Who's Got The Last Laugh Now Tour - Hannover and Berlin - March 2006

It finally arrived - the Who's Got The Last Laugh Now Tour 2006.

It seems a very long time since the concert in Budapest last May, and I must confess the last few weeks I have been having some serious doubts about going to more than one concert. For one thing I hate the cold weather - and the thought of queueing outside in the cold was not so good - also I had a feeling that there could be quite a few problems during my time away. The person who wrote on the Scootertechno.com forum why I would be happy to wait 14 hours has faded a little..... :(( - but the knowledege that I felt like that so it must be true is what made sure I went to Hannover.... even though recently even 5 minutes in the cold has been very uncomfortable for me.

I decided that I would book hotels etc. for the first 2 concerts of the tour in Hannover and Berlin - then decide when I got home if I would go to Vienna and Mannhiem. Vienna and Mannhiem are set to be the most difficult trip - I need to take a full week off work, and I am still not sure how I will get from Vienna to Mannhiem - probably overnight train - then I will need to travel to Frankfurt to fly home. Before I left for Hannover I was almost completely convinced that I would not be going to Vienna and Mannhiem, but possibly to the last concert in Hamburg.

Another bad thing for me (and her of course) is that my dear friend Marina who lives in Hannover is ill and in hospital. I was looking forward to spending time with her a lot - and we were going to go to 4 concerts together. She has been with me most times I have seen Scooter, and I knew I would really miss her - also I felt very sad for her - she has been going to concerts since the beginning of Scooter, and this is the first tour she will miss - I hope so much she is well soon.

I flew to Hannover late Sunday night, with Air Berlin from Stanstead - Air Berlin were great - they are different tothe other low-cost airlines because you are allocated a seat at check-in, and got food on the flight.
The flight was very short - only 55 minutes, and the time at Hannover airport was very short - by the time I had been through passport control the baggage was ready, and within 30 minutes of landing I was in my hotel.

When I got to my room I got a couple of text messages from Christiane - it turns out that she had gone to the airport to wait for me, unknown to me, and we somehow missed each other. I told her where the hotel was and she soon joined me there. The next morning Chris got up early to go to McDonalds to get some cheap Germany train tickets that would be on sale that morning. When she came back, we had breakfast and then decided to look for the hall.

It was very cold in Hannover - with heavy snow showers.I had so many layers of clothes I think that I looked like Mitchelin Man!! We got the the hall much too early (as usual), but decided to wait - there were 3 or 4 other fans there. I got very very cold and felt very miserable - I almost gave up and went back to the hotel, and just felt like sitting in a corner and crying. While I was walking around trying to keep warm Jay drove out from the hall - he stopped and said hello, and said see you later - I think I said something like "No you won't its too cold I think I'm going home" :( ...(Oh Dear!)

A while later while I was still walking around a taxi arrived and someone who looked familiar got out. Chris called me over and I shook his hand - but wasn't sure who it was. I asked Chris afterwards - turns out it was Jens (ohhhh..... how embarrasing not to recognise him - I will blame the cold - it stopped my brain working!)

Of course I didn't go back to the hotel - I stayed. As it got nearer to concert time more fans arrived. we were allowed into the hall at 19:00 - we were first - but then we had to queue inside in front of 2 sets of double doors for half an hour. I met a group of very nice German girls while I was waiting - they wanted to know what English people thought of H.P.'s lyrics.

Its always down to luck as to which doors open first - and this time the others were opened a couple of seconds before the ones I was in front of, also we had to go down 2 flights of stairs to get to the hall. I am not so fast as many of the younger fans - but I still made it to the front row - but right at the Right-hand side. Chris got to the middle - but she is younger and faster than me. I stood next to a very, very nice German lady and her daughter. There were fans of all ages at the concert - there was a young boy of about 5 or 6 years old who looked like a "mini H.P.", and quite a few families and people of all ages.

I was stood about a metre away from what looked like a lorry load of bass speakers - I think the only way I could have been closer to them was to have my head inside them - so I had a feeling it would be loud!

Finally Frankie Tunes aka StarSplash came on stage - he was ok - but I have to say it lacked the energy of StarSplash 2 years ago, and Frankie did not move much - he just sayed behind his mixing desk. I was also rather dissapponted that he didn't play any of the older StarSplash tracks I know and love, but as a warm up it was ok.

Finally it was time for Scooter - what we were there for!!!

The Intro started with great lasers - there was a giant inflatable fist above the stage. The intro started differently but then became Lights Out, during the intro the middle-finger of the fist slowly rose. Rick and Jay came on stage and the whole place went crazy - then H.P. came on stage for the first track - Hello (Its Good To Be Back). I think Mantas the guitarist was on stage for this track (I can't remember all the details in the correct order).

Rick and Jay were on raised "mini-stages" and they both had drums as well as their keyboards. Rick wore a hat and long coat at the start of the concert.

There were not so many pyrotechnics this time as there were in previous concerts I have been to - but the lasers and lights were fantastic. I suspect in the front row I did not see the lighting effects at their best. Manana was the first track with pyro I think - it was only during this that I realised there had not been any before.

For Apache Rocks The Bottom H.P. wore a fur coat and had a stick similar to the video. This track was a cross between ARTB and Rock Bottom - and had the Rotter, Rotter, Rotterdam part in it.

At one point H.P. said something like "You want some Disco?" then they played a short part from D.I.S.C.O. (by Ottawan) before Shake That!

Mantas was on stage for 4 or 5 tracks I think. I must admit that I was suprised when I read that there would be a forth person on stage - and I kind of had doubts about this - but he was great. I think he was on stage for Hello, Panties wanted, One, FasterHarderScooter and Fire - he was very very good!

Around about the middle of the show H.P. went off stage for a few minutes while Rick and Jay played an intrumental - I did not recognise the start - but about half way through it became Trance-Atlantic, this lasted about 8 or 9 minutes I think, and the dancers were also on stage.

Near the end the guys went off stage - then above the stage the laser lights wrote "You Want Some More?", when the crowd started shouting this turned to "LOUDER".

They came back on stage for the last 3 tracks - during Fire H.P. did not have the usual pyro from his guitar. Mantas was really good during Fire!

I think these are the tracks that were played - but I really can't remember the order:

Lights Out (Intro)
Hello
Apache Rocks the Bottom (mixed with Rock Bottom)
I'm Raving
Shake That
Weekend
The Chaser
Panties Wanted
Stripped
See Me Feel Me
Take Me Baby
Nessaja
Fuck The Millennium / Manana
Instrumental that became Trance-Atlantic.
Maria
Jigga Jigga
Aiii Shot The DJ
Am Fenster
One
The Leading Horse
FasterHarderScooter
Fire
Surfin Bird
Ramp
How Much Is The Fish

 


Mantas on Stage

At the end of the show H.P. called Jay "Mr Jay Frog Senior"

Scooter were on stage for 2 hours - and every second was wonderful - I am so glad I did not give up and go back to my hotel. I enjoyed every second - I had forgotten just how good it was!

After the concert we left the hall to go back to the hotel, and get some sleep ready for our journey in the morning to Berlin.
   
Berlin

I got up quite early next morning to go to Berlin - I was hoping to get a train at 9:25, so had breakfast, and left the hotel to head for the train station.

One thing about Berlin is thast I was sooooo looking forward to seeing Britt again and going to a concert with her again - after all without her I doubt I would have ever gone anywhere - and it was with her in 2004 in Berlin that I first saw Scooter.

When I arrived in Berlin I checked in at the hotel, had a McDonalds and then went to the hall. When I arrived Madlen, the very nice fan I met in Hannover was already there and of course Christiane. At the Columbia Hall there was no shelter from the weather - but somehow I did not feel so cold today - my old feelings had been restored and I was very happy to wait to see Scooter. A littlt later Britt arrived with her son.

At the Columbia Hall there were 3 sets of doors - this time we were lucky - we chose to stand before the doors that were opened first - so Chris, Britt, Madlen and I were able to get to the middle of the front row :))))


Most of my comments yesterday in Hannover will be the same for Berlin as the track list etc is the same.

Again I met some great people - in the queue outsde some people I had met before, but I don't know their names and also in the hall. I got "talking" to some people behind me in the hall - my German is still non-existant I am sorry to say, and some of the people I met spoke little English (but much better than my German) - one man behind me said he hoped that I had a wonderful time in Berlin - one thing I have discovered is that most Scooter fans are so nice, and another thing i have learnt is that spoken words are only a small part of communcating with other people - when you have a shared interst you don't need so many words to understand each other.

Quite early in the concert H.P, reached into the crowd - and twice I was able to hold his hand. The second time while I was holding his fingers he said "We gonna want your panties later" - Hmmm I had not bought any on this trip - but next time - I have something special in mind!!

...been cold in Berlin before..

It doesn't look so good outside - but its good inside!

In the middle of the front row I was in the ideal place to take pictures - but I decided quite early on that it was more important for me to enjoy the concert than to take pictures - but I did get a few that are ok. For most of the concert I was crazy - and felt good for it afterwards :)

At the end Jay was Mr Jay Frog Junior tonight :)))

Intro :)))


H.P. and Mantas

After the concert Christiane left very quickly to get the train to Munich. Britt and I waited in the hall for a while (must confess I felt the need for a large beer!), then we went outside. As we were walking down the road Rick and Jay drove out of the hall, and stopped and got out of their car. It was great to see them, and to have the chance to hug them and tell them how great the concert was.


Some fans had photographs taken with them. They did not stay long - Rick said they were driving to Munich where the next concert was - and he was worried about the weather, so they had to go - but I was happy that I could tell them how much I enjoyed the concert.

They told us that H.P. had left earlier - so we walked back to the underground station. When I got back to the hotel a lot of the other UK fans who had been to the concert were also in reception.

I went to bed very tired - but I did not sleep so well that night - I guess the concert was still very much in my mind. The next morning when I got out of bed I could hardly walk - my calves were so painful - with my workouts at the gym my legs were the last thing I expected to hurt! (must be all that jumping and bouncing!)

At breakfast I met a few of the UK fans again, then again when I was checking out of the hotel.

UK fans in Berlin

NMR and Bond007 from the forum I had already met in Prague last year. It was good to finally meet Chris - he and I were going to go to the 10th Anniversary concert in December 2003 together, but that was cancelled and we never did meet before.

I had a couple of hours walking round Berlin before going to the airport for my Easyjet flight home. It was a good flight home to Luton.

I had a great few days - its good to do something so completely different to normal life. When I went back to work someone said that it was as if I had a "Happiness Implant" when I was away - and I guess thats how I feel as well - happy, less stressed and at peace with the world!

So....... will I be going to Vienna and Mannhiem next week ???........of course I will!!