us Ian were doing soundcheck and worked through some parts of tonight's show - no unusual or new songs, to calm you down! Our soundchecktime was from 6-7 pm and we want to express our gratitude to the Cult's backliner who fixed one of our guitarboxes.

Our show started at 8 pm and I have to say a dream came true to play on the Cult's stage and lubricate the first ten rows. We felt the reaction was marvelous and we enjoyed every minute. Maybe it's just an evidence for a high level of tolerance in the Cult audience. After we threw our gear in the van it was time to prepare the stage for the band we all waited in Berlin 15! years for.

Showtime

The first time today we saw Ian, was the moment when the band hit the stage. Well, the reason was simple: he catched a bad cold. Hey Eindhoven, how about hot-water-bottles instead of beer cups next time? To hold up the flag for Berlin: not a single beer cup flew thru the air. Neither on us (fair enough), nor on The Cult.

Mind this, to play an instrument being sick is one thing - sick and singing is really another thing. While other bands would have cancelled the show, we admire totally Ians professionalism considering the zickzack-trip Eindhoven-Berlin-Brussels. And professional he was. His voice was in top form from the beginning and so was the band. I had the chance to watch a couple of songs just behind the drumkit and I can tell you, Ian Astbury is living for his art, no matter what the circumstances are. Ians chitchat with the audience was kept to a minimum, but that in german.

Mike Dimkitchs rhythm guitar playing was just like a machine build by Malcolm Young. Chris Wyse & John Tempesta is real powerhouse-grooving-backbone. In that light it's easy for the two protagonists to shine brightly. Hopefully this line-up will last a long time.

In my opinion, playing the Love-album is not a nostalgia trip. It's ageless and lost nothing of it's excitement, that's how it was presented. Afterwards the second part of the show was just a killer. Ian forgot his cold completely and Billy knocked us out with his all time rockriffs. I personally would've killed for Lil Devil, but just Valencia seemed to earn it. Maybe the crowd went not berzerk like in Spain, but nobody left the building without a smile, just happy to see the band again after Nov 24th '94.

By the way, in comparison to Amsterdam and Eindhoven, the audience reacted with big applause and respect. I saw the Amsterdam show and never saw a crowd stoned AND aggressive at the same time while spilling all the beer, but hey, I wouldn't drink hollandaise beer too!

Epilogue

We would like to thank The Cult for the opportunity to open the show, hopefully you don't regret your decision. We would also like to thank the crew and management for your more than fair treatment. We had absolutely no restrictions light- or soundwise. We wish you all the best and Ian a quick recovery for the rest of the tour.

Ps: To the idiot in Duisburg: act like a man and return the laptop to John Tempesta!!!

Nirvana
Big Neon Glitter
Love
Brother Wolf; Sister Moon
Rain
The Phoenix
Hollow Man
Revolution
She Sells Sanctuary
Black Angel
Electric Ocean
Wild Flower
Sun King
Rise
Dirty Little Rock Star
Fire Woman
Love Removal Machine