I KIND OF LOVE PRETTY MAIDS...
Meet the author Ozzie Adenborg
If I didn't love the band, this book would never have been written. It is as simple as that.
The first Pretty Maids album I heard was Future World. I didn't know it was Pretty Maids because the cassette tape said Dokken, but it turned out Pretty Maids (not Dokken) was to be my new favourite band.
First time I saw Pretty Maids was in 1990, on the Jump The Gun tour. The next time was on the Sin-Decade tour. The years in between felt like a life time, and the band standing on Mejeriet's stage in Lund had little resemblance to the band I had seen before. But I was hooked. I loved the melodies, the lyrics, the riffs. I fell in love with the relaxed atmosphere on stage, and that everyone genuinely seemed to have fun.
My musical background was similar to Pretty Maids. When I was 10 year old I heard KISS for the first time and was completely mesmerised by their music and image. Soon I discovered Thin Lizzy, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. I loved guitar-oriented music as well as heavier bands like Pantera and Ministry. Ozzy Osbourne was played a lot in my room - but I also loved Poison and John Waite.
The heavy and the melody. Pretty Maids had the best of both worlds, with one exceptional advantage – their music and lyrics never compromised. In my opinion they haven’t done a bad album, and as photographer and long-time fan Rikard Göransson pinpointed it – “Pretty Maids is the only 1980s band still going today who could play songs ONLY from their last four albums, and still make a fantastic concert!”
Gathering all the information for this book has taken a lot of time. Already on September 22, 2013, at the Underworld in London I told Ronnie Atkins and Ken Hammer about the plans I had to write it, and asked permission to make it official. Little did I know how much things would change from then to now. In sickness and health, for better or worse. As it turned out, no-one wanted to talk about their background, "nobody cares about that Ozzie", and as soon as I asked Ken Hammer anything he would reply "did you ask Ronnie? He remembers everything, I don't really, talk to him instead". It is easy to laugh now, but back then it was hopeless.
Some years later, in 2017, I had come to the point where I really needed Ken and Ronnie to be more active and available, I had done all the research and interviews I could but now I needed their input. That turning point happened before the concert in Fredriksværk October 27. The band and crew left me alone with Ronnie and Ken backstage and I explained the concept of the book, the next day, in Mørkøv, I had a long interview with Ronnie and from that day on he fully backed up the project, being available for quick questions and explanations almost all the time, and we spent many, many hours of talking, trying to catch the essence and dynamic of the band.
What a rollercoaster it has been.
My long time friend Daniela wrote a really sweet piece on her blog about me and We Came To Rock, read it here. I absolutely love it. We had so much fun in the late 80s and early 90s, one of these days Daniela will reveal some of it in her book, can't wait!
I am the one in the left bottom watching Pretty Maids in Horsens Ny Teater, 2013. Photo is from Ronnies private archive. Photographer unknown.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ozzie Adenborg was born in Malmö, Sweden 1972.
She went to University of Lund, Stockholm and Teesside but failed to finish her masters and settled with the bachelor degree in Sociology of Law. Influenced by the tragic death of Philip Lynott (Thin Lizzy) her mind was set on helping addicts to a life free of drugs. She did so by working as a parole and probation officer, and later assistant governor.
During 2005 - 2009 she took a break to work as the artist service manager at Sweden Rock Festival. - "It was a fantastic experience to be part of the festival growing from a small town rock happening to something gigantic and historic with bands like Mötley Crüe and Aerosmith - as well as Pretty Maids of course."
In the search of small office to write Ozzie found an old seaside resort restaurant where she planned to write and bake on the side during the pandemic. The success took her by surprise and after only 8 months her Tea Room Kullaberg was voted the best vegan establishment in the area.
Ozzie Adenborg, her husband Janne Stark and their two cats lives in the small seaside village Nyhamnsläge in south Sweden.
