Concert Review: Bad Brückenau, Germany - August 27, 2010

Michaela K.: 

In Bad Brückenau I was again lucky enough to listen to the soundcheck from the first rows. This time the security did not even 
try to prevent us from sitting there. I´m very happy for those “little intimate concerts”, the atmosphere is very special, 
though probably I would not prefer them to the actual concert. But they are a very very special “extra” for me. Thank you Chris 
for let us listen.

Suddenly during the soundcheck a blast of wind blow a lot of water from the top of the stage and we got wet. Chris seemed to 
have fun with that.

All in all the weather was very unsettled. When Chris came on stage for the soundcheck the sun came out immediately and after it 
we had a nice and sunny walk through Bad Brückenau (which is to my surprise a few kilometers away from the spa, where the 
concert took place). Around 5 p.m., right when we decided to have a coffee anyhow, a heavy shower came down and then plenty of 
sun again and so we hoped for a dry concert.

But right at 8 p.m., even better in time than Chris, the rain was back again. So the audience pulled out the rain clothing and 
immediately after that the concert started.

After the second song Chris welcomed the audience, as usual, but this time he came down the stairs. And he told us that we 
should not mind the rain (“it s summer”). I suppose he came down the stairs to show us that he shares the discomfort of getting 
wet. What a nice gesture.

Soon he played “Oh My Brave Hearts”, one of my favourites, and it was great to hear it again as he didn´t play in Salem. 
Thankfully soon the rain stopped and didn´t return.

Chris was pretty spontaneous and made his jokes with the ladies who brought presents to him. He made us howling like wolfs and 
told us about the roaming ghost of the emperor who built up the place.
“Sailor”, “Revolution”, “Without You”, all of them were special highlights for me. But I´m still a bit disappointed by 
“Moonlight and Vodka”, which has really lost of it´s brilliance without the piano and most of all without Nigel on the 
squeezebox.

At his solo part Chris asked for requests. I shouted for “Spanish Train”, it was the first time ever that I shouted for a 
request ( usually I think that I´m not loud enough anyhow, but this time I was pretty close). Chris decided to play “In A 
Country Churchyard” though none of us had heard that it was requested at all. But that didn´t matter for me, because it is one 
of my all time favourites, at least as much as Spanish Train. So from that moment on I was completely spellbound and contended, 
nothing could go wrong anymore. 

“Last Thing On My Mind” was also played in the solo part, which was quite nice, as I like it very much and haven´t heard it 
often live.

During his walkabout Chris let somebody of the audience sing a line of Lady in Red. But we of course in the meantime were busy 
to get a place in front of the stage for the dancing part. All the time from the start of the concert a security guy sat on a 
folding chair right at the stage (turning his view to the audience). Obviously he didn´t know that a rush to the front will 
happen at a certain moment. And the girls were mad enough that they nearly dropped him from his chair (actually he felt down 
from his chair but stayed on his feet at least). Imagine the poor guy, probably happy to be on duty at such a calm concert and 
suddenly and unexpected he was run down by a crowd of unrestrained ladies….

Then the exciting drum-intro of “Africa”, and start of a great party and Chris smiling over and over for the rest of the 
evening. This time I had many unknown faces around me, most of the “regulars” had left out that concert and were already on 
their way to Dresden. But I saw many completely spellbound faces and it is nice to know how much impressions Chris gives also to 
people who came to concerts occasionally. 

The dancing part is always what I enjoy the most. Chris has shortly stated that it is his job to make people happy, and I tell 
you he is doing his job better than anybody else. Every time towards the end of a concert I wish I could simply cuddle him to 
say thank you for all the fun and pleasure he gives to my life. And this time, for the second time ever, I managed to catch him 
somewhere in the crowd and give him a hug. Could there have been a more perfect ending of a wonderful day?