Robin Trower at Sweden Rock Festival, Solvesborg, Sweden, June10th 2005

     What unites the dates February 2nd 1975, June 4th 1976 and June 10th 2005?  Well, of course, these dates Robin Trower had concerts in Sweden.
The first gig was in the Stockholm Concert Hall and later became Robin Trower Live (it wasn’t February 3rd as the sleeve says, I still have the ticket).  Robin appeared in white clothes and was backed by Jimmy Dewar and Bill Lordan.  Robin came back to Stockholm Concert Hall the next year, 1976. Now dressed in green and still with Jimmy and Bill in the group.
    I was 16 and 17 years old those days. I could never think I would be 46 next time Robin played for me. Me and all the guitar loving Swedes had been waiting for him for 29 years, until he appeared again.
   Now, 2005, Robin arrived to play the Sweden Rock Festival in the south of Sweden. I thought he would have Davey Pattison, Dave Bronze and Pete Thompson in his band. But he didn’t. He brought us Livingstone Brown (bass), Richard Watts (vocals) and Pete Thompson (drums).
  The Sweden Rock Festival is just outside Solvesborg in the south of Sweden. It is on a farmers field, just like Woodstock. There are only 22.000 tickets for the festival and they were all sold out. There are four stages and everything is outside, except some tents for beer and hamburgers.
   Robin entered Sweden Stage at 6:15 PM. He was dressed in pink and purple and had a purple Stratocaster on his chest. His hair was whiter and thinner, but he was the same Robin Trower as I remembered him. He smiled and looked a little bit shy. He started up with “Too Rolling Stoned” and I became 16 years old again. Robin Trower was back

I looked over my shoulder and just saw about 500 people in the audience. And I became a little bit sad. Meantime, 200 yards away, Dream Theater had entered Rock Stage. Most of the audience had chosen them. There’s nothing wrong with Dream Theater, but didn’t people understand that a guitar legend was on this stage? But after a while that didn’t matter. Robin took us all to heaven.

This is the setlist of the gig:
1. Too Rolling Stoned
2. Sweet Angel
3. What’s Your Name
4. Rise Up Like The Sun
5. Daydream
6. Living Out Of Time
7. Breathless
8. Day Of The Eagle
9. Bridge Of Sighs
10. Close Every Door
11. I Want You To Love Me
12. Please Tell Me
13. Another Time, Another Place
14. Little Bit Of Sympathy
Encore
1. Come To Me

On stage, but on the side, sat Bobby Rondinelli  and Zakk Wylde listening. They seemed to like what they heared.  When Robin played the slow songs “Daydream” and “Bridge Of Sighs” I had problems holding my tears back. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” sang The Beatles.  In fact. No one can have such crying sounds out of his guitar like Robin.
     I am also pleased with Petes drumming. He is a marvellous drummer and filled up the guitar perfect.

But Livingstone and Richard had problems. Technical problems. Three times they had to stop the show for fixing something with Livingstones amplifier and the vocals was mixed to low. The voice of Richard was drowning. Sometimes I couln’t hear the lyrics.

I was waiting for the second encore, “Secret Place”, but Robin was out of time, because of the problems. So we only got “Come To Me”.
Please Robin, don’t wait another 29 years until coming back. Then I will be 75 years old. You bet I will be there anyway, but please, visit us a little more often!

Hasse Ledstedt, Stockholm, Sweden

                                                 Review by Mats Dahlin, Sweden
 Review by
 

On June 10th Robin Trower was finally back on Swedish ground again after 30 years. I have been a fan since I heard the album For earth below in the mid seventies. It was almost magic to see Robin perform and he did great on the Sweden Rock Festival. It was a very interesting lineup with Pete Thompson on drums (cool guy behind he´s black sunglasses), Livingston Brown on bass, Richard Watts on lead vocals and of course Robin Trower guitar and vocals. Another interesting thing was that on stage was the entire Black Label Society band (with Ozzy guitarrist Zak Wylde) wathing the whole Trower concert. The looked very impressed indeed.
The sound was pretty good with the exception that Livingston Brown had a  little problem with his bassamps on one song. Otherwise Richrd Watts is an exceptional good singer, together with Davey Pattison the best after James Dewar in my opinion. Pete Thompson cool and steady as a rock. And Robin Trower was great and showed what a good guitarplayer he is, every note has a feeling and meaning.
I hope it´s not gonna take 30 years until I see Robin again.  This was x-mas time in June !