2016. Germany - France - Scandinavia - Baltics - Poland.

Started slowly in January, performing solo at Egersdörfer & Artverwandte (a fantastic, indescribably bizarre variety/comedy show), supported The Vibrators with The Très Biens, had a most enjoyable 30 minutes feature on BR2 radio in February, first recording sessions for the new album were made with Isi on double bass, Max on drums, Christopher on Sax and Andy of the Goho Hobos on Mandolin and Accordion. What a band! Mixed "Harbour Town" for the digital single release (featuring the wonderful Nightbird who co-wrote the song) plus the "flip side", a rendition of Geoff Berner's "Whiskey Rabbi" with Mr Curley Kauper on harmonica. Played two unforgettable solo shows in France (Strasbourg and Lille) in early April before setting out with Isi Roessler on double bass for the German leg of my tour with Nightbird from Finland. Two magic weeks. From Sarreguemines in France across the south-west and south of Germany it was sheer pleasure. Thanks to all the promoters who booked us there. But listen up now! Whenever things look brightest be prepared for fate taking some of it's funnier twists. It all looked just perfect in early May: from 18 May until 16 June, a nicely booked tour, not necessarily the best paid one but still OK, lay there like a red carpet just waiting for me to walk it down all the way from Germany across Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and back to Germany again. Some grants to our credit (helpful as the last nine shows were in full band line-up), distances not too rough, all pretty close to what I'd call well organized. Sounds awesome, eh? Well, it was. For the first 24 h least. In retrospect, I don't think there hasn't been a tour I ever been closer to just stop the car, do a u-turn and drive back. That must have been around day six. How come? Maybe a short summary of the first six days can explain this...

Wednesday, 18 May
Meeting with Grae J Wall & Los Chicos Muertos in a wonderful middle-of-nowhere village in the south-west of Germany for a first show. All good. Felt somewhat like playing that indomitable Gaul village. Smooth and pleasant start.

Thursday, 19 May
Ah... Houston, we've got a problem here! This town's name is Kassel which has got one of the best cake shops in Germany which is good. Unfortunately the promoter's buddy set the facebook event to secret so apart from him and Mr Mäkkelä nobody really knew there was a gig... Well, shit happens. Been fed, watered, put up for the night and paid some gas money. Fair enough, thanks. Really.

Friday, 20 May
Off. Kassel to Copenhagen in one go seems a bit too ambitious. So let's drive to the north end of Germany/south end of Denmark find a cheapo Air B&B, take a little rest, sleep and continue relaxed and refreshed. Good plan. In theory. That whole idea appears to be not half as relaxing once you manage to lose the key to the room, unfortunately a master key for the whole bloody students flat, few seconds after receiving it. Results in extra expenses of EUR 250.-

Saturday, 21 May
Back in business. Just a tiny little streak of bad luck. Let's look ahead! Copenhagen is waiting. Last shoppings done in Germany: chocolate, tobacco, few bottles of wine. Things largely unaffordable in most of Scandinavia. Prepared. But hey what's that? What is that big, black, brand new BMW giving me signs on the Danish motorway? What's wrong here? Unmarked police car? Well, maybe better stop on the hard shoulder. This is getting even weirder now... There's a young man in a cheap blue blazer, jumping out of the car rushing wildly gesticulating towards my vehicle... "Man, I'm in trouble! Need your help!" "Sorry?" "Give me 100 EUR! I'm running out of petrol and have to sell this car to some really rough Russian guys in Copenhagen today! PLEASE! You take my gold chain, smart phone, wristwatch, everything! PLEASE!" "Sorry, mate. I'm really broke myself. Can't help, really!" (he's checking the car and apparently realizes there might be some truth in what I just said) "So, what about the chocolate?" "Erm... sorry? What chocolate?" "For the kids! The chocolate!" (I'm really confused now) "What kids? What chocolate?" He grabs the big pack of Kinder chocolate from the seat, runs back to his car and off he goes. Wow. This is weird. Apparently I just became the victim of the first chocolate robbery I heard of. In Denmark. Right on the motorway. Will have to think
about this for a while I suppose. Few minutes later the call comes in from Copenhagen the main act of the evening has to cancel for tonight. Means the band that was supposed to pull at least some crowd will not be there for the door rated show. I'm a bit worried. I'm not even in Sweden and things already look kinda shitty...

Sunday, 22 May
Well, Copenhagen is a nice city. Let's leave it to that. I wasn't robbed and they gave me free drinks at the venue. I'm sure the sky will clear up now. Leaving for Sweden, a safe and sound country with a strong and organized police force, maybe the safest place in Scandinavia. Going to meet Nightbird in Gothenburg for our first show together. Will be very likely completely broke after paying the toll for the bridge but that's it! Now the merch sales will increase, the Swedes are friendly and generous and the weather seems to be alright. It turns out there is no point in parking a car out in the street in Gothenburg. Also, the hostel guys recommend to pay few crowns extra for the basement car park. Not much more than out on the street and much safer of course. Done. Sorted. We're early, so Nightbird and me have a little stroll down to the venue which looks... erm... not really very open. In fact this place looks absolutely dead. But, as I said, we're really early. Nightbird calls the promoter and...: "Oh no! You guys are the only ones I forgot to inform. We're closed since today for renovations for the next three weeks. There won't be a gig tonight. But maybe you can call this and this number. They might put you guys up on short notice...." This seems to all follow a certain logic. This streak seems to last a bit too long for my liking. Even though on short notice We surprisingly end up with a replacement show in a lovely venue named Pustervik. Dragging our gear back to the hostel after the show I start feeling kind of optimistic we're back in track now. Waking up late morning I realize I'm out of tobacco. No problem - there's enough in the car. Just down the stairs in the garage. The same car where there is the emergency stash of red wine, my fresh t-shirts, panties, all this. The same car that is parked safely for 150 Swedish Crowns in a car park off the terribly expensive and dangerous streets of Gothenburg. The very car I'm just now looking at, intensely trying not to believe what I'm staring at. Part of my brain just doesn't want to accept the fact that the nearside door lock is dangling from it's designated position in a most unfamiliar way on a thin lead. Houston, we... Fuck. Sorry for using swear words. That could have been the moment for packin it in. It's been a close call. As shitty the situation was, at least no instruments or valuables were in the car and the guys who broke in had apparently unusual preferences. They didn't nick the case with mics and leads. They left all the merchandise apart from a box of 7" eps "Single Of The Year". They took all the tobacco (of course), all the red wine (of course), a bloody cell phone charger for EUR 5.- (why on earth?), an old suitcase with t-shirts, panties, socs (well,...), my old black suit (that wasn't fair) and my old tour jacket with all the badges I collected en route (may you rot in hell for that).

Monday, 23 May
Sightseeing. Mainly Gothenburg police department. Might be worth coming back, the officer were really interested in what kind of stuff I'm playing. So much about the less fortunate bit of this year's touring season. The overall situation slowly improved after this, i.e. moving on towards Finland was sort of easy to handle. Getting on the boat in Stockholm (after a lovely Tuesday, playing an afternoon show at the TWANG!) had no more difficulties to offer than two cancelled shows prior to entering the cuntry. Ooops. Sorry for that. Don't get me wrong - we had some really pleasant shows in Finland. Surprisingly enough we found on very short notice replacements for the gigs that fell through. Thanks a lot for helping us in HKI (House Of Love) and Turku (Sointu)! Vastavirta, Tampere and Vakiopaine, Jyväskylä plus the one I played in Rovaniemi with Otto Mikkola were particularly amazing. Had a fun afternoon visiting Radio Helsinki with Nightbird for a little interview at Njassa's show. People who turned up for the shows were great and seemed to really like what we did. Enjoyed meeting friends again I haven't seen in a while made up for a lot of trouble even though I think this can be done with less effort by just flying over. But still there is something in the back of my mind that keeps on nagging that more and more promoters/venues up there seem to fancy the concept of seeing artists like some sort of aggravating, exotic life form turning up primarily to reduce the venues liquid inventories and thus should not be treated too friendly.

So let's move on to the Baltics. Kultuuriklubi Kelm in Tallinn, Estonia was a lovely place to perform in. The nights bill looked promising: Mäkkelä solo, two progressive/post-rock bands from St Petersburg and a local headliner. I wasn't surprised to hear the local headliner cancelled on short notice. Business as usual. As the two young lads in whose flat I was supposed to stay the night were in party-mode full-on I decided to leave town right after packing up in the wee hours and drive straight to Liepaja in Latvia. Ambitious go but not feasible. It's a nice drive, probably even nicer in daylight. Made it almost down to Riga for a little nap on the Baltic Sea shore. The exciting bit started from there. If you ever happen to make it there by car be prepared that main roads or roads classified as A-Roads are not necessarily asphalted roads. This might take more time than you would expect after checking your road map or following instructions of your GPS. You won't regret it though as you will see herons, cranes, foxes, storks and all kind of wild animals both on the roadside or just crossing the road without giving too much of a fuck on who or what is just coming their way. Exciting! I liked that. As much as I liked the people at the Ideju Bode and Martins the guy who organized the show. Very special in a lot of ways, very rewarding concert. Among my favourite places 2016.
Hope to catch up some day soon.

Biala Poslaska. The least I would have expected was a vegan restaurant in the very east of Poland, not too far from the Belorussian border. Neither would I have expected to play a wonderful show there on an early Sunday evening. Before I came here the first time with Ozzmond I had to look it up on Google. Not the place you would regularly travel through I suppose. Not really on a main route to anywhere but one of the most welcoming places I've been to. Some of the nicest people there I met on tour. Very special. If playing there was like diving into a strange and friendly new universe the first time in 2015, this time it was touching the hearts of an audience and being touched the same time. In the unlikely event you're coming through town, look for some Karma. You'll find it. And you'll know what I mean.

Insertion/Polaroid
They took away the great balloon. The one you can have a ride with for a few Sloty. They would let you rise up into the clear blue sky for a sight across town. Maybe further. I didn't go there. I just saw it up there and it was enough of a promise to make me come back. One day, I thought, I'd take a ride. Missed it. Got the best ice cream in town instead and a walk on the bank with Michal and Paula. She said "I don't think I'll ever go back. I became too European living here." I think I understand. Firemen on a mission blocked the road next to the bridge we took across the river, with our ice cream, with life being sweet, strawberry flavoured and easy for a little while in the sunshine, the sculpture of a pig in the middle of the mighty stream. I could set there, watch it flow, not let go of a fist full of bliss while time would just stop for a little while. There is something about rivers I can't name.

 

Via Baltica 2016

Two awful long rides. 72 h mostly behind the wheel. Turku. The ferry. Tallinn. Liepaja. Biala Podlaska. A minimum of sleep, roughly 1500 kilometers including a fair bit of gravel road in Latvia, a little nap on the driver seat, dozing away with a view of the baltic sea in the greyish dim morning light somewhere north of Riga. All muscles aching from both the endless driving and the fab but straining last gig in Tallinn, dizzy from staring onto the neverending dotted yellow line in front of me. Was it yellow? Blurred images of service stations on the nightly Via Baltica. Rush in, grab a coffee, a chocolate bar, still believing that little extra sugar would keep me awake long enough for another 20 or 30 kilometers. Just to make it in time for yet  another poorly paid gig? For the vague possibility of being rewarded by a small audience that appreciates the songs, the playing, the putting in everything you've got way beyond emotional exhaution? It's mad. It's totaly, utterly insane.

What makes people do things like that? They do it because it's worthwhile. Because nobody else would do it. Because there is nothing comparable to having given them the story of your life, all that you are, to people who have been strangers to you half an hour earlier, taking the risk of being turned down. Being ignored, being hurt in the worst case. But then there is nothing comparable to that wave of bliss following a short period of complete emptiness if it worked that particular night. Absolutely nothing.
Might be the idea of catching a fracture of a second's glimpse onto the other side. To have a stroll on that faraway boulevard, that high street of an inbetween world. Grabbing this shorter than short moment of eternal luck, being part of it, of a different world most people will never have the chance to see. Sure I know. It's playing with matches but it's irresistible once you've been there and made it back. It's one of those few remaining moments of magic in a world that has become too factual in it's functionality to allow such. A world trying to stop us from dreaming and thus putting it's sheer existence at risk.

Mäkkelä's tour blog 2016: the big chocolate robbery

I suppose it was a sign. Just about leaving my flat for this tour's first date I flushed the toilet and - bang! - that damn thing is jammed. Even though being not the most caring person I kind of understood it wouldn't have been a good idea to leave the place like this for four weeks. Calling some plumbers, wait for them to arrive, being late, being even more late, calling girlfriend and leaving this all to her (sorry for this) and setting out for a place called Hessenau. Lovely little first gig teaming up with my St Albans friends Grae J Wall & Los Chicos Muertos in a wonderfully bizarre location, middle of nowhere in the backwoods of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Next stop Kassel. Arriving early enough for a cuppa in my favourite cake shop just to realize I forgot my mic stand at home. Made it to a music shop just before closing time to buy a new one. The show turns out to be, let's say, semi successful. They accidentally set the facebook event to "secret". Didn't work out very effectively for promoting the gig. Well, that kind of stuff happens, but still I didn't see the signs. Maybe because it always takes a while to realize a tour is a tour, not a holiday trip. Things got more interesting on day #3 heading north for Copenhagen. This being a pretty long drive I decided to stay the night in Flensburg, Germany right on the Danish border. Air B&B is what we touring lunatics use these days. Basically a good idea if I hadn't lost the main key to the flat about one minute after it was given to me. Excellent. Turned out to cost me EUR 250.- unless I'd return the key before August. Not very likely to happen after all that was still to come. I assume that key is now somewhere in or near Gothenburg/Sweden but more about this later.

But let's move on to day #4. A real highlight on this tour. Still don't know what this has been.
Been driving for about one hour on a nice motorway in Denmark, one of the strongholds of European civilization and sure no country one would associate with being particularly dangerous, when a big black BMW gave me signs, made me slow down and stop on the hard shoulder. "Are they in trouble?", the writer of these lines asked himself, or maybe an unmarked police car? None of this. A youngish person in a cheap blue suit jumps out, approaches my car asking me to turn down the window. Alright, apparently no policeman. A desperate human being as it turns out. "Man, I'm in trouble! Need to get that car to Copenhagen, sell it to some Russians. Running out of petrol, please give me EUR 100.-! You can have my smartphone, my rings, my gold chain, the whole lot!"
It took me a while to convince him there's nothing even close to EUR 100.- as me being a musician on tour not doing very well money wise. Next thing the guy points at the pack of chocolate bars on the passenger seat. "What about the chocolate?" "Sorry????" "I mean the chocolate bars!" "Whatcha talking about?" "For the kids! The chocolate!" This confuses me. A lot. Even more confusing, the guy grabs the pack of chocolate bars, runs off to his car and gone. Both. Big black car and all of my chocolate bars. Didn't even get one of the rings for this. Sad but true. Still wondering what this has been.

Nightbird with coffee. Gothenburg.

But now let's stop whining as we're approaching day #5. My first show with Nightbird on this tour and my first ever in Gothenburg, Sweden. What an adventure.

Met Nightbird, checked into hostel, booked car park in nearby garage rented out by the hostel for SEK 150.-. Good. Drove to venue. Ok, we're pretty early this time, but hey, this place looks kinda very shut down. And not just for now. Good thing is, Nightbird is a multilingual bird, she even speaks Swedish. As also being a pretty clever bird she decides to ring up the promoter what time we may expect the place to open for soundcheck. Turns out to be a smart move. The guy forgot to inform us the venue is closed down for renovation the next couple of weeks from today on. Show cancelled. But: there is an open-mic night in town this very evening, we're told. You guys might get a slot there... After all I don't really mind. Why not. We're screwed anyway. But you must never give in, miracles still happen as we all know.
At Pustervikens Bar, a fantastic bar & concert venue, they wouldn't let us participate in the open mic thing, instead they offer us a proper gig in the bar area, put up a stage & pa, we get fed, all hunky dory. I'm impressed. This place regularly hosts shows of all the big names touring Sweden. Mark Lanegan was here, The Jayhawks and Ian Hunter are coming and now it's Nightbird and Mäkkelä. Seemingly my streak of bad luck has come to an end. Well, let's wait for day #6.

That's me waking up late morning, a happy person with an off-day on tour, taking a stroll to the garage to pick up some clean shirt and a pack from my stash of rolling tobacco.
You might know that kind of moment in life. You're staring at something that's actually there but your brains try to tell you it's not. Just because accepting it's there would make you feel extremely unhappy. It's a good thing for which I like the brains being what they are. Then, after a few seconds time that very brain cautiously would make you figure there's not too much about this you can do but cope with the fact it's really there. Like for instance the sight of the lock of your car door dangling on a lead from the place you've seen it the last time. Which is not exactly the place it should be dangling quite apart from the fact car locks aren't usually dangling anywhere. Obviously the respective lock you're just staring at is not in it's designated position. Next thing your brain would tell you is, this is in fact your car and it looks pretty much like a car someone has broken into. It'll be by that time you realize you might be in trouble and rather check what's left of your belongings...

Counting the losses results in a surprisingly strange selection of nicked items. Two boxes ( ca. 45 copies) of 7" eps "Single Of The Year", limited edition hand numbered, the black sleeve version. Eight packs of rolling tobacco. Six bottles of red wine. A brown leather suitcase without handle containing all I've got to wear on this tour. One black suit, worn out. One old Swedish army jacket. One blue jacket with a lot of badges on and a patch my Slovakian Skate-Folk (that's right, a new genre I just discovered last year down there) friends of Sketord gave me. An inner sole of one of my shoes. A shoulder bag with my Opinel knife in. A carrier bag with old table cloths, books and some kind of charity shop stuff I was planning to drop at my family's cottage in Finland (why on earth this...?). A car adapter for my phone charger. A Finnish mobile phone card. Lemme think... Oh yes, there is still the chance I lost that Flensburg key in my car while leaning over unloading my gear few days ago. In that case this key has possibly found a new home somewhere in Gothenburg.
Interesting also what remained untouched. A brand new quality mic stand. An alu case including a sm58 microphone, all my leads (good quality, expensive ones), all the CDs, all the LPs (apparently they had a look at them as one was taken out of the box and not put back.... well, that's alright, I put it back, good you didn't like it), most of the 7" eps. Hey boys, I might be wrong in this, but I've got a feel if you carry on this way you won't make it big time in your profession. Also they left me some litter. The wrapping of two Swedish chocolate bars. I'm slightly worried about the future of organized crime in Scandinavia after this. They've got some weird chocolate thing going up here.


At least it has been an unexpectedly professional job. No windows smashed, they just drilled open the door lock. Thanks for this. Looking at the positive aspects of this we've got a lot more space in the car now and it does make a lot more sense playing "Light Enough To Travel". There is some comfort in this I suppose. Also the car is still moving and we can continue to Stockholm. I've got a vague feel we do urgently need some sort of turning point on this whole trip. Realistically it's been going downhill so far. A good gig, with some pay and a some merchandise sales might cheer us up.

An important thing to mention here is also my deepest gratitude to all of you out there who reacted on my facebook posts re. this incident. That was a massive wave of helpfulness and support. I've been offered red wine, shirts, jackets, money, you name it! Countless people reposted this, some I know, a lot I never met. All of this highly appreciated! Thanks to all of you for these encouraging messages, posts, mails. May the chocolate gods be with you.

More or less interesting images taken on this tour can be found on the maekkelae facebook page or group.

Last Of A Dying Breed. Tourblog 2015. Episode 7. Das Ende.

Von Barcelona nach Norden. Letzter Eintrag.

Figueres. Wird das Café Royal noch da sein? Ein seit Generationen von einer Familie betriebenes Café an der Rambla. Dali und Bunuel waren hier schon gesessen und haben sich über andalusische Hunde ausgetauscht. Sagt man. Bereits vor drei Jahren hieß es das Gebäude würde abgerissen, offenbar haben wir doch noch eine Chance erhalten bei Pep ein Estrella zu ordern. Überschaubare Menge dann beim Auftritt zwei Ecken weiter. Tolles Publikum dennoch. Am Ende wird es noch wild. Ein ziemlich durchgerockter Typ kreuzt nach unserer Show auf. Packt seine Gitarre aus, spielt. Rumba, Flamenco, you name it. Hot Gypsy Stuff. Wir steigen ein. Mit Bouzouki und Gitarre. Mädchen fangen an zu tanzen, steuern Handclap-Percussion bei. Ich bin wieder mittendrin. In dieser fiebrigen, surrealen Atmosphären-Suppe, schwimme in einem bizarren Traum. Ein geisterhafter Abend. Ricard, der stoische Barmann, die Handclaps, die Gesten der Tanzenden, der heisere, von ganz tief unten herausbrechende Gesang des alten Roma, sein zerfurchtes Gesicht. Wortfetzen, Halbsätze, "You must not go! You stay! Play!!!". Uns wird angeboten nächstes Jahr im Knast von Figueres zu spielen.

Girona, Café Llibreria Context. Gepackt voll. Ganz anders als vergangenes Jahr. Es läuft. Es läuft gut. Tags darauf nochmal besser. Sant Feliu de Guixols. Vielleicht der gelungenste Auftritt der diesjährigen Shows in Katalonien. Und das in einer der schönsten Städte in die es mich auf dieser Tour geschwemmt hat.
Warum hat uns eigentlich bislang noch keiner hier her geschickt oder gesagt das es dieses Nest gibt? Es hätte nicht schöner sein können. Vor dem Soundcheck noch das 4:0 von Barca gegen Real gesehen, dann auf einer der schönsten Bühnen der Tour, bei perfektem Sound vor einem super-interessierten Publikum die Ideallinie gefunden. Momente die bleiben.

Barcelona wird der angemessene Abschluss dieses Tourabschnitts mit Grae J Wall. Erwarten nichts bekommen viel. Das Gipsy Lou im Raval überraschend gut besucht. Sehr gut. Das Programm läuft hervorragend und wir verdienen tatsächlich Geld an diesem Abend. Nicht selbstverständlich für Bar Gigs in dieser Stadt.

Wir packen die Instrumente zurück ins Hotel an der Rambla und ziehen nochmal los, auf einen Absacker in die London Bar. Während wir einen Drink nehmen kommt zufällig ein Pärchen rein die unseren Auftritt im Gipsy Lou gesehen haben, bedanken sich nochmal. Der junge Barmann wird hellhörig. "You musicians? You have to play here!". Gerne. Nächstes Jahr. Es stellt sich heraus der Typ ist absoluter Townes van Zandt und Steve Earl Fan. Country/Songwriter Stoff generell. Plötzlich sind zwei Gitarren da. Plötzlich entpuppt sich der Kumpel des Barmanns als sensationell guter Gitarrist. Plötzlich endet der Abend in einer intimen Session. Townes van Zandt, Woody Guthrie, Steve Earle. Anglo-catalanisch-finnische Bruderschaft. Die Getränke gehen auf's Haus. Es wird spät.

London Bar, Barcelona.

Wieder allein unterwegs. Nach Stops in Montpellier und Lyon spiele ich Basel an einem Mittwoch. Charmant. Gute Menschen, wenig Publikum. Genieße es trotzdem.
Fahre in 10 Stunden von da nach Dunkerque. Straßensperren in Frankreich. Wir sind im Krieg. Es macht mich wütend ein ungutes Gefühl haben zu müssen weil da zehn Typen mit automatischen Waffen stehen, einige davon maskiert. Was ist hier eigentlich los?

England. Es ist ende November, das Wetter erstaunlich trocken hier und Southampton ein guter Einstieg. Auftritt im Mettricks mit Bar:Ton und Hermione Pepper. Ersterer mit einem Psych-Folk Instrumental-Set auf dem Mandocello, letztere mit sphärischem Goth-Folk. Gesang und Autoharp. Eigenwillige Geschichte, nicht ganz meine Tasse Tee, aber gut gemacht. Sitze nach dem Auftritt noch lange mit Richard aka. Bar:ton und seiner Freundin zuhause. Tourgeschichten austauschen, Tee trinken.
Auf der Fahrt nach St Albans, tags darauf, habe ich es dann wieder. Dieses Gefühl das mich trotz aller Widrigkeiten die dieses Land für Acts wie mich mit sich bringt, immer wieder hierher zieht Es ist vielleicht eine der größten Herausforderungen für einen Solo-Performer in Europa. Vielleicht noch etwas mehr für einen nicht Native Speaker. Dir bleibt nichts anderes übrig als gut zu sein, und wenn Du es bist, wird es respektiert. Auch wenn es jenseits des Mainstream ist, auch wenn es vielleicht etwas eigenwillig ist, man hört Dir auf jeden Fall zu, Du bekommst Deine Chance. Das die Bezahlung in der Regel katastrophal ist soll mal nicht verschwiegen werden. Ruppiges Land mit einer einzigartigen (Pop-)Musik Kultur.
Der Auftritt im Trestle Arts Base dann ein echtes Highlight. Vier Acts, fetter Sound, gut besucht. Hi-energy Auftritt. Pures Glück. Noch unter dem Eindruck des Abends beschließe ich am folgenden Tag noch spontan einige Songs im Blue Angel Acoustic Cafe zu spielen, einem seit 18 Jahren laufenden Open Mic Abend in St Albans, humorvoll und kompetent gehostet von Bill und Perry. Das stürmische Wetter treibt eine bunte Mischung aus Spinnern und Normalos in das Pub. Ich liebe das hier. Einige Acts völlig daneben, einige absolut großartig. Jeder kriegt seine Chance und jedem wird zugehört. Aufmerksam. Respektvoll. Für mich wird es anschließend Zeit Schlaf nachzuholen. Möglichst viel davon.

Ein guter Moment dies hier als den letzten Blog-Eintrag stehen zu lassen. Vor mir liegen noch vier UK Dates, einer in Lille und vier Shows in Deutschland. Letztere dann doch noch erfreulicherweise mit Isi Rössler und - auf den freu ich mich besonders - einer zusammen mit Geoff Berner in Dachau. Ich hoffe wir sehen uns dort. Irgendwo. Irgendwann. Sollte jemand diesen Blog hier verfolgt haben - Danke. Die Reise war lang dieses mal und sie ist noch nicht zu Ende. Es wird daher sicher immer wieder mal was neues hier, auf FB oder der Mäkkelä Seite geben. Wer möchte kann gerne ab und an mal vorbeisehen. Ein spezielles Dankeschön an das Roadtrack Magazin an dieser Stelle.





St Albans, 01.12.2015
Martti Mäkkelä


Für das Roadtracks Magazin geschrieben, findest Du bis Dezember 2015 in diesem Blog Nachrichten, Wasserstandsmeldungen, Befindlichkeitsnachweise und vermutlich auch den einen oder anderen Link aus der etwas unkalkulierbaren "On Tour"-Parallelwelt von Mäkkelä's Tour zu seinem am 4. September veröffentlichten Album "Last Of A Dying Breed". Alle kommenden Konzerttermine auf maekkelae.com.

Last Of A Dying Breed. Tourblog 2015. Episode 2

Die Toten

Jede Tour scheint in sich eine eigenartige Logik zu bergen. Macht man sich Notizen und liest die im Nachhinein durch stösst man in der Regel auf Muster. Mir geht's so zumindest. Der vier Wochen-Block im Frühjahr durch Skandinavien und das Baltikum war der regnerischste seit ich das mache und vielleicht der, der mich gezwungen hat meine Songs unter einem anderen Aspekt, mit einer anderen Attitüde zu spielen. Hat mich verblüfft das das möglich ist. Es ist offenbar doch noch mehr Punkrock in dem was ich mache als ich für möglich gehalten habe.


Diese, mittlerweile bei Tag 10 angekommene, Tour scheint sich ohne größeres Zutun immer mehr mit dem ihr gegebenen Namen zu identifizieren. Damit zu verschmelzen. Ich verlasse das von Kirchweih-Seligkeit besoffene Fürth, während die Bevölkerung des Landes in dem ich lebe vorwiegend damit beschäftigt ist Asylbewerberheime abzufackeln. Ein Land mit einem zwanghaften Drang zur Pyromanie. Keine allzu neue Erkenntnis. Ich treffe auf meine Toten, auf meine Vermissten und immer wieder Fragmente aus den vergangenen Jahren. Personen die ich vergessen hatte, Orte die ich nur noch verschwommen im Gedächtnis hatte. Eine Spiegelung dessen was sie tatsächlich sind.
Erstes Konzert Dortmund, Sissikingkong. Da sind Menschen die Isi und mich beim TFF Rudolstadt gesehen hatten, ein delirierendes Hafenviertel im Zentrum des postindustriellen Deutschland, eine Nacht zwischen Küchenphilosophie und Hafenschänke und erstaunlichen Erkenntnissen bzgl. der hiesigen Genussmittelversorgungslage.
Bei sonnigstem Herbstwetter nordwärts nach Wilhelmshaven, vorbei an Großenkneten. Wegmarke. Du erinnerst Dich? Dann das Kling Klang. Der letzte einer sterbenden Gattung in einer dahinsiechenden Stadt in einem der letzten Läden seiner Art. Leerstand, großartige Menschen und ein Auftritt der mich langsam in das richtige Fahrwasser kommen lässt. Die halbe Nacht mit einem Freund gesessen. Wieder die Küche. Erzähl mir von Deinen Toten und ich sag Dir wie's mit meinen steht. Die Dead Brothers als Ouvertüre zum Konzert sind mehr als passend. Was hätte auch anderes laufen sollen?
Den anderen Freund besuche ich tags darauf auf dem Weg nach Hamburg zum Auftritt im Mobile Blues Club. Hat weniger Glück gehabt. Der Friedhof von Lilienthal. Sonnig. Scheisskalt. Andrew und sein Fender Bass. Ich erinnere Momente die schon weg waren, Bühnen, Gigs und es schnürt mir den Hals zu. Krieg ne Textnachricht von Holm: Hab Deinen Song auf Deutschlandfunk gehört heute Nacht um 5. Das heisst ich muß zum Hamburg Konzert kommen. Sehn uns da. Kleiner, intensiver Auftritt im MBC, Übernachtung neben dem Otzentreff, Pflichtbesuch im Nachthafen. Sonntagsausflug am Day-off nach Groß Wedel. Fucking zweieinhalb Stunden runter Richtung Salzgitter. Ich mach die Tür von dem auf was mal als Haller's Kultur Cafe der Ignoranz der Region getrotzt hat. "Nee! Damit hätt ich jetzt nicht gerechnet! Der Mäkkelä!" Wir schlürfen Kaffee, ich höre zu wie sich Haller & Renate an die schönen Momente erinnern. Auch an die nicht so schönen. Er schenkt mir einen Gedichtband den er vor einem halben Leben veröffentlicht hat. Falls Du mal Inspiration brauchst.

Es wird spannend. Wohnzimmerkonzert in Gettorf. Wo das ist? Gute Frage. Nicht so weit von Hamburg, also runter von der Autobahn, Landstrassen, immer noch sonnig, traumhafter Herbst, Tour-Herbst. Vielleicht sollte ich das öfters machen. Das mit den Wohnzimmershows. Das Wohnzimmer ist voll. Auch mit Kindern die kreuz und quer herumkrabbeln und somit auch ab und an über die Bühne. Intimer Abend. Bei Ship Repairing Men outen sich mein Gastgeber und einer seiner Freunde als Werftis. So nennen die das hier. Leute die auf der Werft arbeiten. Hab ich nicht überrissen, aber klar, hier ist genug Wasser für sowas. Irgendwie passt gerade alles.
Sightseeing mit meinem Gastgeber Tim am folgenden Vormittag fällt flach. Es wird jetzt genau so wie man eine Tour im Herbst gern nicht hätte. Kalt, regnerisch, ungemütlich.
Tag sechs ist Kiel. Prinz Willy. Liebe ich, den Platz.  Der Abend im Prinzen dann. Wieder wer nach dem Konzert: Hab Tramontana auf RBB Radio Eins gehört. Sendung Lost In Music. Die haben das Ding richtig gelobt. Sind gestern hioerhergezogen und haben gesehen Du spielst. Mir fällt ein das gerade seit gestern das Album CD der Woche bei Radio ARA in Luxembourg ist. Something is happening and I don't know what it is.
Der Mittwoch. Tag sieben. Endlose Fahrt nach Leipzig in Begleitung des neuen Libertines Albums. Ziemlich gute Begleitung. Ich freu mich auf Markus, Endrick und die anderen Verrückten vom Unstrut Festival im Juli. Wir befinden uns in Leipzig Dölitz. Hab ich das richtig verstanden? Das hier war mal der Ortsteil mit der örtlichen Nervenheilanstalt? Passt. Die Shows fangen an zu laufen. Ich meine: ich muss nicht mehr nachdenken. Ich kann mehr reinlegen. Zwischendrin schreit wer: spiel Miracle Gyrlz! Wie bitte? Was denn? Wer kennt das denn noch? Die kleine Punkerin die sich 1995 in Hoyerswerda beim Gig in den Fahrer unserer Band verguckt hat. Eine halbe Nacht vergeht beim Update von dem was seither passiert ist. Wer gestorben ist. Wer lebt. Ich muss weiter. Ich bin etwas weniger erledigt als ich eigentlich befürchtet hatte. Dafür das wir mittlerweile Tag acht schreiben.
Berlin. Wieder. Wie oft war ich dieses Jahr schon hier? Ich befürchte zu oft. Versöhnlicher Abend. Mäkkelä leicht durchgerockt. Handvoll Freunde im Publikum. Stenzel, Tiefel, Clarky. Auto abstellen, paar Drinks in der Schönlein. Er zurück von Gigs in Brasilien, ich arbeite mich südwärts. Nicht ganz so weit. Ab morgen dann mit Isi Rößler am Bass.

Vormittag. Tag neun. Textnachricht von Isi. "Hei, ich war beim Doc. Hat mich sofort ins Krankenhaus überwiesen. Irgend 'ne tischtennisballgroße Schwellung. Lymphknoten oder so. Weisst doch noch, wie vor zwei Jahren auf der Tour. Ich muss Dir das alles absagen und ich hatte mich so drauf gefreut." Scheisse. Ich auch. Pass auf Dich auf. Erhol Dich. Wir brauchen gerade keine größeren Katastrophen.

Das alles macht die nächsten Tage nicht unbedingt einfacher. Nochmal vier Tage 100% oder mehr geben, fahren, ins Bett fallen und darauf hoffen das am Off-day in Colmar wenigstens ein bischen die Sonne scheint.
Das KunstKaufHaus in Hof erreiche ich nach satten fünf Stunden von Berlin aus. Regen. Stau. Es nervt. Alte Freunde dort, großartige Presse im Vorfeld und wie schon beim letzten Auftritt hier ausgesprochen hervorragende Betreuung von Alex. Geschlafen wie ein Stein, beim Aufstehen gemerkt das ich jetzt endlich auch meine traditionelle Tour-Erkältung habe undmittlerweile bereits die dritte Stunde am Rechner. Blog schreiben, Mails beantworten, versuchen in Italien noch 1-2 Shows zu kriegen. Es fühlt sich richtig an im Moment. Richtiger als vielleicht jemals zuvor.
Heute Abend im Zum Rösla in Burgkunstadt. Ab dann geht's endlich südwärts. Offenbach, Trier, Karlsruhe, Freiburg und die Schweiz.

Für das Roadtracks Magazin geschrieben, findest Du bis Dezember 2015 in diesem Blog Nachrichten, Wasserstandsmeldungen, Befindlichkeitsnachweise und vermutlich auch den einen oder anderen Link aus der etwas unkalkulierbaren "On Tour"-Parallelwelt von Mäkkelä's Tour zu seinem am 4. September veröffentlichten Album "Last Of A Dying Breed". Alle kommenden Konzerttermine auf maekkelae.com.




 

Single Of The Year-Tour 2013 - Part I

Woke up this morning after what I'd call the best sleep I had in a couple of days. Much needed indeed as the flu I managed to catch right in timefor the first tour gig decided to feel very comfortable in my body.

Now this is Berlin and it welcomed us in exactly the way I expected it to in mid-October. When driving into town it was pouring down, it was dark and double bass player Isi and me couldn't have been more knackered at the end of the third day on tour.
Still I got a feel it's been worth it. The first show in my favourite Hamburg place, the Nachthafen, turned out a real blinder. Looked empty first, filled up then to what I'd call a packed place and ended with a pretty punkrocky encore which rounded out an almost perfect gig. A lovely moment was when Justin of The Galantiers and his wife Gaby (did I get that right?) did a 30 min slot in the middle of the evening playing Galantiers songs on acoustic guitar and violin. Brillant! Didn't get to bed early that night...

Second day.

The always wonderful Prinz Willy in Kiel. Again a well attended evening with the usual, very attentive audience there. Very different to Hamburg. If Hamburg was Rock'n'Roll this one got closer to a traditional folk club feel. Really good show again and a nightcap with our host at the nearby Club 68. Good talks there and to bed fairly early this time. A surprise was the local press being around for the gig the first time ever. An interested young lady who never heard of a band called The Clash. I assume it's a sign of me being a bit older than her. But then again... how can someone not know.... well, she'll find out. Been down to the sea front for a cuppa the next day before leaving. Loved it.

Kiel. Baywatch.

Bassist looking at the sea.

Nightingales & Pontikka & Nubians

26/05

Arriving in Rovaniemi 10.00 am. Blue sky, sunshine, get picked up by Mäxi the Nightingales' drummer and his girlfriend Kirsi. This town always feels a bit like coming home. Afternoon rehearsals with Jorma (the Nightingales piano player) and Mäxi. Later on a pleasant little gig at Paha Kurki bar on Koskikatu makes this an enjoyable tour day. Otto Mikkola of Oskari Heikkinen & Arktinen Voodoo is there and passes me their new album. Great stuff as I expected after having them supporting me last year at the Grande just around the corner from here.



27/05

Mäxi preparing for the recordings

Recording sessions done and went down really well. Instrumental tracks of two songs fixed and thus half of the upcoming 7" ep. A pleasure working with the guys and sound engineer Tuomas.

28/05

Last day in Lapland. Did some cooking for Kirsi, here lovely daughter Sanni and Mäxi. That was most welcome fun. Love cooking. Should do this regularly on tour. Or at least any time there are decent facitilities. Gone for some tapa variation. Albondigas, chicken in white wine garlic sauce and a white beans and  serrano salad. A sunny summer day rounded up in the evening meeting all the boys from back in the days. Greenhouse AC, Nightingales and even Tuomas of Saariston Lapset. Good to see they're all doing fine. Got the second big compliment on this tour from Sanni and had some top notch Pontikka on top.

29/05

Timely at Vastavirta, Tampere. Yläkerta, their upstairs cafe, is just like made for my accoustic solo gigs. Amazing place. Attentive audience. After soundcheck the venue people send me to sauna. Just a few minutes' walk down Pispalan Valtatie one can find one of Finland's oldest still running public saunas. A very special place and just the right thing to have after 9 hours on a train and a possibly bit too crazy night at the Arctic Circle. Janne Laurila whom I haven't seen in years turns up for my show, invites me to stay at his place and hands me the latest album of his new band Janne Laurila & Tuhlaajapojat. Another familiar face is Jukka another member of Saariston Lapset. Last met 15 years ago. I still wonder if there is anybody apart from some really weird electronic music nerds who knows this band and how someone could have been so mad to put out their record then. Another miracle about this whacky art-meets-electronic-dada-pop project is that they've done a full tour of Germany after the album release. Gig was lovely. Really lovely.

30/05

Endless waiting for soundcheck at Henry's Pub in Helsinki but once we're there it feels most comfortable on stage. Playing a good 50 min set and leave stage soaking wet. My suit I must admit get's after this 7th gig pretty close to a state that can only be described as disgusting. Anyway a good one. The gig i mean. Great to see the Blue In The Face guys and Johan in the audience. Vallu who is hosting these "Helatorstai" clubs is like always brillantly compèring the evening. This hot summer evening's second band is Kap Kap from apparently Helsinki who are playing an eclectic blend of psychedelic indie rock, Bowie and Shellac. Good band. Later on we find out their guitarist and me met before. Some years ago after playing a Midnight Sun Filmfestival sideshow with Desert Planet we apparently had a chat on the river bank in Sodankylä at the traditional end of festival hang out.
Interesting news: Kimmo of Blue In The Face tells me they're going to play some German shows with Fucking World. The latter a punkrock legend from Finland with my old tour acquaintance Näkä Närhi on guitar.

31/05

Last day of May 2013 I find myself with two instrument cases and two way too heavy bags on the train to Kuopio. Last solo gig on this tour supporting Faarao Pirttikangas & Kuhmalahden Nubialaiset at Henry's Pub in Kuopio. Get there way too early and too knackered to have a look around town. Particularly because of all the rubbish I'm dragging across Finland.

Not light enough to travel. Not really.

Instead decide to smoke all of my accidentally bought menthol cigarettes and update my tourblog. Failed with the latter.      
The gig turns out to be the most satisfying one on this tour. A good crowd has turned up to see their hometeam Faarao Pirttikangas playing and is surprisingly really listening to what I'm doing. In fact they seem to be really into it. None is leaving, nobody chatting. Sound is fantastic and the playing goes down perfectly well this time. Hot again. Again wet suit. Respectful words and backslapping from the Faarao Pirttikangas guys makes this a perfect last one. Encouraging after a little down this afternoon. The odd tour crisis caught up with me on the way here.

Right after gig. Good there are are no odo-rama pics.

A word about Faarao Pirttikangas. It's a long time since I last heard some band like this perform. I don't think I'm exaggerating saying this is the most inspiring and definitely outstanding band from Finland. Absolutely unique in their way. Fingers crossed the wave of success they're currently riding carries on.

Faarao Pirttikangas right before gig

It's a long one this Friday night in Kuopio. Long talks with the Faarao guys (namely their bassist, their singer Pekka and their trombone player Pertti), run into Tomi Kosonen and Paul Staufenbiel of Aavikko and end the evening in the wee hours on Pekka's balcony, smoking a last ziggy and sipping red wine from coffee mugs round six in the morning. No less than a magic evening here in eastern Finland.
Footnote: before leaving I manage to get me a Kalakukko (no link here - ask Wikipedia or something) on the market square. The real thing.

On the go

To be honest, this is all getting a bit edgy. Still a bit knackered from playing the "Mäkkelä meets Wax Mannequin" hoedown on Friday (cheers guys - that was a fun night!) and the "Stadt aus Draht meets GoHo Hobos" on Saturday at Blaue Nacht in Nuernberg.
Only ten days until I have to hit the road for what I hope will be an at least warm tour. What makes it a bit disturbing for now are the plans of spending time in the studio with the GoHo Hobos, with Church Of The Blue Nun, playing a little festival gig on Saturday, djing with David tomorrow night in Bamberg, preparing for Bayerisches Fernsehen (public tv) who just told me yesterday they're going to do a special about Kioski and trying to sort out my car's broken axis, my everlasting trouble with tax authorities' deadlines, pre-producing the June issue of my radio show and about a hundred other more or less annoying, time consuming things...all prior to the tour. But hey - this can be done in ten days. Possibly without a nervous breakdown. Positive thinking.

Made for walking. Photo: Frank Johannes

Among the good things we can list the weather here. Looks as if summer just arrived intending to stay. Good. Hope it follows me up to Turku for my first tour gig on 22nd at Pikku-Torre. Another one is the fact my autumn tour dates start rolling in. This year it's going to be a long one indeed. Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Catalonia, Netherlands (possibly), UK (definitely) and back
The 7" ep is slowly assuming shape, at least in theory so there is not too much more to do but record it and hope everything goes according to plan and that little thingy is here by the time touring starts in October.

As for the upcoming Finnish dates this will be an interesting thing particularly re. the Church Of The Blue Nun gig in Helsinki. First and apparently only Finnish COTBN gig  this year with Ulla-Riikka on cello. After leaving Finland there'll be a Mäkkelä's Trash Lounge gig in Växjö/Sweden with Robin van Velzen guesting (hmmm... or is this a COTBN show then?) and a Church Of The Blue Nun gig in Malmö which raises the question who is this Mäkkelä, who is that Church and do I have to be worried about being schizo?

Will try to keep a more decent tour diary on this trip than I did last time. Might work out as most of the time I'm on my own and writing keeps me from talking to myself.

All tour dates on Bandsintown bottom of this page.


 

Afternoon guide to Dresden

Yes, I've been on time. In fact pretty much on time. Arriving in Dresden 2 pm. gave me five hours to kill. This might be boring for you, dear reader (if there is someone like you out there), but following this blog might be of some help for you once you arrive in Dresden with five hours to kill.
First get yourself a car park close to where you're going to spend the evening. This will be tricky later so do it now. Next grab some food. Easy task. You may go to the top end of Bischofsweg where you'll find the restaurant in no. 12. They serve cheap (and I mean cheap) home cooking from 11 am. to 2.30 pm.
Then go to Drop Out Records and buy an album. Or a single. The Ducks Deluxe album is gone now so you will have to take the first Graham Parker & The Rumours or Ian Dury. That's ok I think.
After doing this there are a lot of choices. For my part I went to the Tiki because of their free Wifi. Want to know the November 2012 password? Here we go: sommersonnegurkeneis. Else not really a particularly charming place (if you want that kind of interior rather visit the Tiki Heart in Berlin) but their coffee is ok and the bar-maids are on the ball.
Got enough battery? Got a good book with you? Even better. When the battery dies switch to reading. That's a bit vintage but will do for this afternoon. I recommend one of Ken Bruen's novels. Any of those will do.
Book read? Ok. Go to Thalia. That's opposite side of the road. You're a smoker? Good for you as it's ok to smoke in there. On top of that they serve Radeberger beer from the tab. That's not too bad. Thalia is one of these basically nice little art house cinemas with a café/bar to it. Some artsy nude photography and film posters make for the decoration plus a real rubbish b/w painting of an earth closet in a forest. If you feel inspired by the Ken Bruen you just read, this place is not the worst to be: you can have a double Jameson or a black label Bushmill here.
They also do gigs here but presumably not for me after slagging that painting off which was probably done by the owner himself, his daughter or his best buddy.

... and did I mention? Today is 20 November which means I'm playing Berlin. See you there at the King Kong Klub. Clark Nova will be playing too, something called Urge will do a set and Mr ThomThom Geigenschrey will be guesting on violin on a couple of my songs. But hey - you've seen this anyway on facebook, eh?  

Budapest to Brighton; Part I

It's an ever surprising thing going on tour. Surprises around the corner wherever you're heading. Good and bad. This time for the last big bit of my 2010 tour it began with a nice one.
Few days before leaving for the 1st tourdate in Vienna word reached me that Tobias the cello player managed to sort out a gig in Budapest on pretty short notice. A students club named CDFÜ somewhere downtown. No big money but who cares - Vienna's just two hours away (well...) and I haven't played Budapest. That's the terrible thing - you've got always a good chance to lure me to whatever remote place for a show if it sounds exotic enough for me...

The other thing is I'm most of the time not really careful in checking out distances. In fact Vienna Budapest is really not a very long drive. The motorway bit. The tricky part starts once the motorway through, most of the time not very exciting Hungarian landscape, ends. Those last 2 km to the appartment address on the Buda side of river Danube town took me another good hour. A 60 minute nightmare of roadworks and oneways. Once I figured out where to turn left: no left turn possible. Ok, let's go ahead take the next one but there won't be a next one left. Instead a bridge you have to cross to find just three km further a chance to U-turn illegally but still turn. And no, I'm not going to get into details about the car park situation. To look at it in a positive way: it prepares you in a most decent way for places like Vienna and Brussels. Both towns yet to come on this tour.

The CDFÜ turned out to be a nice little students bar on the Pest side of town. Reminded me of some places I played in Czech Republik back in the early 90s. Not a big crowd, mostly students, but a very attentive one. Good first gig with Tobias doing a great job on his cello. Had my first few Palinkas. Think they were ok. Gonna leave it to this. Even though they told me the real stuff is the homemade one served in 2 l plastic bottles. Scary.

The next day left us enough time for a good deal of sight-seeing. Sunny, warm Budapest with ticket machines giving out tram tickets and change on a random basis. Have to say I'm still impressed. Everything is remarkably huge. Wonderful buildings a lot of them pretty run down though. Can't remember the names of the places we've seen but it's been great. Well, there was the giant market hall. Bought me dried hot chilli peppers as a souvenir. Remembered them few days later in Graz when rubbing my eyes after rummaging in my bag and inadvertantly sticking my fingers into what turned out to be the open plastic bag with the peppers.

Vienna, 17/11/2010

2nd gig and it already feels like being on the road for a week. Been looking forward to Vienna. My 2nd gig here after playing the Cafe Concerto in 2005 on the Penguins Tour.
When arriving a little late after getting lost in Vienna (nope - no gps or road map on us) first person we ran into was good old Ibrahim from Basel whom I haven't seen in ages. Probably since my last gig at the Wagenmeister/Basel. We went for a drink and some food with him after a terribly long soundcheck. The Cafe Carina else is a great venue. Good stage size, good pa, situated in an arch right under the train tracks. We played a maybe even better gig than in Budapest. Actually it was pretty wild for a Maekkelae gig... The basically pleasant mood in the venue changed short time after the gig when some guys started a fight there which got a bit out of hands. Managed to save our gear and left in time. Got lost with Ibrahim, his girlfriend and some of Tobias fellow students from Budapest at the Cafe Concerto.

I was particularly amazed about THE FAN. A lady showed up who happened to turn out my friends Dirk and Britta's new neighbour. She knew only my version of "Volcano God" (propably from MySpace) which was good enough a reason for her to see the gig. Must have done something right with this song.

Next morning we picked up Tobias wife Orsi at the station and had breakfast at the Cafe Jelinek (the definitely most wonderful coffee house in Vienna). Time for them to go for a tour of the Vienna museums and me to leave for Graz after this. Shame these were the only two shows we had the chance to play together. Liked them a lot.

Here's the Link to my Facebook page with some songs to listen to...