Day 16, never made it to Lubeck...

Hello again! Well we were meant to be in Lubeck last night, but upon leaving Hamburg.... well we actually never left Hamburg! Such was the nature of the gridlock we encountered. A gridlock like no other gridlock I've ever experienced... I think we sat in the car for around 90mins and only managed to make it about 3km, at which point I performed an illegal U-turn and mounted a curb on the way into a service station, nearly knocking over a cyclist and incurring the wrath of many a local Hamburgian in the process. But you know, at least we've got a full tank of gas for today's trip to Prinz Willy in Kiel, and we'll get to travel up there with Brett Winterford, having left him behind last night to recover from a nagging flu/cold thingy - the kind you sometimes get when you first start touring (as happened to me this year). I'm sure he'll be right by tonight!

(Sincerest apologies to our friends in Lubeck, I hate having to pull out of gigs... we'll have to make it up to you next time....)

Today is actually Unity day in Germany (hence the flag up top), so at the risk of repeating myself... I thought I'd post something I just wrote in my music mailout for October. I didn't want to double-up, but it's a beautiful day here in Hamburg and it seems a shame to spend more than half of it on the computer.... So.....

I remember as a 10 year-old in 1990, our year 6 teacher showed us a piece of the wall he'd brought home with him from his trip to Berlin the previous year, to be there when it came down. We were all sitting in class, amazed, as was everyone at the time it happened. All the way over there in Australia, such was the magnitude of the event, such was the effect it had on people the world over. Listening to Lena recount stories of her childhood at the time has been quite fascinating. Her first trip to the West, to visit Braunshweig, sitting in traffic for 12hrs (a trip that would normally have taken 1-2), waiting with everyone else for that first glimpse of the other side. The first time East-German citizens had had the freedom to travel beyond the border. Sitting watching Disney cartoons for the first time. Seeing new colours in the shops, in the streets... All those things that so many of us took for granted when we were growing up. And 24yrs on, it's nice to think that we can all be here in Germany, travelling around, in freedom, feeling welcome wherever we go. I have played gigs East and West (as they used to be), and to me it's all the same place. As it is to the people of Germany. Which is a great thing. A great thing indeed.

Happy Unity Day! Back with more news tomorrow....

Cheers,

Renny

---------------------