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Carina Angeli: Dear CdeB-fans living all over the world!!! For those who unfortunately could not be part of the recently European Summer Tour and in particular of the concert in Gotha at Schloss Friedenstein (27th July) here is a belated but detailed report of the show from my point of view (fortunately row four, quite in the middle in front of the stage!!!): The parking was very easy. In all streets around the venue it was allowed to park the car without any payment in case you have had a ticket for the show. At 7 pm the audience was allowed to enter the venue. It was the courtyard of the castle Schloss Friedenstein which was built in the 17th century right in the middle of Gotha (a small town with about 48000 inhabitants nearly in the middle of the German federal state Thuringia, quite in the middle of whole of Germany) up on a small elevation. At the entrance all people had to open their handbags and to hand over there bottles (whether glass or plastic) and meals to the security. Some of the people (especially the elder ones) complained about it which already was mentioned earlier on this website. The weather was fine. There were only a few clouds and the sun was shining a little bit and a full moon was in the sky. So there was no rain. This is quite important for an open-air concert I think. Unfortunately later on the evening you needed a jacket to get no cold. Around the 3040 seats there were some stalls where you could buy small meals (e.g. ice-cream) or some drinks. There was also a stall where you could buy some records of CdeB. Or autographs or some shirts, gloves (you know: Snow Is Falling - When Winter Comes ;-) ) and all that merchandise stuff. Some words about the audience: I guess that the show was (nearly) sold out. The average age was about 35-40 years I suppose. Of course there were also some real exceptions (a dozen of children and a few elder people who came with their children or even their grandchildren). The relation men/women was nearly half to half. Some women wore red clothes (or shrill red hair) hoping CdeB will call them "the lady in red"!! There were many couples - I suppose lots of men have had to come along with their wife/girl-friend. Next to me there sat a man who said to me with a smile "So, tonight there will be a rock- concert!". My answer: "Oh, I feel sorry for you but I suppose your wife have told you something wrong!". And also during the show he gave quite a lot of funny statements especially when female persons went to stage to give CdeB presents (mostly flowers). To see all those couples around me it was a clear fact for me that unfortunately there will be not many of those "real" fans of CdeB at this concert – fans who nearly know all lines and all songs and how they usually are performed in concert. At that point I hoped that the great atmosphere of a live-concert would come up anyhow. To me it seemed that their only cause to come to the concert was "Oh, CdeB will come in our town (or just near to where I live) – why not go there, I know some of his songs and they are quite nice love songs and he seems to be a nice guy?!" Maybe there are also "real" fans that live in Gotha and surroundings but the majority of the audience only knew those popular songs, e.g. "Lady in red", "Don't pay the ferryman", "High on emotions" and "Sailing away". On the stage there were a big drum, a big keyboard, a small black piano and some stands for the microphones. At the back of the stage there was a very big screen, hidden behind a black transparent curtain. On both sides of the stage there was each a board for many guitars. On stage there were also some men (only men!!! not even one woman!!!) at work belonging to the crew. One man polished the piano (with real passion!!! so that no fingerprints were left any longer!!!) and all guitars. Another man glued papers with the order of the songs on the ground for Chris and his guitar player Al and also for the base player while another one putted some glasses filled with water and a blue cup filled with a mysterious liquid (maybe it was just warm tea ;-) ) on different places all over the stage. And there were also some men on stage that tested the microphones and the guitars. On the right side (from the view of the audience) there was a table were some men of the crew have stood during the show and where all presents given to CdeB were putted on. It was quiet nice to watch this scene. Some people of the audience came in front of the stage to take photos of that scene or themselves in front of the stage. While these things happened on stage (quite until the concert started!!!) music was played from a recorder. I don't know who sang – but I know it was not CdeB!!! It was the voice of a man and later on also of a woman. I guess the female voice was the one of Kristyna Myles. I have heard three of her own songs recently on radio (a small concert given for the German radio station HR 1 in Frankfurt in March this year with CdeB) and so I would guess it was her voice. Some minutes past 8 pm the sound of THE STORYMAN THEME was sounded and synthetic smoke was on the stage. Suddenly the whole audience was quiet. CdeB waited on the right side of the stage to come up the stairs that leaded behind the stage. At the last seconds of that song he came up onto the stage dressed in black trousers, black shoes (polished!!!), a light blue and white striped shirt (lengthwise stripes make thinner ;-) ) and also a black leathern jacket (one of his countless black leathern jackets ;- ) ). He came right to the edge of the stage, said no word but waved both hands, took a black electric six string guitar and started to sing THE STORYMAN. Then he slipped into a few lines of THE LADY IN RED I think. In the front of the stage there were three or four photographs (local newspapers??) with their telephoto lenses (I suppose they were each about 40 centimetres long or even longer). They tried to take photos of CdeB from all sides and in every position. CdeB was really patient because he looked into their camera smiling while he went on singing. Later on he just ignored them. Fortunately later on these men were sent away by the security men that stood near the stage because they were always walking in front of the stage and you could not really enjoy the scene on the stage because you always saw those photographs catching the best photo ever. After a nip of water CdeB sung FOREVERMORE. Already after that song the first two women came to the stage to hand over their presents to CdeB. Three red roses and a bottle of wine with a small red envelop fixed on it (you remember: I've got the roses, I've got the wine, … ;-) ). CdeB greeted the audience and tried to say some sentences in German: GOOD NIGHT TO EVERYBODY. ES IST SEHR SCHÖN, ES IST WUNDERBAR THIS EVENING IN GOTHA ZU SEIN. For that sentence he became a big applause. IT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SCHLOSS, JUST LIKE MY HOME. The audience laughed. You see, they didn't know that CdeB had told the truth. I ALSO HAVE CALLED GOD YESTERDAY AND I HAVE SAID "GOD, I WILL BE IN GOTHA, TOMORROW PLEASE NO RAIN!". Again there were laughter and applause. HEUTE NACHT WIR HABEN SONGS VON MEINEM ALBUM „THE STORYMAN". After the applause he continued YOU CAN ALSO BUY A COPY WITH ON SOME OLD STUFF. I ALSO DO LOTS OF OLD SONGS. SO I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS ABEND, FIRST OF ALL IT IS JUST ME. AND WHEN THE BAND WILL JOIN US A LOTS OF DANCINGS IN FRONT OF US. The next song was THE SAME SUN, also performed with the guitar. After these lines CdeB got flowers again and also a bottle of wine. The audience laughed because CdeB thanked for these presents and read out the label on the bottle. FROM BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG, GOOD, A SPÄTLESE, MHH! He continued with the next song SAILING AWAY, once again with the guitar. The crowd should sing the refrain with him but unfortunately it was not as powerful and loud as on the record "Live in Dortmund". I like the Dortmund-version very much and what a pity that the audience in Gotha was so weak and low. Once more CdeB got some presents. And suddenly he felt hot and putted out his jacket – in a very amusing and entertaining way. He also started to open his belt and wanted to put out his trousers but he stopped anyhow (ohhhhhhhhh ;-) ) - this scenery reminded me of a girl. Her name is Patricia … He went to the piano (you know: polished just like his shoes!!!) and sung the first song to the sound of the keys. It is a song that is played in every concert I suppose: BORDERLINE. CdeB was very concentrated while he played the first notes on the piano. For me it seemed that it is very important for him to come into the right mood to sing that song! And the line "one of us will lose" was sung by him in a new way - very emotional and with the stress on the word "one" so that the meaning was really clear: either the young man or the left woman will loose. War causes losers! It gave me the creep! I mean, really hair on the back of my arms! After the song there was a silence for some seconds, then CdeB got once more presents. NA WUNDERBAR AND THANK YOU FOR THE WINE. AND NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, COME WITH ME ON A JOURNEY TO A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. I STILL LIKE GOTHA. WHERE IT IS YOU NEVER KNOW. IMAGE - YOU SPEAK SEHR GUT ENGLISH HERE IN GOTHA I THINK, MY AIM IS IF I SAY MY DEUTSCH IS NOT SO GOOD, „HERR OBER, NOCH EIN BIER!" AND „HERR OBER, WO IST DIE DAMENTOILETTE?", I THING YOU NEED TO KNOW IN GERMAN. IT´S HOT AND FAR AWAY YOU HEAR THE SONG OF A YOUNG MAN SINGING A SONG OF LOVE AT HIS BIRTHPLACE. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH AHHHHJAJAJAJAJAAAA AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH. CdeB shouted like a muezzin on the minaret of a mosque. The crowd was very irritated (me too!!!) but then laughed and applauded. DOES IT SOUND LIKE A LOVE SONG? JOIN ME ON A HOT LEBANESE NIGHT. So everyone knows by now the next song was LEBANESE NIGHT. The whole song (as I expected) was very powerful above all the end - "in the Lebanonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn". The applause after that song was very strong! Once again some flowers for CdeB! The next song was an elder one: CARRY ME (LIKE A FIRE IN YOUR HEART). Once again the crowd sang the last few lines and applauded with the beats while CdeB sung "OHHHHHHHHOHHHHH OHHHHH, …". As a reward CdeB said at the end of the song YOU SING SEHR GUT HERE IN GOTHA. I think the audience could have done much better!!! THE JOURNEY was the next song and without any break CdeB continued with WHERE PEACEFUL WATERS FLOW. I guess you all know the live version from CDs or even other concerts. And CdeB sung it also that way: … WHERE PEACEFUL WATERS FLOW; LALALALALALA, LALALALALALA, SING WITH ME, LALALALALALA, LALALALALALA, LALALALALALA, LALALALALALA, TONIGHT HERE IN GOTHA YOU SING LIKE THE ANGELS, OH YES YOU DO, SING A LITTLE BIT LOUDER, SING A LITTLE BIT STRONGER, ´COSE I KNOW YOU CAN, … WHERE PEACEFUL WATERS FLOOOOOOOOOW! And the great and strong beat from the guitar gave the rhythm of the audiences hand waves. The beginning of the last verse CdeB sung without any instrument. Fantastic! At the end of that song a young woman tried to enter the stage (by using the stairs) to hand over her present to CdeB but a security man held her back. So she had to hand over the present how all others did. The audience was amused and said very loudly "Oooooooooooooooooooooooooh". After that CdeB told us a secret that I will share with you, too: AND NOW, MEINE DAMEN UND HERREN, I SHARE A LITTLE SECRET OF THE STORYMAN. I DIDN´T LIE! I WANTED TO BE LIKE A BRITNEY SPEARS! The crowd started to laugh. WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING? IT`S NOT MUCH DIFFENTENT BETWEEN ME AND BRITNEY! He pointed at his chest. SMALL DIFFENTENTS, VERY SMALL ONES. BUT NOW I HAVE A NEW HERO IN MY LIFE. SHE COULD ALSO BE A ROLE MODEL TO ALL OF US - PARIS HILTON! The crowd laughed again. DRINKING AND DRIVING! BUT YOU SEE BRITNEY, WHEN SHE WAS ON STAGE, SHE HAD SOMETHING FANTASTIC. SHE HAD THIS MICROFON (a small head set) THAT SHE WORE THAT I LIKE MUCH, ONE LIKE THIS. AND I HAVE HERE ONE TONIGHT, HERE IN GOTHA. A crew member appeared on the stage. THIS IS CHRIS. HE IS FROM AUGSBURG. The crowd gave him a warm applause. I SAID MOST OF THE PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS TOUR ARE CALLED CHRIS! THAT MAKES THINGS MUCH EASIER. EXCEPT THE JASON WHO IS SELLING MY NEW ALBUM "THE STORYMAN" OVER THERE. HE IS VERY LONELY. GIVE HIM A HUG. CdeB putted on the head set. JA, THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. DON`T TRY TO DO THIS HOME. VERY BAD FOR THE HAIR. YOU SPENT ALL DAY DOING THE HAIR, AND THEN, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD! Finally CdeB tried to put the transmitter into his trouser pocket. AND THIS MUST GO IN THE HOSEN, NOT LIKE I SAID BEFOR THIS "IN THE HODEN", IT`S A HOSEN. While doing this CdeB groaned AHHHH, OHHHHH, AHHH. BRILLANT! A GOOD BOY. READY? He took a guitar and came downstairs to walk through the crowd while singing his most successful song: THE LADY IN RED. A bodyguard stayed some footsteps behind him inconspicuously. CdeB went about until row 16/17, walked across the block and went back slowly in direction of the stage. Sometimes he stopped for dancing with a woman or for shaking hands or even for stroking a child. He also has stolen a small hut and putted it on his own head (and gave it back to the owner of course!!!). Some people used that possibility to take a photo of CdeB and the wife/child. To see all these things that happened behind me I had to stand up even on my seat because all other people also stand up but fortunately only a few people stood on their chair!!! So I could see everything that happened. When CdeB came back to the front of the stage I saw that he is "very" small. I have seen him before only in a concert in Coburg (north of Bavarian) in the summer of 2003 where he did not left the stage and also on television where you can not really estimate people's height. CdeB had sung some words without the accompaniment of his guitar and finished the song on stage. VIELEN DANK, THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH was his answer for the huge applause. Then he gave the head set back to Chris from Augsburg and putted his hair in order. The introduction for the next song followed soon: NOW I SING A NEW SONG OF MY ALBUM. He told us about St. Petersburg in the year 1941 and 1969 and about the next song that plays IN THE CITY OF LENINGRAD. The song he performed at the piano. Only he and the sound of the piano. It was very emotional, very sad. The whole audience was quiet. It was obviously LENINGRAD – a very beautiful song with an interesting story. And I like the melody very much – especially the very first part: first of all the sound of a piano and then some strings are added. Terrific! In my mind I always see a young ballerina dancing with a grace of a dancer. At the end CdeB said DANKESCHÖN. VIELEN DANK. MY NEXT SONG LEADS US TO ENGLAND IN THE YEAR SEVENTYHUNDRET AND FORTYTHREE. THE NEXT SONG IS VERY STRONG AND IS VERY CLOSES. THE NEXT IS CALLED "THE GRACE OF A DANCER". So THE GRACE OF A DANCER was also performed at the piano, the other instruments (again strings which I love soooooo much) were played by a recorder. And I really enjoyed that powerful end of the music of the big orchestra before the last line that is "Only love. She had the grace of a dancer, and the father of her son. " . Immediately CdeB went ahead with WHERE WE WILL BE GOING and again without any break he continued the concert with the song ONE WORLD. This was the very first time when the big screen at the back of the stage was used. Pictures from all over the world were shown. Different people (at least also CdeB) at different places (e.g. at river Ganges) carried a big sign with the words „ONE WORLD" painted on it. After the song CdeB said DANKESCHÖN. VIELEN DANK. AND NOW, I´M HAPPY TO INVITE ONTO THE STAGE A YOUNG LADY I HAVE SEEN IN ENGLAND ON THE STRASSE. He told us about the competition she had won in England. SHE IS SINGING THIS DUET AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY HER FANTASTIC VOICE. SO I`M VERY PROUD WHEN SHE SINGS ON MY NEW ALBUM "THE STORYMAN". GIVE HER JUST A WARM WELCOME APPLAUSE. HERE IS KRISTYNA MYLES. Applause came rapidly. Kristyna Myles has been standing already behind the table since a few songs and enjoyed the concert next to some crew members. Then she came to the middle of the stage and sat down on one of two chairs that were putted onto the stage. She got a warm applause maybe also for her dress (golden high heels (so that she was taller than CdeB!!! – maybe they sat during the song because of that fact! ;-) ), very short black trousers and a beautiful black shirt with golden and silver prints on it) and CdeB made a joke about her dress: he would be also VERY, VERY SEXY – not only Kristyna!!! THE TRACK OF RAGING STORM. So the duet RAGING STORM with Kristyna Myles began. I think that the voice of Kristyna was a little bit different as on the album "The Storyman" . I really loved that different one! Her voice was a little bit clearer and you could also hear that Kristyna Myles sang with real passion and a lot of fun. The big screen was used again - a blue and a red feather drifting along in a soft wind. During the song CdeB and Kristyna Myles sometimes looked at each other and smiled. After the song the applause took longer then before - that was perfectly right to do so!!! Kristyna Myles left the stage and CdeB started the next song without any hint. On the screen you could see how a camera went over rails very fast and far away a whistle blew. So it was very clear that the next song could only be the very old and fantastic song THE SPANISH TRAIN. Unfortunately the majority of the audience didn't recognize it because they didn't know that song at all. CdeB sang the first lines without that well-known break he often needs live when the crowd recognizes the song after singing "There's a Spanish train" and he tries to continue with "that runs between…". What a pity!!! I really have missed it! But it is not the fault of CdeB – it's the crowd's one!!!! It didn't scream and applaud after the first five words!!! During the song you could see some cards that mentioned in the song (jokers, aces) at the big screen and also the hands of two persons. Further on a chess game. That song was taking in by the audience very well! They felt very entertained! Me too!!! The applause was accordingly large. At that point I thought that this song could be the highlight of this concert – but soon I was shown the opposite! Be patient, I will tell you when the time is right!!! The next song was SPIRIT. The introducing by CdeB: AND NOW IF YOU HAVE A LOOK. YOU ARE ALSO LOOKING AT THE STARS THAT ARE OUT AT THE NIGHTSKY. And he told us something about the stars we could really see at the night sky and started the song. The line "Do not cry for me" was very powerful and the choir you know right from the album came from a recorder – fortunately because without that choir the song would only be half as wonderful as possible!!! The screen was used once again. You saw beautiful pictures from the Serengeti - lions, giraffes, big trees and a big dessert in the sunset. At the end once again a big applause for the performance. And now my personally highlight of the concert came! Right after the applause (nearly half a minute long!!) a new song was started. First you could hear a roaring wind. And then a synthesizer playing five notes of a kind of pipe. Then these five notes were repeated. I already recognized the song and was totally thrilled because I thought you never can play that song (and the other two songs belonging to it) in a live concert! But as I said before I was shown the opposite!!! Maybe some of you already know which song was begun! It was THE LEADER!!! CdeB went to the right side of the stage so that everyone could see the big screen and during the whole song (and also the next two ones) he stood at this point and the beam on him on purpose was not very powerful. On the screen you saw pictures and small movies that added very well to the atmosphere and the lines of the song. First of all you saw people gathered at a circle of stones – maybe it was at Stonehenge! And you could see an old man with a big beard and a cape. They danced and seemed to wait for something. Then CdeB slipped into the next song - THE VISION. You saw pictures that made you really very sad. All in black and white. All those were pictures of war: a battlefield (the final sound of battle had disappeared!), soldiers walking through a heap of death people lying in the trench, you saw aeroplanes used in war and also bombs and a nuclear attack and the effect of it. It was the very first time in the concert when pictures were shown that were not taken because of this concert (e.g. the pictures of the Serengeti and the rails). They all were authentic and used on television in news programme! Unfortunately!!! And then also WHAT ABOUT ME was performed. CdeB really screamed into his microphone "WHAT ABOUT MEEEEEEEEE AND YOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUU, …" so that it gave me really the creeps!!! I could hardly breathe because CdeB was so concentrated and you could see his rage and anger that I never saw before on his face!!! Between the several lines he was very thoughtful, looked at the screen too or lowered his head. At the end he claimed "WELL, WHAT ABOUT USSSSSS?!" That line reminds me again and again of Michael Jackson's "Earth song" which also ends with that line! After those three songs CdeB and his band (some words about the band at the end of that report) got real much applause and people screamed because they enjoyed that song. I don't know how many percent of the audience knew those songs but everyone really enjoyed it!!! Me too!!! Even if the theme is so sad but I love those songs and would really miss them if he never would sing them again and now I know that you can also perform such songs in a live concert and that CdeB has got these three songs still in mind although he recorded the songs many years ago!!! My only criticism on that song is about the light show on stage! At the end of the song "The vision" there are the lines "Fire – I saw fire – and I saw paradise – fire - I saw fire"!!! Why were the flashing lights on stage so weak and not really in beat time??? And also when CdeB screamed the words that were repeated, e.g. sky, battlefield and victory!? At least to the word "fire"!?? The person who was responsible for the light could have done much better and could have taken advantage of the flashing lights!!! But I also have to say that the other time in the concert the light show was brilliant!!!! After the huge applause CdeB tried to do something which I really admire! He tried to start the party with dancing in front of the stage quite after those songs!!! AND NOW COME TO ME TO THE STAGE, FOR DANCING AND HAVING A PARTY. CdeB started with THE WORDS "I LOVE YOU" while many people (me too!!!) went to the stage. Soon the square between stage and row one was filled. People danced, waved there hands in beat time. Some people also sung the lines they knew – or just the refrain. Without a break CdeB had begun with BAL MASQUE. That song was very powerful in the live version! CeB and also the crowd lifted up one or two fingers when we sung "One touch..." and "two hearts…". I liked it. And you could see the glint in CdeBs eyes showing that he enjoys that part of the concert as much as his fans do! You also could see the small boy inside of him!!! He joked with his band members. Only one example: during a guitar solo he stuck his guitar between the legs of one of his guitar players while he continued his own guitar play! After the song he invited small people to sit near the stage: THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WHEN I TOURED AROUND – THANKY YOU VERY MUCH - I SAW SOME CHILDREN, LITTLE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO CAN NOT SEE. I KNOW ´COSE I´M LITTLE, AND I CAN´T SEE REALLY NOW RIGHT. JUST IF THERE ARE ANY KINDER, ANY CHILDREN THEY CAN COME UP AND SIT SOMEWHERE OVER HERE. He got applause for that invitation and soon a few children sat at the edge of the stage. FROM "THE STORYMAN" THIS IS MY FATHER´S EYES. Suddenly also Kristyna Myles was on stage again – changed her clothes. She wore once again high heels, black tights, a very short jeans (she has really the figure to wear such clothes!!!), a black and pink coloured corsage with holders for stockings, a tie made of synthetic diamonds and big ear-rings which are very popular at the moment in Germany. And she wore also a black hut. Again she looked very sexy! She danced the whole time on stage and played the tambourine. There was a big party one stage going on and all people (whether on stage or just in front of it) really enjoyed it!!! The next song was MY FATHER´S EYES. Without any break CdeB continued with the song LIVING IN THE WORLD. The crowd clapped their hands in beat time and the song seemed to be ended but CdeB started up once again (you already know it from the live albums, e.g. "Live in Dortmund") and the guitar player Al had one more guitar solo that he did well! And once again without any comment the song SAY GOOD BYE TO IT ALL was started. For me it is a mystery how high CdeB can actual sing. It was higher than the "high C" (sorry, I don't know the right translation of the German "hohes C"!!)! And there was time for another solo for the guitar player Al. After that song all people on stage left the stage and the crowd started to scream "Zugabe" (encore) until CdeB and his band came back onto the stage. They performed DON`T PAY THE FERRYMAN and on the screen you could see dancing bones on the water. After that song CdeB took all his presents and left the stage together with his band again. The crowd clapped their hands and screamed as loud as they could so that CdeB had to come on stage once again. He asked I`M HIGH ON EMOTION, ARE YOU ALSO? Of course, we were!!! So he started with HIGH ON EMOTION. And he had a great fun to perform this song! We are moving from a spark to a flame. A crew member took a camera and filmed us in front of the stage and this movie was shown on the big screen at the same time. About the end of the song CdeB has taken off his guitar and stole a drum stick and conducted us as if we were a big orchestra. At the end he throw the sticks behind himself and came to the edge of the stage to shake many hands (my hand also!!! with his left hand - which comes right >from the heart ;-) ). Then he ran to one of his two guitar players and plucked the strings, then he ran to the keyboards and pressed some keys head over, then on the run (as fast as possible!!!) to the other guitar player he tickled Kristyna Myles on her ribs and the guitar player was shaken by him and CdeB plucked also the strings of that guitar. Suddenly CdeB held once again a drum stick in his hand and tried to play the drums. After the song was finished the four band members (a guitar player, a base player, a drummer and a man who played on the keyboards) came in front of the stage and made a line with Kristyna Myles and CdeB. They bowed again and again and finally they all with exception of CdeB left the stage. He pointed at his watch (which did not really exist!!) and waved his arms to say goodbye. Then he gave us a clear sign that he is already tired and wants to go to bed for sleeping. But for the very last time he took his black guitar and played the last song with his band in Gotha. And I suppose you know which one! But before I tell you if you are right or not I will tell you what CdeB told us before the very last song was started: THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE WHOLE CONCERT TONIGHT AS MUCH AS I DID. HERE IN GOTHA YOU ARE FANTASTIC. THANK YOU. The crowd screamed. AND IT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE I THINK. AND IF YOU TURN AROUND HERE YOU CAN SEE WHAT I HAVE SEEN: THAT THERE A FULL MOON IS. AND THIS IS VERY, VERY FANTASTIC. He started to play some chords at his guitar, said the very last sentence for this concert – a very emotional moment for me. SONG TO SAY GOOD NIGHT HERE, TRAVEL SAFELY HOME. I can see you now by the light of the dawn ... obviously THE SNOWS OF NEW YORK was started. It is a very sad song but it also offers hope. It gives you the certainty that there is one person left who cares for you. … and when there was just one set of prints in the sand, that was when you carried me … The live version was more powerful and not performed "slowly" and "softly" as on a studio album. It was a very good ending although I missed some of the Beatles songs… It was a strange feeling inside of me because I knew that this would be the very last song and the next concert where I will buy a ticket is not planed already. But CdeB gave a very last present to some people – to those people that stood very close to the stairs that leaded from the stage to the square in front of the stage! While the band played the last chords ahead, CdeB came up from the stage for the every last time to shake some hands and so I had the opportunity to stand very near to him – I can tell you he is as tall as I am!!! After that he and his band disappeared for ever behind the stage!!! By my clock it was about 20 minutes past 10 pm. Suddenly there was such an emptiness and a silence except the people who stood in front of the stage and talked about what they shall do next (let's go in town and have some drinks, let's drive home, …). Very soon the men from the beginning came back onto the stage and break down all equipment. Some men didn't understand German but there was one man who did and he was very politely! He gave me the paper of the song list that glued near the microphone stand of the guitar player Al!!! The paper for CdeB got another woman that I met at the exit by accident. In front of the stage a young woman stood next to me and asked a men on stage for a special souvenir of that evening! She wanted to have the blue cup I mentioned at the beginning (probably filled with a mysterious liquid! ;-) ). But she didn't get it! And I don't know if she even got an alternative! Soon the courtyard of Schloss Friedenstein got more and more empty. Carried by the sound of "dadadadada, dadadadada, dadadadada, dadadadada, when you're feeling lost in the snows of New York, lift your heart and think of me, lift your heart and think of me" I left the venue with the majority and went to my car to travel home!!! And when you´re feeling lost in the snows of New York, lift your heart and think of me, dadadadada, dadadadada, dadadadada, dadadadada, and when you´re feeling lost in the snows of New York, lift your heart and think of meeeeeeeeeeee, lift your heeeart and thiiiiiiiiink of meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Out of town there was a small traffic jam but mainly it was because of the traffic lights around the venue. On the road home my CD player had to play songs of the Storyman I was around for nearly two and half hours. After about 90 minutes I arrived home – safely - and fell into my bed dog-tired. In retrospect (exactly five weeks are gone by) I can give you also a small review which is now not led by the emotions that I had right after the concert. Still I think that it was a fantastic concert and it was worth to buy a ticket for that concert and to drive to Gotha! Also it was worth to buy a more expensive ticket to sit close by the stage so that I could see the facial expressions of CdeB and the band members. First of all I want to tell you some positive comments about the concert: - Because of the unstable weather this summer here in Germany it was very good that there was no break after the half concert! I don't really like breaks in concert because it is hard not only for the artist but also for the audience at the beginning of the second half to let come up the atmosphere as strong as it was before the break. Moreover without a break you can lay in bed a little bit earlier ;- ) ! - The other thing I have to mention as a very good idea is the use of a screen on stage to show pictures and movies that add to the atmosphere and the statements that are within the songs. Some songs don't need movies to strengthen the theme but especially for a song like "The leader" or even for "Spanish train" it is very good to have such a screen! And I have to mention that the choice of the pictures and movies was well done!!! - Always it is such a great gift to the audience that CdeB tries to say some words or even whole sentences in German again and again! I think it is also a kind of respect that CdeB shows. He really cares if the audience can understand him. In case of talking English he also demonstrates with his hands what he is saying so that nearly everyone can understand him well. For me it is not difficult to understand English (although my English is not really perfect) but for the elder people especially for those who have grown up in the new federal states of Germany (former GDR) it was very important because mostly they have learned Russian at school and not English like nowadays!! - And I also thank God that a person have told him the right pronunciation of "Gotha". Before the concert I really felt pity on CdeB because I realized that maybe the name of the town will make problems to him. I hoped that he will get to know in time that the two letters "T" and "H" are no "th" like in "brother" and that he must pronounce those two letters in this case as if there would only be a "T"! But I can tell you he did his job very well!!! And also the person who taught him did well. - It was quiet a pity that Kristyna Myles sang only the duet with CdeB. But I welcomed very much that she came up on stage again for dancing and playing the tambourine! So she was not sitting behind the stage lonely and could have a lot of fun on stage, too. - I really enjoyed seeing that CdeB looked for the audience's nearness. Twice he came up from the stage, walked through the crowd and shook soooooooo many hands this evening. And he accepted every single present and said a personal comment! And he looked into your face while he shook your hand so that it seemed to be very personal although of so many shakings! - I have to say that CdeB did a lot of his old songs. And he found a very good mixture of old and new songs. I missed "The mirror of the soul" very much but we could listen to the trilogy I mentioned ahead and the "Spanish train" instead!!! Unforgettable!!! So the choice was well done!!! But I have also some negative comments: - At the beginning of the concert CdeB told us that first of all he will sing alone and later on the band will come onto stage to perform with him. I can't tell you that there was a real cut between both parts! Suddenly the guitar player Al came on stage to perform the song "Borderline" with him. Later on the three other guys also come on stage gradually. But some songs in the second part CdeB performed nearly alone. So I think he had not to mention the division of the concert. But the list on the paper with the song order for Al begins with the song "Where we will be going", so I think this song was the official beginning of the second part of the concert! - And I also must complain to CdeB that he didn't introduce his band member to the audience! The name of Al Vosper I read by now here on this website in context with a link to his own page! The names of the other ones I do know not yet! Unfortunately I don't know where they are from and what they do when they are not on tour with CdeB. Do they have their own projects or do they tour with other artists? I don't know… But I can tell you about their job on stage! They all did very well! The solo parts of the guitar and base players were terrific! I really loved to see them playing. And the drummer was good as well! And the keyboarders play at "THE LEADER" I will never forget. - On another website I found the song list of the concert in Halle/Saale (the very first concert of that tour!!!). I had to read that there the song "Mirror of the soul" was played! Grrrrrrr!!! Why was this fantastic song not played also in Gotha??? And what about "Perfect day"??? I can't understand who was so foolish to shorten the concert by throwing those songs out of the play list!!! Very sad!!! :-( - Some words about the audience: I think it was a real pity that the audience was so subdued. Seldom they sung with CdeB with full power or waved their hands in beat time, jumped up and down and so on. I can't really estimate the character of the people in Gotha – either they were just really stiff or they just didn't know the lyrics of the songs. But this fact was not CdeB´s fault. He handled it really well. He tried to encourage the crowd and gave signs how the audience should clap the hands and so on. But I have also to say that the party at the end of the concert in front of the stage was really fantastic. There all people jumped up and down, waved their hands and sung the majority of the lines!!! - The last thing I want to comment is the duration of the concert. In the concert on HR1 (I mentioned already) CdeB said that this concert in Frankfurt is a very short one and the audience shall come to the next tour to hear more songs and I can remember very well that he said "usually at least three hours"!!! So I was a little bit sad when CdeB left the stage at about 20 minutes past 10 pm. I thought the concert will go on about until 11 pm. The weather was fine so what was the reason??? So, I hope you could feel a little bit of the atmosphere and the mood that were in that concert in Gotha. I also hope these lines give you a compensation of not being on this tour. The next will come soon. Already in November CdeB is back on stage in the UK. Many greetings from the North of Hessen from Carina. Where ever you live - take care and carpe diem!!! |
File last modified on January 3rdth, 2008