Concert review
Ramshorn Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland, 30 September 2003
by Dirk

Are you ready to go on a long journey? I was and would like to go back immediatly :^)

Now I've had the time of my life
no I've never felt like this before
yes I swear its the truth
and I owe it all to you

Sunday, 28 September 2003
11.00 : My sister was so kind to take me to the airport. At Ryanair they like to call it Brussels south but if Charleroi is Brussels south then Antwerp, where I live, is London east. But ok, after an hour and a quarter drive we arrived there. I immediatly went to check in, just in case (still had an hour and a half before the flight left). The lady at the desk gave me a "he wants to get there" look.

13.20 : Time to board. First good sign was the fact that they started to play "Carnival Girl" the moment we had to start boarding, it couldn't start better.

14.25 : UK time then, I arrived at Glasgow Prestwick airport. I didn't look suspicious so no problem at the customs. I took the train to Glasgow city where I arrived at

15.30 : Took a walk around Glasgow, visit the Buchanan shopping gallery while it was raining a bit. They got some great shops there :^)

17.40 : Took the train to Clarkston, a town in the south of Glasgow where everything really started.

18.00 : Geraldine, the wife of my Southside friend Bill picked me up at the train station and we drove to their Texas Hotel chez Bill where the housemaster himself also just arrived. We had some supper which was very welcome, talked a while, took a look around the house, ..... met Bill and Geraldine's kid Stewart who is a great musician himself, so the future is already assured.

Monday, 29 September 2003
Morning : We went shopping in Glasgow, breaking my mind about what to bring home for wife and kids, .... time would tell.

Afternoon : Since it was a bank holiday in Glasgow and not everything was opened we decided to drive to Edinburgh which was only about a short hour away. Once there we decided to go and visit the Queen's ship Brittania. Normally I'm not a museum man but this was GREAT and very interesting. Sometimes a bit over the top if you ask me but then on the other hand, I don't have royal blood.

Evening : Back in Glasgow we went out to eat in an Indian restaurant, since I'm no expert in Indian food (like Bill is) he gave me some good advice and it was really very very good.



Tuesday, 30 September 2003 THE DAY
09.30 : Arrival at the Ramshorn Theatre which is actually a small church that they rebuild to a studio / small theatre. Breakfast, coffee and tea were already waiting for us ..... well for Bill :^)

10.00 : The band came on stage. The stage wasn't actually a stage but all the instruments were placed on the floor so they were standing on the same level as we were. Everyone looked great, Sharleen looked prettier and better then ever before. Maybe it's because I'm an 80's man, maybe it's because she was closer to us then ever before, up to you to decide.
There were only about 30 - 40 people inside the venue which made it very intimate.
They started with "Telephone X", I LOVE IT. The tune is very catchy, the lyrics are great. After the song Sharleen made a remark about the guys turning their eyes away when she looked at them during the song ....... ok I admit.
Second song was "Inner Smile", great choice as ever. Next was "Broken", also very rocky, catchy, ... great.
Then all time classic "Black Eyed Boy", Shar held her notes at the end even longer then ever before (11 secs to be exact :^) ).
"See It Through" is magnificent, romantic, point of rest during the show, indeed the new "Put Your Arms Around Me". It was played by just Eddie on the piano.
"Carnival Girl" then. Ok, maybe even I was bit sceptic at first when I heard the loop but now I realised that I will never listen to loops again. The single itself already grew on me and I loved it, even before the concert. But seeing it live WITH Kardinal there was just amazing, I don't have any words for it. It had something more, don't know what, probably also the rock touch. Kardinal is cool, ... and huge.
The encore and another all time classic was our "Say What You Want" also with Kardinal who did the Method Man part of course and again , he did a great job. Well naturally the entire band did.
Neil, the new drummer, seemed to already have found his place in the band.

10.35 : Since most of the people there were competition winners, they could ask Sharleen a question. So Shar was the only one who stayed onstage (on the floor actually) and she really took her time to answer all the questions. Because a second show started at 11.00 not everyone could ask a question but it was still very good.

19.30 : Lucky us could go back for a second show later that day. I was even luckier that I was able to talk to Johnny and Sharleen for a while before the show. I can't describe the feeling in any way, but it was one of the most fantastic moments in my life which I will cherish forever. We talked about the website, the fans, the news and the new songs a while, I loved every second of it. Thanks Sharleen and Johnny and everyone else. (btw Johnny, our photo didn't work out very well so we'll have to try again one day :^) )

20.00 : They played the same tracks as earlier that day, as good as they did before. You should have thought that Sharleen's voice would already have suffered after three gigs, but no way.

20.40 : After the concert we were able to meet all the other bandmembers, everyone very nice, in the mood, so another great moment. Later that evening they had to catch the nighttrain to London, because the recordings for TOTP were the day after.

22.30 : We arrived at Bill's house. I had to ask Bill if I had been dreaming or not, I still couldn't believe that perfect day and I probably still can't. Every second was great and some dreams came through.

02.00 : I think this was about the time I finally felt a sleep, silly me :^)





Wednesday, 1 October 2003
07.00 : Woke up, still with a smile on my face. Geraldine noticed immediatly, she said "it must have been great?" Yes it was.

07.45 : I closed the door of the Texas hotel behind me and Bill took me to the airport.

08.30 : I still had some time to spend at the airport, bought some more nice things for the kids and for my wife, Scottish caps, Scottish bears, Scottish dogs, ... just to remind me where I had been. As if I would forget.

10.50 : The plane left Scotland, thank God for Ryanair, they can fly to every location for me.

13.20 : Arrival on Belgian ground again where my sis was waiting for me. After half an hour in the car she told me to shut up, I wonder why :^)

15.00 : HOME, and the kids and the wife were happy, so was I. Even more good news was waiting when I got home, I got a new job, same company, different department. Life is beautiful.


I may no always be very good with words, so the best way to describe it is a song by Kim Wilde called "Lucky Guy" which a dear friend pointed out to me;

"Some people don't seem real at all
Unafraid of any mountain
Sure that the gods won't let him fall
Should he fall, he will always get up again

And if he's hurt he never shows it
If he's wrong nobody knows it
Seems like he never has to try

He just must be a lucky guy

And when there's pain he never minds it
When it's lost he always finds it
Nobody really knows just why
He just must be a lucky guy
I wish I was that lucky guy"

And now I was that lucky guy :^)
Thanks Texas, thanks to the Matthews family, love you all

Dirk


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