Concert review
CCH Hamburg, Germany - 19 March 2001

by Emily from Poland

Magic

I was thinking about going to Texas concert for a long time. A year ago I thought it would be enough if I see the band here in Poland, but eventually it turned out it wasn`t. First I thought that I would go with a fellow Polish Texas fan, Karina, but she couldn`t make it, so I asked my friend, Iwona, and she said `yes` immediately. We decided to go to Germany, cause we couldn`t afford Amsterdam... but I think it turned out just fine.

We left Poland a day before the gig. The weather was really awful. When we arrived in Hamburg it started snowing! Anyway, we couldn`t wait for a gig... especially me.

When we entered the Congress Centrum Hall first thing we did was taking a look at the hall. How surprised we were to see something like theatre! We expected a concert hall, you know, standing arena! I was so mad... I thought that it all was just in vain. Iwona also didn`t looked happy. Plus it was 20 minutes to the concert to begin, and I could almost count people on my fingers. Later I couldn`t belive my eyes when they started entering the hall with bear and chips in their hands, and just taking their seats with absolutely no look at their faces. They were completely cool, and I was just trembling! It was a disaster.

Reef came out at the stage. We stood near the entrance. They started to play and they were very good, so we started jumping. Then one guy approached us and told us to sit down somewhere cause he couldn`t see anything! What the ****??? Boys from Reef did what they could, they would even come off the stage between the rows from time to time shouting "Get up, get up!", but they achieved nothing.

Then there was a break for technicians to change the gear. Many people left... We were counting minutes. We couldn`t wait, so we moved closer to the stage... and closer... there were a few people with us... closer... and then the lights went off and they started playing "Zero Zero". We jumped forward! But then out of nowhere the bodyguards appeared and they started to push us back. Fortunately Sharleen came at the stage and then nothing could stop us! I took Iwona`s hand and we ended up in a first line, a bit on the left side of the stage, exactly in front of the bodyguard. And Ally and Charlotte and Nicole too.

Shar shouted "Get up" and they... did it! I was so happy they did. They started "In demand" and we started singing along, with girls on our left side (Janina and her friend). I was just exploding with happiness! This was the moment I was waiting for so long... This must`ve been easy too seen, cause then something incredible happen. Sharleen started walking down the stage in our way more or less, and suddenly she looked at me and started approaching me (us) still finishing singing the refrain, and stopped just in front of me and looked down at me smiling. Instinctively I raised my hand. And she gave me hers! I felt thrills coming from my hand down my body... It was like magic that she came to me, only to me, I don`t know why. She was standing there face to face with me with her hand in mine, looking at me and smiling for quite a long time. So I reached out my left hand also and was holding her with both. I thought I`d faint or something! She was so close. Then shesquiredd my hand for the last time and went back to the center of the stage.

I din`t exactly tell her anything, cause my tongue was just tied. But I can imagine my face then. I felt like... like i was going insane or something, this was really something special to me. Now and then it seems like a dream. I know that this may seem stupid, and I know that Shar is a normal human being like you and me, but during these few seconds I felt like I really was a part of her life. Cause she is part of mine for a good couple of years.

The concert went on and we were going crazy, singing, shouting, jumping and so on. I was having the best time of my life! Ally was smiling all the time and girls were in of their element... Sharleen was talking a lot. Among others she told a story about the taxidriver... She was driving a cab that morning, and the driver turned up a radio which played Texas at the moment and he said: "Texas are in town today". She was waiting for him to recognize her... and he looked at her once, twice... but he couldn`t tell. And then when she was about to get off, he shouted: "I know who you are! You are Elvis!".
Can I just say I loved the way she was throwing her head up and down during "Insane"... --- her hair was a mess --- And I love when she plays the guitar... And the piano (fantastic "Tired of being alone" plus "Waterfalls").
Shar wasn`t singing during the "dirty dancing" (what a guy... poor her), only Mark played something what she called DJ JAM.
Soon (too soon!) it was all over with Summer Son. Shar told us to go ab-so-lu-te-ly crazy and so we did... clapping our hands, shouting, screaming and stamping as loud as we could. Then they came back with Inner Smile and we went totaly mental! And then they did fantastic, incredible version of Suspicious Minds... I couldn`t breathe and didn`t feel my legs anymore! They went off the stage for the second time and it lasted a while (us shouting and stamping)untill they came back again with Say What You Want as a last song. We even had a chance to sing to the microphone, cause Shar stood very close to us with it.

It was over then for sure... I felt so maniacally happy that I came to Hamburg to that concert... What a fantastic feeling! My ears ringing, my eyes burning, a smile that could blow up my face... Everything wet... That was a night!!!

After the concert we talked with Janina and her friend, two really great German fans, and then we also met a fantastic french poster-guy... but this is another story. I coudn`t sleep that night at all... and right in the morning we went at the motorway. And hitch-hiked straight to Poland. When we arrived we couldn`t believe we were back. It all seemed like a dream then and now sometimes I wonder if it all happened... it`s so unbelievable.

That night I`ll never forget.
It was pure magic.

Emily

PS. Oh, and I washed my hand eventually after a few tries...:)


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