Manfred Mann's Earthband - On The Road January 2001
Friday, 26 January, Friedrichshafen, Germany
Posted by Martin Retzbach Hi! Here just a small report of the Friedrichshafen Gig last night.
The Earth Band played on the "Oldie-Night" in Friedrichshafen with three other bands: Suzie Quatro, Chris Norman and Nazareth.
First of all I was still disappointed to see only a short gig, but nevertheless it was a very special gig for myself. It was the first time, I met some
members of the fan family: Karin + Thomas, Erika + Reinhard and Uschi. Thanks for the nice evening, I hope we find some more time to talk before or after the next gig.
We entered Messehalle 10 at about 7 p.m., only a few people where already in the hall. We stood in the third row between Micks an Noels micro.
Half an hour later, the hall was full, the concert was sold out with 6000 people. The gig should start at 8 p.m. but the Earth Band decided to begin at 7.45 to play a little longer. Thank you for that, Earth Band!!!
I hope I correctly remember the setlist... The Band started with the Demolition Man, Martha followed after that, then Castles (not Carol, thanks Karin ;-)). Mick played wonderful solos, a little
bit to short, but the band had only one hour. I can't get enough of his great guitar sound! The next song was SOS. I'm born in Friedrichshafen and I
can't believe, that the people in this region aren't able to remember three letters (in fact only two letters), but the reaction from the audience was
very bad. For the next time here the lyrics: SOS .... SOS .... SOS. In august last year it was much better. On the other hand I think, SOS was too
early this evening, the mood was not good enough for SOS at this time. Perhaps they should play it after the songs more known because of the
many fans from the other bands this evening. The next song was Blinded and the mood was much better. Then Redemption Song, Davy and
Mighty followed, the audience became better from song to song. But unfortunately the gig was now over and 10 minutes later Susie Quatro entered the stage. A few words to the other three bands:
Suzie Quatro: played many known songs, still a nice voice, but why is the band playing so loud or the mirco is so silent? Why hiding this voice? Chris Norman: played many songs from Smokie, the volume was a little bit to high, good gig.
To Suzie Quatro and Chris Norman: playing the same evening on the same stage, why not playing Stumblin'in together? So we have to here it to times this evening with wrong voices. What a pity.
Nazareth: I left the gig after Chris Norman, but I heard that many left the gig after the first or second song. The volume was not to endure.
Comparing the four bands one big compliment to the MMEB technicians: I hered MMEB in big halls, small rooms and in tents, but the sound, especially the volume was always perfect.
Today I talked with some people seeing the gig last night. The opinion was the same: Earth Band and Chris Norman were wonderful, Suzie Quatro average, Nazareth terrible. Bye Martin
In Reply to: Gig in Friedrichshafen last night posted by Martin Retzbach
Posted by Karin and Thomas Hi Martin and everybody else, we are still on the road and only in the hotel online but couldn`t wait to read your great report! We totally agree with you, you wrote just the same
we would have written here. The only part we really missed during the gig were, just like you did, Mick`s guitar solos.
It was another short gig and we can only hope the band is thinking again about replacing Father of Day - it`s always the best song of the gig and
you can cut it, Manfred, it WILL ALWAYS BE the best song of the gig - even if you play all your gigs in future without that song - they will all be not completely for your fans!!! And excuse us, but for which people do you play your gigs???
Many thanks for a good Earth Band performance to the band and the crew, a special thanks to Martin for a wonderful evening we spent together, and greetings to Reinhard, Erika and all the others we met there.
Saturday, 2 March, Kaiserslautern, Germany
Father Out - Spirits In Posted by Juergen Zenker
Hi everyone,
The Kaiserslautern Gig was in a very good mood, for the audience and for the band. There were no big suprises in the set list besides that Father
has disappeared from it and Spirits is new. The biggest surprise was that Spirits is the new solo performance of Mick Rogers.
Many thanks for the small portion of Father within Spirits. At least it has not completely disappeared from the setlist. There was some extra
applause for the small portion of Father at least in rows 1-3 where I was standing. It's not easy to convince me, but the modified version of Spirits sounded quite good to me.
Thanks to Noel for the water at the end of the show. I got most part of it .... I hope Noel keeps his promise that the band will come back to the KAMMGARN within the next year.
I looking forward to seeing some more great gigs during this year.
Sunday 3 March 2001, Magdeburg, Germany
Posted by Thomas and Karin Hi everybody,
we stayed in Magdeburg last night and had to do something else today, so we`ve just now returned home from the journey. Great report, so let`s
only add some details: It was a very nice hall for around 3500 people, but there had been, estimated by the security guys I had talked to, only 1200
to 1500 inside. One of the reason was the fact there was no ticket shop in front of the hall - if you wanted to get in and didn`t buy your ticket the
days before, you had no chance! I`ve never seen something like this before. The promotion was good this time, we heard the announcement of the
gig several times in the radio "Rockland Sachsen-Anhalt", which was a sponsor of the night, when we drove in the afternoon to Magdeburg.
But gigs in the East of Germany always got their own mind: We saw some very good audiences, like in Jena 1997, Dresden 1998, Glauchau 1999
and in Berlin 2000, but also other gigs with a well sleeping audience - Borna 2000 and also last night in Magdeburg. Okay, they clapped their hands
well and applauded after the songs loud and excited as usual, but why people are not able to sing the letters "SOS"??? - very bad, greetings to
Martin, thinking about the Friedrichshafen gig! Also the chorus of Blinded and Redemption Song was more than bad. The people really tried to sing
first time in Davy - and uups - it worked! So the mood was good but for us typically "eastern" - a fact we cannot understand because we live in that part of Germany, too. You from the fan family, we missed you all so at this gig!
For insiders another detail: Roy Herrington, a real great musician, played his show together with members of the "Klosterbrüder" and there was a
special guest on stage, the keyboarder of the wellknown German band "Karat" - it was very interesting for us who grew up with that music.
The Earth Band Sound was really brilliant, it was the best one we heard since some gigs, although there were some little difficulties during Shelter.
It was a pity but we got only another shorted gig, without Nothing and without Angels. So there had left only 90 mins, but as ever a real great gig.
Spirits, the "new" song done by Mick, was very nice, I liked it more than the CT-versions we heard 1997/98. This time they ended the song first
with the slowly Father-part and the lyrics of spirits (sorry, Fee, but there wasn`t any guitar solo of Father.), then came the duel with Manfred and
the whole thing ended with the normal final of Father, this time WITH the lyrics "Father of day..." Very well done, but why can`t we get both songs
in full length??? I think I will need some more gigs to feel more comfortable with that strange combination. Or was it because of our board
discussion that there stayed a little rest of Father? Please, Manfred, think about that again, that song is too good for using it as a joke!
The better joke was indeed Noel`s piano-try in the intro of Mighty - very funny (and very wrong :-)) ).
It was a very good gig of the Earth Band in front of a good, but not great audience. The well known brilliant guitar solos, just another new version
like we know that from Mick, great keyboards, Noel in top form, the whole band good as ever. We enjoyed the gig and are now waiting for the next... :-) Best regards to everyone K & T Posted by Fee:
This is the gig from the point of view of two sisters in the front row. We (that is our uncle, our dad, Sarah and Fee) reached the Stadthalle at 1830. It was damn cold outside and some people were already waiting. At
about 1900 we were allowed to enter the entrance hall. The security wouldn't let us go further because the bands were still doing their sound checks. At least this is what I've heard. It was nearly 2000 when we finally entered the hall.
What I always find remarkable on MMEB-gigs is the atmosphere. Usually when you go to a concert you have to try to be very quick to get a good
sight. In this case we had all the time to step up to the stage decide where to stand and await the things to come. Sarah was more than happy to
stand front row, centre stage. Not to mention that I was, too. :) The show, titled Rockmarathon, started with a band called 'Rock'n'Roll Orchester'.
They played some great old Rock'n'Roll songs and they did a good job. That would have been enough as the opener for MMEB but there were two
more performances to come. So, next was a guy named Roy Herrington. A blues guitarist and he also did a good job. And he also did some jokes (walking through the crowd while playing) and imitations of Jimmy Hendrix.
Next then was 'Klosterbrüder'. Suppose they are a local band. I don't know where to put their music. In parts they sounded like Jethro Tull. But that
might have been because of the transverse flute. I can't say much about them because it was just not my type of music. I think they didn't fit into
the gig but that's just my humble opinion. I guess it was about 2300 when 'Klosterbrüder' went off stage and some well known guys started to
arrange keys, drums, guitars, bass and mics. Set lists were taped to the ground and at least two girls were getting more and more excited.
Mick, Richard, Steve and Manfred entered the stage and with the first sounds of Joybringer as the intro for Shelter from the Storm the party began.
Next came Castles Burning. One of my favourites. Then spooky-green Martha, Carol and SOS (what a beautiful song). Then there came a surprise
(at least for me). I don't know if it was planned all from the start or if it was the discussion on the message board but what we could hear and see
now was Spirits In The Night. By the way, good idea to add the solo of Father. But was that really planned or did you want to suit everyone of
your fans? ;) Now it was Demolition-time. This time Noel nearly knocked our guitarist down. Mick and Steve, I hope both of you have a good life-insurance.
Blinded, Redemption (I really missed your acoustic solo, Mick), Davy and Mighty, as almost always. And as almost always Noel was not completely
satisfied with our singing skills. Hey, at least we try. Not everyone is born with such a brilliant voice. And not everyone can play piano. So, Noel, perhaps you better let Manfred do it. Steve, did you recover from this torture? ;)
All in all it was brilliant. All the hits, even the 'Spirit of Father'. Somewhere between Shelter and Castles I must have lost my voice. But I don't care.
Oh, by the way, sorry for blinding you, Mick. I'll leave my camera at home next time. Promised.
The last difficult thing of this night for me was to drive us back home. Discussing the gig I managed to stay awake to leave Magdeburg but on the motorway it happened to be quite difficult. But we reached our beds safe and sound at about 0230.
Thanx a lot for this fantastic night from Bernd (dad), Uwe (uncle), Sarah (sister, the younger) and Fee (sister, the elder) See you again, soon.
Monday, 22 April, Samnaun, Switzerland
Posted by Thomas and Karin Hi, Sorry if I`m a bit late this time but we just 30 mins ago returned from our journey to Switzerland and Austria, and in the hotels we stayed there was
no internet access for me... :-) Okay, here is the report: We started already on Friday, it was our first free day and we decided because of the long way to Samnaun to stop over near Innsbruck, in
Hall/Tyrol - a nice little town with many beautiful old houses. Already when we passed Munich the weather was going to be really bad, it started to
rain and then to snow - and when we looked out of the window in Hall in the next morning we saw a winter wonderland! On 21st April!!!
This was the moment we were happy that we had still the winter tires on our Subaru - Samnaun lies 1800 metres above sea level...
Without any problems we passed Innsbruck, reached Landeck and started then to climb up the mountain road to the Samnaun valley - it was still
snowing, but there was a lot of salt on the road. At the roadsides we saw some people who put the snow tracks on their cars - we relied on our
four-wheel-drive and so we arrived well in Samnaun and saw: nothing than deep clouds and snow, snow, snow... Around 2 metres high! We
found our boarding house just next to the cable way-station, checked in and started then our first excursion to the next (and last) little village of the
valley, to Samnaun-Dorf. It took us only 10 mins to walk on a well prepared footpath to get there - and the weather was already better! There were
some pieces of blue sky between the clouds, and the mountains came into view - whow, what a panorama! After a shopping tour (Samnaun is a
duty-free area because it lies in Switzerland but you can only reach the valley via Austria) we returned to Samnaun-Ravaisch where we stayed
and hoped the best for the weather of the next day. Around 8.30 p.m. a tour bus passed our house and drove the street to Samnaun - Dorf - we guess that was the band arriving, too.
Sunday morning, a first look out of the window: It was snowing again and only since the last evening we had 10 cm Snow on our car - oh god,
how would be the weather on the top of the mountains??? After breakfast we waited till 11 a.m. in our room, still hoping the snow would stop; no,
it snowed and snowed and snowed, but not so heavy like in the night before. Okay, now we prepared ourself just like for an arctic expedition -
three pullovers, a thick anorak, gloves and cap, and the most important thing were the sunglasses in all that very white environment.
At the station we payed each 22 Fr. for the cable car and now we could start to the "highest" MMEB gig we ever saw - the venue, Alp Trida, lies
around 2300 metres above sea level, in the middle of the famous Silvretta ski area, a fantastic panorama, and it`s a shame but we were two of a
few people who went not skiing there. Okay, may be next time. It looked wonderful how all that people drawed their lines into the snow with their
skis and snowboards, and even Noel asked later in the concert for someone who could teach him snowboarding! :-)
The stage had been built up next to the sun terrace of the Alp Trida restaurant - we found some good places at a veranda, and the sun came out! It
was still snowing a bit, but the sun looked through the clouds again and again on that afternoon. So we had around minus 8° Celsius there, but we
in the audience could enjoy the warm sun and so it was not too cold for us. On stage it was surely much colder because of the shadow there -
we admire everybody who played there his instrument, and I still try to understand how it`s possible to play a gig in such an icy temperature - try
to play an instrument with cold fingers and you know what I mean! Also the whole equipment and the instruments must have been frozen - a little
bit of that we heard later in the sound, especially the keyboards got problems with the temperature, but the two bands and their technicians did another masterpiece to conjure up a good sound.
First, after some technical problems, a band named Adrian Sturzenegger started to play - a good music, but we were happy when around 2 p.m.
Matt, Pat and Ian entered the stage for their last soundcheck - it was meanwhile cold enough... The arrangement of the mics and instruments was
a bit strange this time, Manfred`s keyboards and the drumkit stood so far away on the (from the audience) right sight that we, sitting on the right
side, too, couldn`t see Manfred and Richard. Infront of the very high ( around 3 m) stage there was a free area where the people walked around,
then came some rows of audience but most of the estimated 1000 people sat at the terrace, had something to eat and to drink, talked to each other
- it was a completely different atmosphere from what we know from the usual gigs. But MMEB "on the rocks", in the middle of all that snow, on the
top of the mountain - that is something we`ll never forget. It was a special gig, although it was another short one.
Very special also the way the band took to get on stage - they had to take the cable way and then the chair lift just like we, too and took then one of these caterpillars which are preparing the ski pistes! It looked very interesting...
And now the gig started - this time without the Intro, but with Shelter - I can only repeat what I wrote already some years ago - please think about
the position of that wonderful song in the setlist, it is a shame to use such a great track like Shelter to tune the mixers! Then the same list like we
had in Magdeburg: Castles, Martha, Carol, SOS (no echo from the audience), Spirits in that strange combination with Father, Demo Man, She Was,
Blinded ( very bad choir in the audience), Davy (the mood a little bit better) and Mighty (best mood of the whole gig) as the last song. Please allow
me a last word regarding the Spirits-version, dear band - I will say this one last time and then I will be silent, promised! But please, think about a
changing in that arrangement. It is too strange to combine these two songs. Father is too good for such a joke or whatever that means. And Spirits
is now only a half song. Only the insiders understand what happens when Mick sings "Spirits" to the melody of Father, and we - I can of course
only speak for Thomas and me - absolutely dislike that combination! Please, bring Father back on the list and if this is not possible, play Spirits in full length.
However, we saw a good, a special gig, and this was also the first time I was not not so mad because it was a short one - it was after 90 mins
time to return to the cable way, because we had been frozen enough. Very nice meeting after the gig: Wolfgang and his friend, two Austrian fans
we met in 1999 in Klam, had been there, too, and we had a nice talk before we drove back down into warmer zones. Greetings to both of you, we
are looking forward to meet you again! Next time, promised, we will be together with you in the front row :-)
Back in the valley and defrosted, we decided to look for a nice restaurant to have a meal and then, may be, for a bar. In Ravaisch there were not
so much chances, so we walked again up to Samnaun-Dorf, entered again a very nice hotel restaurant we knew already from the day before and
visited then the disco just around the corner. There we met Ian, later also Noel, Steve and Pat and spent some nice hours together. So that special Sunday found it`s special end...
The next day in the morning we woke up and Thomas said: Hey, here you need sunglasses in your bed! There was such a blue sky above that
white snowy mountains, no cloud, only sun and snow - wonderful! And when we now drove back to Austria we had a fantastic view on all that high mountains around us.
Back in Tyrol, we visited yesterday some friends there and returned today in the morning home to Thuringia.
So we can only say another big Thank You to the band and all technicians for that wonderful concert and the masterpiece you all did playing your great music in spite of the cold in the wellknown quality - great work! Best regards
K & T Posted by Wolfgang B. In Reply to: Samnaun gig, 22.4.01 posted by Thomas and Karin Hi to all of you, who did not take the chance to see this 'Rock on Top'.
I just came back from a short ski-holiday in Ischgl/Austria, which unfortunately is the Austrian partner of the Silvretta-Ski-Arena at Samnaun/Ischgl. And even more unfortunately there was that MMEB-gig in the middle of the skiing-slopes.
Well, some words to you Karin and Thomas. I already told you that I was disappointed not to see you in the front row. We (Walter and me) had
much fun there, as it was not a usual front row (a half meter to reach Noel's legs) but a lot of free space to dance around. However, as there
were no real MMEB fans (except us!!!) it was a hard job do do all the audience-lyrics alone. We did our best, but it seems that we have to try even harder if you did not here us back there (SOS, Blinded, Davy)! Some more details:
Manfred wore 'half-gloves', which only left his fingers in the fresh air, funny to look at! Mick lost his sun-glasses at the end of Spirits/Father - it seems always to be a very hard performance for him, when at the end he goes down on
his knees... Well, Spirits/Father is a discussion for its own, and I am sure this discussion will grow during the next gigs. My opinion is, that it just does not fit
together, the Father-theme at the end comes too surprisingly, to short to enjoy the probably best MMEB song.
And to the weather: There has been bad weather two weeks long up to Sunday morning, the day of the gig. But during the gig the sun came out,
just to welcome the band and all the fans. And the sun only was shining at that small spot of Alp Trida. Going back to Ischgl after the concert,
moving up the hill with the chair-lift, the fog and clouds fell in again and the bad weather was back.
But on the next two days, we enjoyed the most beautiful weather the Austrian/Swiss mountains can deliver. Total deep blue sky, fresh powder snow, a wonderful skiing experience. And all that with a great gig in mind... Wolfgang
Friday, 31 May, Augsburg, Germany
Posted by Thomas and Karin Sonntag
Hi,
great reports about Pfullendorf! :-) It was a really good concert. We saw the first three gigs of that part of the tour, and they had been all fantastic!
Now we are back home from Fussgoenheim and are full of various impressions we will never forget...
But back to the Augsburg gig. It was very difficult for us to make it possible to see that gig, first we had to fight to get free from work for those two
days (31.5. and 1.6.), then we got some new problems in our family, but finally we won the race and could start on Thursday morning to Augsburg!
The Spectrum Club in Augsburg - a venue we know from two former Earth Band gigs and a real lovely place. It is just a feeling like coming home
when you enter that little hall, such a nice atmosphere you find there. Also this time it was very well filled, I don`t know if it was sold out but the
people stood very closed during the gig. (And it had been hot enough inside.) It seemed to be a big fan family, not all of the visitors "die-hard" fans,
but we found out that most of them knew a lot of facts about the band, when we have spoken with them :-) The Spectrum is a hall where you can
always meet the one or other musician or technician before or after the show if you got a bit of luck; that was a fact the audience enjoyed very much also this time.
So we all had been well prepared when the concert started - no supporting band, no security area in front of the stage: so we all like it. And the
audience showed their enthusiasm from the very first minute, enjoying an Earth Band on stage in top form. The musicians gave us a wonderful
performance, great in all details, and like Martin already wrote for Pfullendorf also in Augsburg the set was played in full length. To bring some
order in your different setlists from Pfullendorf :-) : They played in Augsburg, Pfullendorf and Fussgoenheim the following: Intro - Shelter - Castles -
Martha - Carol - Dancing in the Sun - Spirits/Father - SOS - Demolition Man/She was - Blinded///Redemption Song - Davy - Mighty. The order of the encores changes sometimes, but that is not so important.
Let us say some words about the new song for all who are not able to see it live in the next time. I asked now in Augsburg the band how is the
name and Mick created "Dancing in the Sun" - so it had also been announced during the following gigs. It`s a combination of two old songs, Martin
wrote it already, but what a combination! A fantastic arrangement, parts of the songs are always there in the background, but in a completely new
form. "Dancing" is leading, but the melody changes during the track from the one song to the other and back to the first - without any breaks,
without any difficulties, just like it had been so originally! So you get a new song, not too hard, with wonderful keyboard sound, powerful but soft
in the same time, and with the two singers working perfect together. They change the leading voice from the first to the second chorus - first sings
Noel the slowly "House" and Mick "Dancing" in the back and then takes Noel the "Dancing" part. Very professional made by both of them, it sounds
really great! A fine keyboard solo in the last part, then back to "Dancing" - and it`s over much too soon...
We liked it from the first second, and all the people around us did so, too, they always clap their hands from the first moment. But you need some
more than one time to listen to a song, before you really got an idea what you are speaking about, and that`s why we only now, after four
performances we saw, want to write something about it. It is one more of that great and typical MMEB - songs, as always much better than the
originals and it sounds like - oh yes, like the Earth Band we all love. We are sure it is also a song for the fans who like more the older MMEB music
as well as for the people who like the modern tracks. It seems to us we got a new favourite song in the list... :-) And all the times when we left the
venues after a gig we heard each other singing or whistling that melody! Dancing in the Sun is for sure one of the highlights of the 2001 - concerts. And if it`s possible to you, come to a gig and enjoy it there - you won`t be disappointed!
The Augsburg gig ended in a storm of applause, and although it was such a hot and bad air inside we would have given something for going back
to the start and see it again :-) Okay, that chance we got the next two days. To compare these tree concerts is difficult because you cannot
compare a club gig with a bigger concert in a tent, but it seems to us the Fussgoenheim one was even a bit better???
Greetings to everybody we met there, especially to Martin and Sebastian, Reinhard, Erika, Jürgen and his friend, Jens and his wife, Thorbjorn and
his friend, Iris, Angela and Uschi, Andreas, the "Pink Panther" :-), and of course Armin, and...
Please, forgive me if I had forgotten someone or if I did some mistakes there. It was surely not my intention to upset somebody. And many thanks to
Manfred and his band and the technicians for the wonderful time we were allowed to spend at these gigs - it was one of the best weekends we
had since a long time. And this is the source from which we take the power when we now have to return to the daily work... So we are looking forward to the next gig, Best regards K & T
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