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Sunday
29th January
Today
is a day for a session. We are going to
Hamm near Dortmund (there are four Hamms
in Germany) and the farm of Thomas Hecking.
Another great musician (Diatonic Accordion),
Thomas plays with the group Deirin de
and after a small concert here we have
a big tune with Thomas, Claus and his
missus, a piper, a whistle player and
another flautist – They are all
smashing players and the night ends up
a right blue do. Thomas has a big session
in the summertime for several days and
occasionally puts on these concerts for
bands like us who are passing through.
His hospitality, house and rubber glove
piping were all superb.
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Battlefield
Band: post ironic sub-nu-garage straight-edge
traditional Scottish hardcore - and proud
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Tuesday
31st January
Tonight
we play a Rock club in Braunshweig and
the lesser-spotted mullet is sighted.
The best part of the rock club shows are
posters adorning the dressing room walls.
As well as the numerous Kiss tribute bands
and obscure gothic cabaret-metal acts
(Rock Bitch: Pussy over Germany Tour 2001)
tonight we are treated to perhaps the
best Genre definition possible. Fiddler’s
Green: Independent Irish Speed Folk. I
think that says it all. |
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Wednesday
1st February
We
have played the Brotfabrik in
Bonn several times and tonight
is the best crowd yet. This is
an excellent cultural centre with
music, drama, classes, dance,
and cinema. There is also a very
fine Indian restaurant (Blaue
Kerze -) run by Abid Bhatti (and
used & endorsed by the
Batties...) and his wife. Indian
food is a bit of a rarity in Germany
so it is nice to have a taste
of home.
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Thursday
2nd February
It
is some six years since we played
at Kito in Vegasack; a part of
Bremen. A great venue at the top
of a building in the centre of
this old town, Kito apparently
refers to some kind of seafaring
coffin although the intricacies
of this definition escaped me.
As always we had a great crowd
here in Bremen and a fine night.
So fine in fact that we could
hardly hold ourselves back from
throwing eggs at the Danish Embassy.
Viva
Las Vegasack
Friday
3rd February
Another
old favourite, we have played
here in Hildesheim many times.
Tonight is Friday and the place
is jumping which always makes
life easy. After the gig we go
back to our Hotel where Stefan
the bar man keeps the bar open
for some time. The bar is busy
with the locals as well as the
Captain and Tennille. (www.captainandtennille.net)
Well it certainly looked like
them and I definitely have never
seen this couple and the Captain
and Tennille together in the same
room at the same time. Coincidence?
Perhaps.
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the Vegasack years....
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Saturday
4th February.
Tonight
is our last concert in this short tour
and it is in Soltau at the Alte Reithalle.
Jurgen and Jurgen – no relation
– are running this gig and they
get for us a fine crowd. Unfortunately
we have to drive 400 km after the concert
so there is no time to sample the delights
of this hamlet. It is always unfortunate
to have to end a tour without a bit of
a party but we need to get back to Cologne
for an early flight. Its no picnic drinking
beer everyday you know!
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go back to the tour diary archive
Photos
were taken by various people, one of whom may, or may not,
have been Rob Van Sante.
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