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Posted: 2006-08-27 23:59:11

After I have seen the announced European tourdates in May it was clear that I couldn't make any gigs in Netherlands, Belgium or Germany because of my vacation in Finland. The only gigs which seemed to be possible would be one in the UK or Italy. UK or Ireland was to expensive so I looked for cheap flights to Italy and the Brescia-gig seemed to be this one. I ordered the tickets for the plane to Milano/Bergamo and the rest for the tour-travel I would manage in Italy. Problem for me was that my schedule was very strong because my son had his first schoolday (celebration and party) two days later so I had to leave very early the next morning after the gig.

One day before the gig we were coming back from the Finland vacation. There was a lot to prepare for the schoolday party. So I was going very early to bed because my flight the next day would be 6:20 am.

The gig day started at 4 am for me with coffee and some bread and I was leaving my home half'n hour later - taking the bus to the airboard not knowing if I would get the plane in time. Well, everything was ok, I could boarding and got the window place I had already reserved. Knowing that the flight was going directly over the Alps I was looking outside most of the time but it was very cloudy so there was not much to see. We arrived Bergamo at time - taking the bus to the railway station and arrived one hour later Brescia - raining all the time in the first hour. I was asking people where the festival should be located. Less people spoke English and knew where this should be but I found out that the festival area was more than 5 km outside of Brescia. How to go there?

Posted: 2006-08-27 23:10:54

The gig started at 09:45 pm - so it was 45 min later than planned. The area before the stage was filled with a lot of people (maybe 1000 - at the end there were maybe 2000). They opened with "Time to go home" and "Yell Fire!" and the sound was excellent. During the whole gig I was changing my position from the backstage to the frontstage area. I was making pictures with my old slowly digi cam until it run down - here are Pics from the gig, providing Versace at the mixer with cigarettes and beer, helping Catherine to bring T-Shirts and CDs to the promo desk at the back of the mixer. It started raining again when they played "Sweet little lies" and Michael highlighted this with a lot of smile: "tell me that the rain won't fall today".

Posted: 2006-06-10 01:34:56

Well, I was very excited about this gig. See Doug, Skip and Keith after 1 & 1/2 year again. I was calling at the venue Gruener Salon of Volksbuehne Berlin and they told that the gig will start later because of the beginning of the world championship in football and that Bernard Fowler (singer of Tack>>Head - at the moment on tour with Rolling Stones) would also join the gig. Wow. The whole Tach>>Head crew. I was writing some comments at the myspace sites of Tack>>Head, Little Axe and Doug Wimbish about this wonderful news.

Posted: 2006-05-19 21:56:13

It was really great and it was sold out. But from the first moment when I come into the venue Kalkscheune I knew that there was something strange according for security checks in Germany when a jewish artist performs. First at the entrance they were checkin the people for some weapons or bottles which could be thrown (this is ok). When I was coming inside I took something to drink and went in front of the stage. Around the stage they had build a security fence. So I already knew he will not making audience diving or something like that. There were some people I wouldn't expect in a reggae gig. Somekind of hype because it is an jewish artist but the rest of the audience fit to it. It should start at 9 pm but they let the audience wait more than an hour.

Posted: 2006-03-19 18:05:10

Yeah, on Friday night I saw Damian Marley, it was the same venue where Spearhead played the last time when they visited Berlin (Kulturbrauerei / Kesselhaus). In conclusion to the discussion why black people are missing at Spearhead, Parliament gigs I think there were a lot of black people (maybe more than 10%). I saw Papa Pretty very short at the beginnig of the show no time to talk with him more detailed. The Marley gig was totally sold out. It was ok but I was not really enthustiastic about the gig like I always be after a Spearhead gig.

Posted: 2005-08-16 22:35:16

The festival began with Gabriel Rios - never heard of him before. Lies told me that he is very popular in Belgium. Well - it was nice music too dance and good to getting warmer on this cold day. The band was really making good latin dancing pop music, makes me feel good. Very impressive was also the guitar player, wearing a white suit like a spanish torero. I told Juiceman Rios sounds like the Belgian Latin version of Robin Williams - and this is a big compliment in my opinion. Respect. I didn't see the end of his show because I felt suddenly very bad with my stomach. The only thing I could imagine was - how to get out as fast as I can but there were so many people that first I lost my way. After I was out of the festival area everything was coming out of my mouth and I needed more than half'n hour to get back with the assistance of Tom who showed me the right way back. Thanks.

Posted: 2005-08-16 23:52:04

Well this weekend in Netherlands and Belgium was so amazing - even now two days later I don't know where to begin. For the first time in my exspearience I learned to know wonderful spearits, almost all members of the Spearhead band and the crew and ...

But lets start from the beginning. I arrived Tilburg by train at 6 pm and Juiceman, Anna and Lies took me from there with their car to a parkhouse near the venue 013. Well Juiceman excused himself for that fishy stinkin inside his car. He was transporting fish for barbeque at his cafe - Bacchus Café Geel. We went to a cafe just around the corner of the venue for some drink, only sitting there 5 min and we saw Michael together with a woman walking along the street. They had a little talk with us and the woman was introduced as Carla(?) - Web designer for SpearheadVibrations. Juiceman asked Michael if he could come to the Bacchus Cafe for some songs in between the festival gigs and well Michael found it a good idea but didn't know if the festivals schedule allowed this extra event. Anyway - it was 7:30 pm and we were going to the entrance of 013 expecting a wonderful show of Spearhead at 013.

Posted: 2005-08-16 18:05:01

After coming in we were waiting at the part where you could order shirts and cds. I saw Caroline coming in - remembered her from the Picture postings of the message board. I said hello to her but she seemed to be nervous expecting her first exspearience. Well - Johan already wrote almost all about this gig - so read Johan's review, be sure I feel the same. In contrast to all the other shows I were before, I decided not to take any picture or to write down the setlist. I knew that Johan was taking care for this so I just enjoyed the show :-))). Here is also the link for Johan's pictures. Juiceman, Anna, Lies, Johan, Gert, I and some other friends were standing on the right side near the sound system so we should have the best sound and view to the stage. In addition to Johan I can say that I also liked the music of K-OS. Reminds me of N-Factor (German HipHop from the early 90th). The rap-parts of the singer were sometimes a little bit to monotone but anyway they were good. According to the setlist we saw on the sound amplifiers it should be a short gig but it was one of the best I saw. I think they are becoming more and more professional - could be a reason of playing at all these festivals but I feel not sorry about this. It was getting really silent at the song "Tolerance" when they were also showing pictures of the documentary film I know I'm not alone. Very emotionally. After two hours it ended with Never too late and the Cleanup man, I already know from other Live records just some weeks ago.

Posted: 2005-05-11 01:55:43

Maceo Parker @Traenenpalast/Berlin - 2004-10-16
Jungle Funk @Traenenpalast/Berlin - 2005-03-29
Little Axe @Postbahnhof/Berlin - 2005-05-10

Posted: 2004-12-14 21:13:12

This was my first Spearhead-gig this year and I was very excited to go there. I left Berlin early in the mornig and travelled relaxed by train to Amsterdam/Haarlem be escorted by big showers of rain the whole day. At 8 pm Bauke and I were leaving Haarlem and we arrived Den Haag 1/2 hour later. So we had enough time to drink something at the many street cafe's around the Plein listening to Jaco Pastorious Big Band and hoping that the rain would stop until the Spearhead gig started. In the meantime more and more people were coming so we didn't see that the place before the stage was already full and we could not go there. So we had a place on the right side maybe 15 m from the stage. From the first moment Michael asked us people "How do you feeliiiin" until the last song it was a jumping, waving and singing mass of people with so much love to give. At the end of the show Michael was taking the bath with the masses, hugging all the people who wanted and it became more and more people. Thank you again Netherlands. For Bauke it was his first exSpearience and he liked it very much. So he will never miss a Spearhead-gig in and around Amsterdam the next time.

I took some pictures (was not the best camera) and was writing down the setlist (Read more in the reviews). Check it out.

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