Concert Review: Rostock, Germany - September 21, 2011
Andrea Lucas.:
Hello, greetings from Kiel – a „night off“ – and time to write a short review about Rostock. For me this concert was quite special, as I could share it with my friend Stephanie from Canada!!! She and her boyfriend arrived in Germany already on Saturday and after a day in Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg, we visited Munich (Hofbräuhaus and Oktoberfest, we had such a great time!!!) and on Tuesday drove to Leipzig. From where I live it’s more than 800 kilometres to Rostock, so we thought it would be a good idea to stop in between for a night. After some sightseeing in Leipzig we drove on to Ludwigsfelde where we stayed for the night. So on Wednesday morning it was up to Rostock, or better to Warnemünde at the Baltic Sea. It was a rather cold and windy day, but we all enjoyed it to be at the beach, we climbed the lighthouse and had a lovely meal outside. I always love it to walk in the sand (NOOO way I keep my shoes on!!!) and the water. To also see a bit of Rostock we drove there a few hours before the concert started. But I was glad we stayed at the beach, much nicer in my opinion. Once at the venue, we visited Jason and Stephanie bought some things. It’s always lovely to see Jason, as he’s such a nice guy! Thanks for the hugs!!! Of course we also saw some other fans at the merchandise stand. But now to the concert: The “Moonfleet” Ouverture began shortly before 8 and the concert started with the “usual” songs “Light On The Bay”, “Have A Care” and “Go Where Your Heart Believes” which is one of my big favourites. As is “My Heart’s Surrender” at the start of the second “medley” of “Moonfleet” songs. After greeting the audience “Es ist wunderbar, wieder in Rostock zu sein”, he sang “Missing You” and “Ship To Shore”. Again the word “darling” was replaced by “Schatzi” once! Quite often Chris pronounced Rostock as “Roschtock”, probably nobody had told him that we only do this in the south of Germany, like “Augschburg” or “Schtuttgart”…. I think the audience was a bit reserved, which might also be, because not everyone speaks English. But after “SOS” and especially after “Seven Bridges” Chris got loads of applause. Probably this song means a lot for people living in former Eastern Germany as it was originally written by the East German band Karat. For me it’s always a highlight as well. I wonder if Chris ever considered doing a part of it in German, singing the original lyrics??? As the first sounds of “Spanish Train” were to be heard I heard someone (the "little Canadian", ha ha…) yelling from behind… It made me smile, because in Canada this song is VERY popular. Unfortunately the solo part was a bit short… Only “A Spaceman Came Travelling” and “Where Peaceful Waters Flow”, no song on the piano. I had planned to yell for “Carry Me”, but Chris didn’t ask for requests… The other songs were the “usual” ones. Well, “usual” for this tour… Again Chris mentioned the conflicts in the Middle East before he sang “People Of The World” and there must have been people from Iran in the audience, as some were yelling from the back. I can’t remember after which song Chris got flowers from a little girl (it might have been the solo part???), but I think it was after “Borderline” when he said that he wishes this girl a long and happy life in a world of peace. After introducing the band, “Lady In Red” started and as always the audience loved Chris walking around. It’s quite a surprise when he turns up somewhere on the side, instead of on the stage. For some of us, it was the sign to get ready for the dancing part. No need to be very quick, as only a few people came to the stage at first. I really liked that there wasn’t a rush and there was always enough space to move. Of course I had told Stephanie when it “would be time” and she made it to the front! It was great to have her there as well!!! Back on stage Chris invited the audience to get up and dance and the area in front of the stage filled up. Still without any pushing. I was standing next to a speaker, but with an earplug it was OK. “Africa” and “Everywhere I Go” were fantastic as always!!!! Absolute highlights for me!!! I also enjoy “The Getaway”, which I personally prefer to “Don’t Pay the Ferryman” and “High On Emotion”. Towards the end of the concert, the applause got more and more and some times it seems it would never end. Unfortunately the concert ended too soon… With “The Snows Of New York” and another bit of “Go Where Your Heart Believes” the show ended. It was great and sooo much fun!!! For me it was the best so far, but I might have been in a more relaxed mood now. Driving back to the hotel was much quicker as driving into Rostock in the early evening and we enjoyed a drink (or two…) at the hotel before going to bed. So this was my Rostock review, Kiel will be the next show. I am really looking forward to that. Take care, Andrea