Roxette SECC, Glasgow

Thursday 5 July 2012

The trend of nostalgia gigging continued with late 1980s sensation Roxette playing Glasgow for the first time in 20 years.

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Marianne Gunn

Swedish pop duo Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle – who share total record sales of 75 million – were mainly focused on rocking out along memory lane with their core fans who came out in force for the occasion.

With Fredrikkson's trademark bleached blonde crop and signature leather trousers, Gessle's flamboyant red sparkly loafers seemed muted in comparison.After opening with big hitters Dressed For Success and Sleeping In My Car, it was The Big L that dusted the cobwebs off their opus and was the first thing to really get the crowd singing along (much more of that was to follow). A more subdued section led into a pared down Perfect Day, which showed the newer raspiness of Fredriksson's vocals has not impacted too greatly on her impressive range. Tracks from their new Charm School album showed their songwriting is still focused on a pop-rock synth sound, but It Must Have Been Love was the sure-fire pinnacle of the evening, nicely placed in their hour-and-a-half long set. Fading Like A Flower (Every Time You Leave) was another welcome blast from the past, while a trio of hits – Joyride, The Look and Listen To Your Heart – closed the show.Out of their 33 worldwide hits, the chosen set (which has stayed almost the same for most of the worldwide tour) ticked all the boxes on a wistful longing for the simplicity of the power ballad, but also had a good many rock guitar solo sections thrown in (including an impressive breakneck speed rendition of Scotland The Brave). "Sweden is not all Stieg Larsson," one of the musicians on stage proclaimed. "Sweden is all love!" A return to simpler times, indeed.HHHH

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Roxette SECC, Glasgow

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