Thanks to Berit for the story and the pictures.
I’ve been a Sweet fan since 1971. I remember when Co Co were played for the first time on Swedish radio. I was in the car with my parents. My dad were trying to be funny. He asked me if we had a cuckoo in the car. Then he started going co co, co co, needless to say, I was furious. I wanted to hear the new song by Sweet. I bought all pop magazines with Sweet pics. All pictures went up on my walls. When there weren’t room for any more I had my dad taking my bed out. By sleeping on the floor on a mattress I could make room for some more pics. In 1973 Sweet came to my home town, Stockholm. They were going to play at the amusement park, Gröna Lund. My parents wouldn’t let me go because they thought it was far to dangerous for me to attend an open air concert. In the evening of the concert day I locked myself in my room and played Sweet records very loud. My dad were really angry. Unfortunately, he had the master key. He took my recordplayer away and told me to stay in my room for the rest of the evening. In 1974 Sweet came back to Stockholm. This time they were going to play at the concert hall of Stockholm. My parents allowed me to get a ticket for this gig. I was so happy! I went to the concert with my best friend, Catrine. After buying a poster each we went to find our seats. After some time two Swedish guys entered the stage. They gave up after a couple of songs. No one were listening to them. Everybody chanted WE WANT SWEET ! A guy came on stage and told us that we were only allowed to take photos during the first two songs. We couldn’t take any photos at all as we had forgotten to bring a camera. The Stripper were played and a film were shown. And: The moment we’ve all been waiting for ..The Sweet! At first I just stod there staring. I couldn’t belive Sweet were really there.
Everybody screamed and jumped around. Mick throwed quite a few drum sticks to the audience and Brian gave away his tambourin. After the encore, Teenage Rampage, Brian broke his microphone stand in half and the concert was over. We had read an interview with Steve. He said: If you wish for something hard enough it will come true. Every night before going to sleep we wished that Sweet would come back to Sweden. And guess what – It worked! In April 75 they were back. Even this time they were going to play at the concert hall. Much to my surprise my parents allowed me to skip school to go in to town and buy a ticket for the gig. When Catrine and I arrived at the concert hall about two hours before the tickets were to be sold, there were already about 15 people there. The tickets were sold out in only a few hours. A couple of days later we read in a paper that Sweet were going to give an extra concert because the first one were sold out so quickly. Of course, we had to get a ticket for that one too. It was only one problem – we didn’t have any money. I knew my parents kept some money in a drawer at home. After lunch we left school and went home to my house to borrow some money. When my mother realized what we had been up to she got very upset. From her point of view we had stolen the money. We should have asked before we took them. My mother called Catrine’s mother and they were talking about not letting us go to the extra consert as a punishment. In the end they decided we could go but we had to come home directly after the concert. On monday after school we went to Hotel Sheraton where Sweet had been staying in 74. When we arrived to the hotel there were quite a few fans there. The hotel staff told us that Sweet weren’t staying there but we didn’t belive them. After some time the staff were fed up with us. They told us Sweet were staying at Grand Hotel. There were a lot of people outside Grand. One guy had managed to get in to the hotel and get Brian’s and Mick’s autographs. Six girls and myself found a back door and tried to get in to the hotel that way. Before long we heard a guard coming after us. We run as fast as we could. Unfortunately, there was a guard coming that way too. He grabed my arm and threw me down the stairs and roared: Don’t ever try to do that again, bloody kids! We decided to stay outside and tried to get Sweet to come out instead. They didn’t come out but Mick and Brian waved to us. We decided to leave for the concert hall. We had to wait for almost an hour before we were let in. There had been some technical problems. The show started in the same way it had in 74. In the middle of of the gig when Brian touched the mike it was electric. Steve looked serious when he went over to Andy and said something. I was sure they would call off but Brian sat down by the keyboard and started to play. You could see he was still in pain.
The show ended with a fight between Andy and Steve. Brian tried to stop them. In the end Steve smashed his bass against the stage floor. The lights were turned on and the show was over. Catrine and I went to the stage door. A cop told us Sweet wouldn’t come out until the next morning . In the way they were emptening beer cans they shoulden’t be able to walk out. They would have to crawl! The following day we went to Grand Hotel after school. Some fans told us Sweet were at the concert hall. We had only been outside the hotel a short while when Sweet came in a bus. At first the driver slowed down but when he saw all the fans he drove away. Everybody ran after the bus because we thought the driver would stop at another entrance. Well, he didn’t, he drove around the block and back to the main entrence. Sweer were alredy in the hotel’s restaurant when we got back. Mick were standing by the window trying to count us. Brian were talking to a waiter. He didn’t like the waiters choice of table (by the window). They did get anoter table in the part of the resturant we coulden’t see. When it was time for Sweet to leave for the concert there were about 10 cops there to keep all us fans out of the way. Where I was standing there were a big flower pot. When Sweet were heading for the bus everbody screamed and there wasn’t much room to move. I was pushed against the flower pot and to avoid breaking my leg I had to climb up in to the flower pot. It took some time before the bus could leave because it was surrounded by fans. We screamed and pounded our fists against the windows of the bus. After the bus had left we went to the concert hall. The waiting hall were crowded with people. When the guards opened the doors to let us in they had to run for their lives. We went in to find our seats. Everyboudy stamped their feet and screamed We want Sweet. After the concert I over heard a mother saying it had been like an earthquake, her seat and the floor had been shaking during the entire show. When Sweet entered the stage a girl infront of us fainted so one of the guards had to take her out. During the gig quite a few girls had to be taken care of because they went into hysterics. Before they played You’re Not Wrong For Lovin’ Me Brian managed to calm the audience down. He wanted us to sit down and listen. When it was time for Andy to sing Lady Starlight the fans were everything but calm. Andy sat down on a stol. He tried to get Brian’s attention but he didn’t succeed. Eventually, he had to sing. The fans screamed at the top of their lungs. Andy was so angry he didn’t sing – he roared! In the middle of the song he shouted: If you don’t stop I’ll Stop .A friend who sat closer to the stage then we told us Andy had broken a guitar string in his anger. Later I read in a pop mag that there were somthing wrong with the mike. In the same mag Andy said he wanted to take Lady Starlight out of the set. He didn’t enjoy singing it anymore. Even this night the show ended with the fight between Andy and Steve. After the gig Catrine’s dad came to pick us up. He agreed on letting us wave Sweet off. The last thing we saw was a guy in the bus holding the next issue of the pop mag Poster in his hand. He showed us the famouse poster Mick in the nude.
In 1976 Sweet were going to perform at Gröna Lund again. Catrine were still a Sweet fan but she didn’t want to come with me to the gig. Our friends at school were always teasing us because we were Sweet fans. They thougth we were far to old to listen to that kind of music. I suppose she couldn’t take it any more. I didn’t care what people said I was going anyway. A Sweet fan from the north of Sweden came to Stockholm and stayed with me. The 4th of May Sweet were to sign records at the department store-NK at 13pm. Helena and myself were there hours before the store opened. When we were let in we found out that we had to buy a record if we wanted the guys autographs. I already had all records by Sweet but the staff wouldn’t let me in if I didn’t buy one. There wasn’t much else I could do but to buy another copy of Give Us A Wink. It was crowded with people in the room where the records were sold. You could hardly breathe. Somehow, we managed to get in to the room where Sweet would sign our records. When Sweet arrived we had to form a queue. When Sweet had signed our records we had to leave the room.
After Sweet had left NK we decided to catch a bus to Gröna Lund. At 6pm we were let in. The last few days had been rainy .So far it had only been a few spots of rain during the day but while standig at the stage area it started pouring. A guy entered the stage and told us they had to cancel the gig because of the rain. He explained to us that it was dangerous for Sweet to play. They could die. The good news was that Sweet had promised to play the following day. Everywhere you could see crying fans. Some fans had come a long way and couldn’t come back the next day. Helena and I didn’t feel like going home. Although, we were soaking wet we decided to catch the ferry in to town an try to find out where Sweet were staying. After some hours we did. As we were only a few fans outside the hotel we were let in. After some time Mick came and wrote autographs. When he saw my record bag from NK he told us Sweet didn’t know we had to buy an LP, it must have been NK’s idea. Even Steve came and wrote autographs. When Mick and Steve went up to their rooms it was pretty late. We decided to go home for some sleep. In the morning we went back to the hotel again. We were a bunch of girls that were standing near the window of the resturant. I don’t understand how the guys could eat with us staring at them. When Andy didn’t eat he was engrossed in a paperback- The Fog. When Sweet went in to the cars that would take them to Gröna Lund I managed to touch Andy’s hair. I was in seventh heaven.( I wonder if it still would make me that happy. There is only one way to find out! LOL) When we arrived at Gröna Lund there were quite a few fans there. The girls that were standing at the front couldn’t breathe becase they were pushed against the gates by all people behind them. The staff begged us to calm down .If we did they would let us in earlier then planned. When they did let us in we all ran as fast as we could. We wanted to come as close to the stage as possible. When we rached the stage area we coulden’t belive our eyes. Sweet were on stage. Andy was furious. He was swinging his guitar violently. He slamed the mike stand on the stage and shouted :Take the bloody kids out of here! We didn’t have to go all the way back. The guards put up a fence not far from the stage. When we were standing there Mick came for a stroll .He stopped, smiled and waved to us. Everyone wanted to come as close to Mick as possible, the fence in front of me gave away. We were pushed back by some of the cops that had arrived. Eventually, we were let in. During the wait infront of the stage many girls fainted because they colden’t breathe. The gig started with The Stripper and a new film. I don’t remember much of the film. I do remember a girl rubbing her eye that turned in to an egg. The yolk of the egg was flowing down her cheek. Then it was time for Ballroom Blitz and we could all relax. The concert would take place. During this concert Steve surprised me by playing the harmonica. I didn’t know he could play anyting but bass. Andy played a piece of the Swedish national anthem during his guitar solo. Mick said: “Tack så mycket” ( thank you very much , in Swedish) after his drum solo. Before the show ends the guys stand together and Brian opens a bottle of champagne. They all take a sip and then Brian throws some one the audience with the words: This is for you. Merry x-mas and a Happy new year , if we don’t see you until next year! Andy left the stage with the words: Now it can rain. We went out on the street to catch a bus to town. While walking down the street a limo turns up. The driver slows down. (we are only four girls there) Steve does the V-sign, Brian blows kisses and Mick and Andy are laughing at us. The driver pulls away and are heading for the hotel, so do we. Outside the hotel many fans are gathered. As time goes by more and more fans are leaving. We are only few left when Sweet finally shows up in the hotel vestibul. Mick and Andy comes out. Mick says: Take it easy I’m here. I plucked up my courage and gave Mick a hug. Mick and Andy went in to the car. Mick puts his hand against the car window. The girls that are standing there start to kiss the windows like maniacs. The next car stops near the hotel door. Steve and Brian can get in to the car beyond reach for us. When the cars had left, Helena and myself decided to go home. We had promissed my mom not to stay out all night. We got home around 3am and were going to take the first train back to town at 5am. There was no point in taking our clothes off so we went to bed with all our clothes on. Back at the hotel we met two girls that had been outside the hotel all night. They told us Sweet would get up at 11. They had breakfast and then they left for the airport. We went to the airport too. When we arrived Sweet had already left for Denmark.
1978 the tickets were to be sold at two different places. My friend and I found out that a record shop would sell the ticket for the seats infront of Steve. We had to get our tickets there as I absolutely had to sit as close to my favourit member, Steve, as I possebly could. The eveving before the tickets were to be sold we took place out side the shop. Many people asked us why we sat there in the cold. When all the shops had closed there weren’t many people around. At 11 pm Madde’s cousin came. He was sent there by Madde’s parents to try and persuade us to come home. He didn’t succeed. We had brought a lot of warm clothes. Thanks god no one could see us. We must have looked funny in all this clothes. It was really cold and rain mingled with snow was falling. Even though we had plenty of warm clothes on and warm cocoa to drink we were stil cold. In the morning more Sweet fans arrived. When the shop finally opened and we got the best tickets available we soon forgot about the horrible night. The day Sweet came to Stockholm we were four girls that tried to find out which hotel Sweet were staying at. At first we went by foot but it was far to cold. We called a cab. When we had been to quite a few hotels we spoted a bus. When we realized Sweet were in it we asked the driver to follow the bus. The bus driver must have noticed us because he was going faster. We wanted ‘our driver’ to go faster too but he refused. He didn’t want to lose his license. We lost sight of the bus. We had already spent a fortune on cab fare so we decided to get off at the venue. I don’t know how many hours we had been waiting when Sweet arrived. We were let in to the hall so we could buy Sweet stuff. During the sound check Sweet played among others Cocain.
During the concert I kept a small plastic bag infront of me on the stage. It contained litter such as used flashes. When I had taken all the photos of my first film I put it in the bag too. Suddenly I saw Brian holding my bag. He had a look in it and then put it away on the stage beside Mick. I was anxious to get my film back. After some time Steve understod that I wanted the bag back. (Thank you Steve!) He went over to Brian and said something. Brian picked up the bag and gave it back to me. He looked puzzeled. I suppose he couldn’t understand why I was upset over a bag of litter. I stil have that bag with every thing in it . Well, not the film. Then you woulden’t have been able to se some of the photos on this site.
I enjoyed the concert but for some reason most of the audience didn’t. After Sweet had left the venue we were 7 girls that decided to try to find out were Sweet were staying. It was freezing cold out side. After three hours 4 girls gave up and went home. After a short while a cab drove past us. In the car was Mike A. He got off out side Hotel Diplomat. A second person got out of the car. It was Brian with a grey quilt over his head and a glass of whiskey in his hand. He was so drunk he could hardly get up the steps and in to the hotel. In the second car were Andy and Mick. Mick told us Steve was ill and had already gone to bed. We asked the guys if we could take some photos but they thought it was to late at night. After some time Mick went to bed. Andy, Nico and a guy called Pedro wanted us to come with them to a party. Andy had the biggest bottle of champagne I had ever seen. For some reason we didn’t go. Afterwards we regretted it because we thought we would freeze to death. Anyway, the hotel clerk turned out to be a very nice guy. He let us in to the hotel. Around 5am Andy and Nico came back to the hotel. Andy said: Oh, you are in now. That’s much better. They talked to us about the concert. We showed them the morning paper with a report on the concert. Andy recognized me in the photo. When it was time for Andy to hit the shower he tried to persuade us to go home to have something to eat and get some sleep. He didn’t succeed. Sometime before 6am we heard the clark calling the guys to wake them up. Andy came first, he said:Hallo and sat down in a sofa. Then Steve turned up. He sat down beside Andy and pretended to fall a sleep. Suddenly, he jumped up wide a wake and said: Hallo everybody! How are you, I’m fine. When Brian came he looked tired. Madde asked him if he was tired. He replied: Tired, at six o’clock in the morning. You gotta be kidding! Then he took a poster that Madde had bought at the gig and curled up on the floor using the poster as a blanket pretending to fall a sleeep. The guys had some tea. David Walker gave Andy a whole bunch of pills(??!). Andy said something to David who came up to us and told us we could have the guys autographs now. We asked Andy if we could take some photos as well. We couldn’t. This time it was too early in the morning! Before it was time for Sweet to leave for the airport they wanted us to translate the report in the morning paper. My friends asked me to do it. I’m afraid I wasn’t to much help. I was so nervous I couldn’t remember any English words at all. Steve thought it would be a good idea to take my glases off. Maybe I could see better then. To my relief Mick came and it was time for Sweet to leave. They said good bye and left. If they thought they would get rid of us that easily they were wrong. We had the clerk calling us a cab and off we went. When Steve sat eyes on us he burst out laughing. Mick talked to us for some time. Then he told us we could take some photos if we wanted to. We were allowed to take photos of all of the guys except of Andy. He went away with the words: Oh no, they are going to take a photo! Time flies when you are having a good time.
Before long it was time for Sweet to fly back to London. Mick kissed all three of us. We hugged the guys. When I hugged Steve he gave me an English coin. ( I still have it ) He said: Bye love, see you next year. I’m still waiting because Sweet never returned to Sweden again. Brian said: Thanks for coming. Andy said:Bye, and waved to us. When we had waved the guys off we realized we were hungy and tired. We had been up for 28 hours and hadn’t had anyting to eat since lunchtime the day before. Believe me, it was worth it.
Those were the days, Berit.