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 GERMANY REPORT
Munich - Muffathalle, 9th April 1998
Open Road Tour
Report By Ingrid Narres
After a three-hour ride by
train and a short trip with a taxi I arrived at the Marriot Hotel
around lunchtime. Only three more fans who recognized me immediately
where there. We four had a nice talk together before I got hungry
and went into the restaurant for a lunch (not very cheap but very
very good in that hotel).
The other three girls went
out and started looking for something other (in the Ramada Hotel
just around the corner were some other Stars like the German teen-band
Gil, Aaron Carter, The Moffats and 911) but I took a place in the
lobby and waited for the next 2 hours and some expensive drinks
unfortunately without any success. I gave up at 4 'o clock and went
up into my room.
At 5 Birgitt wanted to come
to the hotel so I went again down to the lobby and a young man sitting
in the lobby was very curious when I came out of the lift, he bent
so far backwards til he could see me - it was non other than Gary
Barlow himself sitting there with his band. My heard made a little
happy jump because now I knew I was in the right hotel.
It took a moment before Birgitt
arrived. We both were the only fans in the hotel at that moment
so we left them alone and enjoyed being close to them. A few minutes
later they left the hotel with a Munich bus to the Muffathalle for
making the sound check. We followed them nearly an hour later when
also Sabine were arrived at the hotel.
In front of the venue we met
some other friends and so we had a lot to talk about until the gate
was opened. The crowd could enter the Muffathalle on two different
doors. I came quite early into the room but waited for someone I'd
like to meet (unfortunately without success) so I didn't come close
to the stage and stood in the back of the room. There I recognized
some prominent people in the audience: some players of the football-team
FC Bayern München were there, as well as the ZDF Morgenmagazin
presenter Cherno Jobatey with his girlfriend and a famous British
Pop group - 911.
The audience itself was very
mixed. Young people as well as older people and a lot of male fans
were there. Kinane started the show at 8.15 pm - 15 minutes to early
(would have surprised me if she had come in time on stage). During
the 4 weeks as I hadn't seen her she changed a bit her styling.
Her hairs were shorter and she also had changed a bit her outfit.
The dancers were still in the same styling on stage. She played
again the same 5 songs and said as always in the end: "Are you ready
for Gary Barlow." Of course we were ready.
Half an hour later the main
show started. Today it was a little bit other than on the whole
tour because there were no video-screens. Some of the crew as well
as the bus driver went after Oporto home to England and so were
no-one there for the video cameras.
But Gary started the show
as ever - with "Labour for Love". He came with a big smile on stage
and the audience welcomed him with some screamings from the younger
people and a warm applause from the older once. After he had played
"Love won't wait" Gary welcomed the audience and apologised that
he was one and a half months too late (actually he should have played
here on the 19th February but couldn't because of his illness during
that time).
The missing video screens
were not the only difference on the show as I'd seen it 4 weeks
ago. Gary didn't make his chocolate joke, he didn't tell the same
old sentences he did every night but just free what was coming right
in that moment on his mind. He didn't make the dance moves after
"Back for good" and he didn't make the dedications before "Forever
love". He only lit the candles on his piano and started the most
emotional "Forever love" song I've ever heard from him. It was fantastic.
As a surprise he played afterwards "Your song" from Elton John.
I couldn't believe my ears but he really sung it - he did it only
three times during the whole tour when I'm right informed. Thank
you very much Gary.
Then the show carried on as
ever with "Always" and then the three encores. The only old fashioned
joke was the millionth birthday of Chris Dagley, the drummer. Thanks
also for that so I could make my little surprise later on. Chris
got this evening a rubber-birthday-cake from Gary (couldn't see
if it was really from Gary or if this one came from someone from
the audience).
With a smile on my face because
of the really fantastic show and a tear in my eyes because it was
the last I left the concert hall and waited for Sabine and Birgitt.
We went back to the hotel and waited there for the band. A short
moment after us the bus arrived there with Gary and the band and
I went over to them. Gary was speaking to someone from BMG so I
had a little chat with Chris Dagley.
A few moments later all of
them came down to the bar, having a drink and something to eat.
Through that Chris had nearly every night his birthday his age is
now something around 50 years so he got a very old man during the
tour. My surprise for him was a stick for his "old bones". When
I handed it over the band laughed and even Paul Turner said that's
the thing Chris needs. It was a very nice joke which I couldn't
had made without Garys joke.
But not only Gary and band
were in the bar also Kinane and her dancers. Some of them (Kinane
herself and one female dancer) started to play poolbilliard and
Gary couldn't hold himself back to go over and play with them. He
stopped when he got his dinner, it was definitely too difficult
eating and playing at the same time.
At 1am Spike, Lee and Jimmy
from 911 stepped into the bar and nearly all of the musicians (Gary
his band and the dancers of Kinane) stood up of his their seats
and said goodbye to us (well some of them). Gary didn't leave the
bar before he gave some autographs and made some photos with fans.
They all went out for a go-kart race in a nearby arena. Short after
the them Birgitt and some other who were sitting on our table said
goodbye as well so only Sabine and I were still there. We had another
drink and went then around 2 am into our beds.
Friday, 10th April 1998
After a good sleep in this very nice hotel bed we got up and I went
down for a breakfast (Sabine wasn't hungry so I went alone). I met
some fans there and we talked about the concert the day before and
the time with the band in the bar. We all agreed that it was a brilliant
time and that it is much too long til we can see Gary again on stage.
Later in the morning Sabine
and I checked out, put our suitcases into Sabines car and waited
then in the hotel-lobby for Gary and the band. We heard they had
a very long and nice night and heard also that they would check
out in the afternoon. So we tried to find out which planes they
could take from the airport.
At 3pm Gary came down with
Chris Healey and then step by step everybody of the band followed
them two down to the lobby. After a while they checked out and left
the hotel. We could make some more photos and Gary gave some more
autographs before he stepped into the bus.
Some cars accompanied the
bus to the airport. We did as well for a moment but decided then
to wait for them at the airport which was not the worst decision
because the band had a different way as Gary. The band flew back
home to England to spend the holidays together with their families
and Gary and Chris Healey flew directly to Buenos Aires (Argentina)
where he started his promo- tour. I missed Gary but could say good
bye to the band.
All in all it was a brilliant
tour (well I've only seen the German tour but I loved all 7 gigs).
The best concert here for my opinion was the one in Munich because
it was Gary pure and the best audience was in Hannover. There was
the best atmosphere of all concerts here. I like to say a big big
thank you to Gary Barlow, as well as to Milton McDonald, Paul Turner,
Mike Stevens, Bernie Smith and Chris Dagley for a very wonderful
time during the concerts and afterwards in the hotels. It's a good
time to remember. I hope we can see you soon again here in Germany.
End of Report
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