Baoogie nights. Benny Andersson invites the audience and plays for
dancing at sold-out green areas around Sweden.
Aftonbladet 090917
By: JENS PETERSON
Photo: JENS PETERSON
No diva when Benny and his BAO is on tour: Everyone carry his own clothes, as simple as that.
BORGHOLM-VÄSTERÅS-LEKSAND The music makes the Swedish people dance and smile. Think of people’s parks with colored lanterns and homemade bread. Behind the stage it’s the same atmosphere. Hot dogs and cinnamon buns. Nöjesbladet’s reporter was embedded during three tour days with Benny Anderssons Orkester. Music for breakfast, lunch and main course.
Öland, summer, crowded with tourists. There a woman in curlers and leisure suit waits. A mature man irons a pair of pants. Another is playing with his newly purchased camera. Mom, dad, kids on camping trip? Not quite. Tommy Körberg tries out his new camera. Helen Sjöholm gets her hair and clothes in order and Benny Andersson irons his stage outfits half an hour before his orchestra will be playing in Borgholm’s Castle ruins.
Andersson. Sweden’s most common surname. If there’s anything unusual about this tour it’s that everything is so… usual. The opposite of bloated.
Everyone gets equally paid
Benny Anderssons Orkester. Not a star and his backing musicians. A unit where Orkester has the same significance as Benny Andersson. All the musicians are paid equally. The night before BAO’s gig in London on July 4 Benny Andersson was a guest in Jonathan Ross’ talk show on British television. Sandra Bullock and Emma Watson from the Harry Potter movies were also there.
– When I saw the programme and how impressed everyone else were to meet Benny it hit me how big this is, Kalle Moraeus says. Otherwise you never think about it. Of those touring Sweden this summer Benny Andersson is the one who has reached the greatest success and fame. But that’s not noticable in BAO.
“Everything is based on desire”
No hysteria. No guards. No one body-searching the audience at the entrance or confiscate umbrellas and mobile phones. Not even someone who tells people to turn off their mobile phones. No photo ban. Simply no prohibitions. More of a journey about joy and saying yes.
– All this is based on desire, Benny Andersson says. We’re just trying to make it as pleasant as possible. And take matters into their own hands.
– It’s pretty simple, he says. You carry your own clothes. That’s how hard it is.
Görel – Benny’s rock
No assistants and no security. Unless you count Görel Hanser, although she’s not the tallest or most beefy body builder in the touring company. But a stable rock she is. Görel Hanser has worked with Benny Andersson for 40 years. Over the years, ABBA made global success, “Chess” played checkmate with London, “Kristina” has won the Swedish people’s hearts and “Mamma Mia!” has made people grin happily in every corner of the world. Soon it will probably be staged on the moon. Still she says that BAO is the funniest thing she’s done with Benny. That her job is to ensure the artists are comfortable. And that it can be easier to keep sixteen people happy than four.
A whiskey afterwards
How do you make them happy? With hot dogs and cinnamon buns. A small scotch after the concert. Hot Dogs are mandatory. On this tour with Benny Andersson’s Orkester there has to be sausage and bread and Boston cucumber in the break. Afterwards there is something to eat and drink behind stage, and when the orchestra returns to the hotel a late night supper awaits. Janssons frestelse or pytt i panna with beer, wine and schnapps for those who want that. Benny Anderssons orkester like to live and eat comfortably. But it’s not what’s most important. The orchestra can eat fast food at hamburger restaurants. Sleep in the bus if there’s a hotel room crisis. But the music. Always taken seriously. These are people who breathe music with every fiber of their being.
– When we go onstage it’s not for fun, Benny Andersson says. We want to deliver maximum. Even if we play “Gamle Svarten” we want to do it well.
Always ready to fanfare
BAO’s music sounds playful and is played with joy, but the musicians are extremely careful with details. If someone plays wrong he talks about it afterwards like he needed post-traumatic stress coping and a letter of referral to the Swedish Defense therapy unit. If Lena Nyman would sing “what’s in your pocket Jan?” to any of these guys, they most certainly have a flute in his jacket pocket or a bass tuba in his pants. Like a gunman ready to duel, always prepared to play a fanfare of everyday life.
They talk about how the instruments must be tuned depending on the weather. The heat can get them off key by a quarter of a note. Bows and wind yesterday will then go in opposite directions. When the wind section relaxes on the grass before a concert they can play Charlie Parker solo’s on jazz classics. In the bus the musicians surf on the computers. They can drool over close ups of instruments the same way others get excited to see people with very little clothing.
What’s a photo of boobs compared to the sexy contours of a violin made in Japan in old Italian technique? Kalle Moraeus speaks longingly of used electric guitars, like a starving “Survivor” participant drools over food. Music. It’s everything.
At the premiere in Sofiero 52 songs were played but the playlist has changed a little along the way. Some songs disappeared and others were added. Tommy Körberg hurridly had to re-learn “Sway” again and find the lyrics on the Internet. An old ABBA-song suddenly appeared for the first time. BAO relax after the concerts by playing even more. When the dance evening in London was over they sat playing at a pub. Janne Bengtsson who plays the flute usually finish “Badinerie” of Bach with a little chirp. That now was the start of “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” in an instrumental version, suitable for brave dancers who want to twirl around in a polka.
Björn and Benny – as women
BAO has a very own blend of dance music. Chuck Berry and Shostakovich seethe with the same natural charm. Some songs have to be included and have become loved by the audience. ”Födelsedagsvals till Mona” Benny’s wife got for her 40’s birthday. Ten years later, she got “Nya Månvalsen” on her birthday when she had a girl’s party. It was performed by Björn and Benny, and six other men – dressed as women. It has lyrics, “If one was a woman,” and also ”Födelsedagsvals till Mona” has private lyrics. But they are played instrumentally for the dance.
– I feel like Maj på Malö, says Mona Nörklit. The song will outlive me. The sun set a while ago and will soon rise again. During the few dark hours the band travels from Västerås to Dalarna. At the back of the bus’s upper deck is a curved leather sofa with seating for five people. Tommy Körberg, Kalle Moraeus and Helen Sjöholm laugh at each other’s somewhat undecent songs and memories from various tours and musicians. Tommy Körberg takes out his computer and plays Bengt Ahlfors who in a Finnish accent sings well put songs.
“Throws out the clock radio”
On stage Benny Andersson, Helen Sjöholm, Kalle Moraeus and Tommy Körberg take turns with funny small talk. Körberg usually jokes about ageing rock musicians. When young they threw the tv out the hotel window. Now he doesn’t have the strength. Instead he throws out the clock radio, closes the window quickly and giggles himself to sleep. Musician humor. Like the tour when the band got nick names, anagrams of their real. Everyone got a bag. Helen Sjöholm is called Helle Hönsmoj.
Mission: Gambling
The orchestra has delegated various tasks to the members. Benny Andersson, Lars Rudolfsson and Olle Moraeus are on the programme committee. Jogga Ernlund manages gambling, Janne Bengtsson is in charge of first aid and Jörgen Stenberg is in charge of last aid. Perra Moraeus is the choreographer, Tommy Körberg the consultant and Leif Göras is the Anticimex representative. And Calle Jacobson is the poet of the orchestra. He gives highly acclaimed speeches at parties and now he’s standing here in the bus reading a poem by Erik Axel Karlfeldt. Nothing is like expecting. From memory Calle elegantly reads the beautifully rhyming lines.
In another part of the bus Olle Moraeus is hunting deer. On a computer game. But still. While the bus rolls through Sweden there are many ways to relax. Jogga Ernlund and Moraeus are watching “Man on the Roof” on DVD. Lars Rudolfsson and Jörgen Stenberg play poker with Unn Rudolfsson and Carolina Hanser. Crosswords. Helen Sjöholm reads Klick! Janne Bengtsson brows Blocket for new instruments. Benny Andersson listens to the daily news. When the news are over, he puts his iPhone into a portable loudspeaker and and lets his music favourites flow. Le mystere de voix bulgares, Dixie Chicks, Frida Hyvönen, Fritz Kreisler. Benny’s inspiration comes from many directions.
Benny likes jackdaws
It’s lunch stop at McDonalds in Ingelsta outside Norrköping. Touristing families in the open-air café. Birds hoping for left overs. The jackdaws glare menacingly like they were auditioning for Hitchcock. But appearances are deceptive, apparently.
– Jackdaws are nice birds, says Benny Andersson, who’s released a CD with Swedish birdsongs. And Benny feeds jackdaws with french fries. Throws small pieces up onto the roof where it soon becomes a bird collection. The sun is shining. Jackdaws are playing raptor with the potato pieces. Families with children eat their Happy Meals. Family feeling. Children and families are included on the tours. There are little kids, Baobies like Jörgen Stenberg’s youngest son and Helen Sjöholm’s two-year-old Ruben. The larger sizes of children work on the tour, with record sales. After each evening’s concert they account for how many cd:s and notes that’s been sold at the booth they build and take care of themselves. In Helsingborg and Göteborg the new cd was sold out.
On the tour are also fifteen technicians, for sound and light. Björn Lehnberg, one of the most experienced in Sweden, worked with ABBA when they made tv in the beginning of the 80’s. He handles the sound on tour. Others build the dance floor at each venue. Stages are assembled, different in every place. They take a long time to build and take down.
The premiere sold out
This summer BAO did seven concerts in Sweden and one in London. The premiere in Sofiero attracted 7000 people and was sold out. Several of the other ones were also sold out. Everybody in the band has a settled gage. If there’s an excess also the musicians get to share.
– We don’t do this to make money, Görel Hanser says. In Leksand Jogga Ernlund takes his responsibilty for gambling. He organises a pool for a V75 [horse race].
While a wall of rain closes in on Leksand the musicians watch the horses run race after race on the tv in the dressing room. When after the fifth round the bet wins there’s rejoicing and applause. And yes, it’s a V75. Seven out of seven bets correct. But it doesn’t pay off big. Everyone who betted almost get their deposit back. The entertainment value was high though. Everything correct. To feel like winners and have fun. That sounds like Benny Anderssons orkester.
WE ARE BAO
The orchestra’s work outside the orchestra. Many of them freelance and can be heard in several contexts.
Benny Andersson, writes a lot of music.
Göran Arnberg, freelance, private theatres, did the music arrangement for ”Mamma mia!”.
Janne Bengtsson, Kungliga filmharmonikerna, Svenska Lyxorkestern.
Jogga Ernlund, Dalasymfoniettan.
Pär Grebacken, Hej Kalle!, Stora Stygga, Blå grodorna.
Leif Göras, Orsa musicians.
Nicke Göthe, Orsa musicians.
Calle Jakobsson, Kungliga hovkapellet.
Tommy Körberg, singer, at the moment in “My fair lady”.
Leif Lindvall, Nordiska kammarorkestern, shows, private theatres.
Kalle Moraeus, Hej Kalle, Orsa musicians.
Olle Moraeus, Orsa musicians..
Perra Moraeus, Orsa musicians.
Lars Rudolfsson, theatre director.
Helen Sjöholm, singer, at the moment in ”My fair lady”.
Jörgen Stenberg, Hej Kalle, Cabaret on Stockholm City Theatre, Robban Broberg.
NINE YEARS WITH BAO
2001: First album release. Benny Anderssons Orkester played at Allsången, in Glasgow and at Galejan at Skansen.
2002: BAO did an Eve of Epiphany concert, and in the summer toured five places, finishing at Galejan. And Allsång on tv.
2003: Allsången plus tour of three places. Opened Hotel Rival in Stockholm.
2004: Allsången at SVT and a tour of six places. Relese of the second album. ”Du är min man” enters the Swedish charts on July 11. It’s still there.
2005: BAO plays at Stockholm’s City Hall at a memorial for the Tsunami victims. In the summer tour of seven places and Allsång på Skansen.
2006: The live album is released. One concert, in Minneapolis.
2007: ”BAO 3” is released. They do four indoor concert in the autumn. Globen and Scandinavium are decorated like people’s parks.
2008: BAO plays for Meryl Streep and the others at the gala premiere of ”Mamma mia!” at Rival. Are in Allsången. 2009: ”Story of a heart ”is released. Seven conserts i Sweden and one in London.