How was your Tuesday night? Ours was mighty fine heading to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre for Australia’s favourite pop rock Swedes Roxette. It has been ten years since their last Australian tour and a lot has happened in that time. For fans, the saddest part was losing the original part of the duo Marie Fredriksson to cancer in 2019. Now, the duo’s front man, songwriter and founder Per Gessle picks up the torch and takes this bundle of worldwide hits on the road around Australia.
This tour is very much about honouring the legacy of Marie and filling some very big shoes is Lena Philipsson who did a great job singing these songs. Lena’s resume is strong but what was most striking was the on stage chemistry with Gessle, it really did work. With an extensive back catalogue that Roxette has these songs need to played live and enjoyed by the fans lighting the torch and continue powering the legacy these songs have established.
Opening proceedings were Australian stalwarts Boom Crash Opera who are in red hot form and it is great to be seeing them play bigger arenas. Casually walking out on stage to These Here Are Crazy Times it was the anthemic Great Wall that got things off to a flyer. With the crowd inclined to sit it was a tough assignment to get them “warmed up” despite a set loaded with great tunes. Front man Dale Ryder encouraged the crowd by saying “you can dance if you want to” playing Gimme, Dancing In The Storm and Hands Up In The Air. Guitarist Peter Farnan was up and about and like a kid in a candy shop with the amount of energy he had. Jokingly Farnan said “It was worth coming early to hear Dancing In The Storm” to the people arriving and taking there seats then adding “there’s two words you probably don’t want to hear, new song!”
Ironically, Latest Hustle is there first new single in twenty eight years and fits seamlessly in to the live set. Even Dale joked “let’s try and remember it”. The hits kept coming with Get Out Of The House, Her Charity, Bettadaze complete with solos followed by End Up Where I Started. Finishing on a couple of match winners in Best Thing and Onion Skin I have top say Boom Crash Opera were a top choice to support.
Smack bang on quarter past eight Roxette took the stage opening at frenetic pace with some big opening singles with The Big L and Sleeping My Car. Gessle asked the crowd “who was here ten years ago?” introducing the newest member to the Roxette family Lena Philipsson who said this was her first trip down under saying she is an “Australian virgin, touched for the very first time”. The crowd found voice on the popular Dressed For Success followed by What’s She Like. The band are elite performers and had their chance to let their personality and flair shine. The band features original members Clarence Öfwerman and Jonas Isacsson, along with Christoffer Lundquist, Magnus Börjeson, Per “Norpan” Eriksson, and Dea Norberg. What they all collectively bring is joy and making this the best two hours for fans.
All the songs you would expect to hear were there with Crash! Boom! Bang!, Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave) and picking up the pace on Opportunity Nox. Vulnerable was one that is rarely played but described as a “decent song” by Gessle. She’s Got Nothing On (But the Radio) was awesome but I don’t think there would of been a dry eye in the venue with It Must Have Been Love which was a tribute to Marie and Lena saying this was one of those songs that reminds her of Marie. The crowd was like a choir singing this one and was a magic moment.
That wasn’t it either with plenty more hits to come How Do You Do!, Dangerous and a stirring rendition of Waltzing Matilda led by Christoffer Lundquist which was well played getting the crowd excitable. Joyride was a perfect finish to the main set. Giving the crowd a moment to catch their brief Per and Lena returned saying “Finally Alone!” playing a stripped back Spending My Time which coincidentally was written the same day as Joyride having skipped lunch. Another massive single Listen To Your Heart followed by the fever pitched The Look literally blew the roof off the joint. With Gessle saying “I hope we meet again down the line” it was a bit of an odd choice to finish on a ballad Queen Of Rain given the response The Look had with some people leaving before show’s end. Nevertheless, this was a great show filled with great songs honouring and celebrating the legacy of Roxette’s career.
Live Review By Rob Lyon