Reviews

Joy is the mission statement of this band of merry Swedes and it’s a goal they achieve with every single outing. Back in January, they thrilled this venue with a ramshackle show of fun tunes. This time around, things were equally enjoyable, though something has changed in the Barcelona camp.

Gone are the thrift-shop fashions, replaced by a slick all-black uniform. Gone are the rambling arrangements, there’s been definite time spent in rehearsal rooms. And gone too is Erik the dreadlocked tuba player, who’s fill in helped them through a power outage last time. According to Barcelona’s ringmaster Emanuel Lundgren, he’s "gone north", which may well be Swedish for 'been sacked'.

Still, even without Erik, there was plenty of fun to be had. How many other concerts offer a chance to catch a lead singer crowd-surfing on a pink lilo or invite stage invasions exclusively for anyone with a kazoo?

The secret of the band’s live success is the understanding that everyone, from the musicians to the crew to the crowd, are involved, succinctly summed up by Emanuel with a simple "being at concerts is different from television, you’re part of this too."

Beautifully, he means it. He’s quick to ignite singalongs, pass the mic around and offer out confetti, which is apparently "better than sweets, better than ice-cream, better than birthdays, but maybe not better than having a child."

It’s a description that could sum up his band and even if the finale is full-stopped by a plea to go out to the marketing stall and “buy your brains out”, you can’t blame them for wanting to cash in. After all, whoever said that you can’t buy happiness had never met I’m From Barcelona.