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 HAMBURG REPORT
Hamburg Große Freiheit, 26 February
1998
Open Road Tour
Report By Ingrid Narres
After only 4 hours sleep Sabine
and I got up, had a little breakfast and went then to the train
station. Our and Gary's second destination here in Germany was Hamburg.
But we weren't the only fans on the way to the next venue so we
had a nice drive together with some others talking about the event
the night before. We all came to the same conclusion: Gary was absolutely
brilliant but the sound was quite bad. At the rocky songs sometimes
we hardly could hear Gary's wonderful voice. Hopefully the next
event would be better.
In Hamburg we went to the
hotel. A friend of us was that nice to give us a tip in which hotel
we could find Gary and the band so we checked in. We were a bit
nervous that it just could have been the wrong one because Gary
was still on the road. But a few fans were waiting in front of that
hotel so we crossed fingers for us all that it would really the
right one. As we had to wait until our room was ready we walked
a bit around the area close to the hotel, looking at shops and spending
some money in some rare Take That cd's we surprisingly found.
The group of fans in front
of the hotel was growing when we came back but the tour bus still
wasn't there. We moved into our room and had a meeting there with
another friend. Something I really like at such concert-tours -
meeting a lot of friends I know only from the internet or via letters.
As we still had time til the concert sold start we decided to have
a late lunch (or maybe an early dinner).
When we came down to the Lobby
we saw that Gary had even the same idea as we had - he was sitting
there eating his late lunch as well. And outside all the fans were
waiting to see him.
After a very good meal it
was time for our preparation for the concert -changing clothes and
made our cameras ready. Today it should started at 9 pm and we arrived
about one hour before at the 'Grosse Freiheit'. Kinane was again
not in time but as she started yesterday half an hour to late she
was today exactly the same time too early.
Like yesterday also this concert
was absolutely sold out. The audience was even a bit better than
in Berlin which maybe brought the fact that today were no technical
problems so we could enjoy Gary at the best. And Gary himself -
it looked like Gary really enjoyed it as well like we all did. He
was more rocky at the harder songs and was more soft at the slow
ones.
Very nice was the bit when
a fan threw a bag of jellybabies as a present for Gary on stage.
When Gary saw that one he picked it up, opened it and shared the
jellybabies with his audience. One girl was lucky enough to catch
after all the empty bag which she presented later very excited the
tv-crew by whom she had been stopped after the show.
When we came back to the hotel
we saw that the hotel bar was absolutely filled up with fans. We
started to ask ourself where the band and Gary could take a drink
because really no place was free. Even we had massive problems to
find a tiny little corner. Soon we found out where the band members
and Gary could take a drink - in the restaurant next to the bar.
No-one else was allowed to go in there.
It didn't took a long time
and Bernie, Chris Dagley and Milton came back to the bar. I guess
it was too boring sitting alone in that big restaurant only viewed
by some fans from outside the hotel through the window. But soon
after walking into the bar they were recognised by some fans who
started asking them for pictures and autographs.
More and more from the band
came out of the restaurant and looked for a free place at the bar.
Around 2 am finally Gary came out. We were happy to see him here
again but got shocked very soon about the behavior of one girl.
She run to him as soon as she saw him asked him first for an autograph
but when Gary "Not in here." she hugged him instead of that. Poor
Gary, it took him a moment til she left him alone and he looked
a bit annoyed.
Gary moved now to the bar
and ordered a cola. Unfortunately he couldn't drink it in peace
because nearly everybody sitting before there was now standing around
the bar watching at him. Even the band members had problems talking
to him. So Gary went into his room after finishing his drink.
We went soon after him into
our room but very angry because of an very annoying experience with
an ugly hotel guest. Not only fans can't behave themselves some
other people as well. The only good thing was now - we could look
forward to another concert which should
started 16 1/2 hour later in Hannover.
End of Report
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