I've searched through the archives of the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, and found an interesting article about Queen cancelling their concert in Njårdhallen, Oslo, due to a traffic accident 120 kilometers south of Stockholm. The Oslo-concert should have taken place on November 29th, but the accident in Sweden on the night between November 26th and 27th put a stopper to the concert, and Queen did not return to Norway until April 12th 1982. None of the band members were injured, but the groups instruments and other equipment were damaged.
Can anyone else shed some light on this accident?
Yes, I've read something simular. Band wasn't involved as I remember. Was a truck breakdown orr as you write, a traffic accident. I'll see if I can fint the article where I read it from.
The Nov 27 gig in Lund happened, so it sounds like the accident would've been on the 28th or the 29th, no?
If not, then why would a gig on the next night be canceled but the gig a few hours after the accident still go on?
The Real Wizard wrote:
The Nov 27 gig in Lund happened, so it sounds like the accident would've been on the 28th or the 29th, no?
If not, then why would a gig on the next night be canceled but the gig a few hours after the accident still go on?
Well, the newspaper article is in the morning paper on November 28th, and this paper was printed late in the evening before(27th). Therefore the accident couldn't have been on the night between 27th and 28th.
Could they've had double set of equipment-trucks already back then?
By the way, the concert was first announced to be in Njårdhallen, Oslo, but was later changed to Chateau Neuf, Oslo.
The Real Wizard wrote:
The Nov 27 gig in Lund happened, so it sounds like the accident would've been on the 28th or the 29th, no?
If not, then why would a gig on the next night be canceled but the gig a few hours after the accident still go on?
Well, the newspaper article is in the morning paper on November 28th, and this paper was printed late in the evening before(27th). Therefore the accident couldn't have been on the night between 27th and 28th.
Could they've had double set of equipment-trucks already back then?
By the way, the concert was first announced to be in Njårdhallen, Oslo, but was later changed to Chateau Neuf, Oslo.
Interesting. Thanks for that.
So the Lund gig went on despite the accident. They scored some quick gear to make the show happen that night, and I guess Trident picked up the tab? They couldn't cancel a show on such short notice, but they had to cancel Copenhagen and Oslo.
And since Copenhagen is only about 20 miles away from Lund, it wasn't at all tough for them to get there for the interview and photo session. It all makes sense now.
True ... but I translated the article and it said the band confirmed on the Wednesday that the Oslo show would be canceled.
It takes a couple hours to load out the gear, and then the accident would've had to happen, then the band would've had to go through the proper channels to cancel the gig and clarify that tickets would be refunded - all before the paper got printed on the Wednesday night.
^ very, very unlikely, I'd say.
The accident happened after the concert in Lund. The next two concerts were cancelled, but the band still travelled on to Copenhagen for their interview and photo session.
Interesting inputs, but i believe the accident had to be before the concert in Lund, and that they somehow managed to put together a show in Lund despite the accident.
Queen had a concert in Helsinki on the 25th, and the natural driving route to the next venue in Lund would be through Stockholm and further south. The newspaper article states that the accident was 120 kilometers south of Stockholm, and this would be between Nyköping and Norrköping, looking at distances on Google maps. There is no reason that the trucks should go that away after the show in Lund, but a natural place to on their way between Helsinki and Lund.
About the timing - the newspaper states the crash was on the night between 26th and 27th, and this would suite well if the accident happened on their way to Lund, not after.
Of course the newspaper could have been wrong about the day of the accident, but the geograhical location is so specific that it's hard to overlook.
What do you think?
Glende wrote:
Queen had a concert in Helsinki on the 25th, and the natural driving route to the next venue in Lund would be through Stockholm and further south. The newspaper article states that the accident was 120 kilometers south of Stockholm, and this would be between Nyköping and Norrköping, looking at distances on Google maps.
About the timing - the newspaper states the crash was on the night between 26th and 27th, and this would suite well if the accident happened on their way to Lund, not after.
Of course the newspaper could have been wrong about the day of the accident, but the geograhical location is so specific that it's hard to overlook.
What do you think?
Seems pretty clear to me.
Btw - it says "12 mil syd", which translates to 12 miles south, but either way this is clearly on the route from Helsinki to Lund. There's no way they would have backtracked to Stockholm when the next gig was in Copenhagen.
Thanks for that newspaper clipping. This is the kind of detective work that allows us to write the history accurately !
The Real Wizard wrote:
Btw - it says "12 mil syd", which translates to 12 miles south,
I deliberately wrote 120 kilometers instead of 12 miles to avoid confusion between a Norwegian mile(10 kilometers) and an English mile(1,6 kilometers) :)