A 30-year anniversary is such an important milestone for a band. Lots of things have happened throughout this time range, lots of things to be proud, happy and things that fulfill you as an individual artist and as a group most importantly. And what a better occasion for the mighty Hellacopters to celebrate this specific momentum in your hometown as a band, where it all started (a few hundred meters away, at Gamla Stan, Stockholm), and on the exact date you played your very first gig as a band (a free entrance gig I must add), on the 31st of January 1995!
(source of this picture: Facebook)
The venue, a different location this time of course, Vasateatern, downtown Stockholm a beautiful venue to have a special event as this. Being a theater, it gives a different, glamourous feeling to what is expected to follow. Arriving on time, we had the chance to meet some friends, share some beer and talk about the show per se and, what would our preferences be in regard to the setlist, and also discuss the support band from Göteborg, Spiders. A band which comes as no surprise and one we are very familiar with.
Kicking off the night (the first of the 3 in a row only in Stockholm, all sold out!), Spiders delivered the goods so well! With their electrifying and high energy rock n roll vibes, this could not have been a better support band before The Hellacopters! Playing almost 40 minutes, their setlist included songs from their previous albums, but they included some of their upcoming record ‘Sharp Objects’, which will be released on Valentine’s Day! John Hoyles was magnificent, both on guitars and lead vocals, captivating the audience with his amazing guitar playing. Olle (on bass), Rickard (on guitars) and Oskar (on drums) all gave a fantastic performance and played their best to please the spectators. Ann-Sofie – as always – was the super star of the show, with her relentless energy, brio and charm, fascinated all of us and proved how good performer she is all throughout their show. I wish they could play some more, but I can save my anticipation for the next time, hoping it will not be far away. I also can’t wait to get their new album and listen more songs of it on their next gig. Spiders have left no second thoughts or doubts, they played a hell of a show and this has was an awesome evening to kick off their co-tour with The Hellacopters!
Following a necessary break, the sound of helicopters prolonged the entrance of the headliner band and the beginning of their show with the first song of their new album ‘Overdriver’, the fascinating “Token Apologies”, getting everyone on their feet (approx.. 900 people), signing along and cheering out loud! What an entrance!
This has been a fantastic show, worth of the history of the band and their 30 year anniversary. They all played with an extraordinary energy and passion, like there was no tomorrow… All members of the band gave everything they had to make it a special evening. Luis Gerardo “L-G” Valeta, filling in for Dregen matches the energy, kinetics and playing moves of Nicke so fine, being a perfect team mate on stage and giving us some great moments to remember. From the times I have watched The Hellacopters live, this was an exceptional and a special evening I believe, performance-wise, for the band. Of course the anniversary character of this gig played its role, but, especially Nicke Andersson seems that he is getting better and better as years go by..! He played extremely well, his vocals sound amazing and his energy levels are second to none from the first to the very last second! He especially seemed to have enjoyed this gig so much, both on the older songs and equally on the new ones, marking also the release of their new album, opening this tour.
The crowd was so much engaged on every song, on every chorus and you could feel how much they wanted to be part of this special event, and damn sure, they did so well! The whole night a huge exclamation mark and a mixed feeling of ‘Awe’ and respect have conquered all of us who witnessed that gig. Boba Fett, dolf de Borst and of course Robban on drums all played like there is no tomorrow and completed so fine the 2 guitarists, adding their signature playing to a fantastic show! Setlist-wise, there have been goodies from all their discography, and of course there are personal favorites for each one of us who would like to listen to, but, my humble opinion is that, even the hard-core Hellacopters fans would not be disappointed by the songs played. A highlight of the evening and a surprise to everyone was when Odd Ahlgren, the singer of the Swedish punk/garage rock band The Robots, joined on stage for The Hellacopters’ cover of “In the Sign of the Octopus”, included in their cover LP ‘Head Off’ in 2008. Huge Respect for that! A fantastic moment!
This is High Energy Rock N’ Roll at its finest moment. This is a band who plays every second on high levels of energy, enthusiasm and love for the audience and their fan base. This is a band leader, who “Leaves a Mark” every time we see him on stage, giving everything he has and let no one complaining about anything. Simply a brilliant artist, band and of course a night to remember! And all this comes so natural, so fitting, so definite. Looking forward to their next anniversary show!
Text and pictures by Antonis Mantzavinos
