BRMC European Tour 2008 Diary – Day 3: Frankfurt (21/06/08)

After another exciting night in Essen I’m actually a bit relieved I get some days off of BRMC. At least concert-wise. It actually feels as if my brain is overstimulated and can’t really handle all the various impressions that have already rained down on us these few days. And of course these two shows went past too quickly. If only I could press the pause button on my mind and bask in certain moments forever. But, as we all know, tempus fugit. So after all it’s all down to trying to capture beautiful moments in your memory, sometimes by taking pictures, sometimes by just trying very hard not to let them slip away.
But, let’s be realistic, I don’t really get some days off of BRMC, and I can really forget about trying to get some uni stuff done or doing any demanding stuff that needs a certain amount of concentration. It’s uploading videos, photos, writing to people I’ve met at the recent shows and certain diary entries…
Thus, when Saturday morning comes, it doesn’t really feel as if there had been anything like a break. It’s packing the suitcase for five days now, and being a woman that can’t live without her own hairdryer and a certain amount of different clothes (I hear my mum’s voice in my head, going “You never know what the weather will be like.”) results in bringing along such a suitcase that only raises amused looks by my fellows. Well, I’m a bird, what can you do?
We meet up at a hotel in Düsseldorf, which we declare our base camp, and from there get into Kirsty’s car and drive to Frankfurt. Never having been to Frankfurt I can add another point to my inner list of advantages that touring through Europe for a band might bring, something like “Oh well, at least I now get to know some parts of my homecountry I’ve never seen before”. A fine excuse working here. It’s not as if we really get to see anything of Frankfurt though, it’s more about finding the way, which seems to be a hopeless case, thanks to that bloody directions of Map24, which somehow always manage to lead you completely into the wrong direction. Note to self: get a GPS system for Christmas.
Finally, thanks to our inner tom-toms, we reach the Batschkapp, however. It’s four in the afternoon, it’s 30 degrees, we’re all wearing far too warm clothes and there’s nothing going on. Time for some milkshakes in the ice café around the corner and back to the club at five. Still nothing going on. Hm. We’re pretty sure that doors open at six, so why are there no people queuing in front of the club yet? We decide to sit down on the stairs in front of the club and listen to the far-off snippets of the soundcheck that reach our ears. Interesting. Seems like there might be some new great songs coming up, or it’s just the guys jamming along. Either way, it sounds brilliant.
When doors actually open at six, there are about twenty people entering the club. Something’s really wrong here. Maybe it’s due to the fact that it’s a Saturday, maybe it’s because of the bad advertising of this show (some people only now have realized this show actually took place, no entry on the website whatsoever), maybe it’s because Frankfurt people always only come late to concerts. Whatever the cause is, the club only gets rudimentally full when the show starts at about seven. Yes, the “real” show starting at seven. Again, there is no The Brothers Movement playing tonight, looking back it seems as if something really went wrong with the information about these shows, websites of the venues announcing The Brothers Movement as support band but them not turning up before the show in Amsterdam. Hm…
So, the show. What can I say? Only the obvious. It’s perfect again. A kind of small club, a place in the front row, a diverse setlist with slight changes to the previous ones, but mainly sticking to the same framework, the band delivering the high quality we’re so used to now. Unfortunately I can’t find a setlist posted anywhere and having visited five shows all together I can’t remember too many details concerning it right now.
When the guys leave the stage before the encore, I get a bad feeling. It’s realizing that half of my shows on this tour are over now. But, nooooo, bad thoughts have to be pushed aside. Enjoy the moment. Right here, right now.
At nine, the show is over. Another fabulous two hours set, guys, thanks a lot. But what is this? The show’s over and the sun is still shining? We’ve all been wondering throughout the evening why the hell the band have to play something that feels like a matinée of a BRMC show and talking to Ryan, in his capacity as being the band’s merch man, can shed some light on this. It’s due to the fact that there’s a disco taking place later on. A DISCO! And a very bad one, as I have to realize when I get in there again to visit the local sanitary facilities. What a great management this club must have… Kicking out BRMC, their crew and their fans for a mediocre village disco…
But maybe there is also a good side to this. After the show there’s the possibility of sitting in a kind of beer garden, reflecting on past shows with friends, listening to Jo practicing her German and shouts of joy by people watching soccer, sometimes clanging through the warm summer night. Then Peter comes out, talks to some fans, and sits down on the floor, surrounded by people, playing the guitar and singing, letting other people play the guitar and sing as well, and just gives everybody a good time. The only thing missing here right now is the campfire. Lying back on his arms, shirt pulled up slightly and making tricks with the cigarette in his mouth while some other guy is playing his guitar, I’m on the verge of asking Peter if he actually has a licence for doing what he does. Sorry, it’s a woman writing here, just forget that last remark…
At about one o’clock in the morning we can finally break away from this scenery, after all we still have to manage a two-and a half-hours-drive home and it’s only thanks to Kirsty that we were actually able to stay that long. Thus, Kirsty drives us back to Düsseldorf safely and we try to get at least four hours of sleep before it’s time to catch the train to Amsterdam the following morning. Good night.