Tag: a-ha

Konsertinformasjon

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Oooh.

a-ha topp2

Incoming:

Konsertinformasjon a-ha lørdag 7. mai

Når a-ha sin legger turnéavslutningen til Bergen lørdag 7. mai vil konserten reflektere bandets fantastiske karriere med et bredt utvalg a-ha sine største og viktigste låter. Og de er det mange av: a-ha-katalogen er spekket med gull fra de tidlige årene med «Hunting High and Low» og «Scoundrel Days» og frem til nyere tid hvor plater som «Analogue» og «Foot of the Mountain» har sementert deres status som vårt viktigste og største band noensinne.

Bergenskonserten blir trolig en siste sjanse til oppleve a-ha på en scene i 2016. Vi gleder oss til å ta i mot Morten, Magne og Pål i Bergen lørdag 7. mai, og gi bandet en verdig avslutning på “Cast in Steel”-turnéen.

Tider: Portene åpner kl 19:30. Support dePresno kl 20:45. a-ha på scenen kl 22:15. Slutt kl 24:00.

That all looks good, although I’ll make my own decisions about what I want to do at midnight, thank you very much.

 

Is this… is this really going to happen?

Support

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Given my history with attending a-ha concerts in Norway (or rather not attending a-ha concerts in Norway), each time something pops up in my email regarding the Bergen gig, I get slightly panicky. There has been much time, effort, money and emotion invested in our upcoming trip. Plans must not go astray. And, to be honest, there’s no reason why they should.

Here is one of those missives, via a-ha.com and their Facebook page. But it’s news news, rather than bad news.

The first support act for the evening – I say “first”, because there will be more:

We will make a proper party in Bergen. We are working to put in place an international “mystery” entertainers that people have heard about.

Anyway, the first support act for the evening has been announced. And he are dePresno.

No. Me neither.

depresno

Apparently, he is/was a finalist in a Norwegian singing show, which seems akin to Idols or The Voice. It’s called Urørt which means “Untouched”. He looks like a cross between Ed Sheeran and Thom Yorke here, although there’s also elements of Alfred E. Neuman from MAD magazine and a hint of Ron Weasley in other photos. Right, I’m all out of ginger comparisons now.
And while the music coming out of those shows might not be quite my cup of tea, there’s obviously talent there.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/229715260″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Ugh. Bit R&B, ne?

Says dePresno, via Google Translate:

Both me and the band is insanely excited and very honored to have the opportunity to warm up for A-ha! It will be an amazing experience. I’m looking forward to people ocean and A-ha concert! It gets insanely fat!

People oceans and the prospect of certifiable obesity are two of the main reasons I wanted to go into the music business, so I’m right with him there.

A couple of points here. Norwegian for support act is “varmer-opp”. This pleases me.

Also, no-one goes to concerts to just see the support act. Believe me, it won’t be the end of my world if he’s a bit shit. That said, please note my comments on Chris de Burgh last weekend. Live music is live music. It’s an experience, no matter whether it’s your cup of tea or not. I will enjoy that experience.

And what comes immediately after…

“meanwhile, back at work…”

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It’s been an exhausting weekend featuring several (or more) tasks, including (but not limited to) shed building, bowl painting, pool mending and failing to buy paint.

Long story.

It’s the 6th though, and that means that a-ha are playing in Russia this evening, and if you thought that my flat-pack plastic shed was an ordeal (it wasn’t actually that bad, although the correct instruction booklet would have helped a lot), then you should be a roadie on the Cast In Steel tour.

magne

This is from Magne’s Instagram, titled: “meanwhile, back at work #hellorussia“.

Can you imagine the scenario?

“Can you pass me the 15″ spanner please, Bob?”
“Sure – where is it?”
“It’s in the black box.”
“Er… which one?”
“The one with wheels and a lid – you can’t miss it.”

And once all of that is out and set up, and the Ekaterinburg show is done tonight, it’s got to be all taken back down again, transported 944km to Kazan and all set up again for Tuesday evening’s performance there.

I hope they’ve found the spanner by then.

Magne on the final tour

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a-ha dot com have interviewed Magne ahead of the closing leg of the band’s Cast In Steel tour. He had some interesting stuff to say:

What can fans expect from the spring live show? Will there be set list and/or arrangement changes?

“Yes, there are a lot of changes made since South America. After that leg, we took a look at what new things we felt worked well overall and which things worked less well and we have added some other new songs to the roster that we have never performed before.
Plus, we are working with some new people behind the scenes for a couple of surprise-events later down the line…” (he says secretively).

It’s reassuring that even with just the European Spring tour still to run on their final tour, they’re still taking the time to get feedback and to make changes and tweaks to the show to make it (even) better. Professionalism, ne?

Also, given the band’s 30+ year history, it’s amazing to hear that they are planning to play songs which they’ve never performed before. Colour me intrigued.

The first show of the final leg is in Ekaterinburg in Russia next Sunday. Maybe we’ll know a little more after that…

Bergen & Bourbon

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The planning for Cast In Steel 2016 is now well under way. No-one is more amazed than me that it actually seems to be happening, but hotels are booked, flights are being booked and hopes are being cautiously raised. Very cautiously. We all remember what happened last time.

I’m no expert on Norway, so it’s a steep learning curve for me. But Bergen, our home for a few nights, looks ridiculously beautiful. Here’s a shot of the harbour area (and our hotel) (along with a lot of other buildings) from their tourist people:

berg

All so very pretty, but all so unfamiliar to me. Well, almost all unfamiliar, anyway. Because, hang on a sec, isn’t that our old friend (we met once on Quay 6 at the V&A Waterfront) Bourbon Clear, about halfway down that right hand side? Of course it is.
The thing with having a big, bulbous green face is that you’re not easily forgotten, nor mistaken for anyone else.

I’d not be lying if I said that the Bourbon Clear is among my top one Norwegian registered Multi-Purpose Offshore Vessels. And I see the fact that it’s moored right next to the concert venue of the Bergenhus Festning as some sort of sign. But because I’m not superstitious, I’m only seeing it as a sign that the Bergenhus Festning is right next to a harbour. That’s all.

Because my most important reader is me, more will follow on our Bergen trip plans, building to a crescendo of excitement and anticipation that can only result in the best experience or the biggest let down ever.

But I’m thinking the former this time, please. Ok?