Melody Club live review: Swedish synth rock favourites return with neon style and timeless pop anthems
The early 2000s produced a wave of Swedish bands that blended shimmering synthesisers with infectious guitar-driven pop, and Melody Club stood proudly among its most distinctive names. The Swedish synth rock band combined synthpop, new wave, glam rock, indie pop and electronic rock into a sound that was every bit as polished as it was hook-laden. Albums such as Music Machine, Face the Music and Goodbye to Romance spawned enduring favourites including “Palace Station”, “Electric”, “Baby (Stand Up)”, “Destiny Calling” and “Covergirl”, establishing Melody Club as one of Sweden’s defining synth rock acts of the decade.
The band’s songs became regular fixtures on Swedish radio and television, while “Palace Station” gained an additional cult following through its memorable appearance in the acclaimed Swedish comedy Slim Susie. Melody Club also reached a wider mainstream audience through their participation in Melodifestivalen in 2011 with “The Hunter”, further cementing their place in Sweden’s modern pop and rock history.
A refreshed line-up with renewed energy
After calling it a day in 2014, Melody Club reunited in recent years with vocalist Kristofer Östergren and keyboard player Jon Bordon once again at the core of the band. They were joined by returning original drummer Carl Richard Roos, while guitarist Billy Cervin and bassist Joacim “Jorba” Nilsson brought fresh energy to the live line-up. Both are experienced session musicians who have also performed alongside Ebbot Lundberg.
Rather than simply revisiting the past, Melody Club’s return feels like a band rediscovering the joy of performing together. The familiar songs remain at the centre of the show, but the chemistry between the musicians and the energy they bring to the stage make the reunion feel more like a continuation than a nostalgia trip.
Rain sets the scene
As is often the case with Swedish outdoor concerts, especially in famously rainy Borås, the weather remained unpredictable throughout the opening night of this year’s Sommartorsdagarna concert series.
Earlier in the evening, a dance band performing in the nearby City Park barely had time to unpack before heavy rain forced them to abandon their performance altogether. Light rain continued during Melody Club’s headline set, but unlike a traditional dance band that depends on a packed dance floor, the weather almost enhanced Melody Club’s aesthetic. Their colourful lighting and neon-inspired stage design reflected beautifully in the rain-soaked square, creating an atmosphere that at times felt remarkably reminiscent of the cyberpunk classic Blade Runner.
The audience was perhaps smaller than expected, likely because of the weather and possibly competition from the FIFA World Cup, but those who turned up were rewarded with an energetic and impeccably performed show.
A frontman who thrives on stage
Kristofer Östergren immediately demonstrated why he remains such an engaging frontman. Brimming with enthusiasm from the opening songs, he constantly moved around the stage, swinging his microphone in a manner that occasionally recalled Suede’s Brett Anderson. His overall stage presence also brought to mind The Wannadies’ Pär Wiksten, with a similar playful and slightly mischievous charm, although Östergren’s taller frame gave him an especially striking silhouette on stage, particularly during the dramatic backlit moments early in the show.
His playful charisma never felt forced, and during “The Only Ones” he even stepped behind a drum to introduce the song with a few beats before returning to centre stage.
Adding to his flamboyant stage presence, his seemingly endless collection of jackets became a show in itself. He first appeared in a black blazer decorated with white lightning bolts before changing into a black-and-white striped jacket that inevitably brought The Hives to mind. Later came a bright pink blazer before the evening concluded with a glittering sequined jacket that transformed him into a human disco ball under the powerful spotlights during the closing performance of “Electric”.
A stronger rock edge live
One thing that has always distinguished Melody Club live is how much more prominent the guitars become compared with their studio recordings. On record, the synthesisers understandably dominate the polished production, giving the songs their unmistakable glossy character. Live, however, the guitars are pushed further forward, adding extra drive, punch and urgency without sacrificing the band’s melodic identity.
Billy Cervin proved to be the perfect complement to Östergren’s boundless energy. The guitarist attacked every song with enthusiasm, bringing both technical precision and genuine rock star confidence. His performance particularly elevated “Palace Station”, where the rhythm guitar gave the chorus a bit more bite than on the original recording, transforming an already infectious pop anthem into something that leaned even further towards synth rock.
Bassist Joacim “Jorba” Nilsson also deserves recognition. Together with Cervin, he formed a tight and dynamic rhythm section that gave the songs a welcome sense of weight and momentum while complementing Jon Bordon’s signature keyboard textures.
“Palace Station” remains the defining anthem
“Palace Station” became the emotional centrepiece of the evening. Before launching into the song, Östergren shared the story of how the band repeatedly sent the demo to record companies, only to be rejected because synthesisers were supposedly no longer fashionable. Eventually, someone at Virgin Records believed in the song, proving that sometimes one person’s conviction is all it takes. The track later gained even greater recognition through its memorable appearance in Slim Susie, complete with its now-famous dance sequence.
The band clearly still holds the song close to its heart. Its performance became the evening’s longest and most elaborate moment, expanding far beyond the studio version with audience singalongs, playful pauses, an enthusiastic “Ey oh, let’s go!” in unmistakable Ramones fashion and a full band introduction before finally bringing the song to its triumphant conclusion.
A catalogue that still shines
The setlist drew heavily from Melody Club’s best-known material. Songs such as “Covergirl”, “Destiny Calling”, “Play Me in Stereo”, “The Hunter” and the closing “Electric” reminded the audience just how consistently strong the band’s catalogue remains.
Despite the persistent drizzle, Melody Club delivered exactly what fans could have hoped for: stylish visuals, polished musicianship, infectious melodies and a frontman who looked genuinely delighted to be back on stage. There may have been no new material to hint at the future, but the concert demonstrated that these songs have lost none of their sparkle.
For me personally, the evening was also a particularly enjoyable opportunity to finally experience Melody Club live. Having missed the chance to see the band before their original split in 2014, it was rewarding to finally witness the energy and stage presence that had made them such a memorable part of Swedish synth rock history.
Hopefully this reunion tour is not merely a nostalgic celebration of the past, but the beginning of an exciting new chapter in Melody Club’s story.
Setlist
- Stranded Love
- Covergirl
- Destiny Calling
- Angeleyes
- Fever Fever
- Wildhearts
- Palace Station
- Play Me in Stereo
- Boys in the Girls’ Room
- The Only Ones
- Baby (Stand Up)
- The Hunter
- Electric
This show was shot with
Camera bodies
- Sony a7 IIIClose-ups, long-range shots
- Sony a7R IIWide-angle shots
Camera lenses
- Samyang 35-150mm f2–2.8Close-ups, long-range shots
- Tamron 16-30mm f2.8Wide-angle shots
Concert photo gallery
