This was the second time I came to Aabenraa, one of the most beautiful towns on the east coast of the south of Denmark. It was a rainy day, and I made my way to NygadeHuset. On the way I saw already the poster, announcing the show for tonight. The ticket I'd bought included a meal at the restaurant, so I arrived early at 5.30 p.m.. Just entering NygadeHuset, I met Kevin coming downstairs, and he said to me: "Go upstairs, right now they are about to do their last bit of the sound check." Of course, I did, and it was great to see the guys again. When they had finished, Paul and Robert jumped from the stage, and gave me a warm welcome. Jenny, who had been also there, organizing the show, told me they had sold 65 tickets for the show. She was very nice and gave me a poster which I appreciate very much.
At 6.00 p.m., it was time for dinner, and I was invited to sit together with Nigel's family and their Danish friends at a long table. Nigel asked me if I would go to Soenderborg, too, where the guys would play, not far from Aabenraa. At that time, I didn't know if I could make it. Anybody interested in what they served us? American spare ribs, baked potato, and salad you could serve yourself from the buffet. Oh, and some coffee afterwards. We all had a nice chatting, it was a great start to the evening.
Walking back to the main room, there was a lot of time to chat with the guys because they were always hanging around. Kevin told me that he is planning not only to return to Hamburg, but doing a tour all across Germany. Certainly something to look forward. The venue was as cosy as last year, with small tables you could sit around, and even the candle lights you could found on them. The venue was beginning to fill slowly, and everybody took the opportunity to buy some drink from the bar, located in an extra room just opposite the entrance from the venue.
The show started when Kevin took the stage together with Dean. He told us that it was a great pleasure to be right over there again in Aabenraa, and introduced Dean as a wonderful Scottish singer/songwriter. They were given by a very warm welcome by the audience. Dean opened the show with a fine selection of his songs from his new album The Droma Tapes, as well as from The Felsons' albums Glad and One Step Ahead of the Posse. Besides, he played two covers, one of which was the probably happiest song of Townes van Zandt, as he told us, White Freight Liner Blues. The audience was very much interested in Dean's music, and followed his performance with excited attention. He added the melancholic Felsons' song Heart Is Home, which I heard the first time playing live. Then he said: "I want to do a couple more songs then, Al Perkins will be going to come up, playing steel guitar, and Robert Reynolds and Paul Deakin will join us, so at the end of my set we'll be a band".
As for the song New Mexico, he said that there's usually a fiddle solo in the middle, but obviously there won't be any tonight, unless there was anyone who plays violin, and has one with him or her. Instead of that, he did some whistles to the tune. Then, Dean got Al up for joining him, big applause for Al Perkins, and the set went on with the nice quiet song Shine Like The Road After The Rain, my favourite track from his first album of The Felsons. Then, he was going to invite up his friends from the great American band The Mavericks, and Robert and Paul appeared on stage, and we heard It's Not Love, and The Desert Song which is a brand new song, going for his next album. Dean's set ended with a song of his uncle Buck, as he said, Love's Gonna Live Here, and the guys got storms of applause.
During the break, you could buy the CDs, sign up for the mailing lists, and you also got the opportunity to exchange a few words with the guys.
The show went on when Kevin came on stage, and Nigel took over the microphone for welcoming him, saying that last year, Kevin came alone for the first time, and that he's now back with the band. His words were followed by big applause. Kevin opened his set with Red Blooded American Boy and I Can't Drive You From My Mind, sensitively played, and joined by steel guitar and backing vocals offered by Al Perkins. It sounded brilliantly, and the crowd was really into it.
Robert and Paul re-appeared on stage, amid tremendous applause, and Robert introduced their young Danish guitar player Rune Kjeldsen, who was warmly welcomed by the crowd as well. So the Road Trippers were complete. They broke into the song Another Long Story, which you never get tired of, and all enjoyed it very much. The crowd loved them all instantly. Then followed Let's All Go To California and Your Kind Of Love. Robert told us they very pleased to be in Aabenraa, and that they had had a great time for some days off in Norway. He continued that it's good to have Rune back, who had been gone for some time to finish some studio recording. Next was the Mavericks song I Don't Even Know Your Name and turned into I Wish I Were Blind and Wishing.
I was over the moon to hear Stumbled, one of my very favourite songs and it was received very well by the audience. The crowd broke into big applause after the AC/DC song You Shook Me All Night Long. Al sung backing vocals for each song, and Robert did that sometimes as well.
Tennessee Girl was sung by Kevin and Robert on vocals, a very energetic song. Then, most of them left the stage, and Kevin and Rune played the soft number Angel Tonight, which was followed by energetic applause.
Kevin now announced Robert's solo performance, saying that he is a wonderful singer/songwriter. Robert took Kevin's acoustic guitar, and told us a bit about his musical influence by the pop music sound of the 60s, and the band SWAG, and their album. He wrote the song Near Perfect Smile in the middle of his separation which led to divorce, being all alone in the house. We heard a very nice song, sung by Robert in that sensitive way, you only can love it. Cheers and applause followed.
Then Kevin, Paul, and Rune joined Robert, who told us that he wrote the next song more recently. When he and Kevin had travelled to Australia for some shows, he finished that song, he's always doing one every year. Rune played now some bass, Robert picked up Kevin's acoustic guitar, and Kevin took Rune's e-guitar, which he hadn't done before, showing us how to play some riffs, really funny, and then they played Dragon Fly. The crowd applauded enthusiastically. After the song someone of the crowd shouted: "Kevin, give the guitar back, please!" They all returned to their own instruments.
Kevin called Dean back to the stage. He showed up and explained that his next song Anything is a new version which is going to be released as a single in March. Kevin joined him by singing back vocals. This version is a bit different to the other one, I think more up-beat. Then they kicked off with the energetic Cajun Song of the Gin Blossoms, Robert's song with Kevin on back vocals. Then they threw themselves straight into Melrose, great song with Kevin on vocals!
Dean was called back, and they played Honky Tonk Woman with Al on e-guitar, they obviously enjoyed it very much, and we all sang along with big enthusiasm. There was a huge cheer and lots of applause.
Suddenly Robert looked at me and said: "Hello, Lou". And then he asked the audience: "Who travelled the longest way to the show tonight? How many hours did you travel, and where do come from?" At least it came out that someone said: "Five minutes". So Robert said: "Lou wins, she is travelling all around a long way!" They kicked straight into Ooh Las Vegas, Al was playing e-guitar. I loved this fast tempo song very much.
At this point, the gig was supposed to be finished. However, the crowd wanted more, and the band didn't let the crowd down, so they returned to the stage, and brought the house down with the great powerful medley American Girl / Not Fade Away, impressing everybody. In the middle of big applause, they left the stage to end the gig. But the audience expected to hear more, and then Kevin, Robert, and Al came up again. Kevin already wore his jacket and a funny woollen hat with fold-down ear flaps, something like a Russian hat (have a look at the pic section). So the gig came to an end with the wonderful Fear Nothing, with Robert and Al on back vocals.
Afterwards, you could met with the guys. I particularly wanted to take a photo of the entire band, and asked Robert to organize that. He did a great job to call the guys together, because Paul and Al were already packing up their instruments, and the other ones hadn't been there when you need them. So it took a bit of time to bring them together. Finally Paul decided to do it on stage. They posed so nicely for the pic, thanks guys. (But later it turned out that the flash didn't work properly, and the photo wasn't the quality I wanted. It took me a long time to decide if I should put it on my website, but I did, so don't expect too much.)
I had another great experience on their tour. The guys had so much to offer to their audience, talent, charisma, songs to people listened intently, endless entertaining, all combined to make a brilliant evening. And they shared the stage so humbly with each other. Thanks guys for a wonderful evening which you seemed to enjoy as much as the crowd.
After saying good-bye, I went through the night to the hotel, it was already 11.30 p.m. when I arrived. Downstairs there is a Scottish pub called Fox and Hounds, and I didn't feel tired, so I went in for having a beer, and enjoying that cosy atmosphere. There were two guys in the back playing live, and I just wanted to sit on a barstool when Robert, Paul and Rune appeared. We had a great time together, so much time to chat with the guys. Rune told me that they would play in Soenderborg too, a very new tour date on February, 13, and now I thought it would be nice to go there. Also, a lot of Danish people from the concert came in, and then it all ended up as a big party.
Lou
Dean Owens' opening set
Strangers Again
Hometown Blues
Born To Lose You
White Freight Liner Blues
Heart is Home
New Mexico
Shine Like The Road After The Rain
It's Not Love
The Desert Song
Love's Gonna Live Here
Kevin Montgomery and Al Perkins
Red Blooded American Boy
I Can't Drive You From My Mind
Kevin Montgomery
& The Road Trippers
Another Long Story
Let's All Go To California
Your Kind Of Love
I Don't Even Know Your Name
I Wish I Were Blind
Wishing
Stumbled
You Shook Me All Night Long
Tennessee Girl
Angel Tonight
Near Perfect Smile
Dragon Fly
Anything (Dean)
Cajun Song
Melrose
Honky Tonk Woman (Dean)
Ooh Las Vegas
Encores:
American Girl / Not Fade Away
Fear Nothing
Aabenraa (this page)
Pics
Soenderborg
Pics
Fan Pics
My favorite Links
www.louhamburg.de
INDEX
in the street
Left: NygadeHuset
Below: the autographed
tour poster
