Concert Review: Neubrandenburg, Germany - May 10, 2000
Diana Sanz, Rene Stolp & Claudia Schneider:
We hit the road in the early afternoon to avoid the rush-hour from Berlin to the surrounding places and that worked fine, we got through well till Neubrandenburg. There we had some hours before the concert, so we made a little walk around the city and then went to the big lake where Neubrandenburg is situated and ate something on the terrace of a restaurant with a marvellous view over the lake. It happened to rain a very little bit while sitting on that terrace, but only some drops. The rain was certainly due to René, because he told us, that whenever he went to an open air event it was raining there, so we were quite happy to look forward to a concert inside! ;-))
Well, at 7 o'clock we went over to the hall, found our places and sat down. Then we soon realized, that the hall, even not so big, wasn't half sold! I estimate, there were 1000-1500 people around. Short after 8 o'clock it turned dark and the concert started very vivid, with the same songs as already described on the list. During the first hour of the concert only few people were dancing, well, it was a seated concert, so it was not so easy to stand up and dance without disturbing the people behind you. But I saw people who even didn't move one finger and other ones who obviously didn't know before, that they will be on a rock concert! You could read it literally on some sour faces... I can't understand that - but no matter, we three and many others had fun! :-)
Finally the efforts of CdeB to make the crowd move a bit were successful and many stood in the aisle in the middle of the hall and in front of the stage, Claudia too went there, but René and I stayed at our seats on the side of the hall, where in the meantime almost everyone stood up to dance. We had a very good view and not very far from the stage, perhaps about 30 meters, and as I'm afraid of being stuck between other people I personally was very content. :-) I don't know why, whether he was tired or ill or whether it was due to the little sold concert, but with encores he only played 2,5 hours, half an hour less than in all the other concerts! But that is really more than you get in most other concerts, and even if we missed every song he didn't play it is clear that he can't play all of his songs in one concert... ;-)
Before the concert we talked about the request section and reached agreement about requesting "The Tower". So it came to that point and CdeB asked into the (in that moment absolutely quiet) hall "any requests?" and we three shouted out very loud "The Tower". Surely he (like everyone!) heard it, because he jumped a bit and on the other side of the hall someone laughed, but he ignored it... Someone requested "Patricia" and he made a joke about his age and having forgotten the words. I must say, this section was a little bit disappointing because it came out very clear that he was prepared for a few certain songs and that it was. But nevertheless it was lovely to hear him singing alone with his guitar or the piano. :-)
Claudia told us, that all the jokes (besides one, I'll come to it soon) he made were made on the other concerts that she went to, too. But as someone on the list said, he isn't a comedian, but a singer and musician and we go there for the songs, not for the jokes. ;-) As no one threw a sheep onto stage, he let away even that joke. Some women brought flowers to him and one - that was really nice! - threw a bunch of flowers onto the stage, so CdeB suddenly found himself in a rain of flowers. He was rather stunned, stood there in the middle of the flowers, smiling from one ear to the other, arms wide spread, and I had the impression, being speechless for a moment! :-)
As for the (perhaps) new joke: During the introduction to "A Woman's heart" he told that little story of listening to and watching what women are chatting and doing in the toilet of a bar and he mimed a woman who puts perfume all over her body, even onto her feet, and he said (I don't remember it literally) "Even the feet have to smell good, and that's Chanel, Chanel kills smell. Oh, I have to call Chanel tomorrow to tell them this rhyme!" :-))
Well, I can resume, that it was, although a shorter one (I'm a very little bit envious of you who went to the other concerts, it was my only one on this tour...) for me a very good concert. I was pleased by the fact that it was small, so we had a quite familiar atmosphere there. I'm afraid (kind of phobia) of crowds and always a bit anxious to go to very big concerts, so I am content at last. :-))