- Interview by David, 24 March 2006
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Christian rock legends Jerusalem celebrate their 30 years anniversary with three spectacular shows in Gothenburg, Huskvarna and Stockholm. I was going to attend a press conference before the show in Huskvarna on March 24 2006. But it got postponed a while and then apparently I was the only one still waiting. So instead I got a short talk with three of the members.
Anders Mossberg plays bass on Volume 2 (1980), Those Were The Days (1997), R.A.D. (1998) and Live - På ren svenska (1999). He started in the band back almost in the beginning, replacing Bertil Sörensson who played the bass on the debut album. He returned to the family on The Crusade Tour in 1997. He is now a professional musician, teaches some music students and works with production, arrangements and songwriting.
Peter Carlsohn plays bass on Warrior (1981), Can't Stop Us Now (1983), In His Majesty's Service - Live In USA (1985), Dancing On The Head Of The Serpent (1987) and Prophet (1994). He replaced Anders back in the early 80s. He describes himself as a businessman, who does little of everything for a living. Among other things he is helping his wife, who designs and sells leather clothing. He is also involved in some music projects from time to time. The Rise, for example, is a bit more pop oriented project of old Christian rockers (Jerusalem drummer Michael Ulvsgärd, among others). The band is discussing a new and perhaps a bit rockier record.
Klas Anderhell plays drums on Volume 2 (1980), Warrior (1981), Those Were The Days (1997), R.A.D. (1998) and Live - På ren svenska (1999). He was a member of the band during three intense years in the beginning ("original" drummer Dan Gansmoe played on the debut album, before Klas took over). He returned together with Anders (and Dan Tibell on keyboards) on The Crusade Tour. When not playing with Jerusalem, he is a freelance drummer and plays with Swedish veteran rockers Sven-Ingvars. He will go on tour with Sven-Ingvars again this summer, on their 50 years anniversary. "So we have 20 years left…" (Anders comments.)
What can we expect from the evening?
- Anders: It
will be a concert with the two, or three, lineups of Jerusalem who has
done most of the records through these thirty years. Then a lot of old
film sequences and photos will be shown, matched to the music or by their
own. We don't want to use the word nostalgia, but… do we have a better
word?
- Peter: Retrospect!
- Anders: Retrospect, there we go! Cross out nostalgia!
- Klas: A foundation for the future.
How will the members alternate on stage?
- Anders: Chronological actually…
- Peter: …partly, but then we also do a lot all together.
- Klas: It starts chronological, but then we alternate more randomly
and in the end we all unite in a grand finale.
- Anders: A great jam session…
- Klas: It worked well last night actually.
- Peter: Yes, it was sold out, 1200 people.
- Anders: I think it will be the same tonight.
How long is the set?
- Peter: Between two and a half to three
hours.
- Klas: There are some interviews and stuff, but there is no pause.
We are on stage the whole time.
- Anders: It's a quite heavy program. But it worked well last night.
It will be a blast.
- Peter: I hope that people expect this when they arrive, that
they want much. It's our ambition to deliver. I think that the setlist
is exactly thirty songs long. Some songs may drop off during the concert,
but that is the main plan.
You have alternated in the setting a lot through the last years. What
is it that decides who is going to play from time to time?
- Anders: First and foremost it is Ulf. He
is the man with the visions, so to speak. He is the leader. And it is
not a regular band in that sense that Peter or I have to play the bass.
All of us are working with other stuff as well, so it depends more on
who is available at the time and which repertoire that is up for the day.
But we all are members of Jerusalem and we all believe in the concept
and mission that the band stands for. But it doesn't have to be a certain
lineup. Uffe must be there of course, otherwise it would be strange…
This must be a quite unique situation for a band?
- Anders: Yes I think so. And I believe that
there are not many bands that have done the same thing that we are doing
right now either. And it works. We have fun together. We all have the
same foundation in our Christian belief.…I'm talking all the time
now, haha.
- Klas: This time we actually have had the time to rehearse together.
Otherwise we it is hard because we live in different places, I live in
Falun, Anders in Norway, Peter in Gothenburg… but this time we actually
have been able to rehearse two whole days… It will give some result
I hope.
Will there be a new album, and if so, who will play on it?
- Peter: That is very unclear. There are
no plans, but it can happen…
- Anders: It is as always in God's hands. We will see what happens.
And that feels pretty okay. It could happen. You have that feeling, in
a moment like this anyway, when you see the interest around the band.
There is one new track, Hey Lyssna, which is on the new collection album.
Will there be any new and remastered CD releases of the old albums?
- Anders: We have to ask Uffe about that.
I don't know how easy it will be to get hold of all the tapes. Does Ulf
have them?
- Klas: Some things have disappeared I think.
- Anders: There is some detective work to be done first.
- Peter: If we take the Classics records [the available CD-versions
of the first six Jerusalem albums, two and two]… one might forget
that all songs are not included on those. So if you should just release
all the records again there would be some almost forgotten tracks. But
there are no immediate plans about that. To the 40 years anniversary,
perhaps…
Jerusalem usually plays somewhere in the woods, before the already faithful.
Is it of any current interest to play any profane festivals?
- Anders: We have had some contacts. It is
not out of the question… to be diplomatic about it, haha.
- Klas: We would love to do it. It is there you want to play.
- Anders: We played at a city festival in Luleå a couple
of years ago.
[Tour manager enters and interrupts the conversation. Time to go
on stage soon!]
Thank you for the interview!
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