Infruset Turné 2013 - Norrköping

I went there quite skeptical. And I was tired. My very first day in my new home. Stockholm. And the Infruset tour has just started. First there was a concert in Visby, then Norrköping, my destination. Another hour in the train, the dawn slowly coming outside the train windows. I’m thinking about the coincidence. The first thing I do in my new life is Mando Diao concert. It´s even more suitable because they were one of the reasons why I felt in love with Sweden. So now I’m here, heading Norrköping and my first official concert of MD singing in Swedish. The first time when I will hear ALL the songs from Infruset album. 

There´s no need to hurry, seats in the first row are certain; I bought my tickets already in December. And I’m not really excited. They don’t make me nervous these days. 

The concert takes place in a wonderful concert hall close to a river, the whole event makes impression of some theatrical performance or something completely different, definitely not Mando Diao concert. Where are all those girls waiting to be able to be in the first row? Where are all those young girls anyway? There are plenty of older people, dressed very fine and I’m feeling weird in my jeans and a T-shirt.

I see Carlos selling some merchandise and I buy good-looking magazine called simply Infruset Turné 2013 and after quick look I discover long interview with the band, photos and an article about Fröding. The magazine looks and smells good. (I´m not going to eat it, though...)

The whole feeling is very different from all my previous Mando Diao experiences. There were small venues, huge open air concerts, acoustic sessions played in music stores, unplugged, plugged... but never something like this. It feels certainly weird. Most of the guests are going to see Mando Diao for the first time, I suppose. What it will be like for them? And for me? 

It’s been a while since this band is not the same for me anymore. They started something I can’t stand and like, they changed a lot. I don’t even listen to the whole Swedish album anymore. I guess I’m more like the fan of the first episode of the series called Mando Diao. Ode to Ochrasy times, that’s what makes me shake every time I listen to it. I don’t adore Give Me Fire album and I deeply hate Caligola. But still. They are...Mando Diao. The reason, my answer for so many questions. They are still present. That’s why I’m here tonight. In Norrköping. However I’m not going to freak out because of them anymore. I’m more curious than excited like I used to be. 

I sit into the first row and wait. Prepared for everything. Then it happens. It got me from the first second, indeed. It’s little bit like theatrical act. It’s a game. And I love that it’s in Swedish, my new language I’m living with. During the first songs I still feel distracted because of the Caligola impression. It’s in the way Gustaf and Björn move, sing, act. It’s in them, the whole Caligola thing. I see it and feel it and I’m not sure if it’s appropriate in this Infruset situation. However then comes I Ungdomen. And I got lost. I cry and I forget everything else. I only hear the music and words. With Strövtåg i Hembygden and Snigelns Visa comes back memories. To Munich show when we heard Snigelns Visa at the soundcheck for the first time. Memories and thoughts. They made me smile, cry and even dance in the end. They gave me the answer. How did they do it again, for god’s sake?

When I’m leaving the venue I don’t feel empty like I used to feel after their show. I don’t feel high on music. But I feel I liked it. I feel I’m happy I was there. And most important of all... I feel I’m doing the right thing with my life, here in Sweden. I didn’t ask them and they didn’t tell me anything with proper words but it was there. It’s always there, Mando Diao. In your music. That’s probably why I will always like you. 

Surreal dream

Somehow had this song stuck in mind for a while....

World On Fire

I think I had a section long time ago on this blog where I tried to present you some new bands that are worth to listen to... I´m convinced that I definitely published at least one entry concerning this topic. To remind you it was about Borlänge band called Goodlooking Trash. I still stand up for this. Check them out. For example here or here. 

And when we´re into it right now I´d like to talk about this Stockholm band called (right now) The Royal Concept. Some of you might knew them as The Concept or The Concept Store back then. They´re going to be really big, I promise. You don´t wanna miss them now. Listen and watch and go to their gig when you have the chance. You have my word you won´t regret! (You can write me if you do...:-) )

The band consist of Filip Bekic, David Larson, Povel Olsson and Magnus Robert Nilsson. Which the first two of them have the responsibility of the lyrics and melodies. They released their LP, order it right now here. Played many many shows in US and Sweden and Europe in general and their very first album is (hopefully) to be released this year (2013). What else to add? See for yourself here and here and maybe even here. Have fun.

Pracovali jsme tvrdě abychom se dostali tam kde jsme

Christmas present for you, especially for all czech and slovak fans! The new interview with Gustaf Norén from Open Air Panenský Týnec in the Czech Republic made by Vladimíra Galková. Enjoy! And Merry Christmas!

Máva umelec niekedy pochybnosti o tom, čo vytvoril?

Na jednej strane človek nemá žiadne pochybnosti. Keď tvorí hudbu, nepremýšľa príliš,  proste tvorí a je tým unesený. Nemyslí, ani sa nerozhoduje. Pochybnosti nesúvisia s procesom tvorenia hudby. Ale v momente,  kedy je song hotový, pochybnosti, samozrejme, sú. Nikdy nevieš, ako bude prijatý a čo s ním bude o päť rokov.

Riskuješ v hudbe?

Well, myslím si, že áno, ale nerobím to schválne. Nepriťahuje ma až tak veľmi hudba, ktorú robím. Rock ´n´ roll ma nepriťahuje tak ako jazz, blues, klasická hudba, hip hop, RnB,  soul, funk a disco. Toto sú štýly, ktoré su pre mňa atraktívnejšie. Rovnako folk, páči sa mi všetko od ruského folku po jamajský. Počúvam viac Hectora Lavoe, než Rolling Stones, Lil Wayn viac než Strokes, Erikah Badu viac ako napríklad Björk. Nie som si týmto riskovaním istý, ale prináša mi to odlišné hľadisko.

Pred dvomi rokmi vydali Mando Diao live album MTV Unplugged: Above and Beyond. Zaspievali si na ňom trebárs Ray Davies, Lana Del Rey a.. Juliette Lewis. Čarovná žena, totálna psycháčka, vzácny prípad herečkospeváčky, ktorá je v oboch profesiách viac než presvedčivá. Je v nich fatálna. (tuuf pátos). Takto nejako som to vypľula do svetla reflektora a chcela vedieť niečo o nej. Gustaf prikyvuje, áno, to ona je.

A je zaujímavé porovnávať Lanu Del Rey a Juliette Lewis, ktoré sú obe skvelé umelkyne. Lana Del Rey bola absolútne skvelá, keď sme spolu skúšali, ale potom počas šou bola veľmi nervózna. Zatiaľ čo Juliette Lewis bola totálne chaotická počas skúšania, ale na pódiu úplne horela, ten oheň nevychádzal z pódia, ale priamo z nej. Keď nebola zapnutá kamera, bola celkom iný človek. Podľa mňa je to pravá hviezda. Myslím, že je z tých ľudí, ktorý by do desiatich rokov mohli získať Oskara. Chápeš, urobí veľký návrat a zahrá si nejakú starú, bláznivú ženskú.

Mando Diao spomínali v nejakom staršom rozhovore, že do nich v ich rodnom meste Borlänge každý rýpal s tým, že nikdy nič nedokážu. To ma zaujalo. Celkom blízke Slovensku. Pýtam sa teda, prečo mali ich vlastní rodáci takéto debilné poznámky.

Pochádzame z mesta metalu. Povedal by som, že 90 % hudby hrajú muži. Je to hlavne speed metal, death metal, heavy metal. My hráme pop. Máme bližšie ku Christine Aquilere, než k nejakej heavy metalovej kapele ako Iron Maiden a podobne. Keď sme sa stali úspešnými, celý Borlänge bol frutrovaný. Je ľahké byť v tomto meste najlepší, pretože všetky kapely sú tu zlé. Boli sme pekne arogantní, ale mali sme pravdu, boli sme najlepší, pretože nám tu v našom stýle nikto nekonkuroval. Prvé dva-tri roky bolo na nás teda naše mesto naštvané. Po nejakej dobe sa však tento hnev zmenil na hrdosť. Pretože sme hovorili to isté, čo heavy metalové kapely, len iným jazykom. Pochopili, že sme tiež bojovali, že sme pracovali a pracovali tvrdo, aby sme sa dostali tam, kde sme. Predtým si mysleli, že sme všetko dostali na striebornom podnose, pretože sme mali skvelé ohlasy na prvý album a podobne, ale za tým bola tvrdá práca. Uvedomili si to a teraz nás akceptujú.

Improvizácia, poďme. Tvrdá práca – úspech – hnev sa mení na hrdosť. Hrdosť. Na čo je on osobne najviac hrdý?

Pred tromi rokmi boli v kapele nejaké problémy. Rozožierali nás ako rakovina. Čo je prirodzené, keď hráte spolu vyše 10 rokov, vlastne už od tínedžerského veku. V kapele sa proste muži potýkajú s problémami. My sme ich prekonali, bolo to, ako keby sme sa dostali cez nejaký útes a momentálne je to v poriadku. Myslím, že všetky tie pochybnosti a problémy, ktoré sme mali, sme vyriešili  v najlepšom záujme hudby. Možno nie pre všetkých. Vyhodili sme bubeníka,  niektorých ľudí sme zarmútili, ale pre hudbu to bolo nevyhnutné. Na to som naozaj hrdý, že môžeme pokračovať ako kapela ďalej.

Could have been good

The loneliest time of the year is here, so there´s also time for this song.

With you in Berlin

Never enough of good old photos.

And it was easy said

This blog was little bit in coma last days... so today I was wondering about what to post, what to write about. There are some news that are interesting, especially the one with Sverige tour in January and February. It appeared some new dates, check it out here.
But then...I don´t feel like writing about anything. I probably will continue with doing what I like the most. Posting my personal thoughts about this band. Keep writing my own Ode to Mando Diao even though it won´t be about the latest news and stuff like that. There´s always facebook page for it, I guess.

In this winter snowy day let´s have some sweet sweet love...