Archive for July, 2022

a-ha at Stavernfestivalen

At Stavernfestivalen

a-ha played their last European concert of this tour at Stavernfestivalen near Larvik in Norway yesterday.

Unlike the other Norwegian festivals last month, this time they played the full 18-song set (same as in Scarborough and Cardiff a few days ago). And Anneli Drecker made a return on backing vocals.

YouTube videos:
The Swing Of Things     Cry Wolf

Stavernfestivalen is one of Norway’s largest festivals and there was a predominantly young audience of 15-20,000 people.

“I can see there’s a lot of young people in the audience tonight. The next song is dedicated to you, who are going to look after the planet after we have finished f***ing it up”, Magne said as he introduced “You Have What It Takes”.

 
Photo gallery (by Jakob):

 
The tour will continue with seven dates in Brazil, starting in Recife on Wednesday 13 July, before two concerts in California rounds it all off – Napa on 29 July and the big finale at The Hollywood Bowl in LA on 31 July.

Stavernfestivalen setlist:
1. Sycamore Leaves
2. The Swing Of Things
3. Crying In The Rain
4. The Blood That Moves The Body
5. Train of Thought
6. Foot Of The Mountain
7. We’re Looking For The Whales
8. Cry Wolf
9. Forest For The Trees
10. You Have What It Takes
11. Analogue
12. I Dream Myself Alive
13. Here I Stand and Face the Rain
14. Hunting High and Low
15. The Living Daylights
– – – – – – – – – – – –
16. The Sun Always Shines on TV
17. I’ve Been Losing You
18. Take On Me

“I’m In” single release and album tracklist

“I’m In”, the first single from the upcoming a-ha album True North, was released today for download and streaming.

Here is the official music video, directed by Stian Andersen:

The new album can now be pre-ordered from the official True North web store, as CD, 2LP and an exclusive box set, along with new T-shirts. Release date 21 October.

Album tracklist:

1. I’m In (Furuholmen)
2. Hunter In The Hills (Waaktaar-Savoy)
3. As If (Waaktaar-Savoy)
4. Between The Halo And The Horn (Furuholmen)
5. True North (Furuholmen)
6. Bumblebee (Waaktaar-Savoy)
7. Forest For The Trees (Waaktaar-Savoy)
8. Bluest Of Blue (Furuholmen)
9. Make Me Understand (Waaktaar-Savoy)
10. You Have What It Takes (Furuholmen)
11. Summer Rain (Furuholmen)
12. Oh My Word (Waaktaar-Savoy)

a-ha announce new True North album details and first single “I’m In”

 

Today a-ha has announced the release date of their new album and film True North: 21 October 2022.

The first single is called “I’m In” and will be released this Friday, 8 July, along with a music video. It can be pre-saved using this link.

“I’m In” was originally shared by Magne on Instagram last year as a solo demo and he explains what the song is about in a new press release posted on a-ha.com:

“Magne, who wrote the moving “I’m In”, says it is “a song about total commitment and a show of support for someone who is troubled. Real commitment is a leap of faith. Everyone knows how difficult it can be to offer commitment and support unconditionally, but this is what it takes to make anything worthwhile happen – love, friendship, change, self-improvement, careers, a better world. Easier said than done of course but it begins with an attitude, then uttering the words. After this it is all hard work to realize whatever potential your commitment has in the world. Without this attitude everything just gets bogged down with conflicting thoughts, doubts and fear. Just say it: ‘I’m in’.”

Stian Andersen has directed the accompanying True North film, which will get a cinema release in late summer and a home video release on 21 October:

“In the True North film, a-ha perform and record with the orchestra. Also caught on camera in the landscape around Bodø, Magne, Morten and Paul discuss True North. In recurring vignettes, actors portray life in the north. The multidimensional film describes a narrative arc embodying the spirit of the new songs, showing how all of us are connected to the environment. Long-time a-ha collaborator Stian Andersen is the director. “True North is a letter from a-ha, from the Arctic Circle, a poem from the far north of Norway with new music,” says Magne.”

Release details from the press release:

    • “I’m In” is issued as an audio single on 8 July 2022. The music video, drawn from the True North film, is also released on 8 July 2022.
    • The True North film is released to cinemas in selected territories world-wide by Trafalgar Releasing in late summer 2022.
    • The True North album is issued on 21 October 2022. Editions include: jewel-case CD; heavy black vinyl (2 x recycled 12’’ vinyl); limited deluxe edition (with hard-cover book including 40 pages, 2 x LPs with glued sleeves, CD in a cardboard sleeve and an USB card); digital audio long-play for download and streaming. Pre-order is available from 8 July 2022 at ahatruenorth.com, where you can sign up for further information.
    • The True North film will be available for rental and purchase from 21 October 2022.

Barcelona, Nice and Montreux

Montreux, July 1st
(Screenshot from live stream)

a-ha have played three headline shows so far this week; outdoors in Barcelona and Nice and indoors at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The 18-song setlist was the same in all three cities.

The concert in Montreux was streamed live online (albeit with a 1-hour delay) through Qello Concerts. If you missed it, someone has also uploaded the show on YouTube.

While in Montreux, Magne took time to get interviewed by several Swiss news outlets. Two video interviews have been posted online; Le Matin and Blue News.

Magne also posted a picture from a visit to Shania Twain and her family, who live in Switzerland, while Paul posted some pictures of the view in Montreux. Morten posted a picture and video clip from Barcelona.

An unexpected moment occured at the concert in Barcelona on Monday, when Karl Oluf seemed to experience problems with his bass drum at the beginning of “Cry Wolf”. “We just need to change a drum. We have a drummer with a very strong foot”, Magne explained to the audience. This lead to a very extended intro and what Magne described as “the longest version of ‘Cry Wolf’ in history”. It can be seen in this video.

A video of the complete Barceona concert has been uploaded here.

 
Photo gallery from Barcelona (by Carlos Maciá)

 
Morten’s voice problems are still noticeable at times, and particularly in Montreux where he was also struggling with hearing himself in the venue. But he does his best, as he told the audience in Nice:
“My voice is still a little dodgy, but I do the best I can with it. So sing along if you feel like it, and always when I ask you to.”

Some videos from Nice on Wednesday:
You Have What It Takes   Various songs

Anneli Drecker did not appear at any of these three concerts, but she is currently working on a new Bel Canto album and may have other commitments.

Next up is two outdoor shows in the UK; Scarborough tonight and Cardiff on Tuesday, before returning to Norway to play at Stavernfestivalen next Friday.

On Instagram Paul revealed it was a challenging journey to get from Switzerland to the UK in time:
“Long day. Our flights got cancelled so we had to improvise… took us 18 hours to get here via [bus, plane, train and car]”.

 
Setlist in Barcelona, Nice and Montreux

1. Sycamore Leaves
2. The Swing Of Things
3. Crying In The Rain
4. The Blood That Moves The Body
5. Train of Thought
6. Foot Of The Mountain
7. We’re Looking For The Whales
8. Cry Wolf
9. Forest For The Trees
10. You Have What It Takes
11. Analogue
12. I Dream Myself Alive
13. Here I Stand and Face the Rain
14. Hunting High and Low
15. The Living Daylights
– – – – – – – – – – – –
16. The Sun Always Shines on TV
17. I’ve Been Losing You
18. Take On Me

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