Salem on "Hallå P3" tomorrow morning

Just a reminder that Salem will appear on Swedish Radio P3's "Hallå P3" tomorrow morning. The show starts at 10.00 am Swedish time. Hopefully the listeners will have sent in lots of interesting questions for Salem to answer!

As usual, I'm making an appeal to my Swedish-speaking friends - if you hear the show (or listen later online at http://www.sr.se/sida/sandningsarkiv.aspx?programid=3184) then I'd love it if you could translate it for me. :)) someday I will be able to understand every word of spoken Swedish, but that day has not arrived yet !!

"Astronaut" video review

I don't know how long this has been around, but I found it tonight:

http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/reviews.php?film_id=17111

It's a review of the "Astronaut" video, which was recently screened at the Edinburgh Film Festival. A very nice review too by James Benefield who describes it as "an almost magical experience" - which is a perfect description.

"Roxy" now A-listed on Swedish Radio P3's playlist!

Very good news - P3 have A-listed "Roxy". I'm very happy about this.

As you know, I live outside Sweden, but often listen to Swedish radio stations on the internet. I know that P3 have always been very supportive of Salem's music, however I wish that more Swedish radio stations would play his music, and spend less time playing the same old songs which are played on radio stations all over the world - Pink, Rihanna, Beyonce...etc etc.

Salem to appear on this year's Sommarkrysset

If you go to http://www.tv4.se/1.1019963/2009/05/28/artisterna_i_sommarkrysset you will find the full line-up of artists appearing on this year's "Sommarkrysset" series. A really strong line-up of the hottest acts in Swedish music, old and new.....and most importantly, Salem will be appearing on the show on Saturday 1st August!

H3FK on tour this autumn

I've just found these dates at H3FK's MySpace (www.myspace.com/h3fk)

Check out the band's unique fusion of world jazz this autumn...

27.08.09 Fasching, Stockholm
28.08.09 Jazzbridge, Karlskrona
05.11.09 Konserthus, Gävle
07.11.09 Vänersborg
08.11.09 Ritz, Arvika
11.11.09 & 12.11.09 Glenn Miller Cafe, Stockholm

Jönköping in July, and a couple of appearances from this week

As Sweden is holding the EU presidency, there will be a meeting of ministers responsible for employment, social policy, health and consumer affairs in Jönköping, which will take place between 6th and 9th July. But what does this have to do with Salem, I hear you ask? Well, to celebrate this event there will be some entertainment being provided on a big stage at the harbour...and Salem will be one of the acts appearing there on Monday 6th July. Those ministers are in for a treat!

Salem appeared at a couple of events this week - on Monday 15th he and his band played at the season-opening of Lisa på Udden on Djurgarden, which was a star-studded celebrity event. Pictures from this event can be found at http://www.finest.se/imageGallery/?igid=5409

Then on Tuesday 16th June Salem played at a party to celebrate the first birthday of CHIC which is (correct me if I'm wrong) a showbiz/fashion magazine. If you go to http://www.finest.se/imageGallery/image.php?igid=5413&iid=313585&pageNum=47 you'll find pictures of all the usual Swedish celebrities....but of course this blogger is only interested in the three pictures of Salem, who was looking nice and stylish as ever.

Gothenburg, March 2010....

Salem's Berwaldhallen shows in December - which I exclusively revealed on Planet Salem at the end of May - have now been officially announced in a press release today.

However I can reveal another exclusive today!!

Salem will be playing the Gothenburg Konserthuset with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra on Friday 26th March 2010. Tickets for this show are not yet on sale, (see below) but check out http://www.gso.se/ for more info. This should be an amazing event - and I'm going to try and get over there to see this show (although it will depend on flight availability and whether I can get time off work).

Is anyone going to Berwaldhallen this year? Unfortunately I can't make it, but I'm determined to return to Gothenburg to see Salem again!!

EDIT 17.06.09: I've read that press release with the tour dates and it says at the end "more gigs to follow" - presumably that will include Gothenburg? I've also been wondering if Salem will be playing any shows outside Sweden in 2009/2010, or will he just continue to tour Sweden?

(And yes, I'm still impatiently waiting for Salem's big international launch/breakthrough .....!)

As ever, if anyone knows anything, please please please drop me an email!!

EDIT 29.06.09: Tickets for Gothenburg Konserthuset go on sale at www.gso.se on 29th August 2009. (I presume they will also be available via Ticnet?)

This week's Salem news....

Salem will be one of the acts playing the new "Munken in the Park" festival in Norrköping which will take place on 10th and 11th July. John ME and Jonna Lee will also play this festival. Info at http://www.folkbladet.se/kulturnoje/artikel.aspx?articleid=4911484

"Roxy" and "Astronaut" are still B-listed on P3's playlist this week. Come on P3 - get "Roxy" onto the A-list playlist!

Salem has not one, but two songs in this week's Swedish Radio "Tracks" chart. "Roxy" is a new entry at no 9, and after 13 weeks on the chart, "Astronaut" is at no. 10. Full listing at http://www.sr.se/p3/topplistor/tracks/

The "Astronaut" album has again dropped out of the Sverige Topplistan chart. :(

Finally (thanks Kalle for the tip!) Salem appeared on P3 Star on Swedish radio today and Linda Sundblad was the very lucky presenter who got the chance to interview him! Here's a link to the show: http://www.sr.se/webbradio/?Type=broadcast&Id=1797901&isBlock=1 and you can also find some pictures of Salem and Linda at http://www.p3star.se/default.ns?lngItemID=1019&intPageColor=2&intFolderID=310

Would anyone be able to translate any of the interview? My Swedish is still not good :))

Salem på Liseberg...

Some very good news today....Salem will be one of the acts appearing on TV4's new Allsång-show "Lotta på Liseberg" which will be broadcast every Monday night from Gothenburg beginning on 22 June.

More information about this year's line-up for Lotta's show and its SVT rival "Allsång på Skansen" (which Salem appeared on in 2007) at my other blog: http://europecrazy.blogspot.com/2009/06/allsang-vs-allsang-let-battle-commence.html

EDIT 17.06.09: We'll have to wait till 10th August to see Salem on Lotta's show. As the saying goes...they're saving the best for last :))) and of course he will be worth waiting for!

Salem to play Vara Konserthus in October

Salem will play Vara Konserthus on 28th October. More information at http://www.varakonserthus.se/

I notice that the date of Salem's show at The Cod in Strömstad has been changed from 26th June and will now take place on 7th July.

Find details of Salem's upcoming live dates at http://www.salemalfakir.com/tour/

Salem's Nokia-prize gig, and a P3 radio appearance in July.

If you remember I previously mentioned the competition on the Nokia website http://www.tubemusic.se/ which ran over a period of 30 days in the Stockholm subway. The winner would get the most amazing prize - a 'living room' gig by Salem and his band.

The lucky winner was Christopher Frånberg, who comes from Märsta... and last Saturday, May 30th, Salem and the band headed for Sigtuna Folkhögskola for their exclusive outdoor show for Christopher and his friends. I've found a little behind-the-scenes clip about this on YouTube tonight: go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g69SpJB7qVU. A great version of "It's True" followed by lots of fooling around by Salem and him being thrown into the air by the students! It looked as if everyone had a great time. :)

EDIT 03.06.09: The full version of "It's True" has also now been posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzmSDHcCjmQ

My other news tonight is that Salem will be a guest on Swedish Radio P3's "Hallå P3" on Wednesday 1st July, which will be broadcast from 10.00 - 11.00 am that day. I will mention this again on Planet Salem nearer the time.

Planet Salem is 18 months old today! / Poll results.

I just thought I'd mention this little anniversary tonight - this blog has now been going for 18 months!! It doesn't feel like a year and a half since I started Planet Salem but you know what they say, time flies when you're having fun....and I'm really having a lot of fun doing this blog!

Over the last couple of months I've been running a little poll on this site where you could vote for your favourite tracks on "Astronaut". 290 votes were cast - thanks to all of you for voting :)

So, by way of a little anniversary-celebration I thought it was time to publish the results!

1. Astronaut - 56 votes (19%)
2. It's Only You (Part II) - 43 (14%)
3. One of the Others - 38 (13%)
4. Cold Shower - 34 (11%)
5. Roxy - 29 (10%)
6. Mirror - 25 (8%)
7. Twelve Fingers - 23 (7%)
8. Black Sun Black Moon - 22 (7%)
=9. Bluest Eyes - 7 (2%)
=9. Now's The Time - 7 (2%)
11. Purple Lady - 6 (2%)

Once again, thanks all of you for voting. I've had good fun doing this poll and I'd like to do some more in the future. If you have any ideas for future Salem-related polls please let me know!