Sweden2004

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Well everyone, this trip started off a little crazy. I was suppose to depart for Sweden on July 6th, but due to mechanical problems and weather, I was not able to make it on a flight out of Nashville until the morning of the 7th. I ended up flying from Nashville to Atlanta, then to Paris, then into Stockholm where I arrived at 10 AM on July 8th. Hank Kristoffersen, the man who helped get me the bookings there, met me at the airport with his good friend, Roland. After traveling for about 15 hours, we now had about a 7 hour drive in front of us to Duved where my first show was. Needless to say, I slept in the backseat for most of the drive. When I was awake, I was able to take in the beautiful countryside in Sweden. We met up with Hank's and Roland's wives about an hour outside of Duved. Once we arrived in Duved, I met Lars Alvskog and Brit Lyng, the festival organizers. Both were very nice. We visited for a bit, then I checked into my hotel to rest and freshen up a bit. They were doing Karaoke in the bar that night, so I watched some of that, but then it was time for bed. The next morning, we all had breakfast and visited. I did a live interview with Martin Maknov from Radio Jamtland around 9 AM, then another interview with Ivar Bremseth out of Norway. I met the band, Cactus, around 3:30 PM and we did a soundcheck, then the band and I went over to the hotel and they set their instruments up in a meeting room there so we could go through my set list. The guys were great and I could really tell they had practiced my music. We had a good time getting to know each other. The show started at 8 PM and I watched the first two acts. While watching, I was approached by a gentleman named Goran who was a fan of my music and already had two of my CDs with him and wanted me to sign them. He was very nice and told me how much he enjoyed my music and loved that I sang traditional Country Music. He wanted to get a picture. I told him I needed to go change, but after the show, I would be happy to take a photo with him. I went on around 11:15 PM and the crowd was amazing, very receptive. They cheered and sang along with all my songs. I even got some wildflowers and a rose while on stage. It was very sweet! The band was great that night, and I was really able to just relax and have fun entertaining the people. The set list was as follows:

Honky Tonk Heaven
Walk On By
There Goes My Everything
Big City
Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me
Harper Valley P.T.A.
The Tree
False Eyelashes
Givin’ Old Memories Away
Walking the Floor Over You
If Teardrops Were Pennies
Tennessee Moon
The Circle
Country Roads (My Encore)

Once we got to Country Roads, the crowd went crazy and sang so loud. It was great! It was an amazing night and I'd like to thank everyone who helped put it together and promote it and a special thanks to all the fans. I really enjoyed performing for you all and meeting a lot of you after the show. Thanks to all those who purchased my CDs. I hope you enjoy them. And thank you to Roger Andre, an artist from Norway who also performed, for sending me the photos you took. I really appreciate it! Thank you Lars and Brit for putting on a great festival!

with Martin Maknov Radio Jamtland
	Duved Festival Site
Soundcheck	with DJ from Norway, Ivar Bremseth (far left,) and friends

with Brit and Lars	with Goran
with Hank Kristoffersen	with Roger Andre

	Reindeer

Then it was off to Robertsfors for the second show at the Gumboda Hed Country Fest. I ate breakfast with the band the morning of the 10th and we hit the road at around 10 AM. We arrived around 6 PM and unloaded the equipment. The band set things up on stage and then we just walked around the festival for a bit. They had some accordian dance music in the place we were playing until 8:30 PM, so we couldn't do a soundcheck right away. We all met Bengt Gunnarsson, the festival organizer. He was very nice and excited to have us there. Cactus went on stage around 10 PM and I hit the stage at midnight. I know it seems late, but this is normal over there. It doesn't really get dark over there this time of year so even at midnight, you feel like you're playing at dusk. It was very cold though! The crowd once again was amazing and very receptive. They enjoyed all my songs and sang along. They made me feel so welcome. My set list here was as follows:

Honky Tonk Heaven
Walk On By
There Goes My Everything
My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You
It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
Big City
Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me
Harper Valley P.T.A.
The Tree
False Eyelashes
Givin’ Old Memories Away
Walking the Floor Over You
If Teardrops Were Pennies
Tennessee Moon
The Circle
Country Roads
Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad (Encore)

Special thanks go out to Lars Bygden for sending me photos from the show. Lars had emailed me before I left for Sweden. He is a fan of my music and had already purchased two of my CDs and was looking forward to buying the one he was missing. It was so nice to meet him and I really appreciate his kind words about my music. I was glad he enjoyed the show. It seems everyone did and I thank everyone there who bought my CDs and had such nice things to say after the show. I had a great time! Also, a gentleman named Stefan Viden was at the show. He is a line dance choreographer and he told me he was going to choreograph a line dance to one of my songs. He actually emailed me two after I returned home, one he says should work to most of my mid & up-tempo songs and one that is for my song "Tennessee Moon" and works for some others also. See below.

NASHVILLE (Here l Come)
Choreographed by Stefan Vidén (Sweden)
Description: 32 count, 4 wall novice line dance
Music: Almost anything by Erin Hay

Note: This dance is a dedication to my friend from Nashville and l hope that she and the rest of you would like the dance...

VINEGRAPE INTO A SIDE SHUFFLE, ROCK STEP, SHUFFLE w/ 1/4 TURN

1-2 Step right foot to right side, Step left foot behind right foot.
3&4 Step right foot to right side, Step left foot beside right foot, Step right foot to right side.
5-6 Rock left foot over right foot, Recover back on right foot.
7&8 Step left foot to left side, Step right foot beside left side, Turn 1/4 turn to left stepping left foot to left side.

STEP, STEP, SHUFFLE, STEP, 1/2 TURN, SHUFFLE

1-2 Step forward on right foot, Step forward on left foot.
3&4 Step forward on right foot, Step left foot beside right foot, Step forward on right foot.
5-6 Step forward on left foot, Turn 1/2 turn to right (weight right foot.)
7&8 Step forward on left foot, Step right foot beside left foot, Step forward on left foot.

VINGRAPE RIGHT AND LEFT w/ TOUCH AND CLAP

1-2 Step right foot to right side, Step left foot behind right foot and clap.
3-4 Step right foot to right side, Touch left foot beside right foot and clap.
5-6 Step left foot to left side, Step right foot behind left foot and clap.
7-8 Step left foot to left side, Touch right foot beside left foot and clap.

DIAGONAL STEPS, TOUCHES w/CLAP

1-2 Step diagonally forward on right foot, Touch left foot beside right foot and clap.
3-4 Step diagonally back on left foot, Touch right foot beside left foot and clap.
5-6 Step diagonally back on right foot, Touch left foot beside right foot and clap.
7-8 Step diagonally forward on left foot, Touch left foot beside right foot and clap.

REPEAT AND ENJOY

TENNESSEE MOON
Choreographed by Stefan Vidén (Sweden)
Description: 24 count 4 wall newcomer waltz
Music: Tennessee Moon by Erin Hay ( CD: The Circle)
High On A Hilltop ( CD: The Circle)
Father Along (CD: Somebody´s Angel)
Givin' Old Memories Away (CD: Somebody's Angel)

LEFT & RIGHT TWINKLE FORWARD

1 Cross left foot diagonally forward in front of right foot.
2 Step right foot right beside left foot.
3 Step left foot in place.
4 Cross right foot diagonally forward in front of left foot.
5 Step left foot beside right foot.
6 Step right foot in place.

BASIC WALTZ FORWARD & BACK

1 Step forward on left foot.
2 Step right foot beside left foot.
3 Step left foot in place.
4 Step back on right foot.
5 Step left beside right foot.
6 Step right foot in place.

FULL TURN LEFT, ROCK STEP

1 Make a 1/4 turn to left stepping left foot to left.
2 Make a 1/2 turn to left on right foot.
3 Make a 1/4 turn to left on left foot.
4 Rock right foot across left foot.
5 Recover onto left foot.
6 Step right foot beside left foot.

CROSS, 1/4 TURN, BASIC WALTZ BACK

1 Cross left foot over right foot.
2 Turn 1/4 turn to left stepping right foot back.
3 Step right foot beside left foot.
4 Step back on right foot.
5 Step left foot beside right foot.
6 Step right foot in place.

REPEAT

THANKS STEFAN! These are great!

Thank you Bengt for also putting on such a great festival. I had a wonderful time! And I can't thank the band, Cactus, enough for backing me up. You were wonderful and I hope we can work together again in the future. (Cactus: Guitar/Vocals-Kjell, Piano-Eddie, Fiddle-Lars, Bass-Orjan, Drums-Ake "Animal," Steel Guitar/Lead Guitar-Roger)

We got in the van around 3:15 AM to head to Ostersund (about an hour outside of Duved.) We got back to where the band had to unload equipment around 9:30 AM (I didn't sleep much, but I have photo evidence that shows the band did.) Ha! Kjell took me to his house to wait on Hank to pick me up. I had a nice visit with he and his wife, Else Marie. Else Marie does ceramic work and showed me her workshop. She does amazing work and had a lot of angels she had done. She gave me one I admired. It was very sweet of her and I'll always treasure it. She also gave me something she had knitted, which helps keep your wrists warm, kind of fancy wrist bands, very pretty! I ate, freshened up and rested a bit at their house. Hank and his wife and friends arrived around 1 PM. We all visited for about an hour, had some delicious chocolate cake, and then it was back in the car to head to Hank's friends' home, which was only about 20 miles from the airport in Stockholm where I was flying out the next morning. We arrived at their home around 9:30 PM. Christina and Roland have a beautiful home in the country. They fed me some great food that night and then it was time for bed. I was exhausted! Thank you to Christina and Roland for letting me stay at your home. I really appreciate it! The next morning, Hank and his wife dropped me off at the airport around 7 AM. It's always sad saying goodbye, but I hope I can come back to Sweden next year to perform. Thank you Hank for all you put together and thank you Gary Bradshaw for all your help. As always, thank you Lonnie for all you help me with and all the promoting you do for me! You all are the best!