a-ha

play hunting high and low live

a-ha have always set themselves challenges. In 2018, their the MTV Unplugged tour proved that their songs could be given new settings and remain as alive and as impactful as ever.

Now, pushing even further, they are announcing that their October and November 2019 tour, including a date at London’s Royal Albert Hall will be different from anything they have previously undertaken.

Magne Furuholmen, Morten Harket and Pål Waaktaar-Savoy will be performing in An Evening With format, with an interval. For the first half of the concert, they will play new and old, familiar and less-familiar songs. Then, after returning to the stage, they will play the ten songs of their 1985 debut album Hunting High And Low in the running order of the original release.

“We played the full Hunting High And Low album live once before and that was a great experience,” says Pål, looking back on the pair of 2010 concerts and how he, Magne and Morten feel now. “There’s not one song on that album that we’re not looking forward to playing live. We had done quite a few versions of the songs before recording the actual album and they all contain great bits and cool ideas which will be nice to incorporate into the new show.”

The tour is timed to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the release of the original version of “Take On Me” – issued in the UK on 19 October 1984 to reputed sales of just 300 copies. The re-recorded “Take On Me” was released in Britain during April 1985 to little fanfare, and in America that May where it hit big after its striking promotional video was seen on TV. It was reissued in the UK that September and, finally, the British hit came. The Hunting High And Low album was on sale in America in June 1985, and in the UK in October 1985.

“Take On Me” and Hunting High And Low remain as vital as when they were recorded and released. The live shows will show why.

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Photo Credit: Just Loomis