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!!