1 in 5 Norwegians watched LILYHAMMER premiere on NRK1, reaching an overall share of 56,3% – an all-time-high for NRK1 and the best ratings for a Norwegian made drama-series ever! With 44.2% in the commercial demographics, LILYHAMMER outperformed the channel average by 245%!
Osnabrück is the town where grew up and which I called home for almost 30 years. Osnabrück is the town, where my parents live, where I work and where I have seen the Jukes for the first time in 2003. They came back in 2004 (and ever since played only in Melle, which is nearby, but a different thing). It’s been at the Jukes convention in Osnabrück, where I’ve met a guy at the Unikeller, who , just a couple of years later, made me a Jukes T-Shirt as a Christmas present (actually, he has made me a whole set…). I always love to wear these shirts, because they really are unique. So I did last night. I was excited about seeing the Jukes at the Rosenhof, back in my town. I didn’t expect the trouble I should get into, just for a T-Shirt.
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes – Better Days
The show of the year? Well, it’s hard to judge that, when you have only seen two… but one thing is for sure: The lucky people at the Paradiso got what they paid for & a whole lot of somethin’ on top. It’s something very special with the Jukes & Amsterdam. One thing is the atmosphere of the place… it still feels like a worshiping venue… which it still is – at least when Reverend Lyon calls his followers to join for 2,5 hours service. To me, it’s the Dutch audience (expanded with people from ALL over Europe & overseas) which makes the Paradiso show a standout. People who know their stuff well. People who know how to have a damn good time in a very laid-back fashion. That’s it!
A tip to the hat goes to Patrick Sweany, for being the best Jukes support act at the Paradiso in the last 10 years!
…and the wheels keep on turning…
My fourth stop on this tour was the port city of Bristol, where I had actually spent a whole 20 hours last June when Bon Jovi had performed here on their tour. This visit, unfortunately, didn’t last much longer than that one.
That is always the case when you’re following some crazy band around the world. You end up seeing the train station (or airport), the hotel, the venue and whatever sights may be on the way to/from any of those three destinations. Luckily, I ended up with a very friendly taxi driver from the train station who gave me a brief history of the region and any “places of interest” we passed while en route to the hotel.
…and continuing on our journey…
I learned a number of things on this trip – of both personal and practical nature. For example, how to cross the street without dying (thank goodness for the “look right” and “look left” directions painted on the curb.) And, that Cardiff is in Wales and Wales is not England.
So, off I went on the train to Wales. After missing my connection in Westbury — three trains and one shuttle bus later — I arrived in the waterfront city of Caerdydd (that would be Cardiff in Welsh *wink*) I had completely lucked out with hotel accommodations and was staying for two nights at the absolutely gorgeous St. David Hotel and Spa (thank you Asbury Jukes for touring during the off-season!) Surprisingly, the weather was quite nice, encouraging me to just sit on my balcony for a while with a glass of wine and one of my biggest obsessions, the UK edition of Vogue magazine. *smile*
While getting ready for the Jukes, I just had to laugh when I saw these ads for an online music site in Berlin :)
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, ‘Without Love’ at the Glee Club, Cardiff on 24th October
Day two of this trip brings us to Southampton, only a short bus ride from London. (oh, c’mon … you knew I had to work a bus ride in there somewhere, right? LOL)
After not nearly enough sleep the night before and still feeling a bit jet-lagged, Sandy and I decided to forgo the whole queueing thing and just enjoy a nice, quiet meal (I love tapas!) at a cafe near our hotel.
Greetings from the UK! What a whirlwind couple of days it has been so far!
After a suprisingly enjoyable ”crossing” (row to myself, upgraded with extra leg room, unlimited wine and some very nice salmon. Thank you, Virgin Atlantic.) I landed at Heathrow at the crack of dawn Friday morning ready to see the Jukes rock London.
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, UK, October 21.2011
Video by: onomedoktor66