Martinique Tour rehearsals (V): Spring has hit Stockholm

Hi again! The weekend is over and i´m back behind the screen. My policy is to not blog during the weekends and to give my readers the rest they deserve from their screens. A computer is a time stealer, never forget that. The real life is outside your door. But as I said, i´m back on track and this first post after this weekend is about stage clothes.

Helena and I have been wondering what to wear on stage for quite some time now. I had an idea of what could work for me and back home I bought the bottom half of my stage clothes. I´ve been searching in Stockholm for the right thing to have on top but with no luck. Everything either felt too much or too varm. But this weekend we tock a stroll on the streets in Söder and we both hit the jackpot. I will not say what we found cause that would be to spoil the surprise for you. But I can tell you that one of the colours I will be wearing is white. What I found this weekend is in a bag and I hope it will do the job.

It´s true and it´s lovely. The sun is shining and Mr X has taken off his bear suit and is right now sleeping outdoors in his pram. People have taken over the streets and are sitting on the asphalt eating ice cream! We tried it and it felt great but after a while there were too much people. The ice cream was nice. Flowers are saying hi to each other and the bumblebee is diving into them. Spring.

The Martiniquemusic blog is proud to give you the first ever interview with the Swedish/American film director Damian Petherson II. In this exclusive interview he talks about his latest creation “The Bear & the Cat” short movies. The funny thing is that he looks a bit like me even though he is his own and unique and has a different set of parents than me. Here you go, only on Martiniquemusic:

Martinique Josefsson - Sandy Mouche

European Tour Blog

Comments by fans:

Hej!) I was always wondering how you choose and how you buy clothes for the performance. I thought you make a special order for it, or even buy from abroad… Never though you just buy it in a local mall…)))))) By the way, do you and Helena keep all the clothes you used during the tour? Do you use them sometimes after the tour – for going out or something? Thanks. Have a splendid week!!))

Ilya Volkov
-(a.k.a. Kreecher)- Roxette House

Hej! Well sometimes you buy them yourself from a shop, sometimes you make them yourself along with a designer or sometimes you get sponered by a brand to use their clothes during a tour (see upcoming post..) We keep the clothes and some of them we use when not performing too. It depends however, we couldn´t go out in any Sandy Mouche outfits since they are specially made for the stage and it would look like you´d escaped from a circus if you hit the streets with them.

Martinique Josefsson - Sandy Mouche

European Tour Blog

Martinique Tour rehearsals (IV): Breakfast

Yesterday we took a nice breakfast at Coffeehouse by George. Warm sandwiches, a blueberry smoothie and hot chocolate.

It was actually the same Coffehouse we visited when Helena was promoting her album and we played at NK (the big shopping house right outside). I give the breakfast 5 strings out of 6. The hot chocolate was a 6 stringer.

This is what the rehersal room looks like:

My guitar case is no longer in our flat. That means we have no table to eat on. Which led to another improvisation.

It turned out even more cozy than before and I have never eaten this much for breakfast ever. I think it has to do with the fact that we rise earlier than before and i´m not eating right before going to bed which occasionally could be the case in the early days.

On the way ... to rehersal. Not for me but for Helena.

The Bear & the Cat

(To be continued)

Martinique Josefsson - Sandy Mouche

European Tour Blog

Martinique Tour rehearsals (III): The first rehearsal

Went very well. It was a different experience than i am used to. It was me alone with Oskar (the monitor tech) and Micke (the guitar tech). Could it be more luxurious?

I tried a few songs and Oskar gave me a really good mix in the In-ear system that´s also totally new for me. It´s two ear phones you have in your ears =) and through them you hear the music and the singing. And you can decide the volume yourself through a little knob on the unit. Very exciting for me to try this out.

Micke helped me get the guitar sounds right and we stayed a few hours fine tuning them.

My friend Johnny Bull once said: “It would be cool if you posted some videos on your blog”. Johnny, here you go, the first video (from the first rehersal) on this blog:

WARNING! This post is for serious gear geeks (like myself) so all of you other dear readers out there, bear with me on this one ok?

Here is a more detailed post about the gear I will be using on stage:

I made some guitar sounds that I like in my Pocket POD (a little guitar amp simulator that you can plug directly into the PA system. Micke took the sounds I hade created and put them (after many tries since the software wasn´t compatible) into a "monster machine". The signal from the xt Pro goes to Oskar´s mixing table and he delivers the sound to the Shure wireless guitar unit. But wait a minute, some of you might say, -Martinique, but what if you want to change the guitar sound in the middle of a song? -Good question my friend. The answer? A little bugger.

So if you suddenly se me tap dancing on stage i´m just trying to change the sound of the guitar. The guitar sound along with my vocals and backing tracks are then delivered into the Shure In-ear system (also wireless). Oskar then mixes everything to your taste and you are able to get a really nice atmosphere in your head.

Finally for the backing tracks I use my ipod which also is connected to Oskar.

What are these mutants doing in my ipod?

Martinique Josefsson - Sandy Mouche

European Tour Blog

Comments by fans:

I miss the “mutants”. I have read about a new album by Sandy Mouche and I wonder if it is still on ice. Helena’s solo, Martinique’s solo, Sandy Mouche, … It is not easy to follow you ;) Very interesting to know all the process with the machines. Good luck and enjoy all the rehearsals.

Alberto Fuente (aka Lantartida),
from Madrid, ES

Nice blog Martinique! And even though I’m no gear freak, it’s interesting to see all the gear anyway. Good luck with rehearsals, I’ll be coming back to check how things are going. And others have said it before; hur söt är Mr X?! Greetings from sunny Holland!

Saar Plunkett (aka Sarah den Rara),
from Alkmaar, Netherlands

Martinique Tour rehearsals (II): Getting to know Stockholm

Well i´ve never been in Stockholm this long before but now when we are living here for three weeks i´m starting to see the things i missed out on when passing through all these years. I made a list:

• 1. People are kind and helpful
• 2. Taxi drivers are really helpful
• 3. It´s fun to be a “Latte father” in Stockholm (many coffee places here even though I don´t drink it that much)
• 4. Two of my closest friends live here and (one of them just got a baby girl and the other takes me to the gym)
• 5. The Pizzerias are great (not the average “Svenne fettplatta” here no. Nice thin and crispy bottoms)
• 6. You ride free of charge on the buses if you have a pram with you. (with a child in it)

I´m sure I will add to this list as we proceed. Curious to see if there will be any negative impressions, so far so good.

I will have my first real rehersal tomorrow, can´t wait. You will get a closer look at the gear I will be using. In the mean time check out some rehersal pics at Gessle.com

We have borrowed a flat in “Söder” in Stockholm from our friend Danyal Taylan. It´s a lovely newly renovated flat and it is starting to feel like home. There weren´t any furniture there though so we had to improvise.

What the flat does have is a cool gas stove that we´ve been playing around with. We went to our friends Bartek and Joanna and their two weeks old Maja. Mr X´s future wife? You never know…..but there is another girl out there too..

I have to go, Mr X will soon wake up and demand his milk.

Martinique Josefsson - Sandy Mouche

European Tour Blog

Comments by fans:

I wonder if Helena can play drums?
What instruments can you play, Martinique, and what instruments does Helena play? Not to mention her enchanting voice of course..)) Thanks..

Ilya Volkov
-(a.k.a. Kreecher)- Roxette House

Hi Ilya! Nice to have you as a reader. She can play one pattern and one fill. She plays the piano, flute, a tiny bit guitar and she is a hell of a tambourine player, as you may have seen + some other strange instruments I do not know the name of *)

As for me I mostly play the guitar and piano when im writing songs. But I love the drums and if I were to have a new band I would battle for the task. Im also fond of the electric bass. (strange keyboard here, cant make smileys, they come out like this *) *))

Martinique Josefsson - Sandy Mouche

European Tour Blog

Martinique Tour rehearsals (I): leaving for Stockholm

This spring I will be the opening act on Per Gessle´s (the man from Roxette) European tour.

The blog will give you a good idea of what it´s like being on tour and I will add personal stuff never seen on the web. My goal is to write and post pictures through the whole tour. I don´t know I will succeed since this is the first time i´m blogging but if you spread the word, it will centainly keep me going.

Since my native tounge is Swedish and due to the fact that i´m half Polish, this blog will be written in English so that all the international fans (soon to join) also can enjoy this unique internet happening. Don´t forget to comment as much as you can. (You know, missspeliings and so on).

As i´m writing this we have actually been here for a couple of days already. The trip to Stockholm went well. I found myself sitting next to a four and a half mounth old kid that was heading for Stockholm as well. We asked him if he wanted to go on tour with us and he gladly accepted.

We are in Stockholm to rehears for three weeks. Per and the band that is, but I will also try my songs a couple of times with the right gear and everything. Pics from the rehearsals will follow soon.

When you're going on tour for over a month you need to bring quite a few things with you. Pew, no gym needed today.

Enjoy,

Martinique Josefsson - Sandy Mouche

European Tour Blog

Martinique send some demo tapes to Per Gessle and than everything just took a natural course, especially because Helena and Martin have a baby and this way they could travel together.

Christoffer Lundquist

Comments by fans:

Hej Martinique, It’s marvellous that we’ll get some firsthand info about the tour and The Josefsson’s family form the tour. I’m looking forward to your performance in Warsaw. I remember my trip from Malmo to Stockholm on the 10th August 2007 right after the concert in Malmo. It was a very enjoyable journey, very comfortable one. We expect you to speak in Polish as we have to see how good your Polish is. Love, Kamila. P.S. Say “hello” to Helena. I’ll prepare a banner with her name on it.

Kamila Aleksandrowicz,
from Białystok, Poland

Sandy Mouche hides the head in the sand (I): Martinique, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it is the size of the fight in the dog"

I am one of the lead singers of the band Sandy Mouche. Where Sandy Mouche flirts with the French Riviera, fairies & elves, Martinique's project embraces the Miami Vice 80s without compromise.

I love synth pad sounds and I often write songs by singing to a silky smooth pad that im playing. I love music that makes me want to drive a car fast, sit on a bus, dance or run. I guess you can say music that moves me. When I was a little boy I spent all summers in France with my relatives. I got quite a lot of French music flowing through my ears back then and I dig it up when I need to go back there for inspiration. When im writing music for myself as Martinique however I look elsewhere. Series on TV from the 80s is a big inspiration. Miami Vice (just love the beautiful sad melodies bathing in smooth synth pads. Anxiety is just around the corner.) Knight Rider, Air Wolf, V, Falcon Crest, North & South, The Persuaders. For me they are filled with memories and both happy and sad moments in my life. I use the feeling I get from them and their music when I write music as Martinique. Sometimes I try to do a whole different production but somehow I always end up with a beat and a pad =).

“Martinique” is my very new project and the music has never been played live before. The music is unsigned. I have used Mark Twain's words for the EP. You can also listen to Helena Josefsson's backing vocals.

It's not the size
of the dog in the fight,
it's the size of the fight in the dog

- EP - 2009-

1. The girl from Milan - 03:25

2. I hear strange things at night - 03:08
3. The meaning of haste - 03:48
4. I'm Spiderman - 03:08

I am going to be the opening act on Per Gessle's (the man from Roxette) european tour. Don't miss out on my first ever live performance with this music.

The exclusive 200 copies Ep will be sold on the tour along with 50 ultra rare t-shirts.

Tourdates:

• 16.4 Helsinki, Tavastia Club
• 19.4 Oslo, Rockefeller
• 20.4 Copenhagen, Pumpehuset
• 22.4 Warsaw, Stodola
• 23.4 Prague, Luccerna Hall
• 25.4 Hamburg, Grunspan
• 27.4 Cologne, Gloria Theatre
• 28.4 Zürich, Kaufleuten
• 29.4 München, Muffathalle
• 2.5 Gent, Handelsbeurs
• 4.5 London, Shepherds Bush Empire
• 6.5 Amsterdam, Melkweg
• 8.5 Halmstad, Sporthallen - NEW
• 9.5 Stockholm, Cirkus
• 10.5 Stockholm, Cirkus - EXTRA

Visit Martiniques tour blog where you can follow me through rehearsals, gigs and a whole lot of other stuff.

Martinique Josefsson - Sandy Mouche

European Tour Blog

Comments by fans:

CD is so cute!!!!)))))) And Helena is a great photographer!) Thank you for the blog, Martinique, I’m looking forward to read it during the tour! See you in Germany!)))). Kind regards from the Sunny Mediterranean,

Ilya Volkov
-(a.k.a. Kreecher)- Roxette House

Good stuff!
And btw: It’s the size of the other dog in the fight.

Björn Folbert, from Löddköpinge, SE
- folbertdotcom

Well, it could be the size of the wisdom in Twain’s words.
A long title, but very original.

Alberto Fuente (aka Lantartida),
from Madrid, ES