After having waited 17 years for a chance to see my favorite live, she finally came to Stockholm to perform at the Water Festival, a big week long event when the city celebrates its beauty. The "Blue Stage" was set on water in the city center, a great location which Patti admired a lot from stage. A good crowd turned up, about 7500 people. It seems that Patti has more of a following in Sweden than I had dreamed of. For instance the record is on the top 20, and she made the front page (with pictures) of the biggest morning newspaper and one of the big evening papers. The morning paper also ran an interview.
And how was the performance? Well, I wasn't disappointed! Patti's
voice was going, and she excused herself for this, promising to be
back soon with her voice intact. But in truth, I would barely
have noticed. I was pleasantly surprised at how tight the
band was
Reviews of the concert was very favorable, although in my opinion overdoing
the "broken voice" part. She
got four out of five in the evening paper, and a rave review.
Marks: 4 out of 5
She is absolutely wonderful. Of course! Patti Smith, 50 in a couple of
months, and so full of energy -- even though
her voice fails her. It's one of those nights we will remember for a long
time.
Patti should of course really have stayed in the hotel bed, taking care of
her ailing throat. But except for a break half an hour into the concert,
when guitarist Lenny Kaye takes over, it's full throttle most of the time.
Patti starts by telling off the press photographers. She is as hot-tempered as
"Little My" [this is a character in Tove Jansson's stories, popular in
Sweden], and so fully charged and magical that you can't take your eyes off
her.
She sings songs from her whole career. Takes her shoes off and dances around
barefoot in "Dancing Barefoot," has all of us shouting along to Van
Morrison's "Gloria" and gives us several songs from her fantastic comeback
Gone Again. In the more quiet songs it's dead silent in the sea of people.
Few artists are met with such respect as Patti Smith.
By the way, make this woman head of PR for the next Water Festival. Over and
over again she celebrates Stockholm and explains to us that we should be
proud of our city.
"I will be back soon, with my voice intact," she says.
Make that a promise, Patti.
It can't be 18 more years until next time you show up.
A note of explanation (from Soren): Patti's "attack" on the press
photographers came about
when they disturbed her during the first song ("Wing") by talking
loudly in front of stage. There was a wide fenced-off space in front for
photographers and security. Patti thought it was too wide, keeping the
audience too far away, "There are...chairs up here, know what I mean?"
Patti asked the crowd if they had paid for their tickets, and told the
photographers/security that the rest of us "are here to work"...
Copyright © Soren Nylin 1996
[review by Anders Hvidfeldt, Aftonbladet, August 9, 1996]
Place: Water Festival
Audience: 4200
Bonus: Tom Verlaine on guitar!
Translation Soren Nylin 1996
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