Fra Lippo Lippi’s Per Sorensen on what excites him most about performing in Philippines

Filipinos from different generations will be treated to two nights of ‘80s new wave music with the return of Per Sorensen to the Philippine concert scene. Yes, he is the lead vocalist and keyboardist of the band Fra Lippo Lippi.

Come June 16 and 17, 8 p.m. at The Theatre at Solaire and Santa Rosa Sports Complex, respectively, the Norwegian pop act’s iconic songs such as Beauty and Madness, Everytime I See You, Later, Light and Shade, Stitches and Burns, Some People and Angel will be revisited on stage. Part of that trip down memory lane is reliving the narratives and emotions embedded, captured and evoked in the lyrics and melodies.

“Being on stage. I love, you know, performing and I love communicating with the audience,” said Per about among the best parts of doing shows in the Philippines, and anywhere else if one may add, in a recent virtual group press conference, “and try to give it my very best every night. You know, they say or at least I say, I also heard from others, too, that there are two kinds of performers. We have the ones that just put on the show and then, they walk off and you know, that was that. They haven’t really opened up their hearts and soul to the audience. I melt every night and I give it my all.”

That’s why fans find time to watch Per and troop to the venues in experiencing Fra Lippo Lippi’s brand of music live.

As for his thoughts on having Filipinos as audience, he shared, “They are really on it, they really give so much back to me and to the band, singing a lot and being very ‘vocal’ in every way. I love it. They are very warm. That’s, of course, easy for anyone to love and for me.”

At some point of the conversations, Per said that Filipino concertgoers sing their hearts out.

“And I love that and it’s very easy to be on stage when you have a Filipino audience in front of you. That’s for sure,” he added.

This is Per’s latest visit to the country after the pandemic and since 2018, when he had a show at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. His and the band’s first-ever performance in the Philippines was in 1988 and the shows were sold out.

Per recalled, “We didn’t know that we were that big. We played at (the) Folk Arts (Theater) for six nights in a row… That was so fantastic. We came from Japan, we just played there earlier in a club (for) two nights in Tokyo and all of a sudden, there were so many people wanting (to come and) see us. That was a shock really.”

After that, Per graced shows in the Philippines and performed in venues like Araneta and SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The group interview also saw the artist giving pieces of advice for aspiring singers. At the top of his list is to “work hard,” said he.

He added that teen singers should emulate other singers, but when they grow old, they should find their own voice and musical expression.

Back to the upcoming shows, what Per looks forward to is, “first and foremost, meet my Filipino fans, you know to perform for them and sing (along) with them,” said he, “and just have a party on stage, you know, just (have) a real good time and sing along. That’s what I’m really looking forward to, meet all my friends on stage and off stage.”

Aside from being the voice of Fra Lippo Lippi’s well-loved and relatable tunes, Per is also into creating melodies.

“Sometimes, I just play something and then, something else pops up,” he said of his creative process in composing a song. “I just (keep) playing, playing and playing… and then, you get an idea and there’s (the song).”

Following his line of thought revealed that the young Per would play the piano in their living room to study chords and progressions. For Later, the song, he collaborated with a singer for studio sessions and asked the latter to send lyrics. From there, he built the music just right for the words and the story.

Asked about the joy he gets from performing on stage and live, Per had this to say: “On stage, that’s the culmination of everything, you know. You have written a song and maybe you have used a year or two, you know, to make all the songs ready for an album maybe. And then, you go on the road to play those songs and you know, that’s the reward for all those hours spent by on your own, you know writing stuff. And it’s fantastic to get that.”

Per’s shows at Solaire and Santa Rosa Sports Complex are presented by New DMC Entertainment Production Management, Maui & Sons, and The Rail. Progeny and Decades will be the front acts, while Steve Hovington of B-Movie is the special guest.