|
II couldn´t get holidays as I had on the first three germany concerts but
Oberhausen ist only about 100km away from my place. I left work about 1 hour earlier as normal and it was good that I did this. There was a lot
of traffic on the motorway and so it took some more time to go there. I arrived at about 17.20 and I hadn´t expect to see Paul also arriving
because on the first three concerts here in germany he always came at about 17.00. But there were a lot of people waiting at the back entrance
and also the „well known“ bodyguard I´ve seen in Colone and Hannover was
also there. This time I wouldn´t wait directly at the back entrance. So I went a bit more to the beginning of the street. A friend of mine stood
directly on the corner to the main street and at about 17.40 Paul came in the same
Limousine as he already did in Cologne and Hannover. This time there was only 1 Limo before and 1 after him; no police escort. As he drove past
the place where I stood the window went down and he looked at me and I was really suprised. He laughed and all I could do was to
scream!! Out of this place I surely could have make some good photos but because I
didn´t expect to see him anyway I had left my camera in the car. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you loose.... It last about 5 seconds
that I could see him directly to the window and he looked at me. OK, not very long but I enjoyed it very very much.
After Paul disappeared into the entrance a lot of people still waited to see if there is a chance to take another look on him but he wasn´t seen
anyway. But another thing happend. One of the english bodyguard came back and some choosen people could give him a item which Paul would
sign. He really made a big thing out of it which things he took and
which not. My second mistake this day was that I had forgotten my copy of DR which also was in the car and after I was back to to pick it up he
was disappeard. I think the chance was either not that high to get a
autograph. The bodyguard only took some very limited items. I didn´t know if anyone was getting the autograph but I think so.
Now I had to change my ticket for the event. For the people who don´t know the show was originally announced to be in Gelsenkirchen in the
soccer-stadium „Arena auf Schalke“ which has a capacity about ca. 55.000
people. I think that it would have been fantastic to see him in such a
venue. Because of bad tickets sales the event was postponed to the
„König Pilsener Arena“ in Oberhausen. There were a lot of little pavillions for each price category and the different tribunes. I had a
ticket for best price category directly on the left side of the stage and it seemed that I got almost the same seat in Oberhausen. It
seemed....
There were a lot of people who was busy to change the tickets. But it seemed that there were not such big problems. I met a couple of friends
which were the complete day on the motorway to take a look on the many airports around Oberhausen to see where Paul was planning to arrive.
They were in Oberhausen, Dortmund, Düsseldorf and Cologne airport; the
complete day „on the run“ but they hadn´t luck. They would try it again
after the show but I havn´t heard until know if they had more luck in the evening.
** Now I new that they had luck this night after the show they all got
their autograph at the cologne airport.
Doors openend at about 18.45. Again they had metal-detectors but all in all the controls seemed the be more lax than on the other german
concerts. Even again a lot of people had to give their cameras away….
Decoration and merchandising was about the same as in Hannover. Not really that much as we had seen in Cologne. Even the „Back In The World“
promo posters were in metal frames; no way to catch one.
After I looked some time here and there I went to see if my place was really as good as I though. But I had to make a really bad experience.
My seat was directly on the left site of the stage but in the same line as the big screen on the middle of the stage. I though that this
couldn´t be. But for some other people it came even more worst than that. They had to sit one block further; really in the back-side of the
stage..... A lot of people really were angry and they wanted the speak the manager. I have also to mention that this seats was „best price
category“ and they cost about 110 Euro and then you should see only the backside of Sir Paul? Some people tried to catch some other free seat in
other blocks but they came back really soon because the hall was sold out. In my row a man really was angry and he also made a lot of other
people really mad. He went off to see the manager and after he came back he said the he will take a look for about 15 minutes and if he didn´t
like what he see he would leave and then would get his money back. By the way, even the seats were really bad, he stayed :-) If I said I also
wasn´t pleased with my seat. It all came because the stadium „Schalke Arena“ is much bigger and so I think that they had really problems to
find some similar good seats. But that is not my problem I think. I will
also write a letter to the promoter and I will see if there is something to make. I would be glad with a little present or something like
that....
The venue was sold out, even I saw some free seats on the „top“ of the
hall. And for the first time there were no seats on the floor. The pre-show begun at about 20.20 and this time it was a bit different
because there wasn´t any chair rows on the floor. There was a small passage at both sites of the hall but it was all really cramped and the
people with the balloons seemed to have some problems that the ballons would follow them....
I have to say that it´s really fantastic if you have the chance to see the show and of course also the pre-show from different views. This was
my 4th show and I still found some new things that I didn´t mention on the further shows.
Then Paul appeared after the pre-show and the crowd made some big noise. I could already say at this point of my review that the Oberhausen
concert was definitely the most enthusiastic show here in germany until now. I think it´s always a bit “stiff” when the floor is seated. I mean
a lot of people stood the complete evening at the entrance to get a place near the stage. This people are really fans and would definitely
have their fun and also show this. It´s completely different when at the first rows only people with much money or VIP´s are located. They almost
only „rattle with their juwellery“ and even that is not sure....
Paul and the band even were very glad to see that the audience was in that good mood. Even Paul said 2 or 3 times „your are a fantastic crowd“
and expressions like these. He didn´t say this in Hannover or the first
cologne concert in that way. Also Brian Ray said at his announcement "„We
had a couple of shows already here in germany, but you guys rock“. I
think I don´t have to say any word more about it... :-)
That I was a bit worried about my seat at the beginning of the show was definitely blown away after seconds. I was enjoying the show, that’s for
sure..
I don´t want to say again something wrong about Paul´s voice (even I havn´t heard the recording) but this time I really found nothing to
mention that there was ANY problem on any song. Setlist was again same as on the last european shows and I think near all the german
announcements also were the same. The announcement for „Getting Better“
was „Dies ist das erste mal das ich dieses Lied in Oberhausen singe“ (This is the first time that I sing this song in Oberhausen) and the
crowd really made some big noise.
On „Eleanor Rigby“ Wix played some wrong keys and Abe had really a lot
of fun about this. He was laughing and looked a really long time on Wix. As Paul introduced
Abe he got also a big big applause. I think a lot of people have seen some more concerts and they also know that this
really is a extraordinary guy.... Rusty again had his little cassette-player with him on stage on his announcement and this time a
male voice said the same words like on the other concerts; even now it
was something like „Die Band grüßt Oberhausen und die umliegenden Gemeinden. Wir wünschen Ihnen viel Spaß bei der Show und bitte kleben
Sie nicht das Kaugummi unter Ihren Sitz“ (The band greets Oberhausen and
the surrounding towns. Enjoy the show and don´t put your chewing-gum under your seats).
After „Something“ a couple of people shoutet „What´s about Ringo“ and
same as in some other places he did a short bit of „Yellow Submarine“.
After this he also said that “Ringo has a new album out. Ringo Rama. Check it out. It´s great”. After „Hey Jude“ the crowd was still singing
the refrain and after he came back on the stage he also again „joined“
in.
After the 2nd encore he came very very quickly back on stage. After he did „Yesterday“ he said the thing about „We have to go home, you have to
go to home“ thing and then someone from the first rows shoutet „I havn´t
got a home“ :-) Paul was a few seconds really out of words and he was laughing a lot.
Abe had even more fun about this line. His face was big
on the screens and it seemed that he enjoyed the complete evening more as he normally already did and then this sentence came.... The situation
was really superb.
Last words to say. Fantastic band, fantastic concert, fantastic audience. I want more.... I it looks that I will get some more ;-)
All The Best
Markus |