Memories from the tour - Knightmarish Journeys - Gelsen

Just to put Taxation off for a bit longer, I thought I'd write about one of the shows & journeys from the tour. This way if I ever get round to doing my site, I have at least a bit of it here. Show review included!

Anyhow - just wondering if anyone else had had journeys like this whilst on tour:

It all started in Vienna on a hot Thursday night. I found out the hotel I had booked for Gelsen was 6 miles out.... Too far to get there on the same day in a strange foreign place. So hopped online & booked a hotel right next to the train station... Sorted (or so I thought). My hostel in Vienna had six ppl in (myself inc.) & backed out onto the bar. Due to the weather, the room was like a Sauna - also we had this chinese bloke stay in the room who snored like the world was ending. Anyhow, prob. got to sleep about 1:00am - then up at 4:00am. My plane wasn't until 7, however as it took at least half an hour for the 4:30 coach to the airport I wasn't going to take any chances seeing as I had to be in Gelsenkirchen for around 3pm to see BJ.

So - coach to the airport, then waiting around until 7 for the plane trying not to fall asleep & miss it. Plane left pretty much on time, and I enjoyed a weird German sandwich with Cheese & Yoghurty stuff Despite the airport saying Dusseldorf when I booked it, I was a little aprehensive when it landed due to the one building airport (& quite a small building too). As I have discovered, low budget airlines do this alot - why many of the flights r so cheap.

So there I was in Mochengladback (or something) finding myself again having to try & have a conversation with a German Bus driver. In the end, we worked it out & about an hour later arrived at Moch. Hauptbahnhof (main train station). Time was probably around 10:30am. I could have taken my time, worked out the times (or asked) & got a train straight to Gelsenkirchen. But I saw a train to dusseldorf in like 2 mins & as I knew Gelsen was near there & should be easy to get a train for, I jumped on the train to Dusseldorf. This took about 40 mins. So arrived in Dusseldorf in what I thought was good time.

Looked at the times & jumped on a train to Gelsenkirchen at 11:22. Train was due to arrive in Gelsenkirchen at 12:30. The woman stamped my ticket, no problem - not pointing out to me that Gelsenkirchen was in the other direction & I was actually heading towards Geilenkirchen. Don't know how I managed to misread it, however my heart stopped when I saw name sign. I knew it had to be this stop as the train was on time. Got out in the sauntering heat, sweating my arse off carrying my luggage around & was quite frustated to say the least when the assistant at the station gave me the timetable to get to Gelsen:

12:39 - Geilenkirchen to arrive in Mochengladbach at 13:18 (yes - where I had arrived 3 hours earlier). Than the 13:20 Mochen - Gelsen, to arrive at around 3:00pm. After which I'd need to check into my hotel & leg it to the stadium in time to get a wristband & to meet Sara.

Well - train to Mochen was delayed for some reason, stopped for about ten minutes (u can see above how close the next train was). I was going crazy - Just so frustrating not being able to do anything. Luckily they delayed the train & after one door wouldn't open, & I nearly knocked an automatic door off its hinges, I managed to get off the train, legged it down the steps - up the other side & onto the train to Gelsen - just in time.

Good sign was all the BJ fans showed me at last I was on the right train.

Things wouldn't be getting better just yet though - Arrived in Gelsen just after 3. Walked into the hotel to find there had been a mistake - & I hadn't got a room, they'd all been given out. I'm not sure what I'd have done -luckily the lady was very helpful & managed to find me a room in another hotel. At this stage I wasn't in the mood for messing around with public transport - so hopped into the nearest taxi.... & the driver didn't actually know where the hotel was After driving around for a bit & asking some other taxi drivers we found it. At this point I didn't even have time a shave.. So straight in the room, squirt of deoderant then off to the stadium. Jumped on the tram & took about 40 more mins to get to the stadium due to delays & drunk Germans not knowing the words to IML.

Around 4-4:30 when I got there. Had been travelling nearly 12 hours solid. Was actually really hot, fed up, & tired. I was ready to pack it in & go home at this point. Esp. If I couldn't get in the pit & meet Sara & friends. Alone I couldn't have enjoyed it. So found the FC entrance - huge queue of ppl with wristbands. I bypassed these & went straight to the front where - Thank god, the security ppl were American. (never have I been happier to see a Yank!!) This meant I could bargain.

The conv. went something like this:
Me: "Hi, I'm after a wristband for the pit"
SG: "Sorry we've given all 800 out - theres no room"
Me: "Your kidding, none left at all?"
SG: "Sorry, the next gig is in Mannheim I think - you can try there"
Me: "Yes, I know, but I am meeting some friends here in the pit - I am supposed to meet them, I am a bit late"
SG: "Sorry - its completely full, we've given them all out"
Me: "U can't spare one? I'm one person"
SG:" Well...."
Me: "I've been travelling since 4:00 this morning...."

It was a bit more drawn out than that - took a while to persuade, but in the end the legend got a whole batch out of his back pocket & handed me one saying: don't tell anyone else.

For the first time all day, I could relax!! Esp. when I actually got in the stadium. After about half an hour of navigating thru an overcrowded (to start with) pit, I eventually found Sara. After a Pizza baguaette thing, a coke & a melted Magnum I was finally able to relax & start enjoying myself. The pit wasn't so busy when everyone had settled down & we just drifted into a spot about 6-8 rows back when we were ready!!

The stadum was bigger than I thought it'd be (didn't get a chance to look at it from the outside) & was the first appearance of the mexican wave!!

The Show: Live were awesome as usual!!

After Bounce, jon chucked a bottle into the crowd it seemed & looked very p****d off, after not even bothering to sing the end of Bounce. he also disappeared for a few of Richies solos in the first few songs. Apart from that though & a coughing fit during Captian Crash at the end, I thought he was in great form.

RSOW really was a treat & the atmosphere during this song live is amazing! During the piano solo, I thought we were gonna get DC - but RSOW not far behind. Other highlights included a great version of Saturday night - prob. my most memorable from the tour - Esp. as in the encore. And when we thought it was all over Jon & richie came out & did an amazing acoustic version of AALY. These performances r so much more powerful live than on the album & Jon didn't struggle at all with the vocals.

Ended the show by saying - "We are Bon Jovi and we will strive to be the greatest rock and roll band in the world"

Jon, u r already there

I trundled back to the Hotel, met Jovimimi on the tram (complete coincidence considering how many ppl were trying to get on the tram, how many there were & how overcrowded they were.

Next stop - Mannheim!!

lol it's still amazing how you made it to the end of the show, after such a long day

Keep the stories coming Mike - it's great to read them and relive some great moments

LOL! Thats entertaining reading!

We didnt have no trouble except on the way to Glasgow, we had an hour delay at Lockerbie! But that didnt matter as the stella kept flowing!

haha great to read your stories!

I'm so glad I have a car to bring me everywhere..... except that all exists to Holland were closed when we drove back from Gelsenkirchen....

And I also have bad memories to some people in Ostend who were beating on my car!!!!!! If someone on this board was doing that, you'd better duck and hide...

Thanks for your story, Mike. It's good to read these, brings back memories We had some problems with trains & hotels too, but nothing this bad But at least you got into the pit.

Taija

I remember you telling me a few stories from the European tour but not in that detail! That was really fineline! Don't think I could do a tour like that myself with all that travelling... I'd need to do it with a friend. Even if I was meeting up with people at the shows it is too much stress and hassle.

Have you done your London story yet?

Hahaha great to read this!

Lol - I'd forgotten about that, what is it with me & finding places??

I'll post another diary soon!

a full report of our tour, would take wayyyyy to long so....
BEST MOMENTS OF THE BOUNCE TOUR 2003
4 GIGS – 6 DAYS

1. getting into ibrox before everybody and seeing the stage being set-up
2. Meeting Taija..then laura outside Ibrox the night before the gig...we never really expected to meet people from the message board in reality.
3. Laughing my head off while making our Dry County banner, we left permanent marker stains on our Hotel carpet.
4. KevB (bon geordie) and some other guy dragging me away from hitting kevin the security guard in Glasgow and trying to calm me down
5. kevB screaming F*****g east Stand as we were running to the West stand.
6. The start of Bounce at Glasgow (the red lights behind richie)
7. Seeing Pauls face when Jon announced Richie would be singling Ill Be There For you in glagsow
8. The Jungle screams and the "Booms" during KTF in Glasgow
9. Pauls face in wolves hotel when the cat dived into our room and sat on my bed
10. Laughing my head off when paul told me he had locked it in the bog
11. the bang that woke us up
12. Being 4th in line for the Wolves gig
13. Meeting Mike and Choclady (jana)
14. watching Taija and laura’s face as they recieve their onstage wristbands. What cloud were you on again? Cloud 56 did we say?
15. Seeing T&L appear onstage infront of us on Hughs side of the stage when they were supposed to be on Richies side. Taija nearly fell over the rail she was that excited
16. Then meeting Tom and McRock after the wolves gig.
17. Jon dedicating The Distance to Man United in manchester (even though I support everton, it was still a special moment, it must have been coz we were at old trafford, a legendary place in its own right) and of course the bend it like beckham quote just before.
18. seeing the entire crowd as me and Hayley (another friend who went with us to the show) went up the ramp at the side of the stage, we could see everything, it was amazing.
19. hearing everyone from the medical room sing bed medicine and Lola
20. Hearing jon and richie talk right outside the medical room…such a strange experience.
21. Pauls face (again) when the girl at our “planned” hotel told us we would be getting moved to a 5* hotel
22. Getting Chauffeured around london, that we didnt expect nor deserve. We got a bloke turn up in a suit to take us to our new hotel free of charge.
23. Seeing that we had 3 phones in our hotel room - one in the loo! Hallarious! Then instead of giving tips for room service, they brought us chocolates!
24. Seeing KevB standing there at Hyde Park just as we arrived. We met him in glasgow, but was only supposed to have GA tickets for the hyde park show, so we never expected to see him again. But there he was, asking us what we were doing here! lol.
25. Meeting Leanne and Stacey, the two HOT! girls in our queue waiting to get into HP. Oh, and getting completely smashed too. I drunk all my beer and everyone elses too
26. Being front row of the gold standing section in london and finally being able to show my banner off. It got on the screen a few times, Mike (mod) said all he could see was me trying to chat up that hot bird next to me lol
27. The first notes to These Days. I dont think I have EVER screamed so loud. Everyone was laughing their heads off.. I was still shouting my head off halfway through the song!
28. Never Say Goodbye, I knew it was coming. The best way to end the tour.
29. The fireworks
30. Saying goodbye to all our friends we met along the way. It was sad to say goodbye, but it was a nice moment too.

Thanks Kev, great to read. As Mikes story, brings back memories and sends shivers down my back I think you should write some kind of diary, it would be great to read after years.