Passing along a message from photographer Just Loomis:
Thank you all a-ha fans who purchased prints from my website: justloomisahaart.com. This site is no longer live.
The time has passed to do this on my own and I now announce that I am happily working with the official a-ha site now.
If you are interested in getting a print please go to the official site.thanks again to all that supported my site,
Just Loomis
a-ha are now in the UK to promote 25, which is being released there next Monday.
Today they did a live session on the Ken Bruce Show on BBC Radio 2 – their third live session at the BBC Maida Vale studios since 2006. In addition to playing five of their own songs, the band performed a cover version of Soft Cell’s 1982 hit “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye”.
Setlist:
1. The Sun Always Shines On TV
2. Butterfly, Butterfly
3. Analogue
4. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (Soft Cell cover)
5. Take On Me
6. (Seemingly) Nonstop July (Bonus online track)
The whole show, featuring the live tracks and interviews with the band is available on BBC’s website for 7 days here.
On Sunday, a special programme about a-ha called “A Life in Music” was broadcast on Smooth Radio. The 25-minute radio special, featuring interviews with all three members, can now be heard again here.
In addition to the standard version of 25 there will also be a 3-disc Deluxe Edition released in the UK, which features a DVD with 17 music videos. Although not a complete video collection, the DVD includes “Dark Is The Night”, “Angel In The Snow”, “Shapes That Go Together”, “Butterfly, Butterfly” and “Take On Me” (1984 version) – all of which are being released on DVD for the first time. The DVD also includes the videos for “I’ve Been Losing You”, “Lifelines” and “Did Anyone Approach You”, which were previously only available on a 2003 Spanish promo DVD.
The 3-disc deluxe edition of 25 can now be ordered from Amazon.co.uk.
Morten at the press conference
Morten held a press conference in Oslo on Friday, to talk about the upcoming concert in Oslo Konserthus on 4 October, where all the proceedings will go to the Christian organization Mercy Ships.
Also present was Lord Ian McColl, medical surgeon and chairman of Mercy Ships UK, who has done volunteer work for the organization since 1996.
Morten first heard about Mercy Ships one year ago, when a cabin neighbour told him about it. The neighbour, Erling Natvig, turned out to be the chairman of Mercy Ships Norway.
“I couldn’t understand that I hadn’t heard about this fantastic project before. Therefore the most important thing about this concert is to spread the word about Mercy Ships“, Morten says.
“They take care of people with limited resources, and heal them. It’s an impressive work.”
For the concerts in Oslo and London, a-ha will be backed by 30 musicians from Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.
“This won’t be an ordinary charity show, where the program has been put together at the last minute. The audience will get to hear our whole debut album, “Hunting High And Low”, in a unique concert“, Morten says.
Links:
TV2: a-ha synger for sykehuskip i Afrika (with video clip)
Dagbladet: Morten Harkets giver-iver
VG: a-ha gir bort billettpenger til flytende sykehus
Dagen Magazinet: Harket hyller Mercy Ships
Kristiansand, 11 September
(Picture by Jakob)
It was a rather wet evening on Saturday, when a-ha played their last-ever outdoor concert in front of 15.000 people at Sør Arena in Kristiansand. So instead of the usual Tchaikovsky intro we got Gene Kelly’s “Singin’ in the Rain”.
The roof over the middle part of the stage didn’t seem to be of much help, when the rain came in sideways. From behind a large protective plastic case, Magne commented that his keyboard had turned into an aquarium, while during the acoustic set Morten said that he was almost sliding off his chair, as it was so wet.
Kristiansand, 11 September
(Picture by Jakob)
But despite the weather and some technical problems, the show went ahead as planned. “We’ll try to do our part to make this night as memorable as possible for you“, Magne said before “Stay On These Roads”. The setlist was the same as in Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim – 21 songs starting with TSASOTV and ending with TOM.
“Our very first concert in Norway took place in Kristiansand, back in 87. Thank you so much for inviting us back“, Magne told the audience at the end.
The concert gets 5 out of 6 from the local newspaper Fædrelandsvennen.
For Karl Oluf it was a special night, as he is originally from Vennesla, not too far from Kristiansand.
“The audience sang along loudly and created a good atmosphere, even if the rain was pouring down. That was great. Magne was super-happy afterwards and Morten thought it was a special show, since Kristiansand is partly home territory for him as well“, he said in an interview afterwards.
Here is the first of my YouTube clips from Kristiansand:
Crying In The Rain
Kristiansand, 11 September
(Picture by Jakob)
The next concert is the Hunting High And Low-performance at Oslo Konserthus on 4 October. There was a ticket presale today; more info on a-ha.com.
And Happy Birthday to Morten, who is 51 today!
Posted in a-ha, Ending on a High Note Tour 
Tags: a-ha, ending on a high note, kristiansand, sør arena 
Comments Off on “Singin’ in the Rain”
Kristiansand, September 7th
Magne and Morten were in Kristiansand yesterday to promote a-ha’s last ever stadium/outdoor concert.
Fædrelandsvennen has a video interview here, while Radio Sør has an audio interview here.
There was also a TV report on NRK Sørlandet, which can be seen here (starts after 7.45 minutes).
Magne: “We’re now ending the most grandiose stadium tour in Norwegian history in Kristiansand on Saturday, so that will be a special concert for us and it will be very special for those who are coming to see it as well.
We have lots of friends and family down here, so it will be really cool to put on a real show at Sør Arena. We have brought along the world’s most amazing stage production and I think people’s jaws will drop. There’s never been anything like it in Norway and I don’t think any other band besides us could have done the same. And I don’t think anyone would have been crazy enough to pay for such a big production for so few shows. You need to tour for a year in order to pay for a production like this. It’s our gift to the audience.”
13.500 tickets have been sold for the Kristiansand concert so far. The rigging of the stage is being streamed live here.
And here’s a new interview with director Steve Barron about the “Butterfly” video:
promonews.tv
Posted in a-ha, Magne, Morten Tags: a-ha, kristiansand, magne furuholmen, morten harket Comments Off on “It’s our gift to the audience”
Stavanger, 2 September
(Picture by Jakob)
The band had a busy few days this past weekend, with three concerts in three days in different parts of Norway.
Stavanger, 2 September
(Picture by Jakob)
In Stavanger they played at the first annual Rått og Råde Festival in front of 10.000 people. The setlist (18 songs) was a bit shorter than the stadium concerts, leaving out the acoustic set. The local newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad gives the concert 5 out of 6.
I will be uploading some of my video clips from Stavanger on YouTube – here is the first one:
Stay On These Roads.
In Tromsø, 13.000 people saw the band at the Døgnvill Festival – where a-ha also played in 2007. Anneli Drecker, who was a-ha’s backing vocalist from 2000 – 2002, came on stage for a duet with Morten on Crying In The Rain. Many of the other songs can also be seen on YouTube here. The concert gets an outstanding review from iTromso.no (6 out of 6) and a more moderate review from nordlys.no (4 out of 6).
At Lerkendal Stadium in Trondheim on Saturday they were back on their own Butterfly-shaped stage, with an audience of 15.000 people. The concert included the full 21-song set for an appreciative crowd, despite a chilly temperature. Some reviews can be found at adressa.no and NRK.no. NRK also has a picture gallery here.
Apparatjik have announced their third concert, which will take place in London on 23 September at the Serpentine Pavilion in Hyde Park. More info on apparatjik.com.
And happy birthday to Paul, who turns 49 today!
Trondheim, 4 September
(Picture by Jakob)
Posted in a-ha, Ending on a High Note Tour Tags: a-ha, døgnvill, ending on a high note, lerkendal, rått og råde, stavanger, tromsø, trondheim Comments Off on Stavanger, Tromsø and Trondheim
“How on earth could you wear that, Morten?”
Magne studies old a-ha photos at the Rockheim museum in Trondheim today.
(Picture from NRK Trøndelag)
Magne and Morten were in Trondheim today to promote Saturday’s concert at Lerkendal stadium. Adresseavisen has a video interview with the guys here.
They also made a visit to Rockheim – the new interactive center/museum for Norwegian pop and rock, which opened earlier this month. The a-ha exhibit seems to be prominently featured at Rockheim, and Magne found some early Bridges photos that he had never seen before.
They are both touched by the reception they’ve been getting at the Norwegian concerts.
Morten: “It’s special for us to be at home in Norway and be met like this. I’m proud of the band“.
Magne: “There’s a really good atmosphere, we can feel that we’re being embraced and that this means a lot to people“.
A video report from their visit to Rockheim can be seen here (starts after 13.30 minutes): NRK Midtnytt 31.08.10
Here is another of my video clips from the Bergen concert: Cry Wolf
Be also sure to check out Lena’s videos from the soundcheck (there are 7 so far):
a-ha Bergen 28.08.2010 Soundcheck Part 1
And Claudia’s videos from the concert, like “Crying in the Rain”.
Several fans have asked me to mention a new petition for a-ha to stream the last concert on December 4th online. So, here it is: petitions24.com/signatures/a-halivestream/
But, as Catherine writes on WOTM, management is already well aware that fans want the final show to be streamed, so there really is no need for another petition.
And here is an interview with graphic designer Jeri Heiden about the HHAL album cover: Uncovered: a-ha, “Hunting High and Low”
Posted in a-ha, Magne, Morten Tags: a-ha, magne furuholmen, morten harket, rockheim, trondheim Comments Off on Magne and Morten visit Rockheim
Bergen, 28 August
(Picture by Jakob)
a-ha continued their Norwegian tour in Bergen last night, where they played another excellent concert in front of 25.000 people at Brann Stadium.
The setlist was identical to Oslo, but the band seemed to be a bit more relaxed this time and Morten almost remembered all the lyrics.
Here are some HD videos that I have uploaded to YouTube (more to follow):
The Bandstand
Butterfly, Butterfly
(Seemingly) Nonstop July
Bergen, 28 August
(Picture by Jakob)
The good reviews continue in the local press, with 5 out of 6 from both Bergens Tidende and Bergensavisen. There’s also a positive review from NRK Hordaland.
And Natt og Dag has a lot of photos from the concert here.
Bergen, 28 August
(Picture by Jakob)
Setlist
1. The Sun Always Shines On TV
2. Move To Memphis
3. The Blood That Moves The Body
4. Scoundrel Days
5. Stay On These Roads
6. Manhattan Skyline
7. Hunting High And Low
8. The Bandstand
9. We’re Looking For The Whales
10. Butterfly Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)
11. (Seemingly) Nonstop July
12. Crying In The Rain
13. Minor Earth, Major Sky
14. Forever Not Yours
15. Summer Moved On
16. I’ve Been Losing You
17. Foot Of The Mountain
—————
18. Cry Wolf
19. Analogue
20. The Living Daylights
21. Take On Me
Posted in a-ha, Ending on a High Note Tour Tags: a-ha, bergen, brann stadion, ending on a high note Comments Off on Bergen concert
Morten on the front page of Stavanger Aftenblad Pluss.
The second “Hunting High And Low”-concert that Magne mentioned earlier this week, has now been officially announced on a-ha.com.
The concert will be held at Oslo Konserthus on 4 October, and will benefit Mercy Ships – a Christian organization that operates hospital ships in developing nations. Only a limited amount of tickets will be available.
There is a lot of promo for the Norwegian concerts going on at the moment.
Morten is on the front page of Stavanger Aftenblad’s weekend magazine today. Inside there is a 3-page interview.
There is also a 2-page article about Morten in Vårt Land today, while Bergensavisen has an article about a purchase agreement for a guitar amplifier that Morten bought in 1976 (!).
Fædrelandsvennen has a 2-page interview with Karl Oluf, who talks about his experiences touring with a-ha over the last two years.
Karl Oluf on the front page of Fædrelandsvennen’s culture section.
In Bergen, the last preparations are being done before the concert at Brann Stadium tomorrow night. Between 25.000 and 30.000 people are expected to attend the largest concert ever held in the city. Bergens Tidende has documented the process of building the stage with an article and slideshow here. You can also view a 360° panorama picture of the stadium.
And here are some more interviews from Magne and Morten’s promo day in Bergen on Tuesday:
NRK Hordaland: – Har hatt en fantastisk karriere
Bergens Tidende: Gleder seg til å ta farvel med Bergen
Bergensavisen: A-ha lover kjempefest
NRK Hordaland: Ettermiddagssending 24.08 (Radio interview – starts after 50 minutes)
“There will be a-ha stuff happening in the future as well“, Magne says in the interview with Bergensavisen. “Not albums and concerts. But certain people are interested in making musicals and fictional movies about a-ha. And that’s something that we have to consider.”
And the 25 collection has finally entered the official Norwegian album chart (at number 9), as it’s now also available outside the COOP chain – earlier than originally planned.
In Europe as a whole, the album is at number 8 in its second week, as Billboard reports. It’s currently number 3 in Germany, 6 in Switzerland and 14 in Austria.
Posted in a-ha, Morten Tags: a-ha, bergen, brann stadion, karl oluf wennerberg, magne furuholmen, morten harket, oslo konserthus Comments Off on Additional Oslo concert announced / More interviews
Førkveld, August 24th
Magne and Morten are already in Bergen to prepare for Saturday’s concert at Brann Stadium, and tonight they were guests on the live talkshow “Førkveld” on NRK1, with host Halvor Folgerø.
They were very pleased with last weekend’s concert at Ullevaal.
Morten: “It was great. There was a special atmosphere.”
Magne: “When we’re meeting our home crowd here in Norway for the last time, all the lines of lyrics that we have been singing through 25 years, like “Wave goodbye”, take on a different meaning.”
Førkveld, August 24th
The interview also addressed an issue Italian fans have been wondering about:
Halvor Folgerø: “We have asked our viewers to send in questions via our Facebook page, and most of them, or at least 50 percent come from abroad. Quite a lot of Italians, actually…”
Magne: “They are mad at us, because we haven’t managed to include Italy on our Farewell Tour. And we’re feeling sorry about that.”
Halvor Folgerø: “Serena Renzi writes that Italian fans are so sad that you’re not coming to say farewell in her country. Do you have something against Italians or Italy, she asks?”
Morten: “Except Berlusconi? No.”
Magne: “Not at all. Italy was, for my part, one of the most fun countries to be touring. In addition to the excitement of playing concerts, it was also a culinary journey. I am incredibly fascinated by Italy in every way. So this is simply about two things; the fact that we haven’t been successfull enough in Italy in recent years that agents want to provide the support we need. We have a production at the moment of arena/stadium size. It costs a lot of money and someone has to take the risk. We have been willing to take our part of the risk, but… I mean, we do have a lot of fans in Italy, but I don’t think the agents are feeling confident enough about it. The other thing is that we have had so many offers from other places that in the end we’ve just decided that we’ll tour where we know that we are wanted.”
Following a montage of live clips, Morten talked about how touring can become a blur after a while, which made Magne remember an infamous incident from last year. I have posted a translation here.
And Magne revealed that there will be a second HHAL-concert this autumn. But he didn’t say if it will be held at the Royal Albert Hall or somewhere else.
The Førkveld interview can be seen online here.
Magne and Morten were also interviewed on Vestlandsrevyen (local news) tonight. The video clip can be seen here.
And here is an update from Just Loomis, who is selling some of his own high-quality a-ha photos at justloomisahaart.com (see August 7th news story):
“Due to the many, many requests that I have received from the fans, I am now offering a smaller print size for a limited time, for the fans of Aha. The cost of an 8×10 will be $50 plus shipping.“
Posted in a-ha, Magne, Morten Tags: a-ha, bergen, førkveld, italy, magne furuholmen, morten harket Comments Off on “Førkveld” interview
