Sunday 19th September 2004
Saturday after noon in germany is usually a dull affair because of a barbaric practise in which all the shops shut around midday.
I head from Stubnitz into Rostock town centre hoping for a post card and lo - a town festival! There are stages every 100yards along the main street with everything from teenage girls singing out of tune pop, to Mystic de los Andes playing outsize panpipes over new age synth sound washes. None of it my cup of tea but a great distraction, lots of people and the shops are OPEN!
It's funny but whenever you have high expectations of a gig they always seem disapointing and then unexpected gigs are the real gems.
I have high expectations for Stubnitz as we had a great time last time we were on board (it's a brilliant boat with amazing decor and lights in the club and bar spaces, it stays mainly in rostock but is seaworthy and heads off for certain outernational events).
Hopes are high after the ham breakfast (we're all veggie), the sound check and the boiled rice and frozen vege dinner. But when on stage the sound is badly distorted and painful to the ears and then something over which we have no control squeals with feedback all the way through the second half of the set I concede defeat. The audience seemed to enjoy and thanks for coming and creating a nice vibe, but on stage it felt like work which was a real shame.
We did get very nice toasted sandwiches at 4am which was appreciated!
That was last night this is this morning.
Raining.
Feeling like summer is well and truly over.
Proof of the unexpected gem theory; Flensburg where we are playing tonight couldn't give us a better reception - clean, light, spacious with a wonderful feast. It makes such a difference when we are away from home and at the mercy of someone elses culinary imagination, past comments include:
when Colin was on tour and vegan "there is no food for the one who eats nothing"
"what DO you eat then - grass?"
said with pride "I've made you just these boiled potatoes and green beans - no sauce"
(the concept of a sauce that didn't involve meat in some way was clearly inconceivable).
It has to be said that all the above quotes are from cooks in France, the culinary capital of the world (I'm being a little ironic there...).
Anyway Hakey has a plan - to walk to Denmark (we've never been) which is "just round the corner". We head off through an industrial esate, a housing estate then a wood... DJ Perch turns back as he's got to set up the equipment and we've been walking for over an hour - it's always "just round the next corner". We cross a beach another housing estate then walk doewn the side of a motorway! Just when we've decided to give up we see the old border control buildings. Walked over the border, sent postcards to our children then got on a bus which cosmically stopped right outside the venue. Well worth it, follow the man with a vision that's what I say!
Tune of the Day
Famous Blue Raincoat
by Leonard Cohen***
