As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. But one wonders if the Swedish fans of the Australian cult band agree with that. The last time the group was in Sweden was in 1994, which is an extremely long time, especially in music circles where most artists are forgotten after a few years of absence. But Hoodoo Gurus have maintained their fan base, as evidenced by the fact that the concert sold out several months ago.
And just before the band takes the stage, the atmosphere is as high as the level of intoxication. A 32-year wait was about to end, so it's understandable that expectations are sky-high.
The risk, however, is that it becomes a highly routine nostalgia evening, where it's more about celebrating memories and old friends, but the band largely manages to avoid this. They are, of course, not as sharp as they were in 1989 when I saw them in Sydney and Stockholm, but are still surprisingly energetic and enthusiastic. But having played together for 45 years (apart from a five-year break around the turn of the millennium), they know how to entertain their audience.
Musically, Hoodoo Gurus are admittedly not particularly remarkable; it's classic meat-and-potatoes rock with some garage influences, but many songs have a special atmosphere and solid melodies. Perhaps what one could call a kind of Australian sound, similar to their compatriots The Saints, Midnight Oil, and The Church.
The band starts exactly on the scheduled time—perhaps they were also eager to meet their fans after all these years. The opening with (Let's All) Turn On from their debut album Stoneage Romeos is spot on; it immediately gets most people in the packed venue extra fired up, and together they roar boisterously and dance cheerfully.
The exuberant mood holds throughout the nearly two-hour gig, especially when songs from Stoneage Romeos are played. Material from the following three '80s albums also gives air to the throats of the lively crowd.
However, the later songs don't work nearly as well, instead giving many a reason to visit the toilet, smoking area, or bar. Something Hoodoo Gurus seem to be aware of, and thus spread out the weaker tracks during the evening.
But when, toward the end, they're joined by Keith Streng from The Fleshtones, the concert loses momentum. Nothing against Streng, but we're not here to hear his songs. And doing a sloppy cover of Led Zeppelin's Communication Breakdown is, of course, not particularly successful.
After a break, the band returns for encores and fires off the punchy trio Death Defying, I Want You Back, and Like Wow – Wipeout. Order is restored and fans are satisfied and happy, and clearly hungry for more shows—preferably soon.
And maybe that's how it will be. At the merch booth, I meet the booker who tells me that before the show, the band regretted their long absence in Scandinavia and more or less promised to return soon. And after experiencing this veritable crowd triumph, the band is likely just as eager to repeat the success.
