Per Gessle calls it a “miracle” that Marie Fredriksson, his partner in the Swedish pop duo Roxette, survived the brain tumors that required surgery in 2002. “Only 1 in 20 survive,” he says. Slowly but surely, Fredriksson found her way back to the stage and the pair responsible for earworm-y hits like “The Look,” “Listen to Your Heart,” and “It Must Have Been Love” are back in action with a new album, “Travelling,” and coming to the House of Blues on Tuesday. We checked in with Gessle recently to hear his five favorite things about touring after a long layoff.
1. “It’s overwhelming to realize that there are so many people who cherish Roxette. It took me by surprise. We’ve been on the road now for 19 months and played in front of 1.5 million people. You have to pinch your arms at least once a day. And I do.”
2. “We’re better than ever! After all these years we don’t listen to record companies anymore or try to fit into certain radio formats, we just do what we like!”
3. “It’s great to see Marie enjoying herself so much after all she’s been through. It’s absolutely mind-blowing to see her on stage and hear her sing again. On most nights she’s still that world dominator she always was. I get goose bumps all over!”
4. “I’ve been touring since the early ’80s not only with Roxette but also with my solo stuff. I love it. But I guess it’s partly due to the success. We’ve always stayed at great hotels and had people taking care of us.”
5. “The world is a big place. It’s a big privilege to be able to travel this much. You get to see great things but also terrible things that make you question the human race. Some people live in very difficult circumstances and touring like we do makes us realize we’re born under lucky stars.”
Roxette plays the House of Blues Tuesday, 7 p.m. Tickets are $39-$59. 800-745-3000, www.livenation.com