Sonntag, 28. Juli 2013

Depeche Mode in Wilna, Goodbye!

Sitting in Ryga and waiting on my connecting flight back to home.
Time enough for writing my last entry for the summertour of the Depeche Mode tour 2013.
I'm a little bit sad, like always after a last concert.
But it's only a small "Goodbye", because I will see them on many concerts in the upcoming wintertour 2013/14.
I came from Wilna with an early morning flight. This time it worked better with the ckeck inn.
Two unbelievable days lay behind me.
So let me take you on a trip......

After the problems with the flight another shock expected us in Wilna:
The apartment we booked was closed and nobody informed us about that.
So we made contact to our hotelbookers  and they said it will be very difficult to get 2 free rooms in Wilna because there is the Depeche Mode concert and a gay pride at the same time in town.
After lots of phonecalls we got 2 rooms in a good hotel nearby the river Neris.
But only for one night.
For the second night we had to split, but we got 2 rooms in two different hotels.
We spent the first evening in the hotel, had some beer and felt very tired in our beds.
Next morning we enjoyed a good breakfast in our hotel"Congress"!
It's a good one, not to expensive, clean and friendly staff.

But the next shock is coming:
We went to our new hotels.
Our hotel was in a strange neighbourhood, there was nothing, a few rank houses, a supermarket and that's all.
But the hotel was clean and cultivated, but they have only a one bed room, oh no!!
We asked ourselves : is this a show with a hidden camera?
What will happen next?
Our friends didn't encounter it better, they have two beds but with separate bath and it was very dirty and in a red-light district.
But no chance, we had to take the rooms or had to sleep at the station or airport.....
So we tried to make the best and start a little sightseeing tour through the beautiful old town of Wilna with many churches and small restaurants.
Later we had an great dinner with typical lithuanian food:
I ate an baked cheese, very tasty and spicy!!

Then we took a taxi to the Vingopark, venue of our last Depeche Mode concert of the summer.
Wonderful location and very well organized with lots of small bars and campingtoilettes.
We had premium fanzone, a small zone just in front of the stage and I got a place in the second row at the right sight of the catwalk.
So, I forgot all my sorrows for a while and enjoyed Dave.
So close, I was really happy and couldn't say much about the mood in the park, but I believe it was a great concert.
Dave was very funny this evening, he made many jokes: he announced Martin with: 
" Mr. Martin L ....who?" And the crowd answered: "Gore"!
Then he thanked Jazz, the man who handed Martin Gore his guitars, for 20 years working for Depeche Mode.
He made his joke with Andy like every concert at " Just can't get enough" and then he fumbled about at Andy keyboard. As Dave turned his back to Andy, Andy played again the melody of " Just can't....",
and Dave laughed affectionately.
Later he exercised over the box at the left side and walked between the projectors and than the way back was not easily, he climbed back a bit narrowly. But he is in a very good constitution for a 51 old man and he looks fantastic!!
This evening he made very special moves with the column of his mikrophone, he could perform in another kind of show, you understand? Really good, the female fans sreamed very loud, inclusive me!!

I realized, this is my last concert, but it is the next to last concert for Dave and he looked very eased.
He gave his best at this 38 concerts of the summer tour and I'm so happy to saw so many shows.

Best songs of the evening was for me " Personal Jesus", because he danced lika a devil just in front of me on the catwalk and that was nearly to much for my little heart, and "I feel you" , because he did all his best and last but not least " Never let me down", have no word for this moment.
So many feelings overwhelmed me at this moment, I can't speak about that and I want to keep this special moment in my heart.

Then we met some friends and walked into our hotels.
I slept on the floor, ha ha , " on my dirty sticky floor", not funny, because it was a one bed room and there was not enough place for two people in the bed. Yep.
And after a uncomfortable night we took an early morning ride to the airport and reached home nearly 12 hours later where my kids waited with dinner for me.
Now, I'm well-rested and in the next day I will write an long review of the tour.
Thank you for reading this blog, if you like comment it and share it with friends.

See you next time!!















Samstag, 27. Juli 2013

Depeche Mode in Warsaw, "welcome to Poland"!


We went by the SuperCityTrain from Prague to the polish border .
The train had free wifi and we got free softdrinks.
Yes, the german trainservice can learn a lot from the Czechs!
We changed the train at the border and needed 4 hours until Warsaw.
Warsaw is a well organized and clean city.
If you ever go there: buy a 3 day ticket for 30 zlotys, so you can jump in every tram or bus you want.
Very simple!!
We got an apartment in Warsaw, but it wasn't comfortable.
And for a little bit more money you can get a luxury hotel.
I had the luck, another friend of mine was in Warsaw so I got the chance to check into his wonderful hotel" Polonia Palace"!
We ate in a pub and had a strange meal:
We ordered a plate of beatroot with horseradish and got a plate of polish sausages, uah.
Later we found a nice corner with lots of pubs and bars, where stylish young people drank their beer.
So we drank some beer, too. Zywiec is my favourite one!!
Next morning we met us in an very funny cafe, was a mix of kindergarden and cafe, so we sat between lots of small children which sang nursery rhymes and had breakfast!!

Then we visited a museum about the German occupation in Warsaw.
Very hard exhibition, but a piece of my history as a German.
We saw many polish Depeche Mode fans in the museum.

Later in the whole city we saw masses of fans. They wore selfmade DM T-Shirts. Great.

Like every time: lunch, chilling in the hotel, styling. Than we went to the new football stadium of Warsaw.
Amazing architecture.

The polish fans welcomed Depeche Mode with posters with the imprint:
"Welcome to Poland"!
Very good concert!
The polish fans are big Martin Gore fans, he got huge applause for his songs .

As Dave came back after Martins songs he stood a while on stage and did nothing.
He got an amazing applause, looked like a bit celebrating himself.
But I liked it because Martin Gore or Andy Fletcher never say " Mr.Dave Gahan" like Dave doing it everytime for them.

One of the best songs was " Policy of truth"!
The new songs didn't find big echo.
But Dave was in a good mood, sang a wonderful " Halo" and celebrated a wild " I feel you"!!
"Just can't get eunough", we got it in an long version, because danced a long time on the catwalk so Andy was forced to play a 12inch version of his solopart!

After the concert we had to walk back into our hotel over the Vistulabridge.
Under the bridge was an aftershow party, but we was so tired and went to bed.

Next morning we found an 24 opened cafe with great breakfast and typical polish menue.
Delicious.

And then, the times ran so fast, we had to leave Warsaw and had to fly to Wilna, our last concert of the Depeche Mode summerleg!

But, big shock, at the airport they couldn't find us on the boarding list.
After nearly two hours they found us and we catched the flight barely.Ups!!!








Memorial wall for all the killed people of Warsaw by the Germans at the Third Reich



Met a friend from America: Mike


"Welcome to Poland"







Breakfast


Goodbye Warsaw, coming back, I'm sure!!!

Mittwoch, 24. Juli 2013

Depeche Mode in Prague, Happy Birthday Mr. Martin Lee Gore

We flew at Monday evening to Prague and checked into our hotel which is integrated in the Synot Top Arena.

Funny, never had a hotel so near by a concert location!!!
But good rooms!

Next day we visited Prague. Importanst places like a walk over the Carl's bridge.
Everytime beautiful!!

The we had a typical meal in the brewerie of Pilsener Urquell.
I had a mushroom soup in a breadbowl!
Good.

Then concert!
It started earlier than normal, but what a pity because we saw a concert in sunlight!
It is like I said, after Rome there can be nothing and fans who didn't see so many concert like me enjoyed the show very much.
It was the birthday evening of Mr. Martin L. Gore, the man who brought us here....
Where would I be without this great songwriter yesterday evening?

After Martin sang" Higher love", Dave wasn't on stage at this moment, Peter Gordeno played
"Happy Birthday, Martin" on his keyboard.
Dave ran on stage, surprised by this activity, because I think he wanted to sing for Martin and honest, I think, we all wanted this!!
So we passed the Birthday song by Dave and with " Soothe my soul" the concerts began to work!!!
Look at my pictures and you will find some great moments.

"Home" was my favourite song because the words are so true at the evening:
" so I thank you for bringing me here....."
Second highlight, at the end of "Personal Jesus" Dave played on Martins Guitar with his chain, 
that's just about the limit!!

After the concert, we met us with some friends from Cologne and America.
The evening died away in a peaceful mood!
Good night Prague!!


















Resume of the italian trip and the italian Depeche Mode concerts

Meanwhile I'm on another trip from Prague to Warsaw. Sitting in the train and have now a little bit time to resume the italian trip. It was the best trip with the best concerts until now.
First Milan: our hotel " Melia Milano" was an very luxury one with rooms in baroque style.
Very good location for concerts or football games because it was only a ten minutes walk to the stadium San Siro / Guiseppe Meazza.
The first evening we had a very good dinner in a nearby restaurant!
Good and friendly service.
After the long day we slept very well the only source of irritation was the mosquitoes, oh my god we got so many bites!!
Started to sightseeing at the cathedrale of Milan called in italian " duomo"!
Great fantastic building but we are from Cologne and we have the greatest cathedral of the world!
We walked trough the elegant gallery, a luxuruy shopping mall and then to the Napoleone street, where all the haute couture shops are!
Then we took the Metro to a quarter called Naviglio with two friends of mine from Hannover!
Looks a little bit like small and cheaper venice because there are a few small canals.
We lunched very well in a small restaurant and after a few beer we went back to our hotel to style us for the concert.
For me it was an important evening because Italy is my favourite country and I like the peoples so much!
I bought new eyeshadow in Milan, so I had a new style this evening.
As we arrived at San Siro I was so surprised by the colossus of stadium, wow, so huge, like a skyscraper and it was sold out, unbelievable.
In front of the stadium are many sellers of unofficial Depeche Mode T-Shirts, that's an typical italian thing: funny designs for less money!!
And then: " welcome to my world", Depeche Mode entered the stage and in San Siro all hell was let loose. In the second balcony all the people stood from the first moment , never saw that before!
Dave looked so lucky and he hadn't do very much this evening because the crowd needs no support, they danced and sang the whole concert and they knew the new songs.
The fans there was young and stylish and we met so many friendly people.
Best songs? Not easy to say: "Heaven"," Precious""pain that I used to" and from "Southe my soul" the athmosphere in the huge bee hive San Siro boiled over!!
Happy, happy, happy we left the stadium and walked straight to our hotel into our beds.
Best concert of the tour, we all was sure!

Next morning we went by the super fast train from Milan Centrale ( wonderful building like an old temple) to Rome only in 3 hours.
The train hit sometimes the speed of more than 300 kilometres, not bad!!
After the journey trough a wonderful country we reached Rome.
After Venice my favourite city in the world.


We booked my favourite hotel St. Anna at borgo Pio a very small street between the vatican and the and the Angel Castle.
It has only 12 rooms in a nice style and some have balconys.
We got a room with a small balcony with a view in a court with many flowers! 
If you ever will come to Rome book this wonderful hotel, it is so near to all the places in Rome you have to visit!!
In the evening we walked 15 minutes at the bank of the Tevere and had dinner in a wonderful restaurant in Trastevere, a small old quarter with many restaurants, bars and cafes.
After France it was so easy to get a vegetarian meal, I could choose so many good things, yummie.
We spent the whole eving in Trastevere with our friends Mirko and Lars, sat in front of an small bar, drank and enjoyed the wonderful night and looked at the italian people who strolled through the little alleys!
Perfect evening!

Next morning after a good breakfast in our hotel we walked first to the Pantheon, my favourite place of the world!
It's the church which looks like an old temple with an bid round hole in the ceiling.
The sunlight fell trough the whole and if you come in the summer at noon into the Pantheon a wonderful angel statue was lighted up by the sun.

Next station " Giolitti", the oldest and best ice cream parlor of Rome, unbelievable how many tastes they have.
Then an Espresso in the oldest coffee roasters of Rome " St.Eustacchio".

After this we was starched for the trip to the via Appia, an antic road which start at the border of Rome with old buildings and gravesites of the Roman times. Wonderful!
You have to do that!!!

Ok, and then we made us ready for our second italian concert in the stadio olimpico.
It was a very hot evening and as we reached the big standing area in the stadium the most people are a little bit drunken.
The crowd was young and grungy and the sun went down as Depeche Mode started.

And as if Milan was the best concert, ha ha, what was Rome?
Never saw a concert like this, every song was a highlight, Dave was so happy!
"Precious" and " Heaven", couldn't hear Dave's voice because the crowd sang every word so loud.
Martin sang " child inside", "Shake the disease" and " Somebody".
I'm not the biggest Martin Gore Fan, but I liked it.
We met very young boys ( 25 years old) and had a big party with them.
At "enjoy the silence" I thought I will die now, because it was to good.
The Italians sang so beautiful, they are so big football fans, it is normal for them to make party in a stadium!
" Personal Jesus", "Just can't get enough".... I have to say it, it became like a sexual thing.
After " never let me down" we are sure, that we will never see a concert like this again and so it's the only possibility for me to enjoy the music and try not to compare other concerts in the future with this best of the best of the best!!!

The sleep and a last wonderful day in Romw which we spent with walking through the city, eating and drinking.
In the late afternoon an big thunderstorm came over Rome with huge hailstones!!
But the flight was good!!

Thank you Italy for theese wonderful days!
Will never forget it!!










Sonntag, 21. Juli 2013

Depeche Mode in Roma - speechless

Before leaving my favourite hotel in my favourite city in my favourite country here a few pictures!
Best concert!!! Haha, again!!