TEN YEARS AFTER at LOKation
Bad Salzuflen,  20 November 2008

 

 

Impressions around the LOKation, Bad Salzuflen

 

 

 

 

 

 

                  

 

 

  

 

 



TEN YEARS AFTER 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas Daubel, Ric, Leo

Photos and Review by Brigitte and Dave

TEN YEARS AFTER - LIVE IN BAD SALZUFLEN, GERMANY
NOVEMBER 20, 2008


ONE MAN'S DREAM COMES TRUE

Thomas Daubel is the owner of the venue and a loyal Ten Years After fan going back many a year.
His dream was simple, one day he wanted to own a music venue and have his favourite band play there. On November 20th of this year his dream finally came true.
Brigitte and I had the pleasure to met Norbert at the venue when we visited there twice, which was few weeks before the band even arrived. He gave us a personal tour of the place and filled us in on the history of the building and how much time, money and effort they put into this venture. His story was heartfelt and impressive.
The venue is called Lokation and the building is an old train station. It's a huge, well kept building on the outside, but one can only assume that the inside needed extensive cleaning and renovations in order to make it inhabitable for the music cliental who would be visiting here. Besides this, many local ordinances, stiff rules and regulations keep getting in the way. This slowed progress and delayed the dream from reaching fruition. As the building has been classified a historical property, it has to meet certain specifications. In other words, if someone wants to pound a nail into the wall, some person sitting behind a desk somewhere has to approve it first. You would think that the little town of Bad Salzuflen would be happy to encourage a positive venture like this, and do all they could to help promote it for the public. It's my understanding that there was a music venue in this town before, but has long since faded into history. In many towns, in the outlying areas there's music venues, but they are few and far between and many a mile to get there. But it's getting better every year, and we thank and support  Thomas and Norbert and their hard working team for their dedication to this project.

For us, the venue is just a twenty minute drive from our house. The parking there is excellent with plenty of room to spare. People from all over are coming here this evening to see Ten Years After play. Some folk drove over two hours to be here.
Our friend Reinhard drove in from Osnabruck to join us. Along with Volker, his girlfriend Brigitte and her son Ramon. This is Ramon's very first concert, and at age 11 it will be one that he will remember forever. 

We arrive at the venue (in the pouring rain) just in time for the sound-check. Tom is working hard as usual as is the band. A quick hello and nod from the band members and the evening starts.
The bands long awaited new cd has just arrived and we can't wait to get our hands on a copy, in fact Brigitte bought six copies, one for us and the rest to share with friends as presents.
To read our cd review, please click here:

The venue is long, but not quite wide enough, although the bar area is extremely comfortable, with many tables and chairs sitting a little higher on step up balconies, out of the way of people traffic.

Pre Concert:
Finally we're all together, we order drinks and chat awhile. Volker and Raymond check out the stage set up, while the two Brigitte's talk about the venue and the band's history. Reinhardt and I discuss the cd's that he brought along David GoGo for me, and a Billy Idol  for Brigitte, as we exchange views about many different bands.
Reinhard and I haven't seen each other since the Robin Trower / David GoGo's concert in Melle´ and that was six months ago. We don't always agree on music or different bands, but we're both passionate music lovers and have a deep respect for each others opinions. That makes for a lot of learning  fun.

The Audience:
Is starting to file in, slowly at first and then more quickly. Everyone is checking out the new venue, and they divide into different groups in different areas. The only place that it's really packed, is right in front of the stage, which is the  norm at any concert.
The concert has been sold out many months in advance, and I have to tell ya, that this audience is one of the best that we've ever had the pleasure to be with. No pushing, no shoving and no hostility that's normally associated with a packed house. People buying drinks quietly and respectful of one another. It's mostly an older crowd, with a few younger family members in attendance.
Right before the concert started, everyone was getting into position. By the time Reinhardt and I decided to join the others it was standing room only, wall to wall people. He headed towards the front of the stage, while I ducked into Wolfe's area, standing right behind him and the soundboard. This lasted for about the first three songs and then we were elbow to elbow with the overflow of the enormous crowd, many of whom decided to join me and the other three men in that area, that's built for three and now holding fifteen spectators. So I decide to change location, as fast as possible - I took the back way out, through the kitchen. No way was I going to try and fight my way through the crowd, to get back to the main entrance, where I came in.

Concert Review:
The band played from 9:00 - 11:00

SET LIST:
1. Working On The Road
2. King Of The Blues
3. Here Me Callin´
4. Angry Words
5. Big Black 45
6. 50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain
7. The Hobbit (Drum Solo)
Happy birthday to Brigitte from Ric and band / entire audience sings happy birthday to her
Stage announcements - merchandise and new cd available today - just released
8. Love Like A Man
9. Good Morning Little School Girl (Crowd Favourite)
10. I Can't Keep From Cryin´ Sometimes (Fans Love It)
11. I'm Goin´ Home (everyone joins in)
12. Reasons Why (Encore)
13. Choo - Choo - Mama (Encore)

Brigitte and our guest were front row centre, while I sat at a table out by the bar, checking out the bands brand new cd, keeping track of their set list, and making my notes for this review.
The concert lasted two hours, everyone got their money's worth and by the extensive line up at the merchandise table, the new cd's were being sold hand over fist like hotcakes on a winters day!
Posters, Cd's and photo cards were all being autographed one after the other. 

A man that I'd been talking to before, during and after the show wanted a pair of signed drumsticks from Ric Lee. He stopped by my table to show me his newly acquired / treasured prize from Ric.
This man is also a concert promoter, here to check out the band, to play in his club in the near future. I'm not sure if Ric knew this in advance, my guess is that he didn't, but all credit goes to Ric, who treats everyone the same, be it fan or venue owner. You never know who you're rubbing elbows with, and the most unassuming person just may be the one important person who is able to do you the most good.
I have seen Ric do this time and again with different people, all the way back to the Blues Garage in Hannover 2002. Some fan will sheepishly approach where we and the band are sitting, they stand there patiently, waiting to be acknowledged and then Ric will be the first one to approach the fan in waiting. Be it for an autograph or conversation Ric gives them his undivided attention and totally without any discrimination. This is one of the traits that I admire most about Ric. Leo does the same, but needs to be approached directly if you'd like his attention. Joe and Chick are good at the merchandise stand, but then quickly would like to get cleaned up, change clothes and then relax a little before returning to the hotel.
This band is the most accessible that we've ever had the pleasure to know.
The band members are a class act!

Backstage Commentary:
It's a nice big  room located at the opposite end of the building from the stage. Our friend would like band autographs so we bring him with us to meet them in person.
Ramon is 11 years old and this is his very first rock concert. Eyes wide open, excited, but exhausted from his long day at school and evening activities - he's fading fast and needs his sleep. He's looking forward to his next TYA concert coming to our area February 7, 2009 in Melle, Germany.

The band signed what seemed like a few hundred autographs for us, which we in turn
(and have done since 2002) send out to fans from many different countries upon request - although Leo and Ric are constantly kidding us about selling them on ebay.
The hardest part for us and the band, is deciding which request are legitimate and which ones are bogus. So far, we're proud to say, we haven't been stiffed, at least to our knowledge, we haven't seen them for sale on ebay anyways. We keep our word and the people we deal with keep theirs as well.
In the beginning with Joe in the band it was easy to decipher the request, but as the band grows in fame and popularity, some people become much more creative in the scam department..

Our time backstage is comfortable and very relaxed, in fact the band is in no hurry to leave. They spend quite awhile there, right up until the venue staff would like to go home.
Leo and Ric are happy after the show, Chick leaves early for the hotel and Joe is happy and a little hyper as usual after getting off stage, he needs time to wind down. After a few glasses of wine or beer, everyone settles down.
Now is a good time to talk with Ric about future plans, TYA in America, the upcoming Woodstock 40th Anniversary 1969-2009……and future tours in the offering.
We discuss their new cd, the new songs and are they happy with the final results.
After about twenty minutes the conversation turns to politics - Obama the States, the failing economy, of which Leo likes to talk about current events rather than rehashing the past ones.
Leo is a real history buff and well versed in a great many areas…Cowboys / Indians… Indian rights, human rights, individual rights…..freedom and it's counterpoint repression.

As Teachers:
Ric and Leo are musicians by trade, but also teachers at heart.
I really feel that Leo could hold his own with any college professor on just about any topic. He's an excellent communicator and storyteller.
Ric on the other hand, is an incredibly good speaker. He's able to connect with any audience, keep their attention fixed and make them feel involved.
Chick, is a different kind of teacher, with him you have to read between the lines and around the humour to get to the real substance at hand. Chick is an untapped wealth of knowledge and experience, just waiting to be retrieved and explored.
Joe, is all about music, it's in his blood  24 / 7,  it's playing in his head constantly, and he's always expanding the frontiers in the music that came before him, as well as paying close attention to the current advanced artists of today.
As a teacher, he'd also be excellent, but keeping in mind that he's also an insatiable student in his own rite. A student of his would have to be advanced, innovative and original.
In fact Joe reminds me a lot of the late, great Randy Rhodes.  

In Conclusion: 

Their new cd "EVOLUTION"- Highly Recommended !  See them in concert at a venue near you! 

Our thanks to everyone who's made TYA's return possible - Dreams do come true - Keep The Faith........

 

 

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