Beowulf Kingsley's Lab Notes: Road Journal- Michael Katon Tour

Rockin' the Downtown Bluesclub.

Wednesday, 2/18/14 – Hamburg, Downtown Bluesclub – What can I say? I love this place!! Drive through lovely, crazy Hamburg…I wouldn’t call it downtown actually, it’s in an area near a large public park, in a fairly quiet neighborhood…and you see the place unfold in front of you as you come in through the ornamental archway. It’s a large property, which includes a really rather vast Beer Garden and several outdoor bars, a large indoor bar, at least two substantial dining rooms, and of course the Bluesclub. The Bluesclub is a big, high-ceilinged room, with tables and chairs on one side, a large bar on the other, a dance floor and standing area in the center, and a very nice stage on the end, about 4 or 5 feet high, well-appointed with good stage lights and a non-reflective floor, and a connecting stair that leads to the Green Room and to the load-in doors. The wall opposite the stage has large doors that lead to another bar and one of the dining rooms.

One really fascinating and lovely thing about this place is its many photos which cover the walls. The owner Uwe, a beautiful guy, was also a piece of Rock history…as a teen he wound up working for the old Star Club, that place of legend, and assisted the bands that were booked there…including an early rock band called The Beatles. He’s also a photographer, and while at the Star took pictures of EVERYBODY that played there! These pictures include local and visiting acts like Chuck Berry, Screaming Lord Sutch, Ray Charles, Tony Sheridan, Jimi Hendrix, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, The Pretty Things…and of course The Beatles. Many others, too. Just walking around looking at the photos was a big treat for me. Uwe was also a friend of Astrid Kirchherr (and still is, I guess…he said she stops by occasionally), and has wonderful huge prints of her iconic pictures of John, Paul, George & Ringo…and of course of her fiancé Stu Sutcliffe.

Really the best thing about the Bluesclub is the staff, though, and their wonderful hospitality! You could not find friendlier, more professional people anywhere on earth, I’m sure of that. We got there and several of them were there to help us with load-in, getting the heavy speaker cabinets up onto the stage and in position. All these folks are people I remembered from over 10 years ago, which says something for their dedication and Uwe’s managerial style, too. We got the gear up and soundcheck done in record time, thanks to their competence…and then a bottle of good champagne appeared, and we all had a toast to welcome a good night!! Michael of course toasted with sparkling water, but Johnny, Tanya and I all happily availed ourselves of the bottle. Actually there were two bottles, as I recall.

A quick stop to the hotel to freshen up and change, and we were back to the club for dinner. By this time Uwe had arrived, as delightfully cordial as I had remembered him always being. He has a first-class kitchen and we had a FANTASTIC dinner, while Uwe regaled us with tales from the old Star Club days. I have to admit I was totally fascinated. He’s such a nice guy and a good raconteur, but also, I mean, what a life!! I mentioned Rock History before, but really, the man was there. He had hilarious stories about the early Beatles (“At first, when they came here, they were a terrible band! They got better, of course”); Lord Sutch (“Very nice. Quite insane”); and Tony Sheridan (“If I see him in heaven, I’ll have to say ‘Tony, I loved you, but you were a pain in the ass!’”)…it really doesn’t get much better than this. After dinner he walked around the dining room with us, looking at photographs, commenting and telling stories. Quite a delight and a privilege to spend time with him!

I have said this before, but it’s true…if you want a band to give a great performance, treat them as well as the Bluesclub does!! We got out on stage absolutely psyched to knock this one out of the park, and I think we really did. Mike, Bee and I were just a tornado of energy that night…the open sections were stunningly creative, with stylistic references to Hendrix and Cream flying back and forth; the complicated Katon arrangements were tight as a drum; and the boogie was shining off us like light from the Biblical saints. Mike took the dynamics down to a whisper, and up to a thunderous roar, tearing it up with his sweat-drenched Stratocaster. Bee and I were right with him. I don’t know what the audience was expecting, but they certainly seemed to think they saw something special…their energy was a big part of the performance too. There’s something synergistic about being in a concert, playing or watching, that I always love…the power and energy goes from stage to crowd and back again, building and building, making for experiences that leave you lamely trying to explain them later…as I’m doing now, I guess. Ah, hell, it was a great night, that’s all I can say!! I loved it, it’s why I keep wanting to do this stuff.