Family Excursion
On 24.05.2006, an Oldie Night event took place in the city of Trier. Since the Rubettes feat. Alan Williams were also going to perform, we grabbed our backpack and photo equipment and hit the road.
Well, the freeway to Trier was in bad shape. Potholes and roadwork all the way. No wonder my back was aching like crazy by the time we got to beautiful Trier. We arrived early afternoon and had enough time to do some sight-seeing.
We definitely needed some coffee after the rough trip and promptly ran into Alan, John and Mark. We talked for a while and John took care of my backache. Thank you so much, John :-) Later, in the hotel lobby we were entertained by some great piano music. Loved it.
Towards evening, we took off to the exhibit center, the site of the show. Thankfully, there was enough space for us onboard the bus to catch a ride. We made it quickly after taking a little "City-Tour."
When we got to the location, the Sweet were on stage getting the audience going. Mick took some snaps of the performance with his cell phone camera. When a drum support collapsed, Bruce came quickly to the rescue tightening a screw.
Pics of the Sweet [1] Pics of the Sweet [2]Pics of the Sweet [3]
Right after the Sweet's performance, the stage was quickly changed to meet the needs of the Rubettes. John made sure that the drums were set up right. Mark tuned his guitar and Danni, the sound engineer, took care of the rest. Quite a stressful job - but as usual - he is on top of it all. Backstage, a few minor details were fixed and then the guys were ready to perform.
Pics of the Sweet and stage set-up for the Rubettes Pics of the Rubettes [setting up]
The Rubettes got the show going right away, since their performance was scheduled for only 30 minutes. However, I would say, the audience enjoyed a great show. They clapped and sang along. And of course - the band gave an encore. Too bad that the gig wasn't longer.
Pics of the Rubettes [1] Pics of the Rubettes [2] Pics of the Rubettes [3]
Once more, matters on stage got really busy. While Danni took down the Rubettes' equipment, the stage was being set-up for Middle of the Road. They were getting ready for their performance backstage and shortly thereafter they appeared on stage. It didn't take long for them to dazzle the audience with their hits.
I headed backstage to the dressing rooms where Alan was giving an interview. Somehow, the schedule got messed up. The bus was already waiting outside and the Gibson Brothers needed the dressing rooms. Alan stayed cool, finishing his interview and even signing several autographs. Then we drove back to the hotel.
Well, we went homeward pretty soon, since it was quite late after all and we'd be seeing the guys during the next days anyway. More about that in our report from Hessisch Lichtenau ...
All things considered, a great and enjoyable day. We have wonderful memories of this evening, especially, since we were free to move around and had plenty of opportunity to take photos. Once more - many thanks!