The end of an era

The Hellacopters at Debaser Medis
Sunday 26//10/2008 The Tour Before The Fall

As I 3 years and 16 days ago for the fourth time saw the brilliant The Hellacopters at Cirkus here in Stockholm I never though this day would come. But the day to bury rock n roll is here.

Debaser Medis is filled to it's maximum with those who were quick enough to get hold of tickets, many wearing t-shirts illustrating the long and grandiose career of the band. Not only I have flown in from Berlin the morning after the In Flames show at Columbiahalle especially to witness this gig, people have come from all over Europe to bid their farewells, and how they do it.

Already three songs in Nicke Andersson declares that this is not the last ever show but the best. Tonight The Hellacopters don’t have to play according to the usual set list setup; every person in this room knows every word to every song as the band digs deep in their chest of tunes. All the hits are of course played too and in Toys and Flavours audience response reaches new levels and Medis becomes one big Hellacopter organism where Nicke’s voice is no longer recognisable. The situation is somewhat bizarre, here we are witnessing possibly the best band in history playing probably their best gig ever and it will never be again. It is obvious that Nicke, Strängen, Boba, Robban and Kenny too feel the now-or-never-tension. The two guitarists engage in some serious guitarsex, the drums get a worse beating than ever before and Kenny on bass cannot stop smiling. Even the gear seems to know the end has come, amps and guitars have to be changed midway through and at the gig the day before some kind of electric ghost killed Kennys amp and gave Nicke a schock, forcing them to finish early.

Thankfully today no ghosts are present; only Death is hovering above us all as Carry Me Home is played live for the last time. The only song missing is my own personal favourite I wanna touch. Instead we get an anticipated guest appearance of co-founder Dregen who joins in for a roof-lifting (Gotta get some action) Now!.

Finally, for one last time the famous one tune piano intro to By The Grace of God is played and for one last time we get to see this historic band in united action. Strängen, who has been looking close to tears all the way through and has asked the audience to give his old servant guitar an applause, finishes the gig with destroying it. The Hellacopters are dead, and so is rock n roll.

Leaving the stage and the by now fanatic audidence with faces screaming please-don’t-let-it-be-true to a pre-recorded doomsday riff The Hellacopters sign the end of an era. I am not the only one stepping out into the cold raw October night with no voice, sore hands, tears in my eyes and a hole in my heart. I still can’t believe this day has come, and gone, but I am happy and proud to say that I was there to witness it.