It feels like alot of water went under the bridges this year.. I have some very pleasent memories of it & some not so pleasant. I know some of you guys have been wondering why the "Groovies Inc" album never gets finished for instance.. Well, here's the scoop: We went in the studio to record our debut album. Some time later, our guitar player Stevie Klasson (who I had seen/ met for years, but never really had gotten to know until an IGGY POP gig at the tivoli, Gröna Lund) joined Hanoi Rocks & I knew I wasn't gonna be happy having someone in the band, that had another big project going at the same time, neither was Hanoi Rocks. Now; what started very funky, slowly gravitated towards a heavier sound, especially without Stevie (who's more of a blues/ country picker). Now, if I turn towards my funk roots for inpiration, sing & play guitar, with Andy Christell providing the rumble, it'll sound like.. yes, you've guessed it: We ended up with alot of great material that really could be a new Electric Boys album. OR Groovies Inc. Anywayz, it's been hard work and a looooooong process writing & recording the stuff & I've decided to let it rest until we know what to do with it.

Speaking of Electric Boys; Rockbjörnen & Aftonbladet tried to get us to reform at the "Rockbjörnen" event with Dhani (ex-A Teens) singing his latest hit with us. No offence to Dhani, but they don't make music business people like they used to anymore. I could think of a million better ways to kick start Electric Boys, thank you very much.

All our albums was re-mastered however and repackaged with new pictures, bonus tracks & liner notes. I had a good time going through the stuff, since there's some pretty good songs there that has stood up against the test of time. Unless you find them in a record store, they can be bought from www.swedenrockshop.com. These guys will also be able to answer your questions why you CAN'T find the CD's in your local record store (if that should be the case).

I've been doing a few gigs with the jam/cover project MEDBORGARNA. It's a band that consists of 5 musicians (+ guests like Pale from "Nationalteatern", finnish guitar hero Jukka Tolonen, La Gayla Frazier etc etc..) from very different backgrounds. Everyone's usually busy playing with others, but when time allow us, we get together. A good way to keep the chops up and a smile our my faces.

One of the downfalls of the year, was definetely when I ended up in hospital after a night of heavy drinking. Actually, it was part of a lot of things; stress, not enough sleep & food etc etc. Anyway, my wife found me in the bathroom unconscious & couldn't wake me up, so she called for an ambulance. At the hospital, the doctor handed me an alcohol meter. I did my thang, and asked him if it seemed like I had had a good time. He looked at the meter, shook his head and said: -" Son, it looks like you had a GREAT time...".
Considering I have alcoholism on both sides of my family, I took that as a sign for me to slow down. People tend to forget that alcohol is one heavy drug because it's "socially accepted". Hell, how many gets beaten up, killed in traffic, murdered & raped every year due to alcohol ?!?? End of story.

Another shitty moment was when I fell off a 9 feet high stage at a gig on the Thorsten Flinck Band tour in Ystad, Sweden. I enden up in hospital (again), this time totally sober. What you get for trying to be a good boy...

Touring with director/ actor/ singer/ Thorsten Flinck could easily fill a chapter itself, but I won't bore you with details... The tour was one bumpy ride, but we got through it (I've got a pain in my hip to proove it)... A fixed setlist? You've gotta be kidding. Long live rawk'n'roll.

Something very wonderful happened; I got married to my lovely woman from 10 years back, Louise. She's been through alot of shit with me & is truly the greatest. Together we've got 2 beautiful kids, a boy & a girl. The only problem they cause me, is that I'm gonna miss them like crazy when I'm gone. We got married in PALMA town in August, just us, the kids & the closest family. I sang Willy De Ville's "Angels don't lie" for her & it was all lovey dovey as it should be. Sammy Yaffa (original bass player from Hanoi Rocks) recommended a great place to go for dinner but unfortunately it was closed, so we ended up somewhere else. We later went for drinks at this fantastic place called ABACO.. Check it out.

The planned (and long awaited) SilverGinger 5 album seems to be pushed into the future again & again. This year, the Wildhearts got their tour with THE DARKNESS and off they went. I would have done the same thing. Ginger & the boys deserve a break. There was talk between Ginger & me for 5 minutes about doing something new. I can't see any real reason for "something new" with Ginger if SG5 could be an option. Ging helped me write the lyrics for a song that I wrote, which is pure hit potential. Maybe we'll record it some day....

So yeah! Hanoi Rocks!

Who would have though in the beginning of the year, that I'd end up with them? Not that it's not obvious, cus it IS really. I've known the guys for ages & I always loved their music. Me & Andy's got pretty much the same record compilation & we share a common interest for guitars, reggae, gypsy music & obscure 70's funk & our guitar styles complement each other well. Stevie was a very fitting character for Hanoi, but after having heard their new stuff, it's obvious that his playing is not as heavy & powerful as it needs to be.

THE KETCHUP EFFECT ! First nuthin' & then ... BAM! Everything at once!
Groovies Inc ? Or a possible Electric Boys reunion ? Ginger ? Thorsten Flinck ?? Hanoi Rocks ??? Depending on who you, the reader, is, the choice would be different. Everything has it's time and place & I try to always follow my gut feeling (although sometimes I admit, the brain gets in the way). What FEELS right is what counts & the "new" Hanoi definetly ROCKS! Like they say: The proof is in the pudding..

Get ready for a mouthful.

Conny Bloom - Jan 2005