Kismet, people, kismet... I start to not doubt it all so much any more.
That Thursday was really one of the most surreal days I've ever had, made even more surreal by the fact that, late in the afternoon, I bumped into Sir Michael Stipe in Salzburg city as I was rushing home from work. I was all annoyed that I was getting to the festival so late and worried about what I was still going to miss. Naja, alles ist für irgendwas gut.
Isn't it fab when you get the once-in-a-liftetime chance to meet one of your heroes and all you can think of to say is "I can't wait to see you guys live tonight"? "You guys"? Oh man.
Well...at least I was able to help him and his companions out and show them the way to Getreidegasse.
Anyway! I'm not good with reviews, so I'm just gonna say that it was a sensational show them lads put on. After some technical muddle at the beginning of the set (did I catch a "Have you quit, Giles"? haha), the show really took off and I think people enjoyed it immensely. Setlist was chosen very wisely. The new songs? Honestly...they knocked me flat. Long Way Down stood out, as did Song To Self...and Something Anything. As well as J. Smith. Roughly, I'd say those were my favourites out of the new songs. :p
I believe that for a lot of people, Travis were the unexpected highlight of the festival. Everyone I talked over the course of the weekend mentioned them as one of their favourite performances. It's funny how shocked people are, if a singer actually opens his mouth to talk to an audience properly. Being in the vein (and knowing how to treat a festival crowd) pays off.
By the way, it was pretty cool to hear "Slide Show" (beautiful!) and 24 hours later "A Design For Life" being played on the same stage. Also interesting: it *stopped* raining during Why Does It Always Rain On Me; that's new, isn't it?
It was the 50th Gig of Travis which should have memorialized for me on this day. And it was 1st time that I go to Salzburg!!
The distance before arriving at the festival place was long. I boarded an airplane with the foot which finished work the day before. I passed through a flight of 15 hours, ride the train of 2 hours and arrived at Salzburg. Then I do the check-in of the hotel, went to the town to take the ticket, I get on a shuttle bus and finally arrived at the festival place about 30 minutes later. I walked from a gate to the stage for about 20 minutes...
The festival was performed with a very nice atmosphere! I was tired very much just to come and drank beer 1st:) And I went in the some stages and enjoyed a festival. I met Baby_Fran which come to by work in Signing Tent.
I waited for a play of Travis at dark in a neighborhood of a stage. However, I wasn't able to go for front-row blocking even if a band before Travis was over! Though I came with much effort... I got over the fence of the block by breakout, and Baby_Fran has already waited in front of a stage when I went hastily towards the front:) My Travis Gig of the 50th was very fantastic!!!
I finally came back to the hotel at late-night 2:00, and I was able to arrive at a bed after a long distance:)
UNEXPECTED HIGHLIGHT??? I kicked my car about 1000 km down the Autobahn to see you that day and guess what - it payed off. Your gig worked better than 20 cups of coffee. You simply rocked. Thank you for that special evening.
paul_c