Sweden Rock Festival 2001, day 1

Friday June 8th. I'm off to the festival, sharing a van with the Manny Charlton Band. I watch them play before I move on to the WASP press conference where Blackie shows up alone. He answers the questions asked and is just as gorgeous as ever. He doesn't sign many autographs nor posing for photos other than those taken at the conference. He's about to jump straight into the white limo waiting for him when I gather the nerves to ask him if I can have a photo taken with him - he says yes!! My friend Rickard Nilsson from Bildbyrån take it and off Blackie goes (I don't have to tell you anything about the killing looks I get from just about anyone present)! I'm happy and Rickard is a great photographer so I'm sure it's a good picture..

Food's next on the plan. Hanging out with Daniela and her boyfriend Pär. Seeing one of my oldest friends, Pekka - now this is what festivals are all about - meeting lost and distant friends, swap e-mail adds and phonenumbers :-) Then the scheduled Network Of Wild Ones meeting in front of the Rockstage at 20.00 pm. Lasse and I are the only ones meeting up, which meant he was forced to drink the free beers I brought, all alone :-) By the way, got introduced to Don Dokken and his ladyfriend in the VIP-tent. Very nice!

Saw WASP play, I loved it. Lots of tracks from my favorite album "The Crimson Idol" - and not that much blood and no gore at all. Abso-fucking-lutley fantastic!

Gary Moore was headlining but because of the freazing cold weather I just had to get indoors and Daniela & Pär drove me back to the hotel. The three tunes I saw was alright, but I still feel the blues thing is wrong at a hard rock festival. At another place Gary would have ruled, but here - no, I'm sorry. It didn't work out for me.

Unfortunately no-one I've talked to was pleased with the gig. But Jenny, who arranged all the artist's transports was more than happy cause she got a long conversation with him and moved several steps closer to a radiointerview she's been asking for a long time... :-)