The set last night was a cracker–These Days straight into Horse to Water into Second Guessing into Kenneth all without so much as a breath– wow! And later treats like Seven Chinese Bros and Hollow Man in the encore; from start to finish, it was just an energetic and frenetic show with a wonderful, lively crowd . . . it was downright majestic there on the park/slope/bank of the Elbe with the restored skyline of Dresden looming behind the stage and hundreds on the two bridges getting the ultimate partial-view/free music experience . . .all in all, quite a scene. To me at least, one of the best shows of the tour right up there with Berkeley both nights, DC, Dublin…something about Dresden and its unique story of destruction, ruin, and decades later, thanks to forward-thinking policy-makers and the human spirit of renewal, a remarkable rebirth as the arts/cultural capital of Germany.
Tonight we are on to Berlin up the road, a city we have had some fun in over the years and has one of the all-time great outdoor venues anywhere– the Waldbuhne where we have played several times over the years (twice in 1995). In fact, the stretch of shows this week is definitely among the most scenic we have ever undertaken– the aforementioned setting by the Elbe last night, the Waldbuhne in Berlin tonight, center city square in Locarno Friday, town square in Perugia Sunday, then Verona Amphitheatre (c. 0 AD) Monday night–I guess we will get back to playing more traditional buildings and sites soon enough, but this week we will enjoy the rides and the sights, and I am guessing the fans will enjoy some great musical moments–only 10 days left on this first run in Europe.
In other news, check out the Man-Sized Wreath video, once again directed by the estimable talents CRUSH in Toronto , just out now and coming to screens near you (yours!?) as soon as now.
An added treat tonight is the chance to see Jacknife Lee, producer of the last R.E.M. and Editors records, here working on a new Snow Patrol record– a good time promises to be had by all. Wonderful to see Garret for the first time in a while. He stays busy that Jacknife . . . but here we are.
This just in…there will be a track pack of three R.E.M. songs from ACCELERATE available for download in the new Guitar Hero game out in October; songs include Horse To Water, Man-Sized Wreath, and Supernatural Superserious…for media coverage, please check out these links:
Happy July,
Bertis