Silver in 1973 (Stefan, Janne, Ziggy & Henke)
 

Formed glamrock band Silver in 1973. Very Iggy-Dolls-Bowie influenced. Singer called Ziggy, ha!
Silver actually kept going as far as 1976 in different incarnations, until the drummer, Henke,
brought Trolle Rhodin jr (of Cirkus Brazil Jack fame) to a rehearsal. He was looking for a backing
band to cut an album with. This project became a fantastic 60s coverband called The Buddyboys ,
who cut one album and taught me how to sing in harmony with two other singers.
Played a tremendous amount of gigs between 76-79, and went on National TV in 1977*.  Absolute highlight was supporting
The Kinks at Olympen, Lund 11 October 1978!!! Briefly became The Shake in mid -79 before disbanding.
I wanted to write songs and play them with the band but they wouldn't let me. Either the songs were crap,
or the guys couldn't understand my vision. Incidentally, Mats (guitar. vocals)
became a member of my next band, which was based on my songs.

During the 70's I went to as many gigs as possible, starting with Paul McCartney & Wings in '72
and rounding off with the Clash and Thin Lizzy in 1980, just before I moved to Stockholm. I must have seen just
about every important rock band to come through south Sweden or Denmark.
 

next Remembering the 70s
or back

Remembering the 70s...

 Rock'n'roll has always been a big part of my life and still is.
That's why I felt I had to put these pictures in my bio section.
Seeing these bands and playing with my own bands made me realise the importance of
looking good and dressing up for the show. For good or bad, my passion for clothes,
hairstyles and fashion, not neccessarily in that order, has stayed with me all my life.
And in my defence, I would rather look silly than not look at all.
But the most important rule is this: whatever you do or wear has to be honest,
and for yourself, not for anyone else. Rule doesn't apply to funerals and working in the City of London!

* I've been on TV a number of times in different countries and I have always performed live!

Spent a lot of time in Brighton, UK during the mid-to-late 70s. Studied briefly at Brighton university...
which may or may not be a fabrication. I apparently took some kind of degree there in '74
beginning with the letter G (GCE, ed.). Always been one for words not numbers.

The Buddyboys, Sverige Radio, Malmö 23 November 1977
  Teenage me far right,  with my trusty 4001. Note all-Fender backline...

next The career is underway
or back

The career is underway

on MySpace

Started The Moderns, a pop/punk band with heavy Mod influences, playing original material penned mostly by me.
We toured the UK in support of Echo & The Bunnymen and Screwdriver (!?!). We played both Eric's in Liverpool (today Cavern Pub)
and London's Hope & Anchor. One gig in Blackpool was in front of 300 skinheads.

Ad from NME, June 1980... proof!!!

We survived in spite of being a mod band. Discussed recording an album with Nick Lowe producing,
but turned it down in favour of EMI records in Sweden. The band moved to Stockholm and signed to EMI.
A couple of 7" and one LP released (1981). A cultband in Germany these days!
The good thing about the Moderns was that we were mates from school and we did this just for fun.
Having said that, I was deadly seroius about what we were doing. Problem was that not all of us were acomplished
musicians at the time which drove me to push the band towards an inevitable break up.
A compilation CD was released in Japan in 2003. Available on 1977 records.
Still waiting for an invitation to come and play.

The Moderns in Malmö 1979 (Janne, Mats, Tony & Pär)

   
The Moderns on 7". 1979... . ...and 1980 respectively
 
The recording of Tro, Hopp & Fruktan was done in the summer of
1981 in EMI Studios in Skärmarbrink, Stockholm. We had spent the better part of a year looking
for new musicians and being unable to record due to our contract with Mandarine Records,
which we wanted to break in order to sign with EMI. They wouldn't let us and in hindsight they were probably right.
We did a few disasterous gigs as a three piece, and we realised we needed a new drummer and
a second guitarist. We enlisted Mikael Wirén on drums (great)
and Claudio Scubla on guitar, and recorded the album.

Janne and Rickenbacker in Landskrona 1979. I was told I do
a perfect George Harrison imitation here...

First takes were sung in english and sounded good. One example is "Suburban Life" which was meant to be the first single.
EMI somehow convinced us to sing in swedish, and I figured it was worth a try. However, not in the middle of recording songs
that were written in english! I couldn't adopt to swedish that quickly, and some of the lyrics suffer from this,
as does my diction. Anyhow, the album came out, sounded weak, or so we thought, and nobody bought it.
Today, however, it sounds pretty cool, brimming with ideas and harmony vocals. Sad end to a glorious story though!
The album was produced by my good friend Lasse Lindbom and sound really good.

The Moderns vinyl album "Tro, Hopp & Fruktan" EMI Sweden 1981, Japanese CD compilation on 1977 Records

next Going professional
or back

Going professional

After hooking up with Neon Leon (yes THE Neon Leon, two singles released) and various former punks and rockers,
I formed Strindbergs, seminal punk/pop trio with Johan Johansson in late 1981.
Toured relentlessly and released 3 albums and 1 CD. We achieved so much together and all is well documented on Johan's homepage.

Glam days of 1984 with Attack and "old brothers reunite" for Peace & Love 2009

All in all we must have played over 300 gigs and toured across Sweden, Denmark and parts of Finland.
Because we sang in swedish there was never a market outside Scandinavia.
Below are the covers of our recorded output. The smaller image is our last compilation CD released in 2006.

 Disbanded in March 1985 without really knowing why.  However, we are still good friends, and play together now and then!
Notable reunion gigs: Ultrahuset 1995, Studion 1993-94, Peace & Love and Malmö 2009, Stockholm and Köping 2010.

Press picture of Strindbergs in 1984

2006 CD compilation

We played a lot and one hobby that started at this time wascollecting guitars and basses. Everywhere we went we went
out looking for instruments. We even let the word out that we were looking for certain instruments which is how I,
in Gothenburg, found the Gibson Thunderbird below(at the Ritz in 1984). Unfortunately I sold it (indirectly)
to the bass player from the Damned, Paul Gray and invested the money in a BC Rich 8-string bass, which I havent got anymore!

See Strindbergs on MySpace

 
At Ritz, Stockholm in 1984

Kulturhuset, Stockholm 5 augusti, 2010 - Johan, Robban & Janne 
 

next The dream is over...
or back

The dream is over...

Played briefly with Django's Coming for about a year and released one maxi-single.
This band was formed right after Strindbergs' demise, and consisted of Janne & Pär from Strindbergs
together with Lou from Capital Rockers and Robban from The Protectors.
Went out all Gung-Ho on the back of Strindbergs
success but it was too soon and I quickly lost interest,
and I missed the creative partnerships from my former bands.
Should have teken a break, but instead formed and joined several bands
with no real success during the late 80s and early 90s.
Among them were Bongo Fury, House Of Dolls, Änglar & Demoner,
Love Junkies (with Pete whom I met in 1992), and Captain Bomb.

Django's Coming in 1985, causing gridlock, and on stage with Thunderbird in Malmö on our only tour.

Most of the bands I played with or formed between Strindbergs and Scratch were a bit like fumbling in the dark
and never slowing down and taking the time to find out what I really wantd to do and what my musical indentity really was.
I had a few offers from other bands and solo artists but I alway turned them down. probably unwise, beacuse it would have meant
that I could have focussed on other people's music instead.

Django's only recording! 12", 3 track EP - 1987

next ... still there is hope
or back

... still there is hope!

I also play bass in Scratch, a rock'n'roll combo led by guitarist Peder Brink of Brinks Musik fame. Several singles and 1 CD album released so far.

This band is still active and has recorded a follow-up long player which includes drumming from Steve Kling!
Peder and I met in 1995 when he tracked me down because he was a fan of my bass playing,
and wanted me to play on his next album. This turned into my most successful music collaboration since Johan in 1982!

Check out the homepage on Http://www.scratchtrax.com

In the Repeatles I play guitar, piano (very little these days), harmonica and sing.
We play 150 songs from the Beatles vast repertoire, as well as songs by other great acts from the 60s and 70s.
I always insist on adding The Who songs to the set lists, and a dream is to do one more album of great pop songs!!!
I am still writing, and consider writing songs my main hobby. Still looking for the perfect power pop song!

next The story continues
or back

The story continues...

If you came here via The Repeatles, please click on the logo above to read more about
my latest venture, Desperate Romantics, a band I'd been wanting to form for ages
but didn't have the songs, the ability and the drive. Now it's here! I wrote many songs
whilst working in London, many of the inspired by this wonderful city, with all it's
history and it's atmosphere. I also had a number of songs that I had saved over
the years and didn't have the vehicle for. Now I do. DR currently consists of myself on guitars,
bass, harmonica and vocals, together with Peter and Steve from the Repeatles
and Gunnar Karlstein on bass and occasional keyboard player Peter Lindvall.
 

Some suggestions for listening, reading and other pleasures

Top albums of all time
(in no particular order)

Who's Next - The Who 1971
Quadrophenia - The Who 1973
London Calling - The Clash 1979
Queen II - Queen 1974
Waterboys - This Is The Sea 1985
Grand Prix - Teenage Fanclub 1995
Revolver - The Beatles 1966
Rubber Soul - The Beatles 1965
John Lennon & Plastic Ono Band - 1971
Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen 1975
Damn The Torpedoes - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 1979
The Beatles - The Beatles 1968
 Summerteeth - Wilco 2002
Mott - Mott The Hoople 1973
Sound Affects - The Jam 1980
Ram - Paul & Linda McCartney 1971

Bands:

The Beatles
Mott The Hoople
The Kinks
The Who
Wilco
CSN&Y
The Hollies
Drive-By Truckers
Thin Lizzy
Silverhead
Heavy Metal Kids
Teenage Fanclub
Rush
Blur
Little Barrie
The Whybirds
Pretenders
The Knack
Queen
Raspberries
Big Star
Desperate Romantics
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Manic Street Preachers
Pearl Jam
The Rolling Stones
Télephone
The Waterboys
The Alarm
The Clash
The Jam
Love
The Records
Replacements
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Jellyfish
Oasis
Can



Donovan & Jan in 2006

Solo artists:

Elvis Costello
Patti Smith
Joseph Arthur
Bruce Springsteen
Bob Dylan
Ian Hunter
Neil Young
Lucinda Williams
Paul McCartney
Lenny Kravitz
Leon Russell
Marc Carroll
Graham Coxon
Matthew Sweet
Dennis Wilson
Charlie Sexton
Laura Nyro
Joni Mitchell
Melanie Safka
Terry Reid
Tom Petty
Donovan
Pink

Writers:
Douglas Coupland
Philip José Farmer - Riverworld
Christopher Fowler
Joe R Landsdale
Steven King
William Gibson
John Ajvide Lindqvist
Ray Bradbury
Graham Greene
J.R.R.Tolkien
Antoine De Saint-Exupery
Richey Edwards



Art & Artists
Sebastian Horsley
Tracey Emin
Francis Bacon
Salvador Dali
Esher
Kandinsky
Lindström
H.R. Geiger
Magritte

Bassists:

Paul McCartney
Geddy Lee
John Entwhistle
Bruce Thomas
Graham Maby
Overend Watts
Phil Lynott
Bruce Foxton
Janne Borgh
Holger Czukay

Guitarists:

Pete Townshend
Doug Pettibone
Keef & Ron
Brian Robertson & Scott Gorham
Alex Lifeson
Graham Coxon
Barrie Cadogan
Mike Campbell
Eric Bell
Jimi
Mick Ralphs
Warner E. Hodges
Joe & Brad
Berton Averre
Nels Cline
Mark Rashotte
Paul Weller
The guy from The Hold Steady
Rossington/Collins/Gaines/King
Craig Ross

Drummers:

Brian Downey
Keith Moon
Neil Peart
Topper Headon
Jaki Liebezeit
Lenny Kravitz
Steve Smith
Jon Farriss


Incense & Candles
Sandalwood, Patchouli
Nag Champra

Food

Mexican
Indian
Pasta
Sushi
Thai
Julmat
Blodpudding
Frukost

Drink
Red Wine
American Beer (!)
Guinness (when in Ireland)
Scotch & Coke
Mineral water
Orange Juice (Californian)
Jack Daniels

Tattoos
Doc Forest
Heavenly Ink