I
knew I was a mistaken face in this macabre waiting
place...!? - A concert review by Katrin Wagner:
Concert
number 72...
Originally we wanted to drive to the concerts in Ulm and
Unterschleissheim, but as the Ulm concert was cancelled
there is only the second gig left for us. Despite that,
Karsten, Christel and I decide not just to see the
SAILORs on Saturday but also on Friday evening.
The three of us are off to South Germany on Friday
afternoon. Fortunately, most of the snow that has
troubelled this area of the country during the last weeks
has gone so we have a smooth drive in Christel's car. We
arrive at the hotel at about 8 pm, check in and discover
the SAILORs and their roadie for this weekend - John - at
the restaurant. Later we all meet at the bar again - a
place nobody can avoid anyway, as it's the only
connection between the two buildings of the hotel.
At Saturday morning it's breakfast time at the sort of
weird hotel. Afterwards the boys explore the town while
Christel decides to drive into Munich to visit a friend,
leaving Karsten and me at the lobby without a car and
without an occupation while we wait... and wait... A lot
of time before, at and after concerts is usually spent
waiting, so at least we are more or less used to this.
Back at the hotel, the SAILORs join us occasionally, and
Peter explains that it is now "beer o' clock"
and that, if the SAILOR Japan tour in June/July is really
going to happen, he'd be "big in Japan"... ;-)
SAILOR's soundcheck is planned for 4 pm, so that they
leave for the venue. We continue to wait... Various
strange things happen at the hotel foyer in the meantime
- also including an encounter with yet another funny
little hoover bearing the name "Henry" and a
nice smiling face - the second time after the London
Bedford concert last December. (I'll only start to worry
if this happens a third time!)
After a lot of waiting, Christel returns at 5.45 pm so we
all quickly get ready for the concert and drive to
Unterschleissheim which is only 12 kilometres away. A
little later we arrive at the concert hall - the brand
new BallhausForum. Today's Oldie Night will be the first
ever concert at this venue.
Inside we manage to get straight to the front, a little
left from the middle in front of the section of the stage
where we expect the Nickelodeon to be later on, as usual.
Unfortunately there is no way to really make use of the
special VIP tickets, as none of the security guys,
roadies and all the other people at the venue are able to
tell us (and various other "lost" people) where
the VIP lounge is or how to get there. So we can't check
out the catering there either... :-( Also, one doesn't
leave a place in the front row once it is secured!
The first band of the "Kult-Hit-Party" hosted
by Radio Arabella is called Duty Free. They are good, but
unfortunately the sound in the front is really dreadful.
We can almost only hear the main guitar coming out of the
monitors right in front of us but hardly anything else.
Further back at the hall the sound isn't good either, as
the loudspeakers aren't big/many enough for the big venue
and the ~2000 people who are there to enjoy the show. The
sound problem persits during the show of Middle Of The
Road - the one and only featuring Sally Carr - a band
we've always really enjoyed ever since our very first
"Oldie" concert with SAILOR in December 1993.
They play a great set and we have a great time. Next it's
time for The Rubettes featuring Bill Hurd. Ok - at least
we have know seen both incarnations of "The
Rubettes" and understand the differences... so at
least we can now say that this performance here is kind
of interesting!?
Next it's time for another band we've seen at various
other concerts in the 90s: Herman's Hermits. Finally the
sound is a lot better and so we really enjoy their set.
Then, at about 12.30 am, it's time for SAILOR. The
Nickelodeon has no lights and no bell and some cables
coming out of its front, but many people around us still
seem to be impressed by the look of SAILOR's trademark
instrument. It's always interesting to listen to comments
and questions of people all around us while the boys get
ready for their show. Unfortunately the Nickelodeon is
placed quite far away from us, too far in the middle and
too sloped so that we can only see Henry's back and
nothing from Phil at all. Thanks for improving that,
Phil! Grant is also placed at the far right of the
stage.
Peter, Grant, Henry and Phil play a nice 45 minute set
and John does a great job on the sound too. Our only
question: why a full version of "Champagne"
twice when there are so many other marvellous songs?! But
hey - who cares... The audience really enjoys the SAILOR
set which - as usual - includes a great selection of the
various hits and music styles of the musical SAILOR world
that we all know and love. Grant tells the audience that
this is a "new concert hall with a very old
band". Phil does a maraca solo on "Karma
Chameleon", as his mandolin is broken. Grant's drum
solo is also fantastic, as ever, and the "Full
Monty" is received enthusiastically by everyone
around us.
As SAILORs show is over we leave the concert hall while
the stage is prepared for the last band of the evening,
the famous German rock legends The Lords. While they
play, SAILOR sign autographs and sell CDs and DVDs at the
foyer of the concert hall. Many people buy "Buried
Treasure", the DVD, and some have even brought some
70s SAILOR LPs and get them signed (see photos above).
As Karsten, Christel and I leave the venue we realise
that a LOT of snow has come down in the meantime. We
slowly and carefully drive back to the hotel, where
Middle Of The Road and The Rubettes
featuring Bill Hurd are just about to leave at 2.30 am,
as they have to fly back home from Stuttgart early in the
morning and now have to drive there through all that
snow.
SAILOR arrive a little later and sit down with us at the
bar. Driver Thomas drops them off and then returns to the
concert hall once again to pick up the "Full
Monty" ship that they have forgotten there. In the
meantime the SAILORs enjoy their very own self-made late
night meal - as it's still possible to get drinks at the
hotel but no more food. We have potatoe chips, cheese,
toast, apples, oranges etc. and a few drinks before
everyone goes to bed.
SAILOR leave at 9 am on Sunday morning, so that Karsten,
Christel and I get up to say goodbye to them and want to
have breakfast afterwards. The weird hotel does not seem
to be able to provide certain things like hot water for
tea etc. so that we decide not to pay for this unfinished
breakfast and leave... On the motorway we have a very
weird "meet and greet" with The Lords...
several times! ;-)
About five hours later we are back home - thanks for the
great driving-job, Christel! - after yet another funny
SAILOR weekend...
Katrin Wagner, 14 March 2006
A
concert review by Karsten Wagner:
Me, Katrin and our dear
friend Christel started on the 10th of March 2006 from
Kassel to Munich to meet the best live-band in the world
these days: SAILOR.
After a long ride on the motorways through Southern
Germany, we reached Munich in the evening, the nice lil
ACHAT-Hotel in a small town outside Munich. As we
arrived, the SAILOR boys were at the
bar/restaurant/reception, which was all one area, and
other bands were there too. We had some nice talks, for
me I talked to some other DJs in the morning, still at
the bar.
In the morning we had breakfast with the SAILOR guys,
then talked for a while, they went shopping and have a
look around the town. The first "funny" thing
was, no one really knew when they had to go to the
soundcheck in the concert hall and if there was
backstage-catering... So they went to the Ballhaus-Forum
Unterschleissheim for some kind of soundcheck, while me
and Katrin waited in the hotel. Christel was off to visit
a friend of hers.
In the evening we drove to the concert hall, went in, and
I placed some website promo-pics inside. Then we had to
wait until round midnight to see SAILOR on stage (one
highlight of the evening).
Before we had: Duty Free, a Bavarian Rock 'n Roll Band,
Middle Of The Road with Sally Carr - I did an lil
interview with her for my Radio-Show before - then we had
to watch the "wrong or fake" Rubettes with Bill
Hurd (hurts so bad!), followed by the Herman's Hermits
(they were great that night), and then the SAILOR guys
:-)
Thanks to John who built the stage set this night for
them for the first time, and in the beginning nearly all
things on stage were ok. Hmmm... The Nickelodeon was
built not right, oooooookkkk, so the bell couldn't be on
it (wrong side of the top in front)... and the lights
were not working (oops). Ah, and many cables where
hangind outsside at the front of the Nickelodeon.
The 3485th try to take new band photos didn't happen -
again (I think, we now give up to get some... lol). The
sound was ok at the SAILOR gig. That was a surprise
because there were only a handfull loudspeakers for this
new big concert hall (ok, we stood in the front, don't
know if anybody in the back got a good sound in their
ears.)
Good thing was that we were able to take some pics of the
gig for our website - and also thanks to the "I
don't have any idea where the VIP-lounge is -
crew".... (running-joke of the evening).
After the gig, SAILOR sold CDs, DVDs and signed
autographs at the foyer of the hall. In the meantime the
whole area was very icy outside, so we and the bands had
problems to go back to the hotel. Poor Sally and MOTR
band had to leave the hotel at 2 in the morning (!) to
reach their plane in Stuttgart (!) - I hope they arrived
safely in Scottland.
We and SAILOR had a strange breakfast at 2 in the morning
in the hotel, because we all were hungry, and they didn't
have any food as we arrived. So we had a strange
collection of food: potatoe chips, cheese, toast, beer,
coke, apples, oranges.... strangest dinner ever with the
guys. :-o
Next morning the hotel had no hot water for tea at the
breakfast, and there was no coffee..... so I decided not
to pay for a breakfast! Strange hotel....
We said goodbye to SAILOR and drove back home, followed
by the famous German rock legend The Lords in their van
for 3 hours....
Waiting for another "funny" gig like this....
Yours: Cap K ~
Karsten Wagner, 14 March 2006
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