Cologne
April 29th
Early start again in Paris. We all grab breaky at the hotel and set off for Cologne. It’s the last gig tonight and we are all feeling a little low as a result. It feels like the band is just warming up and starting to get a rhythm and sound all our own. But tonight is the last show for the time being.
Don’t approach these men
It’s raining as we head through France, Belgium and into Germany. Asger and myself on driving duties. We are blasting great tunes all the way but I have an underlying sad feeling knowing that this is the last gig and I know a huge post tour downer is on it’s way. In fact it’s already started. There is always a very strange low after a tour that only people that have experienced it will understand. Re-adjusting to normal life after a period of time spent with nothing more important than a concert while experiencing huge highs playing music in front of strangers, is always quite challenging. And it’s even more acute when it’s my own project and my own music. The higher the high, the lower the low. 1st world problems I know. But non the less, it’s a strange day for me in this little van and I’m trying to savour every moment and every smell (mostly…)
Das Autobahn ist wet
The gig today is an incredibly cool club called Club Banhoff. The Germans really know how to make these small venues work. There is an amazing light set up and brilliant sound system and, shock horror, the band get fed with good food…!! (take note Paris and London). Soundcheck is awesome. We are so in the tour zone and tour tight.
Club Banhoff. Cologne
No time to go back to the hotel so we find a very very dodgy but cool dive bar and kill time there and decide that Cologne is an incredibly cool city.
Trainspotting
Ehrenfeld, Cologne
There are 3 bands tonight. The first band are really good. They are called “When People Had Computers”. All 4 of us watch their set. So so good. We are up next. Nice turn out again. And some nice familiar faces in the crowd which is a lovely surprise considering none of us know anyone in Cologne. Here is our set;
Wasteland Electric Noise This Is All That There Is Railway Line Crumbling Empires Neon Sun Your One Dollar Memento Before I Fall Apart
It’s a brilliant gig. We totally nail it. I get lost in my own little world on stage and have to really drag myself out of it when we finish. I could have played all night. The band are buzzing and so are the crowd. A genuinely great gig. We hang out outside and chat to everyone. The other guys in the band argue over what other songs in the SATELLITES repertoire we could play next time we go out on tour. It makes me feel so good, to see other people buzzing so much about my music. That connection is really what music is all about. It’s a universal language all of it’s own. I feel really privileged to be on the inside of this feeling. To be one of the lucky ones who experiences it first hand. It’s impossible to describe. Those that feel it know what I mean. Just try to imagine being in a silent room with complete strangers. No words are spoken but you all know what each other feel. Without a single word being said. With no need for a language or an explanation. Just a room full of people on the same wavelength. And without any interest for what is happening outside of this room. When music works, it feels something like that. But multiplied by 100.
We chat with the Toy’s Orchestra guys after their set. Great bunch of people. We’ve really enjoyed our little expedition with them. We say bye to them and the tour promoter Christoph and go in search of some food. Once again, the only place open is a dodgy kebab shop. So in true tour tradition (this tour anyway) we have a final midnight kebab and it tastes so good. It chases away the post tour downer. For the time being anyway. Go back to the hotel and we all have a beer in Pembers and my room until we realise we have to be up in 4 hours…!! Bed time. A great night in Cologne.
And thats that. A wonderful, but way too short little European Tour. A massive thank you to all who came to see us and to those that made it happen. James, my manager. Christoph the booking agent. A Toys Orchestra for being so great to tour with. The wonderful boys in the band, Asger, Pembers and Simon. And thank you all for reading these little stories. I hope they have brightened your day a little. See you all soon love
Johnny x
