Hockey, snow and the usual ramble

Not since Sweden lost a game in the Olympics the last time have I been able to watch ice hockey. I have been feeling physically ill just by the mention of hockey. But I did actually see the games and I am glad they pulled thru. But it's not the same thing, I was prepared to see the loose.

Where I live we don't usually have any snow. I mean a few storms here and there but not much more. This winter everything has changed. We've had snow and cold weather more or less since Christmas Day. We still have about 3 inches of snow. It's crazy. But I guess the plants needs it...

100 days left for the Sweden Rock Festival. On Wednesday we'll announce the last headline and I am sure people will be pleased. I am pleased already cause we have Journey.
Journey!!!

Having a birthday celebration for a 18-year old on Saturday. First I thought I'd just leave it to it, not to bother. But to be honest - she won't eat anything - no matter whom prepared the food and the cakes so I can do it. There's nothing to feel stupid or get low selfesteem over. Life goes on... she'll come around sooner or later and if she doesn't then that's fine too. Whatever makes her happy...

20 years ago our primeminister was shoot dead from behind. The killer was never catched although the first lady was a witness and identified him. Wasn't enough in this country of freedom, where you rather have the guilty free than the innocence locked up. I agree with it, of course, but still... it makes you wonder.
Anyway, I don't usually talk politics but I feel the need of doing so right now. I am not interested in polictics, I am interested in issues but not in the politics. Yesterday when I saw a few clips from the life of Olof Palme I realised that the reson I can not even look at the politicans is becuase they are only in it for the power. They don't care about the ISSUES anymore, they don't have IDEALS. They are not driven by beliefs. They don't have a cause above ruleing the country. Olof Palme was hated by a lot and loved by even more. But even though my family never shared his politics he was treated by respect. A well earned respect for doing what he believed in. Not stepping back. Nah, he smoked and drank with Fidel Castro - they probably talked about the true socialist world or whatever and palme probably tried to sneak in a few good words about democracy.

The politicans afterwards have all claimed their herritage from Olof Palme but I don't think they have a clue. The current primeminister just want to be friends with everybody and is a spitting image of Tony Blair. But without his own opinion. Sweden is supposed to be a neutral country but we're not. We're giving up our rights to have an opinion, to care, to dare, to be a voice in this world of mass communications and disbelieves.

Oh well, I wasn't supposed to ramble about politics. I really don't care.
But that's the main problem. I should be caring. I should be interested. It's the world we're living in and we're all responsible.

113 days

There are exactly 113 days left until the Sweden Rock Festival starts.
113 days until Journey will be playing in Sweden for the first time in over 25 years. Last time being in March 1977. I was then 4 years old and didn't have a clue. Most of the bands I love today was around then. The late 70s. Oh how I sometimes wish I could have been there.

Unfortunately it's also 114 days left until John Waite will be playing in Holland at the Arrow Classic Rock festival. Now, how did I end up with the best job in the world and still not able to see John Waite when he's in Europe for the first time in a zillion years. Actually I just recently found out he played one-off gig in Holland 2001 and I didn't know about it. I think most people didn't know, I would have been there if I'd known. But this time I know and I still won't be able going there.
That really sucks.
Why? Why? Why?

So, Journey is HUGE for me, it's one of the bands I never thought I'd see live ever. And with Steve Augeri replacing Steve Perry I definitly didn't give much credit to the band, not until I'd seen the 2001 DVD. Seeing that changed everything. Steve Augeri sings with a stunning voice, he's paying tribute to the band as well as being a part of the band. So, given the oppurtunity to see them live this summer made me jump all over the place, already making sure my assistant will cover for me during their concert. BUT doing the impossible comparing John Waite with Journey leaves me with a panic. It might very well be so that I hold John Waite higher than Journey and it might be so because I discovered John Waite years before I discovered Journey. As a matter of fact it was at a record fair where I stumbled over Steve Perry's "Street Talk" when asking for something in the line of John Waite and from there I moved on to Journey.

John WAite has been there with me all along, all the times. The hard times and the fun times. For better or worse. Heaven and hell. "When I See You Smile" still brings out the biggest smile of me and every song on "Temple Bar" has a corner on it's own in my heart. "Change" I think has the perfect combination of a rock tune. The brilliant lyrics, the corus, the music, the fast driven melody...

People talking
And they’re saying that you’re leaving
So unhappy
With the way that you’ve been living
We always wish for money
We always wish for fame
We think we have the answers
Some things ain’t ever gonna change (change)
It doesn’t matter who you are
It’s all the same (change)
What’s in your heart will never change
Look in the mirror
And you see how you’ve been taken
You won’t surrender
But now your heart is breakin’
We always wish for money
We always wish for fame
We think we have the answers
Some things ain’t ever gonna change (change)
It doesn’t matter who you are
It’s all the same (change)
What’s in your heart will never change
Do you remember
When you got your lucky break
You’re looking back now
And it seems like a mistake
We always wish for money
We always wish for fame
We think we have the answers
Some things ain’t ever gonna change (change)
It doesn’t matter who you are
It’s all the same (change)
What’s in your heart will never change
It’s only change (change)
It doesn’t matter who you are
It’s all the same (change)
What’s in your heart will never change
It doesn’t matter who you are
It’s all the same (change)
What’s in your heart will stay the same
It doesn’t matter who you are
It’s all the same (what's in your heart)
It’s onlyIt’s only
It’s only change
Never (it doesn’t matter)
You ain’t gonna
You ain’t gonna change (what’s in your heart)
You ain’t gonna change
Doesn’t matter who you are

Butch's Mixtape

So, 6 months ago I never heard of this guy. My friend Ivan who I trust dearly to recommend me excellent music (all based on the fact that he loves John Waite as much as I do), told me I should listen to Butch Walker and Dishwalla and I bought both, ending up listening to Butch Walker's "Letters" once a day at work. A few weeks ago I recieved a message about Butch making a one-off gig in London and I didn't think twice about booking flights with Ryanair and about the same time I asked my fiancé if he wanted to come as well and we decided to make a trip out of it, including a shabby-chic Bayswater-hotel to the event.

Butch played the London Barfly on January 31 and I don't think I ever will see nor hear anything like it ever again. It was more than brilliant.It was lifealtering. One of those moments when you know that nothing really will be the same again. The world might look the same, but it isn'r cause you've had one of those experiences that makes the difference. Butch was up on stage alone with his acoustic guitar and a piano. He was dressed like Bruce Springsteen but with a George Michael-fashion sense. I don't know what I was expecting but I know what I got. I never heard of the Marvelous 3 before, the hit they supposedly had in UK might have been a hit in Sweden as well but that doesn't mean a hard rocker like myself would have heard it. So, when everyone else is screaming their lungs out to the music I am discovering new tunes :-)

I have been to lots of concerts, I mean, really a lot of shows but nothing like this. Trying to think of something I've enjoyed in a similar way would a club gig with Ian Gillan solo or Jimmy Barnes in a smokey place. Or Joe Satriani in a really beautiful concert hall, with seated audience. Nights that noone wanted to end and when they did, you didn't want to leave, you didn't want to go home. You just wanted to sit there, forever, discussing the magic as if you were afraid it'd be gone the second you came home.

Butch has a voice with such a power it's unbelievable, he really know how to sing!! And he does it, in every way. It's pure magic. It doesn't matter if he's by the piano singing as soft as a whisper or with the guitar around his neck giving it all - it never breaks up, it's always constant. Fantastic. I am amazed.

He performed new somgs mixed with old songs and unrealesed stuff as well as "I Don't Like Mondays" - the old Boomtown Rats song... mr Geldof never sang it with more feelings that's for sure...

At the end, he really wanted to leave the stage, but couldn't. It was too small and he'd have to go thru the audience to get backstage... so he did what no one else would think of - he ran over (crossing the audience) to the bar and jumped up on it and sat there, still singing, still playing and when people still wouldn't let him go he did another song, laying on his back on the floor... and that's when the concert ended. How poetic. How remarkable. How absofuckinglutely wonderful...

A night to remember...