Lena PH - Roxette bilder, videor Sydney, Adelaide...+ Review
Setlist
- The Big L.
- Sleeping In My Car
- Dressed For Success
- What’s She Like?
- Crash! Boom! Bang!
- Fading Like A Flower
- Opportunity Nox
- Things Will Never Be The Same
- Vulnerable
- Milk And Toast And Honey
- Stars
- She’s Got Nothing On (But The Radio)
- It Must Have Been Love
- How Do You Do!
- Dangerous
Band presentation
- Joyride
Encore
- Spending My Time
- Listen To Your Heart
- The Look
- Queen Of Rain
dailyroxette.com: Hands down, the best show of the recent Aussie concerts was Wollongong – the crowd was on fire! Sorry, Melbourne but the “Gong” wins! READ MORE HERE
musicaltheatre.au: Rating: ★★★★1/2
REVIEW: Roxette return to Australia with wonderful performance at the ICC Sydney Theatre
When Roxette last toured Australia in 2015, it was thought that it would certainly be the last time. Indeed, when Marie Fredriksson lost her battle with a brain tumour in 2019, it seemed as though there was no way that the band she fronted could go on as her loss continued to loom large upon the music industry in the ensuing years.
Yet, in 2024, the band has returned to Australia for a tour showcasing all of their biggest hits, with Swedish pop singer Lena Philipsson taking on the lead vocals. After shows around the country, the band, led by founding member Per Gessle, returned to Sydney for a show at the ICC Theatre in Darling Harbour.
The atmosphere was buzzing as the band took to the stage and they immediately got into their stride with uplifting and energetic songs like “Sleeping in my Car” and “Crash! Boom! Bang!” getting the audience out of the chairs for the start of the set. While not quite possessing the same power as Fredriksson, Philipsson displayed significant range and texture to her voice, and she was able to use her strong stage presence to get the crowd going from the outset.
Philipsson’s stage presence prevented the performance from feeling like a cover band performance but even so, the absence of Fredriksson was felt at some of the most poignant moments of the show, with Philipsson dedicating the band’s emotional performance of “It Must Have Been Love” to the late singer. It was fabulously performed, with tenderness and fragility whilst still maintaining power in the soaring high notes and the audience sang along to every word. With such a well-constructed and beautiful song, it was truly special to hear the crowd singing along with the band, which was a nod to Fredriksson and also to the enduring power of music.....
.......Ultimately, this was a fantastic performance, which displayed incredibly high levels of musicality throughout. Roxette’s songs are incredibly catchy and the crowd created a fantastic atmosphere as the band sung through their catalogue with heart and passion. While the loss of Fredriksson will always be noticed when Roxette perform, Philipsson did a fantastic job of mitigating the effect of this, giving a performance for the audience to remember. This was a concert with lots of fun and good memories and while it was not the same as the original Roxette, it had the same heart, soul and connection that the beauty of the songs deserves and for that, it was a superb night.
READ the full review HERE
LILITHIA REVIEWS:
Roxette: Live In Concert 2025, Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne, March 7th 2025 – Live Review
My first exposure to Swedish music duo Roxette, originally consisting of members Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, was through the 1990’s Richard Gere and Julia Roberts hit romantic-comedy, Pretty Woman. Roxette’s ‘It Must’ve Been Love’ was undoubtedly the hero song of that movie, reaching to number 1 on the music charts worldwide, including Australia. From there, I deep dived into the pop rock duo’s impressive discography.
Despite being a Roxette fan for decades, Roxette’s tour ‘Live In Concert 2025’, proudly presented by Mellen Events and Live Nation Australia, was my first time seeing the Swedish band live.
Originally thought to never perform again in 2019, due to the unfortunate passing of Marie Fredriksson from brain tumour complications, Per Gessle announced in May last year that Roxette would tour again. This time with the assistance and talents of singer-songwriter, Lena Philipsson.
Philipsson is already a famous name and accomplished pop artist in her own right. The songstress with a massive Swedish catalogue even represented Sweden at Eurovision in 2004, with her song ‘Det gör ont/It Hurts’. As a Eurovision fan too, I was excited to see Philipsson live and rock some Roxette songs.
The 8-member touring band took to Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena stage on Friday the 7th of March and hit the ground running with their high spirits, catchy tunes and infectious energy, inspiring Melbourne patrons to get up on their feet from the very beginning. The staging set-up was quite minimal, with a projection showing visuals and the occasional band title appearing behind the band.
It didn’t take long before Gessle happily shared, “It’s amazing to see so many people here! It’s been ten years!”, warmly adding that the band has always felt welcome in Australia, especially in Melbourne. Gessle also announced that Philipsson had joined the Roxette family, proudly introducing her to the attentive Melbourne audience, which was received with a very warm welcome. Unlike the other Roxette band members on stage, this was Philipsson’s first time visiting Australia, which ignited more cheers from the Melbourne crowd.
The sold-out Melbourne concert was full of Roxette fans of all ages, ready to dance, sing and fill the Melbourne venue with their shared elation. Gessle wowed the patrons with his gorgeous collection guitars and commanding stage presence, Philipsson stunned Roxette fans with her friendly charm, dazzling smile and strong vocals, and the rest of the touring band each took turns to show off their skills with passion and precision, all while being super interactive with their loving Melbourne audience. The audience felt like an extension of the band, gleefully singing and clapping along, regardless of whether prompted by the band or not. Everyone was ready to party and were just happy for Roxette to be touring again.....
READ FULL REVIEW HERE
