She may look petite, but what Lauren Savoy lacks in stature, she
makes up in personality and intellect.She may look petite, but what Lauren Savoy lacks in stature, she
makes up in personality and intellect.After
reading several messages on the a-ha mailing list, I came to
the conclusion that perhaps there was a little too much jealousy
around Lauren Savoy. After all, she sure has landed on her feet,
gaining a full and exciting career on the back of a famous rock star,
but that is a blinkered view. What is that quote again about a woman being
behind every successful man?? It is certainly true in this instance, and dare I say being Mrs
Waaktaar can not be an easy task. But, let's forget about Pål for a
moment - in fact, let's forget about Pål all together and let Lauren
come out from behind that particular looming shadow and be credited
for her own light - not his.
Admittedly, I sat down to write this particular page and drew a
blank, not because there is very little to say about Lauren, but
basically because after all that I have read, seen and witnessed, she
has remained a mysterious Woman and perhaps it will always be that
way. I could sit here and tell you all which videos she has made and
where she studied and all the info you have been given a trillion times.
I don't dismiss that, but who wants to trample over the same stones? I want to
say something different and as said, after reading comments about her
on the a-ha mailing list etc, I feel a strong urge to paint her in
different colours - truer colours?? well that is a perspective question.
Creative, enthusiastic, attentive, hard working, dedicated, diplomatic ..
there are many ways to describe Lauren and in all honesty, I swear I do not know
her well enough to list her many qualities, but what I do know, is that
she has always been a very warm and affable person in my presence and a
hostess with the mostest.. giving her time always without complaint. The first time many of us were aware of Lauren, I think, was in the early eighties when
she became the object of many a touching ballad. I have to be honest when I
say that while the entire a-ha camp wanted to destroy all females in a three
inch vacinity of Morten Harket's love life, many admired the fact that Lauren
had fallen for the blond bloke before he hit the big time. There was
a deep respect held for that and she was deemed the only love interest of the
band to chat happily to fans. Her approachable attitude was quickly known
throughout the land and if she didn't realise it then, she will know
now that she was always considered the cool one!
She was unloading her camera, dressed in denim dungarees, confident in herself to
be practically dressed while Camilla and Heidi were looking all glam as always. I walked
up to her after the show and just sort of introduced myself before starting the interrogation.
She amazed me by being so open and down to earth, putting me at ease
immediately, making me laugh and I thought, ummm I like her. I had no right to even contemplate this, but I was
like an overprotective Mother in my mind, trying to suss out Pål's girlfriend to see if she was
what she seemed and I walked away with one hell of a smile. God, the way she talked about him
- it was so (Jude goes all gushy) romantic. So loving and I will never forget the pinch
of envy I felt at her words that Pål would just 'blow her away' with something new with every passing year.
I wanted to know what it was like living with that creative bundle of energy and a bloke with that level of
sensitivity and intellect, but more than that, I just really enjoyed having a chat, even though she had regarded the issue of A Forever Thing I had left
for Mick Healey without a great deal of interest. I carried a contrasted view of Lauren home. In Oslo, dreamy eyed and very warm, in Bergen very understanding and full of reassurance and in Skien... Skien was the last show and as in most Norwegian concert venues, we
were all banned from using photographic equiptment. I paid a hefty
price for being sneaky, namely being poked in the chest by a rather irrate Norwegian man who couldn't speak English at a time when
I couldn't speak Norwegian. You do, however, assume that this rule will not
apply to Lauren... not unless it is
a combination of an over eager security guard and an unfortunate case
of mistaken identity. Lauren was lining up her shot with her hand held camera. There she was getting
into position, crouching low on the stage as Morten gave her a cheeky
shot of his jean covered behind and then:- Out of nowhere a young security
guard bounds over, takes her by the arm and begins tugging at her and chastising her
for disobeying the rule: NO CAMERAS!! Lauren handled him well. Her camera in one
hand, she took that guy by the scruff of the neck with the other dragging him out
into the corridor before verbally kicking the shit out of him.
He was so embarrassed slinking back in a corner when they returned, and I was like
- WHOA. That girl has balls!!
I discovered after the show that she had been trying all
tour to get a particular shot at that particular point and quickly followed it by expressing
sympathy for the 'poor guy'. Let it be a
warning to all that she may look as gentle as a butterfly, but she can
carry the sting of a hornet. I do respect her greatly for taking very
little shit!
I met her physically for the first time in Norway in 1994, in the
Oslo 'Scentrum Scene' soundcheck where she was busy setting up her
cameras to begin filming the five date tour for a new video. We all
thought she was bossy, getting everyone to do what she asked,
when she asked, and we all wondered why she had to kiss every guy in
the room, but that's Lauren, affectionate to those she knows!!
So what about her involvement in Savoy?? It seems natural now, but I was sceptical. I wanted Pål to go it alone, but wondered if Lauren's influence would push him in a direction that would prompt me to go in the opposite and I have made no secret of the fact that I found, at first, "Mary Is Coming" a bit of a shock and hard to get to grips with. What strikes me as weird is that I had always loved the genre of music that album covered and yet never made an allowance that Pål would end up making it. I think it happens that you associate a certain atmosphere with certain groups and I had always wanted emotion from that Waaktaar man. It wasn't long before I was digging the new style, but it was an album that failed to emotionally pick me up and toss me around like his other stuff. I am grateful for it now and cannot envisage life without gems such as "Tears From A Stone" and "Foolish". It cleared the cobwebs and I saw Pål in a new light but Lauren more so.
Lauren writes!!! Let me tell you that she has penned some kjempebra tunes and never make the mistake in thinking "Lackluster Me" belongs solely to the Norwegian!! I guess like many other mysterious Lauren things, there is a veil of mystery provoking the question of 'who does what?'. You get a chorus of 'Pål does almost everything', along with people thinking that Lauren's role is merely to look pretty. NO WAY!! I often wonder what people assume keep that couple together. Is it just romance, sex - is she there for the money and prestige? I think you have to relate yourself to what kind of a guy you think Pål is. If you think he is an airhead guitar player who happened to have a couple of hits posturing to the drooling minnions - well OK, they must have a relationship built on lust and luxury, gain and attainment - but if you think Pål is an intelligent, deep and somewhat Waaky individual - well he wouldn't spend his time on a Boston floosy with a winning smile her only given asset, now would he???
Lauren Savoy is a witty, charming, intelligent, gifted, enthusiastic, creative, caring, down to earth and HUMAN person. She has faults like we all have, eccentricities as we all do, hopes, dreams, goals, ambition like the rest of us. The only thing that sets Lauren apart is the prejudice she faces for being married to a man she loves, a bloke that just happens to be Pål!! Why can't her success ever be attributed to her own hard work and aptitude. People may see her as fortunate to work at what she does, but she has to work harder than most because of the shit people like those on that mailing list throw her way. Has she used her circumstances to broaden her own mind and capabilities? - most probably, but does Pål get up happy most mornings because he has her to feed off and to get inspired with - I think so. It really sticks in my throat that I have to show the positive things she brings Pål as justification in the first place.
Lauren Savoy is one of the most likeable people I have ever met. She charmed me, gave me a lot of self confidence and was a flawless companion for my after show hyper and rather giddy moments. I don't care what anyone says, but Lauren gives a real damn about the music, an even bigger damn about her Husband and pleasing for me (selfish me), she always gives a damn about what the fans think.
All of you should remember that!! But more importantly - remember that no one is an extention of Pål - an equal yes, but not an attachment!
