Archive for June, 2018

Pre-order Bridges’ second album “Våkenatt”

“Våkenatt” album cover: Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Viggo Bondi, Øystein Jevanord and Magne Furuholmen.

The second Bridges album Våkenatt [Sleepless Night], originally recorded in December 1980 and January 1981, is finally being released for the first time on 15 August.

The newly-formed label Rockheim Musical Archives, run by the Rockheim national museum of popular music in Norway, will release the album as a limited edition green vinyl (180 gram), presented in a box with a 16-page booklet.

The 10-track album has been described as the missing link between Bridges and a-ha, and includes several songs that were later recorded by a-ha, such as “Soft Rains Of April”, “All The Planes That Come In On The Quiet” and “The Leap” (early version of “Scoundrel Days”).

The album can be pre-ordered from Rockheim Musical Archives for 649 kroner + shipping and handling.

Tracklist:
1. Fakkeltog
2. The Leap
3. Soft Rains Of April
4. Waterworks
5. All The Planes That Come In On The Quiet
6. Asleep
7. Superior
8. Faceless City
9. Need No Doctor
10. Wildfire

a-ha in Israel: “We’re here to connect with people”

a-ha interviewed by Walla News in Tel Aviv, 19 June 2018

After starting their Electric Summer tour with seven dates in the UK and Ireland, a-ha are now in Tel Aviv to prepare for tomorrow’s concert at the Ra’anana Park Amphitheater – their first ever show in Israel.

Yesterday they were interviewed in the studio of news website Walla. The 9-minute video interview is in English and can be seen at walla.co.il.

They also did a press conference at the Sheraton Hotel, from which a short video has been posted on YouTube.

There have been some protests from the BDS Movement against a-ha playing in Israel, urging the band to cancel the concert. But for the band, this was never an option.

“For us, we think the most positive thing we can do is go wherever, whenever and play to our fans. We’re not here to support or protest anything. We’re here to connect with people we’ve made music for, that has hopefully meant something to them. So for us it’s a very simple choice”, Magne told Walla News.

“We disagree with [the BDS’] way of doing things. If we were to boycott for reasons here, where do we stop? There are so many countries you would boycott in the end and I personally don’t believe it is right. It was not a difficult decision to come”, Morten added.

When asked if music can contribute to peace, Magne said:

“I think it can contribute to people talking together and people coming together. And I think that’s the primary function of music as a language, to bring people from different parts of the world together to celebrate that moment or that common bond.”

The setlists at the Electric Summer concerts so far seem to have been the same as the opening night in Canterbury – the only exception being “This is Our Home” being replaced by “Sycamore Leaves” since Cork.

Other links:
Jerusalem Post
Israel Hayom
10.tv

Electric Summer tour opens in Canterbury

The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, 7 June 2018
(Photo by Sabrina Maria)

a-ha opened their Electric Summer Tour at The Spitfire Ground St Lawrence in Canterbury last night, the first of 31 concerts across twelve European contries this summer. They were joined by support acts Tom Bailey and OMD.

The 18-song setlist apparently included several new arrangements, of particular note “Minor Earth Major Sky” and “Train of Thought” both being played similarly to the early demo versions, and a more electric version of “This is Our Home”.

Additionally, “The Blood That Moves The Body”, “Minor Earth Major Sky”, “The Weight of the Wind” and “Train of Thought” were all performed live for the first time since 2010.

High-quality video clips of “The Blood That Moves The Body” and “The Weight of the Wind” have been posted on YouTube by Chris Fournier.

“You have to reinvent things. It has to feel fresh, so even the ones we always play, you try to give them a different spin or really bring it back to the way it was at the core. It changes with each song. We might have had a demo of one of the hits that we are fond of so we might play something like that”, Paul told The Northern Echo in an interview earlier this week.

The backing band was mostly the same as on the MTV Unplugged tour, only Lars Horntveth was missing. Production rehearsals took place at the LH2 Studios in London from 2 – 5 June.

 
Setlist:
1. Cry Wolf
2. The Blood That Moves The Body
3. Minor Earth Major Sky (demo version)
4. Lifelines
5. The Weight of the Wind
6. Crying in the Rain
7. Foot of the Mountain
8. Analogue
9. Train of Thought (demo version)
10. Stay on These Roads
11. This is Our Home
12. Manhattan Skyline
13. Hunting High and Low
14. I’ve Been Losing You
15. The Sun Always Shines on TV
16. Scoundrel Days
17. The Living Daylights
18. Take on Me

The tour continues at Huish Park in Yeovil on Saturday.

UK press:
Review: A-ha, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Thompson Twin’s Mark Bailey play Canterbury
7 things we learned from A-ha’s Magne ‘Mags’ Furuholmen ahead of their show at Huish Park in Yeovil
Fresh approach a hit for a-ha – Norwegian trio set for Darlington gig
A-ha: ‘It’s like any marriage, we share this fateful bond’
Audio: Magne interviewed on YO1 Radio

Powered by WordPress