- I can not sell my ass to reach all – Aftonbladet

Gothenburg. One more time. One more time. One more time.

There are often as in Gothenburg, 7 June, after the last song “Only fools rush in”

The crowd screams in vain.

or?

– I like to play at Ullevi again, says Håkan Hellström.

“Wow, how much do you want for it where the poster? “

Hakan Hellstrom admiring a tough poster for the documentary film” Before There Was punk, there was a band called Death “in an office in Gothenburg.

Death is a überobskyrt garage rock band from Detroit, Michigan, who has flown under the radar. Today, they are described as punk pioneers. But in the early 70s they were not even record deal.

After Death was discovered by record collectors and reunited in 2009 and finally released an official debut album of demo recordings from 1975, the band’s leader David Hackney been dead for nine years. He fought among other things against alcoholism and lost.

The History of Death could just as easily be a ballad by Håkan Hellström.

No nervousness

Hellstrom haggle eagerly with a person to its management who laughs and says, “That’s cool, Hakan. You can get it. “

It is easier to talk to Hakan Hellstrom on a movie poster than feelings before, during and after Ullevi Stadium concert last summer. He gets stuck in a Zen-like state when he thinks back.

Was he nervous? No. He felt any pressure? No. Was he worried about anything at all? Well, not directly. Why was not Hurricane Gilbert ?

– Yes, Daniel Gilbert. What can I say about it? Damn it. If I had been able to do on the show, so I had tried to grab Daniel.

For many years, guitarist Daniel “Hurricane” Gilbert Hellstrom’s right-hand man on the scene. For many it was a concert not complete without the ballad which is named after one of Hakan Hellstrom’s best friends. Gilbert has left the band and “Hurricane Gilbert” was not in the setlist at Ullevi Stadium.

– He was in Visby that night and played with Ebbot Lundberg , I think. We usually tear each other with ten years apart, so it has always been, but I remember thinking: “Now if ever should Daniel be here.” But it ended up too far down on the “to do” list. I had needed an extra brain to catch everything. In addition, the band has a different sound with Mattias Hellberg as a guitarist. We must respect the ideas and new musicians adds. It’s complicated.

Speaking of guitarists that you have worked with before – Timo Räisänen?

– Nah. There, I did not really like that. Daniel is different. Daniel showed a photo from the same night in which he played. They had a dance band as the opening act. It was raining and five seniors stood and watched. He’s damn good at turning on that knife (laughs).

“No way”

The photo book about the concert, “Hakan at Ullevi,” do you compare experience with Patrik Sjöberg, jumping 2.42 in height. You’re talking about taking it all down to a smaller, lower level.

– I have no such ideas or strategies. I do not care at all about what level it gets.

From the outside, it seems at least as of now, Håkan Hellström AB starting to become very large, requiring constant growth.

– Oh, oh, oh. Growth? Never in my life. So I’m not going. I do not think there with Patrik Sjöberg was a good comparison at all. To resemble music with sports is the worst I know. Such is done in the Eurovision Song Contest and the “Idol” – jump high and far and try to perform at a certain time. I also agree on the pop and melodies, but I’m not interested in pressing for a result.

He strikes out with his hands:

– I can not sell my ass to reach out to the masses. I have never tried to reach everyone. How do you do that? If I make an entire album where I just whisper it may be so. If many happen to like the joy is double. I never think to begin roar to reach more people.

This year sold two songwriters rights to any of your songs on the Stockholms Auktionsverk. What did you like about it?

– It went away a few guitars and microphones that I should have used too. And a tambourine that I have not even touched. It is sold under false colors. What do you say? Completely absurd. Låträttigheterna I have not given much thought for several months, but stuff? Soon, looking well people in the toilets after toilet paper they can sell.

But låträttigheterna made you angry for real.

– I would have bought låträttigheterna, but I did not bid on anything I been creating yourself. It’s absurd. I will not participate in that rotten game.

“Totally absurd”

Were you disappointed that someone is “only” paid 350 000 for “For a long long time “?

– I had hoped that no one would pay nothing. Rights is a lot of money, but the stuff? Someone has noted on what songs I used a particular microphone. That there are such ideas with people you work with are a little scary. But there it is. If things go bad, no one cares. Is it good are people earn a hack. It’s the back of it all.

Can not you imagine buying an artifact? James Brown’s bandanna, for example?

– Yes, really. I do the thing. I have Elvis Presley and Morrissey framed autographs at home. But that will reach people in a different way and not from a friend, someone from the inside, no one has collaborated with long time. It is not pretty. We’re not talking James Brown and Beatles here. It’s a whole different level. I live in Gothenburg. If you want something, come here and talk.

Oh well.

– But that’s the way I look at it. We’re not up there. Completely absurd.

Do you get paranoid of these kinds of experiences?

– Of course. Especially as I was paranoid right from the start.

Hakan Hellstrom at Ullevi 2014 felt like watching a fourteen year long sunrise reach the zenith. Every single song became an arena dragon flexed his wings and sprayed fire. Bruce Springsteen’s attendance records were burnt to ashes. The new reads: 69 349 people.

Sadness and joy

What is the motivation now? What is the resistance and the carrot? Håkan Hellström keeps coming back with the same answer: writing songs. He mentions the mixture of sadness and joy in Brazilian music and the Portuguese word “saudade” – a difficult way of expression that can describe the loss and a lost love. But he also talks about Golden Times .

– I’m trying frantically typing “Summertime” all the time. No one would be happier than I if it succeeded. But it gets the most “Summer is short”, actually. Thus, the sadder dimension. There are limits in my creations. Next year I’ll return there and start fiddling me well into my belly button again.

Can you understand them holding a small concert that you did in Wilhelmina closer to the heart than the Ullevi?

– Absolutely. Lots of people can create a great distance. I myself can rank a gig in Wilhelmina Dorothea or as high, or even higher, than the Ullevi Stadium. But Ullevi was very successful. It flowed, it was rock’n’roll, people were happy in the hat. You can not ask for more. For me had Ullevi most of all a symbolic value. Can I perform there so can any other dreamers also succeed.

Will there be more concerts at Ullevi?

– Who knows? No idea. It’s the audience who decides. I hope. Would be great to get to do about it. But if I drop it there “viskskivan” it’s probably been driving (laughs).

And whatever happens, Hakan Hellstrom first study of its own navel.