Europe gig no.28 - June 25th 2016 - Tons of rock festival, Halden, Norway

Part 1:

Monday, 27 June 2016

 When planning to write this review, I was thinking of skipping writing about the little things. But it’s the little things that matter. I could of course start writing things after «sobering up» from the effects of a good time, but when you’re still sleep deprived after a weekend of fun, you don’t just remember things, you still feel them! And when you feel them, you can write them down more accurately. Or, if at a later time, you read through what you wrote, and find things that doesn’t really make sense to someone that wasn’t there, you can change it into something more comprehensible. During the time of the festival, I kept posting statuses to facebook, I will put them in this review as quotes.

I cannot remember the last time I was looking forward to a concert for such a long time in advance as for this concert, I almost started counting down from the day Tons of Rock released the news. I now live in Ås, which is about 1 hour drive from Halden, where the Tons of Rock festival was to be held for the third year running. Initially, I only had tickets for Saturday, when Europe was playing, but a couple of weeks ago I found out that Alice Cooper was gonna play there on Friday - not Thursday as I thought - so I looked at my salary for June, and found out that I could afford to go on Friday as well.

The day I found out that Europe was going to play at Tons of Rock, I tried calling a Europe fan friend in Northern Norway; she and her husband had booked tickets months back to see Alice Cooper at this festival. I had to call her – Camilla - to tell her that her teenage favorites were also coming there! She was of course very thrilled when I told her. Well, after I had decided to buy the Alice Cooper tickets, I asked her about accomodations, if I could share tent with her and her husband. They were happy to share! So the last two weeks before the concert I was not only thrilled to be going to another Europe gig, but to be experiencing the full festival experience as well. I have seen Europe at festivals before, but I have only ever been there for Europe, and to sleep in tents haven’t been a natural choice. I have slept at hotels, or at a friend’s or a family member’s place. This time I was doing the full experience, even drinking alcohol, which is something I very rarely do, it’s not a priority when I go to concerts, or even to parties.

When I go to concerts, I pack like a man. The necessary amount of underwear, concert wear, and going home-wear, maybe a perfume. Minimal of extra stuff. This time I had packed lots of clothes, sun screen, moist towelettes, anti-bacterial hand gel, umbrella, clothes for hot weather, for cold weather, for wet weather etc. I had even packed the cap for my toothbrush. Too bad I forgot the toothbrush...

I drove to Halden on Friday around noon, I had the day off. I had been showering and packing and fuzzing around my girlfriend’s apartment for some hours, I bet she was relieved when I finally left. One of the last things she said was to remember to eat lunch. I told her I would buy it on the way. I have a favorite shop in Ås, where I currently live. It’s called «Health Food and Coffee Bar». I had decided to buy some healthy snacks, and my lunch, and coffee there. All organic. So now I wasn’t just a rocker going to a concert, now I felt a bit like a hippie! An "all organic sandwich, ditto double mocca, and snacks; dried pineapples"-digesting hippie! Plus granola bars and ginger pop (the latter makes you sneeze whenever you drink it, I don’t now why, but it goes directly to the sinuses!). The thought was that healthy nutritious food gives more energy when you need it more. This turned out to be a good choice!

«24 June at 12:49 · On my way to Tons of Rock for my first complete festival experience! Lots of wonderful butterflies in my belly!»

 

So, I was driving alone to Halden, with my gut full of butterflies, with not enough room for lunch, just a granola bar, and coffee. That didn’t help the matter. When I came to Halden city I turned off my GPS, cause the festival crew had put up very clear direction signs for the drivers. Not of the «black markers on white cardboard»-variety either; the signs had the Tons of Rock logo, and arrows in the direction you were supposed to go. I knew the festival was at Fredriksten Festning (Festning means Fortress), but I only realised this was an epic location when I saw the fortress from down in the town centre. You can see the impression I got on this picture:

 

I parked my car at the assigned parking lot, and got my stuff out from my car; a bag which could be used as a backpack, a Europe bag over my shoulders, a rolled up sleeping pad in one hand, and a cooler in the other. With jeans and a leather jacket on, with ten minutes to go to the camping site. Here came the first problem; where is Camilla and her husband Stig? They had come to the festival on Thursday to see Black Sabbath. I couldn’t reach them on their phones, no doubt their phone batteries were empty. I went into the camping site anyway…. Figured I’d just stand there for a time, cooling down from carrying all my stuff, jeans hot on my legs, leather jacket clinging to my sticky skin. Maybe I was lucky, and a familiar face would just poke out of a tent near me? Mind you, I was half a mind to just shout their names once, just to see if I got lucky.

«24 June at 15:23 · Halden · Arrived at the festival, but can’t find my camp mates :-p Amazing location for the festival nonetheless!»

 

While standing there I contacted another friend I knew was there on the phone. He told me he was staying in a house near the festival exit, and told me it was a short trip there from the camping site. My phone’s GPS agreed, so after having stood there a while longer, I headed in that direction. I came to the house, and a red haired girl met me: «Is this number 20?» I asked her. «Yeah» she said. «Is Henning here?» «No, but maybe he’s in the cottage!» In back of the tiny house was an even tinier cottage, and there I met Henning, and could actually sit down and have my lunch! At this point I was almost shaking because I was hot, and my body was hungry. Met some nice people there, and got to rest for a bit, listening to the conversations, and of course mention Europe a number of times! Then I walked with them to the festival entrance, planning to go inside the area to look for Camilla and Stig. 

At the entrance they check your stuff before you’re allowed into the festival area. Checking for alcohol, drugs and food… I had a cooler with alcohol, for crying out loud! And food that I really wanted to finish! So I asked the guards there if I could place my stuff with them for half an hour while looking for my camping mates, throwing my beverage and delicious food in the garbage was just not an option. At last they gave in to my pleas, and my search just became so much easier, not being weighed down by all my gear. Then I finally found Camilla and Stig, and they showed me around to the main stage. Then we headed down to the camping site, stopping to pick up my gear from the security crew tent. On my bag, and on the sleeping pad, they had attached a big note with some duct tape reading «Looking for her camp mates». Haha, made me chuckle. I was happy that I hadn’t started to walk among all the tents in the beautiful, unusual well-kempt green field, because their tent was 10 metres from where I had stopped upon first arriving, thinking about hollering for them!!! 

Now I could finally change out of the clothes clinging to my skin. But what to wear? I had ordered some nice rock wear that would both look cool and expose my fantastic tattoo, but I ordered it too late, so I had to bring my (in my opinion) worn-out clothes instead. I changed into my black with white polkadots halterneck dress, which I ended up wearing all weekend! The weather forecast had promised a cloudy weekend, but the temperatures was OK on Friday, so I changed into the dress, bringing my Wings of Tomorrow zip hoodie for when it got chillier. I had brought my Converse shoes, but left them in the car, so I just made a decision to wear my hiking sneakers all weekend. In retrospect, that was another wise decision.

After I had changed my clothes, we returned to the festival, to actually enjoy some music! My plans was to check out Sixx:A.M and Alice Cooper. There wasn’t anyone else interesting me this day. While there, I met Thomas, a very good friend. He had attended Sweden Rock some weeks previously, and heartily recommended that I paid attention to Sixx:A.M. While we waited for them I introduced Stig and Camilla to Thomas, and they in turn introduced me to their friends from Oslo; Siv and Jan Ove. Siv told she remembered me from the concert Europe did in Oslo in September 2015, and I must have looked really bewildered. «Have we met?»

«24 June at 18:59 · Halden · Quote Siv: "I remember you from Rockefeller (2015)! But I can understand that you don’t remember meeting me, you were high as a kite!"» 

I have never done drugs, so for those who don’t know me, that quote must have sounded very wrong. But for those who know me, and have been to a concert with me, they know how «high» the music can make me. Siv told me she had looked in my eyes, and just seen that I wasn’t quite present. I had not had alcohol (or drugs) then, I was just on a different plane, fueled by the concert. Well, I am glad I met Siv this time, because she was SO nice! And she was my witness to what happened during the Europe gig on Saturday. But we’ll get to that.

When Sixx:A.M started, we were just sitting in the grass, looking at the stage, but I heard from the first song that I wanted to know their music better. It was only 7.45, so although there was a lot of people gathered in front of the main stage, there wasn’t any real crowding, I sidled towards the third row, where the crowd was thicker. There I suddenly saw a girl in a fluffy crocodile costume rocking out with her buddy Spider-Man. I just love the different people you find at a festival! Anyway, here my view to the stage was completely blocked by several tall guys. I found an opening, however, and then I was second row. New obstacle of tall guys. The tall guy next to me saw my – in lack of a better word – short-comings. He shrugged at me and gave me a friendly smile, something along the lines of «If I was that guy, I’d help you!» Well, I tried my luck. I carefully poked the towering obstacle on the shoulder (or as high as I could reach from down in the Shire). No reaction. My compassionate new partner-in-crime tried. The guy turned around and looked at him, then down on me. And what do you know, suddenly I was front row at Sixx:A.M (with plans of holding that spot until Alice Cooper entered the stage, of course!)

«24 June at 20:33 · I made it to the front row! Thank you, fun-sized legs!»

 

I thanked him heartily, and watched the band. They are definitely worth checking out if you haven’t heard them already! This concludes the first day of writing. I knew I had a lot to tell, but this is turning out to be quite the long tale! Hang in there, I will come to the Europe bit eventually. But not today. My wrist can’t take it any more! 

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Part 2:

Tuesday, 28 June 2016

The tracks that Sixx:A.M played that caught me from the first notes were “Rise”, “This is gonna hurt” (I’ll tell you about what hurt later!) and “Life is beautiful”! Check them out. I have to admit, when I first heard the female chorusing, I thought “Backtrack choir vocals? That’s lame!” But then I saw the choiring ladies! There were back vocals live at the show. That got so much more respect from me!

Then there was time to wait for Alice Cooper. After 50 minutes or so, the gig started. I was gonna see a full Alice Cooper show! Woohoo! The last time I saw him live, I caught only half the concert. The other half, me and the aforementioned Thomas were in line to get our tickets to the joint Alice Cooper/Iron Maiden show. We got the full Maiden show, but only some of Cooper. Alice Cooper was.... a fun show. I wasn’t really in it, for some reason. There were a lot of the songs that I didn’t know, or didn’t remember, and while the entire concert was really entertaining, it didn’t really draw me in, cause there weren’t much band interaction with the audience! But now I can say that I have seen Alice Cooper live, we’ve been only a few metres apart! Some highlights from the concert for me was “Poison”, “School’s out”, and “Elected”. During this song, there was a couple of actors masked as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and they were attacking each other physically. It was entertaining, to say the least. I have to mention one thing that actually drew me into the show: The female guitar player. She was so skilled!! During one of her solos I had massive chills up and down my back! The last thing I will remember from the concert was when Alice stood there in his “penguin coat” and conducted the music! For a long time! With what looked to me like an epee, a very thin and small sword. I doubt that was what it was supposed to look like, but that was my impression. I am a conductor myself, and have stood at a couple of concerts conducting the band from the audience, instead of fist pumping. This is what I sometimes do when I listen to music at home, whether it’s Beethoven, Mozart, Nightwish or Europe. So of course I do this when I’m at a concert, too :)

After Alice Cooper, I was satisfied with my evening. I was also starting to get a bit cold, so I retired to the tent and fell asleep.

The next morning I woke up, cell phone battery was completely drained from the night before, and although they had a charging booth at the festival, it was closed until the festival reopened at 1:p.m later that day. When I woke up in the tent, no daylight to guide me, it felt like it was wake-up time. And when I learned the time, it was the normal time I get up in the morning! I dressed and found my health food; Had crispbread, walnuts and dried pineapple for breakfast, yum! Then the other two got up, and then there was nothing else to do but wait until 1:p.m. So I opened one of my cans of cider. Then can number two. How bizarre, to be drinking in the morning! But hey, I had decided to do this festival thingy for real! And there was no rush. I had everything I needed, I had friends to talk to, and there was no rain. While we sat in the grass outside the tent the clouds started departing, and the sun peaked out! I had as I mentioned remembered to pack sun screen. Sun protection factor 50 for my chest and my tattoo, and spf 30 for my face. Normally I also use 25 everywhere else. I asked Camilla if she could help me apply spf 50 on my shoulder and my tattoo. I applied the rest on the aforementioned spots. The rest of the back (I had a halterneck dress exposing the upper half of my back) was totally unprotected. I didn’t feel that the two cans of cider had affected me... maybe they had a little bit, considering NOT putting sun lotion on a back is a very foolish thing to do when you’re going to be outside all day. Anyway, there was still an hour until the festival opened, and I had another can of cider!

The festival finally opened for the day, 2 hours before the first band would play on the main stage; Ammunition! Ammunition is a band with Åge Sten Nilsen, the singer of the former band Wig Wam. Åge is one of the few people in Norway that can really do Queen-songs, I admire his vocal skills, as well as his down-to-earth being. His band also features Erik Mårtensson from the Swedish band Eclipse, and Victor Borge from the Norwegian band TNT. I really enjoyed their concert! First and foremost because of their music, but also because people I know from different places came to greet me there on the front row (it wasn’t really crowded although many people had gathered on the grass surrounding the stage, and some on the plaza in front of it. First, I met the red haired girl that had showed me to the tiny cottage the day before, she really knew the music, and especially the Wig Wam song they did towards the end: “Hard to be a rock’n’roller”, I also know this song very well, having been to 4-5 Wig Wam shows. Then came Henning, and asked if I wanted a beer. I told him I didn’t like beer, but if he was willing, I’d really like a cider! He came back to me with my fourth cider that day (it wasn't even 4:p.m yet!), and on a stomach filled with just a couple of crackers, nuts and pineapple snacks! Then Torild came to meet me, I knew she was coming on Saturday to see Europe, so I wasn’t surprised to see her. I had my full focus on the concert, so I just told her hello before returning to the stage. Felt a bit rude, so I turned around to say hi once more, and even put on a smile this time :-P Lastly a woman came to meet me that I had not anticipated; a colleague from when I used to work at Spar! I got a hug from her, then I had to peer over her shoulder, because surely, if SHE was there, then another colleague from that job had to be there as well. Kjetil goes to almost ALL the big concerts. I’ve bumped into him on so many gigs or festivals through the years! And surely, he was there this day as well. I was very satisfied with the Ammunition gig. Although they have only released one record, and haven’t played together all that long, they’re all so skilled, and their music is great.

" 25 June at 16:22 · Bergen · I am truly among my own people! Meeting people I know from everywhere! The music is really great, too :-) 3+ hours until Europe! (Quote of the day Åge Sten Nilsen: I bet you’re looking forward to Europe now!”)”

(Why this Facebook status was geo-tagged in Bergen, I have no idea)

After the show Torild mentioned in passing “I see Åge is standing over there.” Of course I had to greet him, and while doing so, I got a hug. About the quote above: It started in 2004, when I was in my senior year celebrations (Russefeiring) in high school, Wig Wam had turned up in the Norwegian Eurovision Song Contest (this was the year before they won and participated in the Eurovision Finale), and they were going to play at one of the outdoor parties where lots of high school third years (Russ) is gathered to drink and have fun. I was there almost solely to see Wig Wam, who I’d liked since I saw them briefly in a TV cameo prior to the Norwegian ESC. While at this gathering, I bumped into a guy with a Wig Wam T-shirt, and next to him was Åge Sten Nilsen. This was my first “music hero” meeting ever, so I think I might have made an impression. Anyway, this was in May. In that coming June, I knew that Europe (who was back from hiatus) was going to perform for the very first time since their reunion in Norway, and Wig Wam was set to be supporting them! So when I met Åge, this was what I talked to him about. He told me he had been a fan of Europe since 1985! The second time I met him, I had this photo with him

Meeting Åge with a Europe T-shirt on in 2005

and he remembered me from almost one year before, so whenever I have met him during the past 12 years, we have always talked about Europe.

OK, so back to the festival. Time for some food! Not just alcoholic beverages. I had, as I said, prepared for the festival, and looked at their website. There I could read about the different food stalls. They even had a culinary street; “Matgata”. I had read that you could buy Moose Kebab, from a local family business. So I was very intent on trying it. And let me tell you; it was delicious! Served in a wrapper with a Warning! Moose!-sign on it.

Time has run out on me again, and I have to conclude my festival review tomorrow

“25 June at 18:02 · Halden · I'm so psyched to see Europe again today! For the 17th time in Norway, and 28th time in total!!”

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Part 3: 

Wednesday, 29 June 2016

Okay, so here comes the part about Europe. After having eaten my first proper meal that day, I made a discovery! I was commenting on the hot weather, and the scorching sun. Thomas and Torild replied something along the lines of “We don’t think it’s scorching, but we can see that you do!” Sixx:A.M had after all tried to warn me in their song: “This is gonna hurt!” My exposed back, or the parts of it not covered with SPF 50, was burning red! The picture below was taken 2 (!) days later.

At least the sun screen worked on the parts I applied it to....

Although I was pretty laidback at this festival, the Europe concert was only an hour away, so I didn’t feel I had time to go back to the tent to put some more sun lotion on. So I went to wait in front of the stage instead, at least that spot was now in the shade! So there I was in the shade, exposing my lobster red upper back to the people behind me.

“ 25 June at 19:17 · Bergen · Heard at a festival: (also known as 'you know you’ve got a sunburn when:') "I just have to apply some of my own sun lotion to your back, I can see you have a severe burn!""

This quote - again geo-tagged in Bergen, for some reason - was from a woman I had never met previously, and will probably never meet again. She had just noticed my burning back, so she came to my rescue! This is the second time I get a sunburn at a festival, the first time was at Sweden Rock in 2013, and both times I had helping angels!

Europe came to the stage right on time, looking really good. Or, from what I could see of them. I was completely unable to see Ian. The stage was too big, too tall! An amp was blocking me from seeing Mic as well, but I caught him a couple of times during the show. I hadn’t managed to get quite as good a position as I’d have liked, cause I hadn’t been watching all the bands on the main stage prior to Europe.... But I had a view of the stage, almost Levén-spot. I spent the concert mostly looking at him and Joey.

They started with War of Kings, then continued with Hole in my pocket. The press was trying to get good photos from the trenches, and judging by what I’ve seen on different pages afterwards, they didn’t get much more than Levén, Norum or Joey either. But I was very proud of my guys once again. The third song had been switched from Superstitious to Rock the night, which wasn’t better, but it wasn’t worse either. For me, those songs are a necessary evil of a Europe show. It’s not that I don’t like them, ‘cause I do, but I am just a bit bored with them. I remember a time when Joey did something unexpected in his call-and-response routine on both those songs, and I really miss it. As it is now, I don’t have to wait for him to sing a phrase, I can sing it with him, as well as every song lyric. Of course he fuxxed those up a little bit this time as well... But I do it too. And every time I do, I make a mental note to read up on the lyrics :) But even if I don’t know what I’m singing, I enjoy the music SO much. I have said it before, but I really LOVE to be able to rock out to my favourite music together with a crowd that appreciates it enough to check it out at a rock concert.

Even though the stage was really tall, I could as mentioned see some of the guys. And again, I caught some signs of recognition from them. John Levén looks so amused some times, when I’m jumping and fist pumping and headbanging and singing, or smiling most broadly. I feel like such a clown entertaining him. But it’s a good-natured smile, he lets me know he remembers me in a very subtle manner. I was at a concert with another bass player recently, a girl I know. And I wanted to get front row, to let her know I had seen her band. I tried to catch her attention, but she was so caught up in her playing, and looked really concentrated! When she did see me, her face completely lit up, and she mouthed “Hey!”. I have a theory the guys in Europe would do this constantly, considering the loyal fan base that follows them around on shows. My theory is that the reason they don’t, is because they have practiced not to. It would kind of look out of character, I think. But what they do do, is they notice you, then they plan to show you in a subtle, or not so subtle way.

I was talking about lyrics, and how I have a tendency of forgetting them. Same as Joey. I am glad we both remember the lyrics to Sign of the times. What Joey did made my whole evening extra special. He was in the middle of the stage during verse 1 and chorus 1. Then he started the second verse. He then began to saunter purposefully (!) towards where I stood singing “It wakes him up, he turns around, and now he’s gone, he’s been waiting for this moment....” He went down on one knee on the edge of the stage right in front of me, only to meet my eyes as we both sang “desperately” (I’m not putting too much meaning in the words here, they were random, but as I tend to be very intense, I thought it was a fun coincidence anyway, because then I could act with superdramatic movements in from of him)

“ 25 June at 22:18 · Not the best position in front of an already way too elevated stage, but in the end it didn't matter. I saw them (with the exception of Ian), and they saw me. John L smiled at me, and Joey gave me a thumbs up at one point, and a wave at another. And then, during Sign of the times, he came over to sit down on the stage facing me, and then we sang together, while both of us were smiling and just, appreciating each other,; him appreciating seeing a loyal fan, and me, appreciating the recognition, the music they have made, and this concert. The concert was so short, but they put SO much into their alotted 70 minutes”

I was so happy with this concert. There were NO dead spots. I was so happy with the setlist. I like drum solos, but as with the vocalizing parts in Rock the night and Superstitous, the William Tell overture drum solo routine is starting to bore me. So the fact that this gig was without drum solos or Carrie was just fine with me. I was very happy to hear Ready or not again.

The sound they had at Tons of rock was fantastic. I normally wear earplugs at concerts, but this time I could take them out without any audible damage to my ears, and the sound was still very clear!

I bounced around like a crazy person during Days of Rock’n’roll. Then the band went behind the stage. I discussed with Torild whether they would come back for two songs, or just one. I was intently hoping for Cherokee before the end.

But alas. The intro to The final countdown began, and this time I was nearly choking on tears. I had waited 9 months for this gig, I had counted down from two months prior to the gig. And now it was over! I think that brought me down to earth faster than normal. But I got to tell my friends about what had happened during Sign of the times, and my newest friend Siv told me she had noticed both the subtle recognition earlier in the show, and what happened later! I love having witnesses. Without them, I would no doubt start to question the actual happenings a few years later. In fact, every 16th of May, I text a good friend in Holland, asking if the meeting I had with Joey in 2007 really happened, ‘cause she was the first one I told about it, when it was still so fresh in my mind... 

Anyway, now I feel I am starting to ramble. I think this will be it for this concert experience. Let me know if there is something you think I’ve forgotten to write :)

“25 June at 23:29 · EUROPE THE BAND AT TONS OF ROCK GREAT GIG! GREAT CROWD! HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON NORWAY! // EUROPE”