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Joakim Thåström recording a guitar solo for Slicka uppåt, sparka neråt [Lick upwards, kick downwards] [x]

"Play it like that Pimme, on the whole song!"

"How!?"

"Like that last note"

"Why!?"

"Yes, it sounded cool"

"Where!?"

"At the end somewhere..."

"Yes but what the fuck am I supposed to do then, should I just go like: 'Mweeh!'!?

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Random Thåström-clipping explained [2/?]: Review of Imperiet's final (but not really) concert at Ritz, September 11th, 1988

THE END OF THE EMPIRE

During a chaotic after party Joakim Thåström suddenly receive three red roses from a shy female admirer. Those he can put on IMPERIET's grave, because tonight was the funeral party in Stockholm for Sweden's most unpredictable rock band.

"A relief that you're quitting" was written on t-shirts made especially for this concert. They were worn by several members of the band and was distributed to the audience. It was a banner in the audience at Imperiet's show at Gröna Lund last summer that inspired the self-ironic text.

"Rock'n'roll is dead" was written on other shirts, and Joakim Thåström was not pleased with Imperiet's last show, this was evident on stage and this is what he himself says at the private party at the rock club Ritz later in the night.

- There were lots of things that played into it. I don't think I myself was any good, it's a bit special when there's so many of your friends in the audience. But there were other things as well that wasn't right and so it got me in a bad mood, Thåström explains his discontent.

- This was probably the worst gig of the tour, he says.

But then he is exaggerating, we were many who thought it was a worthy and strong ending to one of Sweden's greatest rock bands, with crushing renditions of "Fred" (written by some old skåning [Mikael Wiehe] as Thåström put it), "Var é vargen" and the old "Kickar".

But Imperiet's last gig was of course not without incidents. When the record company Mistlur surprised the band with gold records after one of the encores they very reluctantly entered the stage. Thåström immediately smashed his gold record over his knee, and Fred Asp asked the audience:

- Can we start playing now?

Trivia: In 2008 the concert was almost released on DVD, but apparently Thåström is still discontent and threatened legal actions against the internationally known actor Peter Stormare. Stormare, who played Thåström's older brother in Den frusna leoparden (1986), was a friend of the band and had permission to film the concert. "Do what you want with it" they allegedly told him at the time. In 2008, after having worked on the material together with director Jonas Åkerlund and in time for the 20th anniversary of the concert, it was finally done. But the band (mainly Thåström one can assume) felt the quality of both the material and the performance wasn't good enough for release. Pissed off, Stormare made a bonfire out of all the already finished DVD's. Luckily for us, and unfortunately for Thåström, we can decide for ourselves if it's absolute shit or not as some copies had already been sent to journalists. Which is why it can now be found on youtube: Här föll Imperiet [Here the empire fell]

Fun fact: This wasn't to be Imperiet's final concert. Because later in the year some old skåning (Mikael Wiehe) told Thåström that he would be upset with him if they didn't join him and the delegation going to Nicaragua for the opening of the national theatre, that they had been a part of raising money for. After the two concerts in Nicaragua the actual last show was, for reasons unknown to me, in Costa Rica on the 6th of December 1988 ("Sweden's most unpredictable rock band" indeed!)

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Best of Thåström at Roskilde, 2000 [Full concert]

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Pimme and Fjodor, aka Rågsved's glimmer twins, of Ebba Grön at Domino, Stockholm (1979) [Photos: Micke Borg]

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In 1985, Imperiet felt they were becoming too commercial and wanted to do something unexpected and "avant-garde". It did not go as they expected.[x]

"When Märk hur vår skugga has been recorded, they take it to [the record company] Mistlur and say they want to release it as a single. [Head of the company] Peter Yngen doesn't think that's a good idea. A double-bass, really? That's not very Imperiet? But the band stand their ground. They say: "Let's just make it a few thousand copies only?"

Märk hur vår skugga virtually detonates in the whole country. The single goes double platinum and spends 19 weeks on the chart. Thåström reaches the level of fame where taxi drivers recognise him and old people stop him on the streets. He starts taking the backstreets." [x]

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Thåström | Peace & Love festival, 2008 [Photo: Lina Enström]

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Thåström - Alla har fel (1991)

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Random Thåström-clipping explained [1/?]:

PIMME CLOSE TO GETTING LYNCHED

Ouch-ouch-ouch! What have you done now Thåström??! The other night Joakim, not entirely unknown singer of Imperiet, was sitting in the pub Kvarnen on Söder in Stockholm and taking it easy. Kvarnen is the homebase on earth for all Hammarby[= a sports club]-fans and the tension was thick when Sportextra were about to show images from the Hammarby-game the same evening.

The minute before Sportextra is about to start, "Pimme" stands up and switches the channel. "I want to watch Filmkrönikan [The movie chronicle]", he declared. But in some instances it's of no help that you are a super-idol in Sweden. Agitated Bajen[Hammarby]-fans pushed Joakim down on his chair and switched back to the right channel. At Kvarnen Imperiet doesn't have many fans, we guess...

[Source: Frida magazine, 1986]

Context: I'll just add this quote from 1991

" 'I have Kvarnen as my regular haunt even though everyone knows I cheer for Djurgården [another Stockholm sports club]. But I guess I'm so cocky no-one kicks me out' - he laughs"

And also this quote from 1993:

"The last six months [of living in Amsterdam] wasn't very fun. I missed my mates, had to go home to Kvarnen at times and drink beer with people I really know, and have something to talk with about... about with... with about. Öh, check that up when you write..."

And lastly, this heartwarming photo of a Hammarbyare handing a thirsty Djurgårdare a beer mid-show [Photo: Tara Cohrs, 2022]:

[I know this because the guy, sporting a Hammarby-shirt in his profile pic, commented saying: "I know you're not supposed to buy a Djurgårdare beer..😉 but of course with the exception 🙏🏻 of Sweden's rock-legend."]

Conclusion: Even though violence between supporters of the three major Stockholm sports teams wasn't uncommon, this is fake news, he was never in any real danger. Portraying him as something of a diva was the thing in 1986, though by the looks of it he was just being a lad for intricate sports guy respect reasons. The Ebba Grön legacy might have been working in his favour, a band considered neutral ground due to consisting of one supporter of each Stockholm team (Thåström-Djurgården, Gurra-Hammarby, Fjodor-AIK Solna). A diversity win, if you will.

But still, not everyone would have been tolerated and gotten away with such insolent behavior at Kvarnen, especially not a patron saint of the enemy!

Thåström-inspired Tifo's; 1st "This is every fool's day, we don't care about law and order" (Imperiet - Innan himlen faller ner) 2nd "Arm yourself with everything you long for and dream of" (Thåström - Beväpna dig med vingar)

Unnecessary fun fact: Among other ways of showing support for his team Thåström, together with LG Petrov of swedish death metal band Entombed, recorded the song Kommando Gösta Knivsta for the Djurgården tribute album "Blåränderna går aldrig ur" (1999). It's the little things that allow him getting away with fraternizing with the enemy so blatantly, I guess...

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Thåström | Lisebergshallen, 2017 [Photo: Anders Ylander]

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Joakim Thåström, 2024 [Photo: Pär Wickholm]

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"Här kan man andas, om du glömt hur man andas /Here you can breathe, if you've forgotten how to breathe" ~ Imperiet - Blå himlen blues (x)

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Thåström - Alla vill till himlen [x]

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Joakim Thåström, 1989 [Photo: Håkan Lindell]

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Joakim Thåström | Ett hjärta är alltid rött documentary

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Thåström | Malmöfestivalen, 2015 [Photo: Maria Eklind]