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BAO! Concert: I was there! *** *** *** On a very hot and sunny Sunday afternoon (August 8th) I went to the Helsingborg train station to meet ABBAMAILers Paul Carter and MaryRuth McConnaghy, who arrived from Örebro where they had attended the previous BAO! concert. We went straight to my apartment to stow away their luggage, and then back on the bus to get transported to Sofiero for the BAO! concert. The bus got stuck in a traffic jam, so we were a few minutes late for the opening of the gates, which meant we didn't get as close to the stage as we wanted. Although later during the evening Paul managed to make his way to get really close to the stage. The concert started at 19.00, and went on until 22.30, with just a short break. Lots of songs from the BAO! and Orsa Spelmän CDs, traditional Swedish sing-alongs, Hep Stars' Cadillac, Ring Ring, Money Money Money, I Do x 5, and a lovely performance of O Sole Mio by Kalle Moraeus - made this a great evening for everyone to remember. It was a hot and sunny Sunday (yes, summer finally arrived to Sweden a few days ago), a warm evening, just a little bit chilly at the end, due to the fact that I only wore a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. After the show we waited for almost 30 minutes, but none of the artists appeared for autograph writing. So we got onto the bus back to my tiny apartment for food and something cold to drink while watching "Hep Stars in Africa", which was shown on SVT earlier this year. After rearranging the living room furniture there was enough space on the floor for two air beds for my two lovely guests. I wanted to show them a bit of Helsingborg as well but, as they had to catch their flights back home, there was no time for sightseeing on Monday morning. The venue for the concert, Sofiero Slott, is a former Royal Palace, the summer residence of King Gustaf VI Adolf. Sofiero is also well known for a beautiful rhododendron ravine, arranged by the King. The best time to visit the ravine is in May or June. After the death of Gustaf VI Adolf in 1973 the city of Helsingborg received the palace as a gift, and it's today used for exhibitions, garden shows and three open-air concerts every year. This year the concerts were by Bryan Adams, Gyllene Tider and BAO. ========================================= TV1 had a report from the concert in Helsingborg Yes, that's right - it was from the concert in Helsingborg. There was a report (lasting for 3 minutes 30 seconds) on Rapport, which is the leading news broadcast on SVT. It showed some short views of Tommy Körberg and Helen Sjöholm on stage, and there were interviews with Tommy Körberg, Helen Sjöholm, Kalle Moraeus and Benny Andersson. During the report they played short cuts from: Ring Ring, Cadillac, Money Money Money and Du Är Min Man. When Helen was singing "Du är min man" there was a view of the audience, where ABBAMAILer Paul Carter was visible for 2 seconds right in front of the stage! Interview translation: Helen: People are sitting and enjoying themselves, people are dancing - it's got a feeling of an evening of entertainment like in the 30's or 40's. SVT: What is it like to tour with these guys? Tommy: It's a great pleasure. There are 5,500 people in the audience here tonight, and it makes you wonder - why are they here? It seems there's a deeply rooted tradition, and then of course we're bringing our own dance floor - a tradition that has almost died since the old Swedish "Folkpark" disappeared. Kalle: We're playing a couple of ABBA songs each night, and it's kind of a giddy feeling every time. SVT: How come? Kalle: Well, when I was a kid and listened to their music, who could ever believe that I later should be on stage playing these songs with him? SVT: Why did you form BAO? Benny: It was a way to develop my cooperation with Orsa Spelmän. Well, actually it was to be able to play together, which is what I really want, occasionally. SVT: If you compare touring today with your previous touring with Hep Stars and ABBA - what's the difference? Benny: This is much calmer, and much more enjoyable. It's very easy for everyone - we're giving lots of energy by playing, and the audience gives a lot of energy back by dancing - a great way to communicate. When we're playing, and look at the audience, we only see lots of very happy faces out there. It appears there's some kind of vacuum, and people really seem to need this type of music - there's no other way to explain why it works so well. SVT: Maybe because there's no "Folkpark" any more? Benny: Yes, and then we appear as a "Folkpark", each and every one of us... Thanks to ABBAMAILer Tony Becker Helsingborg, Sweden |