Journalist Tilman Rau from the Stuttgarter Zeitung showed more interest in refining the German language. a-ha's performance would bring him to no less than four new definitions of the term 'a-ha effect'. Here are his words:

1. a-ha effect: Coming to realize that a festival, which offers eleven bands in eleven hours, can also be regarded as a concert of one single band and ten warming up bands.

That's exactly what happened at 'Arena of Sound', this Saturday on the Schlossplatz in Stuttgart. For nine hours long, ten bands - supported by a hyperactive team of presenters - were trying so hard to get the audience to vocalize their enthusiasm. The most often used approach was something along the lines of a "Stuttgart, how are ya doing?!" yelled into the microphone. But none of it lead to the desired effect. Until finally, they took the stage. Morten Harket, Magne Furuholmen and Paul Waaktaar-Savoy. They didn't need any "Hello Stuttgart, yoohoo!" to receive an ear-deafening reception.

Rather the other way around, as later on Harket seemed almost touched when several thousand voices didn't want to stop singing 'The Living Daylights'. And so it happened, that a-ha playfully reached that what the other ten bands had either never received or had at least needed to work very hard for.


2. a-ha effect: A very successful comeback, giving a band two seemingly independent identities. Since last year, there are two a-has. Naturally, the top class album 'Minor Earth, Major Sky' tied in to the successes of the early days. The audience's emotional approach to the older songs is from another order. But also the singles from the new album, like the beautiful ballad 'Velvet' or the dreamy 'Summer Moved On', were met with cheers and applause.

Enthusiasm impossible to describe broke during the more than ten year old hits like 'Stay On These Roads' or 'Hunting High and Low'. And then we don't even mention 'Take On Me', which the band saved smartly for the encore. a-ha has this rare and hard to describe 'dark spot' in their songs, that does not even have something to do with the quality of them. It is like a story of which you thought you knew the ending. And then your ears are thankful to find out that the story does go on after all.


3. a-ha effect: Ecstacy, that is there undeniably there at the end of a concert, which started off problematically, but was in large parts simply beautiful and dreamy. Nobody could really enjoy 'Scoundrel Days', the first song. Not the audience, and surely not the band. For a moment, it seemed as if the built-up anticipation would burst like a bubble. Morten Harket seemed to be insecure, fidgeting with his ear plugs and barely moving on stage. Several songs stranded, 'I've been losing you' included.

It wasn't before 'Manhattan Skyline' that the clearly noticeable technical problems had been conquered and that life came back to Harket. His so characteristic voice gained strength, he came to the edge of the stage and was with the music with body and mind. In this way, the following slower songs could unfold their true power. And then came the more up-tempo old hits, which made the entire Schlossplatz sing along. The singing audience did not allow the band to stop at midnight, when the 'curfew' was supposed to hit in. Only at 0:12am it was really done and over with. But the police showed understanding and the public transport companies flexibility: train and bus drivers proved to think not too bureaucratical and waited for the fans.


4. a-ha effect: goose flesh



Taken from the Stuttgarter Zeitung Online via the official a-ha website.

Last updated: July 30, 2001.
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