Bruce Dickinson - Cologne, Germany 11/7/98
The Live Music Hall in Cologne, Germany Nov 7th
I still have to add that according to the management, about 600 people went to see the show in Hamburg (which is dissapointing, isn't it? But everybody was contented!) , but that was quite different in Cologne - since it was a saturday and most people don't have to work next day. The gates were supposed to be opened at 7pm and about 5.45 there were already more people waiting than five minutes before opening in Hamburg! As soon as we were inside a rough fighting for the places in the front line started and I was lucky to get one. Although the concert should start at 8pm we were all very surprised that the support-band entered the stage already at 7.25 so that probably many people missed the biggest part of a really good Pink Cream 69 performance! I had heard rumours before that a lot of V.I.P.s were expected , like record company, tv and press but that didn't make any sense either.

Bruce started after a rather long break and at once a lot of reporters with cameras and video-equipment dashed into the space between stage and fence (there normally is none in that hall- probably only for that reason - and it was very annoying !) Bruce seemed to be a bit annoyed too, because when he first started to recite the verses from Blake's book he - willingly or uncntiously? - stepped against the spotlight on the floor in front of him which with its red light gave him a really demoniacal look and it fell off the stage. A crewmember put it into position again but Bruce didn't like it that way and really kicked it away and only because the short length of its cable. A girl close by my side was lucky not to be hit. After that incident Bruce refused to recite from the book and just declaimed some ironacal phrases about "technicians who dont want the band to be seen" in his very own dramatical way. The reporters loved it and so did that part of the audience that understood enough english!! Meanwhile the crowd had gone crazy and sometimes I really feared for my ribs! Ther was hardly a chance to take a picture and every time I tried it there was surely somebody who pushed me from behind! But that's Rock'nRoll and I love it! In german we say something like "what doesn't kill you gives you strength" and that's exacty what it is!!

After most of the reporters had gone, Bruce calmed down ( I wonder whether he had done it on purpose?) and exept of that he changed the sequence of "Tattoed Millionaire" and "2 Minutes to Midnight" everything was the same as in Hamburg. I left the frontline after the first encore to have a look at what was going on in the back and I was surprised to be able to breathe after the third line. But the place was rather full and I'm curious to find out how many people were there! Before the encore the people enthusiastically started to sing the hymn of "Heaven can wait" and wanted Bruce to sing that song but he refused to. But the people were satisfied with "Icarus" as well and the shouts for another encore didn't stop for some time.

My next show will be on tuesday in Hannover but my chances to meet Bruce are fading. Bad luck, but I really enjoy every single "minute to midnight"! That's my review of the Cologne concert .


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