Posted via email from Caroline

25 years I’ve been following this band and every time I think ‘ok, that’s enough’, they’ll come and surprise me. Miraculously coming back on the road some 10 weeks after Bono’s spinal surgery seems to have rekindled their love of performing. I don’t remember seeing such joy and enthusiasm on a U2 stage. I’ve seen ‘driven’, ‘intense’, ‘run of the mill’. But ‘joyous’ is another thing. Myself and friends went to Frankfurt and Hannover to see them play and both nights were uplifting and exciting and.

In Hannover I managed to get access to the band’s sounddesk for me and my friends. It’s got a little stage in front of it where guests of the band can watch the show. It’s the best place in terms of view and sound. And gawk at luminaries. We got the German Bundespraesident. I know… rock and roll, right? But Wim Wenders was there too. We all sang ‘Happy birthday’ to the man.

All photos taken with a Lumix DMC-TZ7, post processing in Photoshop Express and Camerabag on iPad

Morning, beautiful, originally uploaded by Caroline.

Although my hotel on Osborne Street in London gets bad reviews on travel sites, I didn’t have a problem with it at all. Yes it’s a little run down and I’m sure some people may not find the area attractive. But I like Brick Lane with its vintage clothing shops, cool record store (Rough Trade), Bangla Deshi restaurants, ‘beigel’ bakeries and photo opportunities. Plus some excellent coffee at Coffee@.

Some photos taken in the Tower Hamlets area.

My guest pass for the Rogue’s Gallery festival also gave me access to the second day of the Analog Festival.

Three bands I’d never heard of before were on the bill. The concert started with Liars, an American band with an Australian singer. I’ve filed them under Z for Zappa with their experimental rock sound. Not my kind of thing, but frontman Angus was theatrical enough to please the photographer in me.

Efterklang made me want to hear more. Dressed in folk garb the Danes came across as a happier version of Arcade Fire – with just a tiny hint of Up With People.

The somewhat older band Tortoise followed. Instrumental rock with two drum kits in the foreground. They were a little too jazzy for me at the start, so I wandered around taking pictures of the beautiful setting of the festival, but their rhythms became a little tighter as their set progressed which drew me back in.

View my Efterklang, Liars en Tortoise photos on Flickr.

A second set of photos taken in Copenhagen on day 3 of my stay, the results of an eight hour walk from Vesterbro to Christianshavn, to Nyhavn and all around the City. I gave myself a task for the day: ‘find the light’ (and the shadows).

The funeral set is also online, but mostly friends & family only.

A set of photos taken on my first day in Denmark. A pro would cull these down to 3 shots, but that would take too much time so there’s 34 in all.

Scandinavian Christmas decorations aren’t permeated by the American ‘Coca Cola Santa’ fun fun fun look like in the rest of the world. Sometimes they’re a little creepy. A little creepy can be good.

Also, there are a couple of cameraphone shots which contain more freaky shop window examples.

I bought a monopod shortly after walking through this arch. On Tordenskjoldsgade, where I once spent a lovely summer.

Performing in Amsterdam for the first time in ten years, Maria McKee seemed surprised (though you never know with her) so many had come out to see her.

Personally, I had expected a bigger crowd. The Paradiso staff had made their main room more intimate, putting tables and large plants down and moving the soundstage up a good way towards the stage.

She played all my favourites. Even the oldies: Breathe, Dixie Storms, Shelter, Wheels… fabulous to hear them all again, as well as tracks off her new album ‘Peddlin’ Dreams’. Unpredictable and slightly mad (she says) as ever. Another one of those ‘criminally’ underestimated artists I like so much.

Setlist: You Are The Light, I Can’t Make It Alone, Am I The Only One, Peddlin’ Dreams, High Dive, Wheels, The Horse Life, Shelter, Turn Away, Sullen Soul, Worry Birds, If Love Is A Red Dress, Dixie Storms, Barstool Blues, People in the Way, In Your Constellation, Everyone’s Got A Story, Breathe, Life Is Sweet.

Some photos

Shirley Manson, like Kylie Minogue, is likeable and exciting to watch. I don’t care a whole lot for Garbage as a band (not since their first album, anyway), but their leading lady is just riveting.

(Selection of photos)

A sign outside the venue said: ‘No flash. No professional gear.’ Just before the start of the show, a security guard noticed me taking my camera out of my bag.

s.g.: ‘We don’t allow lenses on cameras.’
me: ‘But all cameras have lenses.’
s.g.: ‘Uhm, you can’t use professional gear.’
me: ‘It’s a 300d, it’s not a professional camera.’
s.g.: ‘OK. But don’t be surprised if we take your roll of film later on.’
me: ‘There’s no film in this camera.’
s.g.: (sigh) ‘Well, whatever’s in it.’

I stayed out of view of the guards for most of the show right up until the end when some people in front of me left. It gave me the opportunity to take some good close ups when Shirley played our side of the stage. Just when I knew I’d got ‘the’ shot (the one above), a big bald security guard told me to cut it out, using the international cut throat sign. I put my camera away then and he didn’t take my memory card. A guy in front of me filmed the entire show with a tiny digicam.

Dude, I’s SO not your friend.

I fully agree…

Ok I chequed…You are right…
I’ve taken you out of friends and made you a simple contakt which in reality just means you are a favourite.
It was a missunderstanding,I thought I ahd to click on either friends or family.
Thanks for pointing my error out.
hope you don’t mind I keep you as a favourite thought…
Sandra (link) – 01 April 2005 – 21:59