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10/03/03 - COLOGNE ARENA A
VIP kit for the Cologne gig above. Review by Maria
Heutz:
On Sunday Moya came over from England with delay. We picked her up at
the airport and had a walk over the “Kö” a shopping mile in Düsseldorf
for people with a lot of money. The weather was really sunny and warm. And so
have been the prognosis for the next day.
I woke up early in the morning. I
had off work but my men had to go to school or work. So I wasn’t able to
sleep any longer than they did. The three had already left the house when I was
still waiting for Moya. Unlike me - in spite of our Bryan experience - she slept
very well and long.
At half past ten we left our house and drove towards Cologne.
We arrived an hour later at the arena. I have been there in October 1999, which
has been my best concert of BA until today. On our tickets there was a notice
that we had to take the entrance “Süd-West”. To our surprise nobody
else was waiting in front of the doors. We couldn’t believe that we were
the first. So we didn’t leave our place.
A few minutes later two other
fans arrived. A man offered us to come into the arena because it was very windy
outside and of course a bit cold. We knew that we had to leave soon so we decided
to wait outside. Soon Franziska and her friends arrived. She told us about the
Karlsruhe gig and still felt enthusiastic and full of anticipation for the show.
Ulrike
came very late. She brought her friend back home to Stuttgart and then came from
there. She went into the city and told after her return that she and some friends
bought all CDs from VEGA 4 in a big CD shop, so that the sellers there couldn’t
believe it. They told them about this young, talented and good band and the promised
to order new CDs very soon.
At 5 o’clock - the entrance was announced
for 6 - something unexpected happened. The security guys came to build the barriers.
It was unbelievable. I don’t understand why they always do this so late.
Many people now were waiting there. So they pushed us and many tried to get a
better place in the queue. Why don’t people understand that you have to be
there early for a good place? The securities said to us: “Please step back,
but we couldn’t because people behind us couldn’t hear it. They told
us we could also use the other entrances but we wouldn’t. We had our information
on our ticket. So we wouldn’t move. The securities needed an hour to prepare
everything and at 6 the doors were opened.
How it was years ago it wasn’t
allowed to bring in things to eat or to drink, no cameras etc. So the woman who
looked after my rucksack was very surprised when she saw it was empty. I had everything
drunk and eaten.
In the arena we had to wait again. We stood in front of stairs
we later had to pass down. So it was dangerous to stay there with so many people
behind. We could listen to VEGA 4’s sound check and when the ended we finally
made our run to the front. Thanks to Christiane I’ve got a place next to
her in front of Bryan’s microphone. And the next treatment through the securities
followed when they told us that we couldn’t put our coats on the barriers
and other things. Everything had to be put down on the ground between your feet
or your body and the bars. But this shouldn’t be the end of the security
story. I will go on with this soon.
Behind us there stood a young lady who
told us she only came to Cologne to see VEGA 4 and whether we would make it possible
for her to stand in the first row. We couldn’t believe and of course we therefore
wouldn’t change our places. As she had promised the lady left after their
performance.
VEGA 4 was fantastic. They were better than in November. Unfortunately
the stage is higher in Cologne so I had no chance to look straight into John’s
(later in Bryan’s) eyes and flirt with him as I did last year in Saarbrücken.
When VEGA 4 played the first ballad Ulrike and her friends put their sparkler
lights on. This wasn’t allowed too, so the security man came and collected
them. We looked at each other and couldn’t believe and then John stopped
his song and spoke to the security how stupid it is to collect sparklers in the
first row. They understand and we got some peace.
At 9 Bryan came on stage
and started with Here I am, followed by House arrest. He hasn’t changed a
lot since last year. Then he played Let’s make a night to remember. Franziska
had announced it before because Bryan also did this song on Sunday night. It was
so great to listen to this. During the last years he had only played it with the
Blues Jam. So it was wonderful. At the end of Can’t stop this thing we started
the song didn’t stop. Bryan asked Gary whether he could stop it but he shook
his head. Also Mickey and Keith couldn’t stop the song. But then he “found”
Norman who ended the title. I love it so much when Bryan is joking like this and
has this special grin in his face. He welcomed us with: “Good evening ladies
and gentlemen.” Then he begun Back to you, followed by Summer of ’69
in the same version he played in Oberhausen and Saarbrücken last year. The
only difference was that he let us sing the first verses. Honestly I have to say
I prefer the “old” version of summer of ’69. This is simply more
expressive. Then he asked: “Everything all right?” We answered “yes”
of course. He spoke about a duet song (It’s only love) and that he had sung
this song with the fabulous beautiful Tina Turner and that Tina couldn’t
be there tonight. So he would do it and at his side he had the excellent musician
Keith Scott. To (Everything I do) I do it for you he explained that we would know
the song as a piano one but tonight he would play it like it was written as a
guitar song. During Cuts like a knife he put the microphone out of the stand because
he would put it again in direction to the audience. He didn’t put it in deep
enough so it fall out and it hang down. When he saw this he started to laugh but
went without losing his program. During the “na, na, na, nas” he stood
on stage with an open mouth, clapping slowly his hands together and looked really
boring to ape the audience.
Now the highlight of the show should come. Bryan
announced a star which has never been in Cologne before but we maybe would know
her voice from the radio. It was “Do” from Holland: blond long hairs,
old worn out jeans and a jeans jacket that allowed us to have a look at her daringly
low-cut and camouflage bra. They sang the DJ Sammy version of Heaven. I must say
I prefer Bryan’s and this has nothing to do with jealousy of that girlie.
She was also allowed to sing When you’re gone with Bryan. So nobody of us
fans had the chance to sing with Bryan on stage. She acted very silly, giggled
a lot and didn’t know this song. Everyone (maybe without Bryan he loved it)
was happy when they ended. After I’m ready from he unplugged album, Somebody
and The only thing that look good on me is you they were off to the b-stage.
There
they played A little less conversation, Seven nights to rock, Poison ivy and She’s
only happy when she’s dancing.
Again on the main stage we listened to
Cloud # 9 and Run to you. Bryan said. “Thank you Cologne. Should we go on?”
What a question, there was nobody in the arena who would have said NO. He had
got a rose from a young girl with a card. Bryan read loud the words on it: “Mother
and daughter love Bryan.” And Bryan answered: “Bryan loves mother and
daughter.” Moya was the woman who let this young girl in the first row so
that she could give Bryan the rose and the card. Moya later talked to me about
this girl. Years ago she went with her mother to a BA concert. Her mother was
then a big BA fan but not this girl. Since this concert, she is a bigger fan than
her mother.
Than it happened what everyone was waiting for. In Oberhausen I
saw it for the first time, but wasn’t in the first row. In Saarbrücken
Bryan did the same and I touched him. And now the moment had come in Cologne.
He started with The best of me on the stage, he plugged out his microphone and
the guitar and came down into the gap. He stopped a long time in front of Moya
so she was able to embarrass him and she felt on cloud # 9 and couldn’t come
down the whole evening. He passed me trotting up and I clapped his hand. Uli and
her friends had him also for a longer moment and then he tried to come back on
stage again. I think he isn’t very sportive I think, he needed a chair to
climb up and then he crawled on all fours like a baby and shook his bottom to
his place on stage again.
At the end he did a reggae version of Do I have
to say the words. This was fantastic. He is so talented and simply wonderful.
He doesn’t need costly clothing or stage set. He convinces with his music
and his kind to present his music. He is a star of simply gestures and we love
him for that.
Unfortunately he didn’t play an encore. He thanked the
audience again in German and English and during he left the stage he showed the
peace sign with his stretched out fingers.
I was a bit disappointed. I had
hoped for a longer show with more communication, but the concert itself was very
good and of course okay.
Moya was so enthusiastic. She met Bryan backstage
in Nottingham but she never had been that close to him at a concert. So I’m
very happy that the way over from England was worth this. Setlist:
Here I Am
House Arrest
18 Til I Die
Let's Make A Night To Remember
Can't Stop This Thing We Started
Back To You
It's Only Love
Summer
of '69
Everything I Do
Cuts Like A Knife
Heaven
When You're Gone
I'm Ready
Somebody
The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You
***b-stage***
A Little Less Conversation
Seven Nights To Rock
Poison Ivy
The Twist
She's Only Happy When She's Dancin'
***b-stage***
Cloud #9
Run To
You
The Best of Me
Do I Have To Say The Words (Reggae-version) | | |
