Chris de Burgh Concert in Dortmund -

25. November 2006

The weekend around the 25. November was another special weekend, an exciting weekend with only a few hours sleep - but we had to enjoy every second of this weekend……


Friday, 24.11.06

This time it was Melanie's turn to come over from Liverpool to Dinslaken and stay with me to see Chris de Burgh! We had planned this trip already 1 year ago, when I had bought our tickets, but when we first arranged everything for this weekend we didn't yet know, that we would meet even twice before (in Liverpool and Birmingham). So now we even met for the third time within 6 weeks!

We don't have an extra guest-room in our house, so my daughter Lena was so kind to sleep together with her brother Thomas in his room for 2 nights and Melanie could use Lena's bed and room - even with FC Liverpool-bed-covers!!!

It was a nice surprise of Phil Easton at Radio Magic 1548 Liverpool to play a get-up-and-go song extra for Melanie, as she was meanwhile at Manchester Airport waiting for the plane, which would bring her to Germany. He said, she wouldn't be able to hear it, but he knew someone who was - I assume he meant me - listening online like every morning. Then he played the song "Airport" for Melanie! Soon I had to leave to pick her up at 9.40 a. m. at the Airport Düsseldorf. She arrived in time, so we were at home in time to tell Phil before the end of his show, that Melanie now was with me in Dinslaken. Only 3 minutes later Phil told his listeners, that Melanie now would be with me to see Chris de Burgh on Saturday, and what about him….? He was still over there in Liverpool. Amazing, Melanie had breakfast in Liverpool and lunch in Dinslaken……!

Yes, and as Melanie should get to know as much as possible about Germany I cooked something typical German for her: Sauerkraut with "Kasseler", "Mettwürstchen" and mashed potatoes. Meanwhile Kurt and his sister Heidi also had arrived at the hotel Gambrinus in Dinslaken, just a few hundred metres away from our house. They also came over and had lunch with us. Heidi had brought a cake with her. We really didn't have to starve hungry that weekend. I also had baked a cake. We had some coffee and cake right after the dinner, and afterwards I showed Kurt, Heidi and Melanie Dinslaken. Unfortunately the weather wasn't very good. I suppose, they all come back once again in spring or summer, when everything looks a bit brighter and nicer……!

At 17.00 p. m. Melanie and I had to pick up Lena and 2 of her friends from their handball-training. Melanie was amazed, when all the girls (not only Lena) started singing along the "Storyman"-songs, which of course was played in the CD-player of my car. Well, I'm their handball-chauffeur once or twice every week, and so they all heard the CdeB-songs in my car already rather often!

Back at home we had some time to get ready for our long planned CdeB-evening. We expected Kurt and Heidi and my friend Birgit at 19.00 p. m. It seemed that they all enjoyed watching the latest TV-appearances from England (thanks to Chris W.!!!!) and Germany and also the video-film of our Birmingham-trip. Instead of going to bed early to be fit for Dortmund we stayed awake and watched CdeB untill late at night!


Saturday, 25.11.2006

Saturday - the great day of the concert including fanmeeting and after-show-party!!!!!
We had a lazy morning, listening to Magic during our breakfast and getting ready for the events which should happen.
At about 11.00 a. m. our strict schedule started: We first had to pick up the pre-ordered roses, which we intended to give to Chris in the evening during the concert. We got the roses for Melanie (a yellow one of course!!!), Nicole (a bunch of 3 red roses!!!), Heidi, Kerstin and me (just one red rose each - but the most beautiful roses of the world!!!).
During the morning Kurt and Heidi had picked up Malcolm, Linda and Katie (who had come over from Torpoint/Cornwall) from the Airport Dortmund. Malcolm and his family had booked a room in the same hotel, where Kurt and Heidi were staying, so we had them all near to us in Dinslaken! After having checked in they came with us to my parents' house, where my mother had prepared lunch for us. I guess she was interested to see, if other CdeB-fans are as crazy as her own daughter. Unfortunately we had to hurry. We quick had a look around the house to see the homing-pigeons, canaries and the fish-pond, then we had to drive back to our house, where Melanie and I changed our clothers.

Birgit meanwhile had arrived, and after a short stop at the hotel Gambrinus we finally started our trip to the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund at about13.45 p. m. Heidi, Malcolm, Linda and Katie drove in Kurt's car, Melanie and Birgit came with me.
When we arrived at the Westfalenhalle there were already a few mailing-list-members standing in front of the venue, but we couldn't reach the car park - at least not on the normal way…… , as the barrier was closed. It was too early in the afternoon for the concierge to collect money for parking. BUT there was no barrier at the gateway which you usually use to drive out of the car park. There was already another car using this way to drive in, and so I did the same - I drove backwards through the way out on the car-park!!! Birgit and Melanie thought I was crazy - but you know - I AM!!!! I would have been willing to pay the 4 EUROs parking-fee, but I didn't want to drive away and search for another car park far away!!!!

When we left the car Kerstin, Anke, Michael and Nicole came to us! It was so nice to see them all again!!! Malcolm, Linda and Katie didn't stay with us in the afternoon, as they wanted to see as much as possible of Germany during the short time they spent here. So they went to see the Christmas-market in Dortmund. We went to the entrance of the venue, where I met some people for the first time face to face (like Eberhard etc.), and others, which I hadn't seen before even started talking to me, like Beatrix and Maarten, Judith, Cora from the Netherlands Franziska Huber with her husband from Switzerland and even Luis Costa from Portugal! He introduced himself, his daughter and his brother and took a photo of us together. They were all so friendly and told me, they had read my blog, had seen my photos or had read my mailing-list-messages! I felt a bit like being famous!!!! But of course it was the same with all the others. I also found it great to meet people, which I only knew from their messages at the mailing-list, even if we only changed a few words. Angie, who had bought 2 of my Block 4 tickets had a belated birthday-gift for me: a mug with 2 CdeB-photos on and birthday-wishes "Doris Happy Birthday - Angie xxx" written on it. And a little CdeB-button (mirror). Also Kerstin had a little Santa Claus out of felt for me. Thanks so much. It was so nice to arrive in Dortmund!

At 15.00 p. m. we about 150 crazy fans could enter the Westfalenhalle, where Astrid, Tina and a few others sold the name-buttons. After 30 min. we all were inside and then went together to the room, in which our afternoon-fanmeeting took place, which contained a karaoke competition, where 10 singers sang their songs for us. They were accompanied by Cesar (from Spain) and 2 other guitar-players, and we finally had to vote for them. The prize for the winners was to sing their song in front of Chris de Burgh himself after the soundcheck. So Anke and Heike had the pleasure to sing "St. Peter's Gate" later again….. .


Time had passed rather quickly and we all were looking forward to 17.15 p. m., as the soundcheck should take place at that time, and we all were allowed to watch the soudcheck. We were told to take place in the first rows of the middle-block in front of the stage, but not in row 1. We saw Chris, the band and Kristyna Myles, who sang the whole song "Raging Storm" for us 150 visitors in the audience. Chris also sang "Sailing away" and a few other songs, but only half songs…., and much too soon everything was over.
Astrid and Alison gave Chris our gift: a big poster with all our Storyman-photos, which we had taken in March 2006 already for the video, which is shown now during the song "Living in the world" at the concerts.
Then Chris was told to sit down in the front row and watch Anke, Heike and Cesar singing their karaoke song "St. Peter's Gate".
Before Chris left he signed a few things, also an album for Alex Schestag, who unfortunately couldn't come to the concert, as he'd got ill and had to stay in hospital!


Then we had enough time to eat something. Doors were opened for the public, and soon the Westfalenhalle was full of people. Malcolm & Co. also had arrived back.
Very soon it was 20.00 a. m., and the concert started in time. The atmosphere was wonderful - much better than in Birmingham! Chris got so much gifts. Nearly after every song somebody went to the stage to bring him flowers or a bottle etc. Maybe also because so much fans from the mailing-list were there altogether! We (those people, who had been at the fanmeeting in the afternoon) had some colourful lightsticks, which Angelika B. had organized. It looked magic (I could overlook it very good from my seat in row 6. Row 6 was ok, and this time we were sitting all together, which was much nicer than sitting alone (you're never alone at a CdeB-concert, because there are always people with the same taste in music sitting next to you at a CdeB-concert) - like at the concert in Birmingham. Of course I anyway don't notice a lot what's happening around me, when Chris is on stage, but being together with friends simply is nicer. Angela (also from Dinslaken) arrived just in time before the Storyman theme started. Nicole and her "chauffeur" Dirk even had seats in row 2 just next to the aisle. Dream-seats!!! At the beginning of the concert Chris even said welcome to the Chris de Burgh-fans from the mailing-list!
We went to the front with our roses after "Spirit" again, and I even managed to thank Chris for his birthday-card. "No problem" was his answer.
This time we already stood up from our seats and ran to the stage during "Lady in red". One song earlier than before. A surprise was, that Kristyna Myles also was with Chris and the band on the stage during "Say goodbye to it all", and she obviously enjoyed herself! During the standing-in-front-of-the-stage-part, when Chris sang "Living in the world", our Storyman-photos were shown again.

Time passed so quickly again and after 2 hours and 50 min. the concert was over!
But the evening was not yet over. Now we went to the Parkhotel, which was just next to the Westfalenhalle. There the After-show-party took place. When we sat down and had a drink I thought I'd fall asleep and never wake up again. I was so tired. But after about 1/2 hour a man entered the room, and with him there came Kristyna Myles. Later I got to know that this man was Kenny, Chris' manager. I never had seen him before. Kristyna was very happy about being able to be on tour with Chris, and we all love her and the way she sings the song "Raging Storm" together with Chris. She signed a lot of things for all of us, posed for photos and was smiling all the time. Later she sang another song for us and accompanied herself at the piano. About 30 minutes later Kenny entered the room again - this time with the boys from the band! They also signed T-shirts, tickets, CD-covers etc. and posed for photos. Time passed so quick, but I think after about 30 minutes they left again. We went on singing CdeB-songs while Cesar and the other 2 boys accompanied us with the guitars and Astrid played the piano. It was a wonderful evening. But at 2.00 a. m. we had to leave, as the restaurant was closed. After saying goodbye to Nicole and Anke, who had booked a room in the Parkhotel, we wanted to drive home, but all the doors of the hotel/restaurant were closed. So we ended up in the bar, where we met Nicole and Anke again, and also a few others, even Chris Andrews and some bandmembers. They posed again for a few photos, and it was 3.15 a. m. until we finally managed to drive home - after having spent 12 1/2 hours in Dortmund!!! I was so tired that I wanted to drive quick home - too quick, so that I drove into a radar trap!!!!! Usually I can't sleep when I come home from a concert, but when I was in bed after 4.15 a. m. that night I fell asleep immediately!

Sunday, 26.11.2006

After 4 hours sleep I woke up again on Sunday morning. The last day with Melanie. At 12.30 p. m. Kurt, Heidi, Malcolm, Linda and Katie came and we went together to an Italian restaurant not far away from our house. Birgit and her husband Olaf already were waiting there for us. So we had an after-show-lunch altogether. Malcolm gave to me a little ironing-board (for ties and sleeves) for my famous ironing-room! They had too much - but nice - gifts for us, including a calendar with pictures of the beautiful scenery of Cornwall, where they live.
As the sun was shining in the afternoon we decided to make a trip to Götterswickerhamm, where we showed our English guests the river Rhein, before we drove back to our house, where we had some coffee and cake. Soon it was time for me to bring Melanie back to the Airport Düsseldorf, where her plane started at 20.30 p. m. Kurt and Heidi meanwhile showed Malcolm and family Dinslaken.

Monday, 27.11.2006

The next morning they all visited me once again, before Kurt and Heidi brought Malcolm & family back to the Airport Dortmund, which was just on Kurt and Heidi's way back home to Wildflecken. And the wonderful weekend finally was over.
It has been a great weekend once again.

What I liked very much was, that now my CdeB-friends which didn't all know each other before this big fan-meeting all got to know. They exchanged e-mail-addresses and hopefully will stay in touch. It's like a little fan-group within the big mailing-list-group.
It was great that even Nicole from Eisenberg finally managed to come to Dortmund, even if she didn't have enough time to visit me in Dinslaken. 2 years ago she listened to the whole concert via her (and my) mobile-phone, and in the end she had to pay nearly the same prize as for a ticket!!! But it has been something special! We had met twice before when I visited her during our summer-holidays in Bavaria, but we never before had been together at a concert.

Michael lives in Dortmund, and I got to know him 2 years ago at the 6th of Nov. 2004 at the CdeB-jubilee-concert, where we were seat-neighbours.
Also Kerstin from Bochum is a friend, which I first met on that special date 2 years ago. She had been the first person which we could identify wearing a "Read my name"-T-shirt, and so we got in touch.

And Chris de Burgh is the reason....... !

Thanks to Michael, Birgit, Melanie and Nicole for their photos, which I also used in my links!!!!!!!