A
concert review by Katrin Wagner:
Concert
number 79 starts with the arrival of my friend Christel
at midday. Together we start the journey to Nürnberg in
my poor old car. We reach Nürnberg at 4.30 pm and check
in at the hotel. SAILOR are at the concert hall which
happens to be right next to the hotel for their
soundcheck. We sit down at the foyer and wait.
A little later Phil, Henry and Oliver return from
the soundcheck. We say hello to the boys and talk to them
briefly. Phil says that he needs to iron his
stage outfit before the show. Henry says that he's going
to crumple his own stage suit in the meantime. "That
evens up then", I suggest! Phil decides to catch up
on some sleep a little later, while Henry and Oliver want
to go for a walk. Before they leave they ask us whether
we have tickets for today's show. No we haven't, as the
venue has never replied when I've asked them to leave
some at the box office for us. The two Marshs suggest
that we could get in with the help of Phil and tell us to
ask him when he returns. This would be really great, as
the tickets are quite expensive.
Christel and I continue the waiting at the hotel foyer
and meet Andrea, a nice Tremeloes fan. The Marshs return
after a while and go to the hotel restaurant, later back
to their rooms. We wait.
Meanwhile the concert has already started next door. We
don't mind missing the first two acts, Duty Free and
German singer Ted Herold, as we have already seen them
live before, but Christel and I would really like to see
the other bands. But so far all we can do is... wait.
At about 9 pm Grant appears at the foyer and we welcome
him. He suggests that we should simply try to get into
the concert hall without any help and, should that plan
fail, we can still come back and wait for the SAILORs to
help. No sooner said than done, we're on our way. There
is just one security guy protecting the backstage
entrance who lets through immediately as I say
good evening to him in English.
Inside the "Meistersingerhalle" Ted Herold is
on stage. Christel and I decide to have a look around and
then return to the hall for the performances of the
Fortunes and, afterwards, Herman's Hermits. The
audience is seated, but as we don't have tickets and
therefore no seats and the hall is nearly full, we stay
at the side to watch the other bands. But when it's time
for SAILOR at about midnight, Christel and I go to the
front of the stage, hoping that people behind us won't
complain. Some more people follow us soon to dance in
front of the stage.
SAILOR play a 50-min set with most of the usual
songs and the "Full Monty" again. Even Christel
(the old Peter Lincoln fan!) is quite impressed by the
new SAILOR and Captain Ollie! Again, the
show could be summed up as big fun and we enjoy it
all very much. Grant's son Edmund is there too, and
Edmund's wife stands next to us and takes a lot of
photos.
After SAILOR's show the boys are supposed to sign
autographs at the foyer of the concert hall. Together
with lots of other people we meet at the autograph desk,
not just to give some of my website flyers to the waiting
people but also to get autographs for ourselves for a
change. But no SAILORs anywhere. Where are they? A few
minutes later the question is answered: they are already
signing autographs at the foyer, but at the wrong desk.
We guide them the way to the correct autograph desk where
they continue the signing and sell CDs and DVDs. We help
some fans who don't speak proper English. (The funniest
moment here is when I ask Henry about the price of the
"Live In Berlin" CD for another woman and he
says: "45.000 Euros for you, Katrin!" Hey - I'm
only trying to help selling your stuff!?) One guy insists
on buying something with "Josephine Baker" on
it and wants to leave when he is told that the song isn't
included on any of the CDs. But I recommend the DVD
instead, as it includes a great live version of this
song, and he buys it.
A little later Christel and I return to the hall to watch
some songs of the Tremeloes. Then we walk back to
the hotel and sit down at the foyer there. SAILOR arrive
back at the hotel at about 2 am, and Grant, Henry, Oliver
and roadie Mark sit down with us, as well as Edmund and
his wife, while Phil goes to bed. He doesn't return.
Unfortunately the bar has closed only a few minutes
before the SAILORs returned. :-(
Grant goes to bed a little later, as well as Henry.
Christel and I stay at the foyer together with Oliver and
Mark until 3.15 am...
At 9.30 am it's on the next morning it's breakfast time
for all of us. SAILOR have to wait until the late
afternoon before they can get to the airport and fly back
home, so that we meet them again at the foyer to talk
before Christel and I have to leave at midday.
Thanks for another marvellous SAILOR weekend, boys!! ;-)
Katrin Wagner, 26 April 2007
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