Concert Review: Bonn, Germany - June 17, 2009
Michaela:
Yesterdays concert in Bonn was my very first 2009 concert. And I had been looking forward to it very unpatiently, after I´ve read so many enthusiastic reviews since 5 weeks! This time I was very very curious for three reasons: 1) for the first time I took part in a “real” (planned) fan-meeting 2) for the very first time I intended to bring a present to the stage 3) I won my ticket at a competition at cdeb.com and had no idea where my seat will be After a less than 2 hours drive I reached Bonn around 2 p.m., did a little sightseeing and shopping and relaxed short time at the river Rhine. I had parked the car for free 10 min from the city in direction to the venue. I already thought about walk to the venue. But when I came back to the car, they had placed meanwhile a mobile (!!) sign for a stopping restriction there! Good luck no ticket so far. I drove to the venue and now it was time to wrap the present for Chris. I´ve never brought him a present before for two reasons. First I was in worry, that I will become that nervous that I wouldn´t enjoy the concert (well, I was still in worry about that…) and second I simply never had any idea what kind of present I could choose. Some time ago my daughter watched at TV how to make a bowl from a Vinyl LP. Of course she wanted to try immediately, so we bought some LP´s at a flea marked and it really worked! I talked about it in the office and that I´m considering to make a bowl from a CdeB-record, because it would be a nice gag to serve party-snacks in it. My colleagues bet that I´ll never put one of my CdeB-vinyls into the oven. But then, by chance, a friend presented me with a LP which I already owned as well as CD than as Vinyl and I told my colleagues that I´m going to do it now. One of them said, that I should write to Chris what I am doing with his masterpieces… And just in this moment I got the idea not to write him but to present him with such a self-made bowl from his Man On The Line album. In Bonn I bought a rose and few sweets and filled the bowl with them and wrapped it in a transparent foil. Short after 5 p.m. I arrived at the Museumsmeile and met lot of well known faces in a café. I was proud to show them the present, but nobody recognized (through the foil) that the bowl was a LP! So I realized, that CdeB will also not see this, when he has a short look on it at stage. We met Jason and he told us that he will not run the merchandising this evening. Somebody asked where he will be and he said with a lucky smile: Far far away, so he will not have to listen to LIR this time. At 6 p.m. the box office opend and I received my ticket. I was soooo courious, I didn´t expect a real good seat, because I was told that I will get what´s left in the contingent. My friend from Braunschweig had attended a concert yet with my other winner ticket. She was surprised when she got a third row ticket, but then found out, there were rows A –L in front of row 1. Of course she was still very contended and by the way, she was very happy with the concert. Not only enthused about CdeB (“he don´t seem to become older”) but also about the voices of both guitar-players (!) and the lightshow. Well, I would have been conteded with any seat (the place was not that large) except those with the trees right between peoples legs (!!!). Nevertheless I was a bit sad that I´ve given my originally bought firstrow seat (at the outer end of the row) to ebay. But after winning the competition I had more tickets than I could use. When I opened the envelope with the ticket, I was surprised that it was for the first row. But somehow I was convinced (didn´t believe my luck), that this was not the real first row. There could again be other rows in front, A-Z at least! But it was the first row. And it was not only the first row. It was the seat in the very middle!!!! For sure I was the happiest, most surprised and most cheerful person in the whole audience now!!!! I met more and more well known faces before the concert and I guess I´ve bothered them all with telling them how happy I was. This seat was even much much more better than the one I´ve sold. Only thing I regretted now: I was still wearing my Birkenstocks while I left the dressy pair of shoes in the car, because I was sure nobody will see my feet anyway. The concert started on time at 7 p.m. and I admit, that I´ve spoiled the surprises, because I had read the reviews and setlists before. It was so nice to hear Last Night again after years and of course to see CdeB again after months! I wanted the give him his present soon to get rid of the excitement, moreover because now I intended to say something to him to explain what it is. But I also wanted to give it after a song which I really adore, because it´s a kind of way to show my admiration. So Missing You and Sailing Away were out of question as well as the not self written Turn Turn Turn. Brave Hearts (oh, I enjoyed it so much again) was for sure the right one und so I got up from my seat after he finished singing. But my way to the stage was short and the instrumental outro was long, so I stood at the edge of the stage for endless moments. And, funny, I was much more nervous because of the 2000 pairs of eyes in my back than because of Mr. Superheroe in front of me. I tried to say something like “this was made from a LP” but the applause was still loud and I think he didn´t get my words at all. He said well-behaved “Thank You” but didn´t really look at the present. Anyhow, finally time to enjoy the concert without being nervous. Nevertheless I would be curious if he ever looks upon the presents once they left the stage. I guess I´ll never find out. Couple of nice songs followed, especially Mirror Of The Soul. The three people next to me appeared to me not to be real fans (they chatted during the songs but were annoyed about our waving hands during Sailing Away). I wondered how they got their first row seat. The height of impudence was, that they didn´t return after the intermission. Oh dear, I know so many people that would have been endless lucky with these seats and now they were empty. This made me really sad, and also I think it must have been disappointing for Chris to see that he couldn´t convince the firstrow-audience to return after the intermission. Good luck later two children from second row climbed on those seats (unbelievable that they were so quiet for 3 hours, my own daughter would have never been…). I was a bit annoyed when their mother talked to them from the row behind, obviously translating, so some times I couldn´t understand what Chris was saying. But I was happy that Chris and me not had to look at the empty seats anymore. He was obviously pleased to have two sweet girls in the first row. (Only disadvantage for me: many times he smiled with them and gave them special attention during his walkabout. So there was no single glance left for me….) When Chris returned from the intermission he walked along the audience and he brought some flowers with him. No, actually not “some” flowers. He brought a large flowerbox !! (such as you can put on a balcony) and he reached it onto stage to Al. Al was now the big star and Chris was the fan. Of course he got a little kiss from Al. And then Chris made a very delighted face. That was sooo funny. He was pretty good in making this face, I guess he must have seen this kind of faces many times. The acoustic set followed, starting with All Along The Watchtower. When the Footsteps album was new, this was really not one of my favourites (not very melodic). But at some point I started to like it, because the arrangement is quite different from the original and it´s really well done. And the live-arrangement is also good. But my highlight of the acoustic set was moonlight and vodka. The way it is played now is such a great version! It became very clear to me now, what Anya ment, when she said that Nigel with his accordion looked like a real Russian guy. Next was Chris solo part, this time with two standing ovations: after Borderline and Peaceful Waters. Weeks before the concert I avoided to listen to the steady-played songs on a CD, to get not too much bored by them. And it worked. I haven´t enjoyed Borderline so much like this time for a while. Can´t say much about the LIR-walkaround, because when you are in the first row, you see Chris at any time better than during this… Then we rushed to the front and Africa was another highlight for me. The less I liked the drums intro at the CD the more it´s absolutely fantastic in the live version! And I enjoyed to hear Ship To Shore live after a very long time. It was nice to see that the forums- und listmembers from the middle of the second and third row also managed to get very close to the stage. The crowd was very enthused now and Chris and the boys on stage also. Sadly there was a time limit for the concert at 10 p.m. and so Chris had to leave out Snows Of New York, obviously he didn´t manage to go through the setlist on time. And another fact was a pity. I think Chris was not very much in spontaneous talking mood this evening. Maybe this was also a victim of the time limit? After the concert a lot of the forums members met in the restaurant, which was very interesting and exciting for me. And, very funny, nearly nobody had to say “goodbye until next year”, everybody said “see you soon in….” SEE YOU SOON IN WEINHEIM! Michaela -Still High On Emotion