Den sista sången

So, kent played their last concert yesterday, now kent is no more. However, the band will live on through its music, through those of us who will listen, and remember.

I saw them play live for the first time in 1995 and for many years I listened to every new song they released and went to many, many concerts. Then, I slowly drifted towards other music, or if their music drifted away from me? The last ten years, or so, I have only listen to their music from time to time. But I saw them play one show on this last tour, their first gig on it, and I'm glad I did. Nice to say farewell.

This video of "the last song" nicely pictures the emotions of that concert, and the song was the last song they played at every gig on the tour, the last song they played live...

Då som nu för alltid

At least no one in Sweden has escaped the news that broke three days ago, about the band kent? They're releasing their final album (on May 20) and are going on their final tour later this year (September 23 - December 17). After 26 years together.

I'm not afraid of the dark

Today I'm listening to 'Idle Talk' from iamamiwhoami and the new album from Kent.

Here's iamamiwhoami's new video and further down Kent's album 'Jag är inte rädd för mörkret' at Spotify.

999

A new single from Kent called '999'. Here's a live version of it they recorded recently and published tonight.

Kent (and the aftermath)

They came, they played, and they went. I saw Kent play a couple of nights ago.

As I'm suffering from the effects of long-term sleep deprivation, and I had some difficult nights before the day of the concert, I wasn't sure I should be going to it, not even up until a few hours before it started.

I did go, however, and even though I felt absolutely dreadful of tiredness afterwards I don't regret going. I really liked it. I didn't have any expectations on which songs they were going to perform. I had an idea about what I might hear since I'd read the outline of some playlists from their recent shows, but I wasn't really longing to hear any particular song. I just wanted a good concert, and that was what I got.

I think it had been about two years since I saw them perform the last time, so it had been a while, and during that time I hadn't been listening to their music that much. Maybe it was that "lack of preparation", if you will, that made me almost ecstatic about hearing some of the songs they played. It’s one of the feelings that make me love concerts.

I didn't have the energy to put into the experience that I would have loved to, but it was sufficient on my part. I was satisfied walking home afterwards, and, don't forget, very tired. In addition my body ached somewhat.

I do worry a bit over how tired I was though. Less than two weeks from now, I'm going to be entering the Royal Albert Hall for, what I hope to be, a magnificent experience (no, I don't have any expectations... not at all...). The event in itself will give me some extra energy, I think, but still, I need to be well rested before that one. Don't know how I'm going to manage that. I can't really rule over my body, if I could I wouldn't have had these problems with insomnia.

I need to get better soon. I don’t want to miss out on anything just because I don’t have the strength for it, be it physical or psychological.

In wait for

Tonight I've been out walking on icy and slippery streets. I've been to a friend's place for dinner and I have just got back home. It was quite nice to be out walking regardless of the potential danger beneath my feet. The music for the walk was The Radio Dept. and it was a perfect choice, I do recommend it.

Tomorrow it's concert night for me. Kent it is.

Despite that, I keep thinking about another one, the one at Royal Albert Hall. I would like to receive my ticket soon, please. I won't believe I'm actually going until I've got it in my hand. I still haven't booked any plane tickets, or hotel. I should do that, I really should do that. However, at the moment I can't decide on which dates to travel.

There might be an additional concert for me in London, if I’m lucky. Fifty tickets for the London warm-up gig are up for a lottery among fans. Many have registered for the lottery so it will be a difficult one though. The lucky ones who'll win won't be notified until the eve of March 15, the day of the draw. Five days before the show. Will I be one of them?

With Kent in March

I did try it; make a Kent playlist that is.

Kent started their tour yesterday in Stockholm and will perform three more shows there this weekend before leaving for other cities. I'll see them in March together with a lot of other people.

Here's my recently composed Spotify playlist consisting of only Kent's music: With Kent in March.

I tried to use the simplicity-way of putting it together, which is to not put that much thought behind it, or in it. It consists of songs that I like; it's as simple as that. And remember, it's not the playlist, it's just a playlist. Hope you'll enjoy this 38 tracks, and almost three hours long playlist!

Here's the list of songs for those without Spotify and still interested in my composition. In parentheses are the albums where each song can be found.

Vals för satan (din vän pessimisten) (Röd), Gummiband (B-sidor 95-00), Ingenting någonsin (Kent), Kungen är död (Hagnesta Hill), Att presentera ett svin (B-sidor 95-00), 10 minuter (för mig själv) (Verkligen), En helt ny karriär (B-sidor 95-00), Längesen vi sågs (B-sidor 95-00), Socker (Vapen & Ammunition), Max 500 (Du & jag döden), Saker man ser (Isola), Kärleken väntar (Vapen & Ammunition), Månadens erbjudande (The Hjärta & Smärta EP), Vad två öron klarar (Kent), Kräm (så nära får ingen gå) (Verkligen), Berg&dalvana (Hagnesta Hill), På nära håll (B-sidor 95-00), Innan allting tar slut (Isola), När det blåser på månen (Kent), Cowboys (Hagnesta Hill), Ingen kommer att tro dig (Kent), Mannen i den vita hatten (16 år senare) (Du & jag döden), Önskar att någon... (B-sidor 95-00), Det finns inga ord (Röd), LSD, någon? (Tillbaka till samtiden), Utan dina andetag (B-sidor 95-00), Kevlarsjäl (Hagnesta Hill), Den döda vinkeln (Du & jag döden), Noll (B-sidor 95-00), Du var min armé (Du & jag döden), Duett (Vapen & Ammunition), December (B-sidor 95-00), Frank (Kent), Columbus (Tillbaka till samtiden), Rödljus II (B-sidor 95-00), Järnspöken (Du & jag döden), Hjärta (Röd), 747 (Isola).

kent

Earlier this year I'd thought about going to a concert with Kent, on their current tour. However all this with Suede reappearing and their concert in London, somehow almost made me forget about other bands and concerts for a while.

Actually, the only band I've seen on stage more times than Suede is Kent, and of course it has to do with that they are Swedish, just as I am. The first time I saw them, in 1995, I hadn't really started to listen to them that much, but I did after seeing them and hearing them some more. They will probably be great on this tour, but somehow I think no concert that I'll see with them can beat the one they did 1997 in Eskilstuna (at P3 Popstad), their home town, originally. It was quite an amazing show.

I haven't really listened to them that much during the last seven or eight years, but I do love concerts and there are some tunes on their latest album that I like, even though I haven't gone through it that many times.

Since I had been hesitating on going to this concert I hadn't bought a ticket. I wanted to know how much I would have to spend on going to London for the Suede concert, and I wasn't really sure I should be going to both. Even so, some days ago I checked to see if there were any standing tickets left for the Kent concert I had in mind, and there weren't. At first I thought, well that means I'm not going, but later on the concert person in me awoke and I thought I should try it a few days on to see if there might have been any cancellations, there usually are.

About only looking for standing tickets; I have a problem with sitting down at concerts, at a good show I can't really sit still. I need to be standing, so I can move and freely get into the music with every part of my body. With that in mind, I always look for standing tickets. Of course I go to concerts even if I have to be seated, however I prefer to stand. Anyway, this morning I logged on to the site to see if there was a ticket for me, and there was!

Now I need to refresh my ears with some Kent music. Maybe I should try making a Kent playlist? Well, I'll have to think about that - considering my "success" so far. I've got about two weeks to soak myself with Kent before the concert, that shouldn't be hard. It might do me good to stay away from Suede for some time as well, or..?

In wait for a possible Kent playlist, their latest album Röd and their web page (in Swedish though): kent