‘Rock in Rio 2010’

by Judith Henrich, Petra Meier and Judith Fasler

The last 2 days in Rio almost felt like a little touring holiday. Everyone is soaking up the sun (temperatures around 33 degrees!) and views from the roof top pool of the hotel overlooking Copacabana beach and Sugar Loaf certainly make you feel being in paradise. And combining work with pleasure, Magne & Paul take the cable car to Sugar Loaf for a bit of a foggy photo shoot for the upcoming photo book.

We bump into familiar fan faces – loads of them. You don’t really know them though you feel like you’ve known them forever. It’s an instant connection and we’ve made friends for life over the past couple of days. Whenever anyone of the band leaves the hotel it feels like organised chaos – fans appear from everywhere, having their photos taken with Morten, Magne & Paul.

Thunder, lightning & rain fill the electric air in Rio in the evening. A sign of what show to expect – it would be electrifying. Expectations are high for any concert in Rio but a-ha master every second of it. The audience is one of the best ones we have seen so far – energetic, passionate & vocal. The crowd erupts to the beat of ‘The Blood That Moves The Body’. The newly added version of ‘You Are The One’ with Magne and Paul on acoustic guitar receives one of the biggest cheers of the night and Morten doesn’t even have to remember the words to the song, the fans know the lyrics inside out. Undoubtedly the highlight of the evening is ‘Take On Me’ – the audience resembles an ocean of digital cameras and phones, all trying to capture a piece of this historic moment. Memories of ‘Rock in Rio 1991’ come alive and it’s been a tremendous privilege to attend the last ever a-ha show in Rio.

It’s after midnight, our taxi driver keeps us in the mood putting on the ‘a-ha on tour in Brazil’ CD, singing along with us to old time a-ha classics.
There’s never a forever thing but this concert will be an everlasting memory.

Photos by Petra Meier.

Album review competition!

We’re looking for contributions to the final a-ha tour book!

The ‘Ending on a High Note’ official tour book is in production these days, and will be offered for sale at future concerts and in the a-ha shop. The tour book will contain, among other things, a discography section to highlight a-ha’s 25 years of music – and we want you to tell us what the music means to you!

Write a review of your favorite a-ha album and send it to us by March 21. Reviews should be approximately 500 words in length, written in English. A selection of album reviews will be included in the tour book; please note that excerpts may be used or that reviews may be edited for length or grammar, etc.

Fans whose reviews are featured in the tour book will receive a prize from a-ha.com, as well as credit in the tour book for their contribution. Reviews not featured in the tour book may be published here on a-ha.com.

Rio de Janeiro set list

Tonight a-ha performed in rainy Rio. The band continues to make small changes to the set list, this time including ‘You Are The One’:

Bandstand
Foot of the Mountain
Analogue
Forever Not Yours
Minor Earth Major sky
Summer Moved On
Move to Memphis
The Blood That Moves the Body
Stay on These Roads
The Living Daylights
Early Morning
You Are The One
Crying in the Rain
Scoundrel Days
Swing of Things
Manhattan Skyline
I’ve Been Losing You
We’re Looking for the Whales
Cry Wolf

Encore 1
Train of Thought
Hunting High and Low
The Sun Always Shines on TV

Encore 2
Take On Me

A report and photos from JPJ will be posted tomorrow!

An amazing night in São Paulo!

Another passionate and enthusiastic Brazilian audience was on hand last night in  São Paulo for the concert at Credicard Hall.

The setlist for last night’s concert in  São Paulo included ‘The Swing of Things’ and ‘Minor Earth Major Sky’; there was no sign of ‘Touchy!’ or ‘And You Tell Me’:

Bandstand
Foot of the Mountain
Analogue
Forever Not Yours
Summer Moved On
Minor Earth Major Sky
Move to Memphis
Stay on These Roads
The Blood That Moves the Body
The Living Daylights
Early Morning
Crying in the Rain
Scoundrel Days
The Swing of Things
Manhattan Skyline
Looking for the whales
I’ve Been Losing You
Cry Wolf

Encore:
Train of Thought
The Sun Always Shines on TV
Hunting High and Low
Take On Me

The party is getting started

by Judith Heinrich, Petra Meier and Judith Fasler

When we hit the first traffic jam we know we are back in Sao Paulo. If ever anyone complains about London’s M25 in the future, we will send him here to experience a real traffic jam! Also one of the reasons someone prefers to stay at the hotel – or to catch up on much needed sleep.

Ever since their first major Brazilian tour in May 1991, seeing a-ha live in Brazil has always been a unique experience. One of the many things that keeps amazing us is the passion and energy the Brazilian fans show towards the band. It’s not just a concert, it’s a party. And Sao Paulo certainly was no exception. Long before the show starts, queues start building up outside the Credicard Hall. And once the doors open at 8pm, there is a race for the front row spaces in the standing pitch. We feel we are in for a treat – and wouldn’t be disappointed.

Some people back in Europe shake their head when they hear we are going to see the band more than once live, asking if it wasn’t the same show all the time. Absolutely no concert is the same that we have seen around the globe – each one has been unique. It’s the audience that makes it, it’s those enthusiastic individuals going absolutely mental that stick in your mind. And with a changing set list, at least we finally have a valid reason going to several shows…

‘Minor Earth Major Sky’ is a great surprise showing off Magne and Paul on acoustic guitar, the old classic ‘Scoundrel Days’ still sends a cold shiver down everyone’s back and what a treat to have ‘The Swing Of Things’ back in the set list. Morten is slightly lost for words during ‘I’ve Been Losing You’, however the audience helps him back on the roads. The decibels are raised when Morten collects a Brazilian flag from the crowd during the encore’s ‘Train Of Thought’.

And the enthusiasm doesn’t stop at the concert but continues at the band’s hotel when Magne and Paul have to make their way through an ocean of fans, smilingly fulfilling every photo and autograph request.

Work is over – off to Rio for a few days off before the next party.

Photos by Petra Meier.