in
High Wycombe, UK - 16 November 2002

Event: SAILOR "in concert"
Location: The Swan Theatre, Town Hall
Beginning: 8 pm
Bands: SAILOR, Special Guest: Chip Hawkes

Photos by: Hans-Ulrich Neumann, Katrin Wagner, Karsten Wagner, Malcom Knowles, Sarah Kendall, Karin Christiansen, James McCarraher

Ahoy everybody,
SAILOR's very special concert at the Swan Theatre (Town Hall) in High Wycombe, UK on 16 November 2002 - their first "headline" show in the UK for over 25 years - was a great success. The show was filmed for an official release on DVD which fans will be able order via sailormusic@hotmail.com for early delivery in 2003.
Special thanks to all the lovely fans from England, Holland, Germany, Denmark etc. for coming and making this evening so special, and thanks for all those nice conversations, photos, comments about the MARINERO website etc.!! It was so nice to meet you all!! - All the marvellous fans made it a night to remember!!
If any of you have some more nice photos, reviews or anything else to share with all of us, just let us know via eMail.
Special thanks to Uli Neumann for the very first photos, less than 24 hours after the show! Also many thanks to Malcolm Knowles, Sarah Kendall, James McCarraher and of course to Steve and Martin!
~ The MARINERO crew

Click here for further information about the DVD!!

Peter

Rob and Phil at the Nickelodeon

SAILOR on stage

Phil

Rob, Phil, Grant and Peter during "Jacaranda"

Grant during "Jacaranda"

Phil in front of the moon (some people might call that "SAILOR-moon"...?!)

Grant during "Traffic Jam"

Rob and Phil

Grant and Peter

Rob and Phil at the Nickelodeon

SAILOR during "Vera From Veracruz"

Peter during "Vera From Veracruz"

Grant

The audience... ;-)

Peter during "The Frozen Man"

Rob and Phil at the Nickelodeon during "Give Me Shakespeare"

Rob and Phil during "The Old Nickelodeon Sound"

SAILOR during "The Old Nickelodeon Sound"

...in the navy...

...in the navy...

Peter with sombrero... the "Latino Medley"

Rob and Phil at the Nickelodeon during the "Latino Medley"

SAILOR at the end of the show

The songs that SAILOR played in High Wycombe:

A Glass Of Champagne
One Drink Too Many
Blame It On The Soft Spot
Sailor
Mack The Knife
The Girls Of Amsterdam Prelude
Josephine Baker
Vera From Veracruz
Jacaranda
Traffic Jam
Karma Chameleon
Panama
The Secretary
Girls Girls Girls
La Cumbia
The Frozen Man
Give Me Shakespeare
The Old Nickelodeon Sound
Champagne Reprise

encores:
"Grant's moment" - drum solo
The "Full Monty"
Girls Girls Girls
Latino Medley

Karsten and Katrin together with Rob after the show

Karin from Denmark together with Peter and Grant

James together with Rob

Anna and Karsten - "Live long and prosper"... ;-)

A concert review by Katrin Wagner:

The trip to SAILOR's special "In Concert" in High Wycombe starts for us on 15 November. Karsten and I visit our friends Manuela and Uli Neumann and stay at their home for one night. On the next morning, 16 November, the four of us drive to Hannover airport and fly to London Heathrow. Our flight has a 3 hour delay, so that we have to hurry and decide to continue the travel by taxi to High Wycombe. Not the cheapest way, but faster than anything else.
We finally reach the town in the afternoon, get dressed up and ready for the concert and then walk to the Town Hall. SAILOR are busy with their soundcheck. Tonight's show will be filmed for a DVD which will soon be released on "Angel Air". Later a member of the film-crew asks Karsten and me to do an interview for the DVD. We record the interview at 7.10 pm inside the Town Hall, and a short time later it's finally time for all the fans to get into the Theatre and get ready for the concert.
SAILOR's special guest Chip Hawkes starts the show and does a very good job, in spite of some problems which are beyond his control ;-). The stage looks absolutely great - with a harbour background, street lamp, palm trees, anchor, life belt and everything a SAILOR fan could wish for.
At 9.15 pm it's finally time for SAILOR. They do all the songs we know from their concert in Germany plus some very special songs like "Traffic Jam", "Blame It On The Soft Spot", "Jacaranda" or a great version of "Josephine Baker", sung by Rob!! And Grant does the French announcement in the middle of the song saying: "Mesdames et moisseurs, les Folies Bergere presents Mademoiselle Josephine Baker!" In the middle of the show Peter performs a song on his own, just with the guitar: "The Frozen Man" by James Taylor. Rob even uses two keyboards at his side of the Nickelodeon, just like in the 'good old days'. The boys end up with the usual strip-performance, the "full monty" and a second time "Girls Girls Girls", as well as their famous "Latino Medley".
After the show we talk to all the nice fans and make lots of photos. Then it's time for the After-Show-Party. It is a very special night and really worth the long way to travel. It is so good to meet all the lovely fans from England, Holland, Germany, Denmark etc... Thanks a lot for coming and making this evening so special, and thanks for all those nice conversations, photos, comments about the MARINERO website etc.!! - All the marvellous fans made it a night to remember!!
Much SAILOR-love to all of you ;-)
Copyright by Katrin Wagner, 17 November 2002

A concert review by Uli Neumann:

This unique SAILOR weekend started late Friday afternoon, when the Wagners, Karsten and Katrin, arrived at our home, who manage the MARINERO website, which is the home harbour for all SAILOR fans and even for the SAILOR guys.
This evening we started to listen to SAILOR songs and related recordings, which the Wagners brought along for us, thank you for that again.
On Saturday, November 16th we started our trip to High Wycombe by getting to Hanover Airport by car. Unfortunately our flight had a delay of three hours, caused by the famous London fog, time to get even more nervous. But then we had a smooth flight and finally arrived at London Heathrow, and it was a fine, sunny day. Due to the circumstance that our flight was delayed, we decided to go to High Wycombe by Taxi, not by tube and train as it had been planned. We went to the nice little "Abbey Lodge Hotel" and dressed up for the great event. On the way to the town hall, my wife Manuela and me entered the "American Embassy", we didn't eat anything since breakfast. (We call that fast food restaurant with the big "M" the American Embassy).
Having done something against our hunger, the two of us proceeded our way to the town hall, where the Wagners were already listening to the soundcheck. But then there was it, the official entry and after a time that seemed to be endless, the show started. Chip Hawkes, former frontman of the Tremeloes and special guest started to perform his part of the show in front of a black background hiding the stage prepared for SAILOR. Most of the songs he performed without the background tape only with his guitars. He did a really great job.
But then the great moment was there, the start of the most amazing SAILOR show I have ever seen in my whole life. The stage was decorated as a harbour town, with a hotel sign, anchor, life belt, palm trees, a net, everything like in the unforgettable Seventies when SAILOR performed their great concerts. The sound was marvellous, crystal clear an not too loud, they played so many songs, as never before, but the time was too short to play all the great hits and even perform some of the songs released only on the albums. The real highlight of that night was the performance of "Josephine Baker" by Rob Alderton. He does such a really great job, at the treble side of the Nickelodeon, playing the accordion and as a singer and organizer. But each of the four guys, Rob Alderton, Peter Lincoln, Phil Picket and Grant Serpell (in alphabetic order) did a really great performance and made this night a night to remember. I'm really sorry for every SAILOR fan who missed it, I will never forget this show. I was looking forward to it for months, and I haven't been disappointed. It was not easy to get to High Wycombe and it took a lot of efforts (Thank you to the Wagners again) and much more money, but I'm not sorry for any cent we spent on this trip and that unforgettable night.
Video an audio recordings were prohibited this evening, even using flash lights for taking photographs was forbidden. Fortunately I could take some pictures without that. Some of those pictures have already been published on the MARINERO website, less than 24 hours after the show. I hope that the x-rays of the airport security check didn't damage the photos Katrin and Karsten have taken.
After the show we talked to many SAILOR fans from all over Europe, they were so friendly and gave us a very warm welcome to the UK. We also met a lot relatives of the four SAILOR guys, parents, children and wives. It was a great night, but we had to leave on Sunday to go to work again on Monday. But now we are looking forward to the release of the DVD recorded that event of year, so we can remember every time we want.
Copyright by Uli Neumann, 17 November 2002

A concert review by Karsten Wagner:

So, finally the Wagners managed it to see the SAILOR gig in High Wycombe. :-) We started on Friday, 15 November in our hometown Kassel, drove to our SAILOR-friends Manuela and Uli Neumann, then took a plane to Heathrow / London on Saturday, 16 November. The flight was delayed, so we took a taxi to HIGH WYCOMBE, had a short stop at the hotel, and then went to the Wycombe Swan Town Hall. SAILOR had soundcheck at this time, then a guy from the Film-Crew asked us to do an interview for the planned DVD/Video. Before the hall opened the doors, we did that short interview, then we and the other fans and friends took our seats.
It was GREAT to meet all the English SAILOR-fans for the first time!! They all gave us a warm welcome! Thanks so much for that, guys!!! :-) We gave greetings to all the fans from Georg Kajanus. :-)
The gig started with Chip Hawkes (ex-Tremeloes). He was support for SAILOR that night. And it was a funny gig ;-) After that and some drinks, and small-talk with the other SAILOR-fans, SAILOR started and went on their great-looking-stage: It looked like a harbour-town with a ship in the background, a big anchor, palms and everything... see pics... ~~~
On that solo-show, SAILOR played songs like: "Sailor", "Blame It On The Soft Spot", "Jacaranda", "Josephine Baker" (sung by Rob!! And it sounded great!) for the first time since years too. And they also did the other well known stuff. It was a funny good show which was filmed for DVD/Video.
After a 2-hour-show we made a lot of photos with all the fans, and had lot's of fun with all the people on the after-show-party! GREAT TO MEET YOU ALL !!! Too many to mention!!! :-)
Hope, to see ya all soon! SAILOR fans are all so nize guys :-) :-) Thanks for all the lovely comments concerning our SAILOR-website!!!
See pics for impressions.... (Uli made great pics of the gig)...
All the best : Cap K ~~~~
Copyright by Karsten Wagner, 17 November 2002

A concert review by Lody Scheffer:

THIS WAS A NIGHT TO REMEMBER!!!! WE HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME, IT WAS MAGIC. THE CONCERT, MEETING THE FANS, especially Andrea. And the after-party, meeting the band and Chip Hawks. It was a struggle to get to High Wycombe in time but it was well worth it!! I hope the DVD takes of like a rocket and gives it SAILOR the break that it needs to get back in the charts again where they belong (if you compare it with all the shit that fills the charts now).
I suggested to Phil that SAILOR should release "Mack the Knife" because in my eyes it has the gadged that will touch people (and it's a good song when performed by SAILOR). SO ALL YOU FANS, GO OUT AND BUY THE "LIVE IN BERLIN" CD WHICH CAN BE ORDERED AT WWW.ANGELAIR.CO.UK OR WWW.BOL.COM SO ANGELAIR WILL RELEASE THE "BURRIED TREASURES" BOX AND LET SAILOR RECORD A NEW ALBUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Copyright by Lody Scheffer, 17 November 2002

From Rio to High Wycombe – a night to remember by Malcolm Knowles:

This was the concert which all SAILOR fans have hoped for. This was SAILOR playing a full set to an audience of SAILOR fans at an intimate venue. Whatever we fans may think about Georg and Henry no longer being with the band, make no mistake, this was SAILOR at their absolute best.
When Eileen and I arrived at the theatre, we were warmly greeted by other SAILOR fans we had met a few months ago at, the now infamous, “Sarah’s party”. With tickets in hand we waited for the doors to open during which time we met more fans, many of whom had travelled from other parts of Europe just for this gig. In the knowledge that the concert was also being filmed for a DVD, anticipation was running high.
The excellent opening set by Chip Hawkes gave us all a chance to warm up our singing voices. After that the curtains were pulled back and the amazing SAILOR stage set was revealed. In addition to the Nickelodeon there were barrels, ropes, giant anchor, palm trees, street lamp, an Anchor pub/hotel and loads of other stuff creating a superb nautical set.
And then....the band took the stage to play the most exciting gig you can imagine. There were so many high points during the set – “Jacaranda” and “The Old Nickelodeon Sound” being personal favourites. It was wonderful to hear “Sailor” played live again but, for me, hearing “Josephine Baker” live again was the outstanding moment. Back in the 70’s, this was always a crowd pleaser and at High Wycombe the fans were clearly delighted to hear it played again. Phil, Grant, Peter and Rob seemed to enjoy every moment as much as the audience and they finally left the stage to a standing ovation from a very happy crowd.
The after show party gave us all the opportunity to thank the band, take photos and get a few things signed. Again we chatted to so many fans and it was particularly nice to meet Katrin and Karsten – not only were they great fun to sit next to during the concert but they also run this fabulous website!!
For those who were there, this was a truly memorable night. So many thoughts of those wonderful SAILOR gigs in the mid-70’s just came flooding back. For those who missed it, make sure you buy the DVD when it is released – you will not be disappointed.
Copyright by Malcolm Knowles, 20 November 2002

A concert review by Adrian:

WOW! What a concert! It was great to see SAILOR headlining their own show again in Britain - their first for 25 years - is it really that long? This was a fabulous evening for fans of one the most original bands ever, supported by Chip Hawkes it shows that even with a change of line-up SAILOR sound as good as ever. I particularly enjoyed 'Panama' and their unusual interpretation of 'Mack the Knife' but thoroughly enjoyed the whole performance. I look forward to seeing the DVD when it is released and dare I say it another headline show next year!
20 November 2002

A concert review by Sarah:

SILENCE IS GOLDEN - Actually on this particular night in November in a calm little town in Bucks this wasn’t the case. I hadn’t seen SAILOR live before, and as for the Tremeloes, well the sixties decade was a long, long time ago. But Mr Chip Hawkes certainly knew how to get us swinging again with such memorable songs as Here Comes My Baby, Mr Tambourine Man, When You Walk in the Room, and Smokie’s sensational hits, Living Next Door To Alice and Lay Back in the Arms of Someone.
The Wycombe Swan is one of the classiest venues I’ve been to, and boy have I been to a few in my modest little time. It was nice to have a plush seat – only three rows from the front – and the tasteful lilac and cerise ambience added to the excitement. Did somebody really interview me before I took my seat? Believe so, and I wished I’d had time to apply more lippie. Oh well, such is life in the middle lane of the M4.
The SAILOR set was very evocative: palm trees, street lamps, the odd anchor and even a little old pirate ship was sailing along the back during an instrumental.
All the classics were hammered out on that magical Nickelodeon: Glass of Champagne, One Drink Too Many, Girls, Girls, Girls, Traffic Jam, and Karma Chameleon which was co-written by Phil.
What a talented bunch of musicians they are. Other highlights were the uniformed performances of In The Navy and The Full Monty’s Hot Stuff.
And there I will leave you. I believe there was an after-gig party, yet I was already zipping off home, tired but musically sated.
The show was being recorded for a DVD which will be available early in 2003. Goodness knows who you might spot on that!

...And here's yet another review from Uli Neumann, taken from the "Düsenbert" magazine in January 2003:

A SAILOR's night on the town
Hans-Ulrich Neumann from the settling Tapenbeck was at the headline show in England - Backstage tickets included
SAILOR belonged to the rather eccentric bands of the 70s that have truly been strange and colourful. With hits like "A Glass Of Champagne" and "Girls Girls Girls" the four guys in the sailor-outfits entered the charts not only in Germany with their Nickelodeon (music-machine) that reminds you of two pianos back to back. After the separation of SAILOR in the late 70s they had a comeback in the 90s with "The Secretary" and "La Cumbia". Since that time they could unfortunately only be seen on Oldie Nights. This was to change in November 2002. SAILOR invited the fans to a real headline show in High Wycombe near London, and as a true SAILOR-fan it was my duty to see this concert.
The concert
Our flight from Hannover to London had a three-hour delay because of the famous London fog. But this didn't stop our enthusiasm. We were four people who went to this event, brother and sister Wagner from Kassel (Katrin Wagner maintains a fantastic website about the band at www.sailor-marinero.com), my wife and myself.
When we arrived we had the privilege to go into the Town Hall before the show, look at the stage set and listen to the soundcheck. Chip Hawkes (Tremeloes) performed as Special Guest. Then the great moment had come: two hours of SAILOR live at their very best. It was a unique event. Not only the fans, but also SAILOR, who had been really nervous before the show, enjoyed this concert very much. This concert was also filmed for a DVD which will be released this spring.
After the concert there was an After-Show-Party with SAILOR and many family-members that lasted until late in the night.
Further information
There's a second chance for everybody who missed this great event: on 18 May 2003 there will be another concert at the "Musiktheater" in Kassel. Further information about this and the DVD can be found at the homepage that is mentioned above.

Concert Photos