’90s, Roxette were a hit-making machine in Australia, dominating the charts and scoring number one hits with The Look, It Must Have Been Love and Joyride.
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After the tragic loss of one half of the duo, Marie Fredriksson, in 2019, frontman, songwriter and founder Per Gessle recently decided the time was right to reactivate the group for live performances, with Swedish singer Lena Philipsson replacing Fredriksson.
“When Marie passed away, I didn’t really know what to do with Roxette,” Gessle told me last week.
“Things could never be the same.
“I needed a lot of time to work things out.
“After many years I realised there was still a big interest in the band and the songs and since I wrote most of them, I felt like maybe I should do something with them.
“Lena came into the picture when she was singing with me on my latest Swedish solo album.
“I’ve known her since 1986 when I wrote the lyrics to her first big hit here in Sweden, but I never worked with her in the studio.
“She was extremely good, and I started putting two and two together.
“I told her I had this idea we could sing and play the Roxette catalogue together.
“She was, of course, extremely surprised and needed a little time to think things over.
“It is a very special position to put yourself in trying to replace Marie, but she went for it and here we are.”
Next week, Roxette make a welcome return to Australia for a national tour paying homage to their enormous catalogue of songs that serve as their legacy.
“I know by experience how a Roxette setlist should be, and how to get that ‘flow’ you’re looking for, so I couldn’t pick too many ballads or mid-tempo songs,” Gessle said.
“We have loads of those!
“At the same time, I wanted us to play stuff that we haven’t played live before and, of course, I wanted Lena to be part of the decision-making.
“I don’t want her to sing any song she doesn’t like!”
While Philipsson has given the group a new lease of life, it’s early days as to whether new music may be forthcoming in future.
“Well, at the moment it’s all about playing the old stuff,” Gessle said.
“We haven’t started a new band.
“Let’s start with some shows and see where it leads us.
“Lena’s got a very successful career in her own right so she might want to do other stuff.
“Time will tell.”
Gessle has fond memories of Roxette’s first tour of Australia back in 1991.
“We loved being in Australia,” he said.
“It felt like the perfect combination of Europe and California!
“Wonderful people everywhere and the shows were awesome.”
Keep up to date with all things Roxette at facebook.com/RealRoxette
Live review — Bryan Adams
February 15, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Canadian rocker Bryan Adams wrapped up his Australian tour last week with a second and final sold-out show at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
Now in his fifth decade of his career, Adams shows no sign of slowing down, and his show was a testament to Adams’ endless energetic performances and how his songs have etched themselves into the mass consciousness.
His two-hour plus show was a non-stop, hit-after-hit set.
Kick Ass kicked things into gear from the outset, and saw Adams firing on all cylinders for the remainder of the evening.
Newly released single Roll With The Punches showed Adams ,who is now in his 60s, still writing rock and roll anthems of the highest order.
The stage set-up was kept minimal, with a stunning visual backdrop and his three band members providing everything Adams needed to turn the arena into rock ’n’ roll central.
Adams alternated between acoustic guitar, electric guitar and bass guitar, with one of rock’s most underrated guitarists, Keith Scott, by his side, supported by drummer Pat Steward and keyboardist Gary Breit.
A segment of the show was allocated to fan requests, via a QR code, with Adams obliging with several songs.
Audience participation was all enveloping, with a remote camera bringing up live footage of the audience on the backdrop screen.
The pace was toned down midway with an acoustic segment allowing all to catch their breath, while Adams performed stripped back versions of Here I Am and When You’re Gone before the pace quickened again for another burst of hi-octane energy with songs such as Run To You and Summer of ’69 sweeping the audience into raucous sing-a-longs.
Even when the show was over, Adams wasn’t yet done, returning for a solo acoustic set encore on the other end of the arena where a makeshift stage had been set up, closing the night with Straight From The Heart and All For Love.
Adams is the supreme performer, and unparalleled as the writer of some of the most popular anthems of the past 40 years, and continues to wave the flag for good old-fashioned rock and roll.
Gary Puckett and the Union Gap tour report
Last week, I had the honour of being the opening act to the last three shows of 1960s hit makers Gary Puckett and the Union Gap’s sold-out Australian tour.
Two shows were performed at The Palms at Crown in Melbourne on Thursday and Friday, and then on Saturday I travelled to Albury’s Commercial Club for the final show of the tour.
In 1968 Gary Puckett and The Union Gap had six consecutive gold records and sold more records than any other recording act, including the Beatles, in the USA, which is quite an achievement.
Gary and band performed a brilliant 90-minute set featuring all his hits, such as Lady Willpower, Woman, Woman and Over You to name but a few, taking the audience on a wonderful trip down memory lane.
It was wonderful to see some people having travelled from the Shepparton area to see Gary at all three shows.
Thank you to Gary and the rest of the group for having me join their tour.
Fun fact
Certified as the world’s shortest song by The Guinness Book of World Records is You Suffer by English grindcore group Napalm Death, which appeared on their debut album in 1989 and clocks in at an epic 1.316 seconds in length! It has only four words: “You suffer, but why?” but you would be hard-pressed to actually hear them clearly.
Joe Matera is a local singer-songwriter, recording artist, guitarist and music journalist providing readers with all the latest music news.
Musical Musings columnist