Monika Tromm
The audience had to wait for two and a half hours for the main attraction during yesterday’s pop gala at Johanneshov’s Isstadion. Englishmen The Who got on the wrong plane in London, and arrived late to Arlanda Airport.
Therefore, the pop gala became a rather tedious affair. And boring. The right mood was missing despite the fact that the venue was crowded.
A long line of Swedish pop bands were employed as opening acts prior to the performance by the English guests. One short-haired and three long-haired boys, The Yardley’s started off, and played, among other songs, “Under the Boardwalk.”
Next came The Wizard’s from Narvik, who had brought along the best surprise of the evening. The singer, 16-year-old Bitte, sang two songs in a good and lively fashion.
The Plommon’s, a band consisting of only girls, performed in chequered trousers, red vests and pink hair-bands. Their performance was both good and nice.
Screaming audience
The first band to get some kind of reaction from the audience was The Moonjacks. One of their assets was a good singer.
The Mascots, which followed, got the biggest reaction from the crowd. While waiting for The Who, which had taken a detour via Copenhagen, The Mascots played some extra numbers in order to fill time.
Then, finally, the first English guests arrived. Apparently, The Overlanders plays “folk-beat” with a funny edge. Yesterday, they weren’t that funny, and their performance became rather tedious.
Finally, The Who arrived on stage. They were calmer than most expected, as the band has a reputation for violence on stage. But all instruments remained intact, and even if the band sounded both experienced and good, they didn’t make much of an impression. The singer, Roger Daltrey, wobbled around a microphone stand, but this was the most interesting thing that happened.
Note
Translation by Jan Forsgren (janforsgren@yahoo.se)
