A-ha – much better than feared

great excitement The last time was whether any of the concerts at Bergfest will be announced.

especially Whether Morten Harkett can still sing as the band has struggled badly with health issues in recent months. Sore throats and the coronavirus have both led to the cancellation of concerts and tours abroad and indoors.

My first concert experience With A-ha he was at Bergenshallen in 1987. At the time, the trio was Norway and one of the biggest pop groups in the world with their fan base mainly among those under the age of 30. , I could hardly imagine. The last time he played Aha in Bergen was six years ago in Koengen in front of 16,000 listeners. Not a big capacity at Bergenhaus, but the lawn was full for a while before the concert itself started. Even with Bergenfest’s diverse program to choose from, it was clear that most people came to see it this evening.

Like the band members In A-ha, fans have also gotten older over the years. The average may not be as high as Morten Harkett’s age who turns 63 later this year, but he wasn’t far off either.

This fall “Aha” is coming up with a new album, but luckily the audience has left out the new songs from here. A band that lives largely on past greatness, is so little experienced in the game that they don’t make such mistakes.

Starts at over 30 years old Sycamore Leaves. Morten Harkett poses, wearing sunglasses and a white fleece jacket. He struggles a bit with his voice at first, but no crunch at all. But “Aha” does not look particularly inspiring and does not manage to arouse any great excitement in the audience in the first minutes. But with three extra musicians in the back and a good sound, it’s still not entirely hopeless.

It’s getting a little better When the classic song “Crying In the Rain” by the Everly Brothers comes in at number three. But it was only with “Cry Wolf” that some of A-ha’s truly old magic began to emerge. Then it also spreads clearly to the audience who sings with the full throat chorus. Hence things are going reasonably well. Harkett has warmed up his vocal cords and it looks like Magne Furuholmen and Paal Waaktaar Savoy are on top. With “Hunting High and Low”, “Sun Always On TV” and “Live Daylight” the whole lawn is gradually put to the notes.
But there is no concert Complete without “Take On Me” as an epilogue. Without a doubt one of the best Norwegian pop songs of all time – even after nearly 40 years.

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