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I left home at about 3.00 o´clock in the middle of the
night/early morning from friday to saturday for the trip to Munich. The first 300km
until Frankfurt I had to drive by my own and there I met two friends of mine to drive together to Munich. I was in Frankfurt at about 5.30 and
we would meet each other at a parking place near the motorway. I had to wait a bit there because I arrived about 30 minutes earlier as I had
thought. I walked a bit on the parking place and suddenly I saw one of the same busses Paul had on the tour. A silver bus, black windows and
the words „coach master“ on the front and this bus also had the same license plate number as the tour-busses; GM for Gummersbach. I couldn’t
believe it and I went directly to the bus and also at the back-mirror inside there was a „Paul McCartney pass“. Unbelievable but true......
The ride to Munich was without any problems. First we drove to the airport to see where the private planes had to land. After about half an
hour we found the place and we met there 2 other fans, which we also knew. We talked a bit but until this time nothing had happened. So we
decided to drive to centrum of Munich to take a look at the „Königsplatz“ („Kingsplace“), the place where the concert should have
happened and of course to take a look at the hotel. Until this time we thought Paul would arrive at about ca. 16.30 as he did on the other
venues here in Germany.
At the „Königsplatz“ we had the first bad experience. This place is not
far away from the centrum and there are no parking places at all. Also the streets to the Königsplatz were blocked so we had to park outside
this area and then had to walk some minutes to the place. It was about 11.30 and the stage and the equipment wasn’t ready until this point. We
could take a look on the „Königsplatz“ and it seemed that it was a really nice place to do a open air concert. To this point also the
weather really wasn’t bad. It was really a pity that it was raining on the concert in the evening from the beginning to the end.
There were some rumours that Paul will stay at the „Mandarin Oriental“
hotel, really in the centrum of Munich near the „Hofbräuhaus“. So we left the „Königsplatz“ and drove to the city, but we had a couple of
problems. It´s really hard in Munich with a car; even if you don’t know
where you have to go and only a map on your lap. And there are a lot of one-way-streets in Munich you have to handle with.... After about 1 hour
we had found the hotel and there already waited a lot of people before
the entrance. We thought that we should be at the right place :-) We asked a lovely „meter maid“ if she knew something about Paul and then
she said that Paul already arrived on friday afternoon at about 20.30. We couldn’t believe it. This would mean that our first chance for a
autograph already didn´t exist any longer.... The good thing was that we then also don’t have to drive back to the airport. Further she said that
the newspapers also wrote in the latest issue that he already arrived on
friday. So we bought some newspapers and there also was a shot at the
airport.
As we were about 15 minutes at the hotel suddenly Wix appeared at the main entrance and he gave some autographs. I hadn’t luck and didn’t
catch one. But now we knew that we really were at the right hotel....
At this point we decided to eat something to be prepared for the rest of the day. It took some time to find something acceptable. We took a look
inside the „Hofbräuhaus“. At this day there was another big thing happening in Munich. The soccer team from „Bayern München“ had their
“big bash” because they are the german soccer champions. Not far away from the hotel and there were a lot of drunken soccer fans already at
this early time of the day....
At about 13.30 we were back at the hotel but not at the main entrance but at the back entrance. A friend of mine suddenly said that he had
seen the chauffeur from Paul and that he seemed to be a bit nervous. And only seconds after that Paul appeared at the back entrance. Two women
went to him and asked him if he would write a autograph but he said that he didn’t write any autograph at this point. The complete situation only
last about a few seconds. As I had seen Paul I didn’t know what to do
first. Catch my copy of DR for a signature or my camera. As I had seen
that he didn’t sign anything I took my camera but he sat already in the
car. Anyway I made a few shots as he drove directly by my side. I hope that I could see anything on the photos.
After this we thought we could do a few other things. We had to and this was another problem. We couldn’t find any gas station. After some
we had found one we was some kilometres away from the hotel and afterwards we had some big big problems to find back to the hotel.
At the evening more and more people was there at the hotel. So thatthere again wasn’t any chance to get a autograph when he would leave the
hotel for soundcheck. So we thought, OK, then we take some photos. I don’t know exactly which time it was but I think something at about
16.00 the bus arrived directly before the main entrance. In front of the bus was the golden limousine
(same as on all the other locations were concerts had happened here in Germany) and before that stood a police
car. It was nearly impossible to take some good photos from Paul because all the cars stood in front of the
entrance. So we decided to leaf the hotel and drive to the „Könisplatz“. As we was for about 2 minutes at
the „Königsplatz“ Paul also arrived there. But he drove directly inside
the area and there was also no chance to see him or to catch an autograph. We hoped that as in Oberhausen one of the securities will
come out to take some things from the fans to bring them Paul for a autograph but this also didn’t
happen.
I also don’t know the exact time when the soundcheck began but to hear most of the soundcheck was really
fantastic; it’s the nice thing about „open air“ shows.... He played songs like
(not in the right order) „Coming Up“, „All Things Must Pass“, „Honey Don´t“ and and and... It was
really a long soundcheck and I enjoyed it a lot. It would be really nice if he would play some of these songs on the
show.
Until the afternoon more and more people came to the sold out first concert and it seemed that the organisation had some
problems. They had no metal detectors but „touched“ the people really respectable to see if
they have something on the body which wasn’t allowed. Until 20.00 there
was a really big row on both entrances and already on 20.00 the pre-show begun and a few thousand people still wasn’t on their
seats. Until this point the security was really heavy but now after they had seen that the
show already had begun the people could pass the entrance near without
any controls....
I hadn’t a ticket for the show because my first request was to get a autograph and also I had seen the first four concerts here in Germany. I
have heard the show until ca. 21.00 from outside. I think that the sound was as good as
inside. Then we left to be back at the hotel very early. Again we had some big problems to find back; even it was already dark at
this time.
As we were back at the hotel no fans was at the main entrance of the hotel. So went back to the car and at about 23.00 we went back to the
hotel. At this time there were about 20 people who waited there and also the complete security also was
outside. We thought that he definitely will not sign anything because so much people are
there. At about 23.20 the tour-bus came. The bus stood directly before the main-entrance and
there before stood the limo. We thought that Paul would maybe take a short look to the people and then
disappear. The bus stood there for about 10 minutes and nothing happened. Then the door opened and the band
left. I made also some shots but I think that I will only see their backs on it.... About 2 minutes later Paul left and said to the people
„Gute Nacht. Schlaft gut“ (Good Night. Sleep tight). At this point we thought surely
„That’s it“. But Paul didn’t go inside the hotel but on his side of the
bus. All the people were running to the other side to the bus and the only thing the security said was: „OK, make one
row. No pushing and no photos and everyone will get a autograph“!!!!!! I
couldn’t believe it. Some people had to leave the row (The security was very very rough to
them) because they already got a autograph one-day before. Then one after each other could walk to Paul, he signed the item
and then everyone had to leaf quickly. As it was my turn I didn’t know what I should
say. I was nervous. Man. The only thing I said was „Thank
you Sir“ and he replied „I have to thank you......“ I was really shivering on the whole
body. After it I was really really happy but couldn’t say anything. I got my autograph on the LP of Driving Rain.
Because there we so much people (I think about 50) the autograph isn’t written very well; even some characters are missing on
mine. We compared a few autographs afterwards and almost no autograph looked like the
other. But that’s OK. ;-) I know exactly that I have a 100% real
autograph. Wow. I’m still exited if I think about it.
We originally had thought of sleeping in the car this night to maybe see Paul later that night again (He was walking at the cathedral in cologne
the night he slept there). But now we decided that we had what we wanted and Paul should also have a good night without any
fans..... We had met
another friend who also got an autograph and he offered us that we could sleep in his
apartment. There we talked until the early morning about the past 24hours and about a lot more Beatles
stuff.
Sunday morning, before leaving Munich, we drove to the „Circus Krone“;
the place where the Beatles played one of their concerts 1966. The funny thing about it is that on the opposite of the „Circus Krone Bau“ was a
parking place and the tour-trucks from Paul stood there :-) Afterwards we took another look at the hotel „Bayrischer Hof“; this is the hotel
where the Beatles stayed 1966.
We left Munich at about 13.30 and I was home at 20.00. A fantastic journey and I got my
autograph.... Tomorrow I will see Paul again in Hamburg for the last German concert.
All The Best
Markus |