SOMEONE SOMEWHERE IN SUMMERTIME

After being in Cologne for the German TV show i couldn’t believe this were the last live performance from the Simple Minds for the next five month. I phone at SWR3 and asked if the Minds would really be live in Rastatt and perform for the “New Pop Festival 2005”, they said yes, first they would have an interview in Baden-Baden at midday and then in the evening they would perform a few songs in Rastatt. The Interview-part in Baden-Baden would be free for all but for the concert in the evening were tickets needed. I asked my very good girlfriend if i could stay at her house for a short weekend, yes, she said and she was also so nice to organize two tickets for concerts in the evening.
Ok. At friday midday i could left my work sometime earlier as usual and drove to my girlfriend to the south of Germany. She lives near “SINGEN” (someone remember???)
It’s about 6 hours to drive by car, but with the right music in the cd-player it’s not that heavy!

At Saturday we have to drive 230 km to Baden-Baden and there Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill having a small interview. And there they got this “A-Ward” from the “New Pop Festival” as “Pioneer of Pop, International”! It was very nice and you can listen down up!
After the interview my girlfriend and i have a little “shopping-break” and a very good dinner and then we drove to Rastatt (only 15 km) and wait that the doors would opened. It was a sunny afternoon, so the time to wait was easy.
Around 7 o’clock the doors opened and we (maybe 7000 people) were brought by buses to he venue. It was the “Daimler-Chrysler” factory, a very large place!
6 acts were announced and the Simple Minds were the fourth. At the concert they got the “A-Ward” again but with a little mistake. “Stefanie Tücking” the presenter said some honour words, and as she said “Simple Minds” the Minds enter the stage, but they were to early, because before they should get the A-Ward, a little Video would be shown. They had to left the stage and came back a few minutes later! It was a real funny mistake, and in my position i could saw the Minds joking and “singing” after leaving the stage and waiting for the real “introducing”! Nice, very nice! :-)
According to a few words of the thanks about the price the Minds went back on stage and began with "Don't you" the very small concert. Then they played “Home” and at last” Stranger”, but all three songs were presented in playback! :-( I don’t know why, maybe the Minds hadn’t got enough time for a soundcheck and they wouldn't make a risk with a bad sound?!

I wasn’t in the first row, maybe it was the fourth or fifth one, but Jim and Andy recognized me again, and Jim was a lot “performing” in my direction, it was very funny to joke and dance with him in this way! :-) And in this case it was not important that they played playback. I had much fun! And after the Minds had played, my girlfriend (she isn’t a Simple Minds fan) and me left the crowd-area and we got something to eat and drink, while waiting for the bus, bringing us back to the car.

All in all it was a good choice to drive to Baden-Baden and Rastatt. After this very short but very nice “event” i now got the patience to wait for the next following five month, before i could put on my travelling shoes again!
Now i bought my 8 tickets for all the German concerts and i would try to bought some more for the UK, Switzerland and maybe Spain or France and if possible, for the show in Amsterdam!!!

Stay visible and see you at the doors next year!!!!!!!

Kerstin 02/10/05

Here are the pics from the Interview with Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill in Baden-Baden, 24/09/05:
Klick at a pic open the photoalbum..