Expecting Rain

Great news. So Germany just after Hop Farm!

Oh please, no harm at Hop if it can be avoided.

Hop Farm, sorry, my mistake

Just kidding, sorry.... all that nervous energy.

No, no you're right! I realized that I wrote the same "Harm" on the previous page yesterday night but I cannot edit my post no more. Excitement's speaking

Wow, great news, indeed.
Am I right in assuming that all those German shows are going to be GA (standing)?

That would be good.

Looks like it.

The venue in Dresden is a kind of an amphiteater. If I remember it correctly there is enough standing space in front of the stage but the ascending seating rows are quite close to the stage, too.

Yeah, let's hope it is.
What an amazing friday this is

Bonn also has tribune seats (numbered) at the side, and VIP tickets for the 'best' of those seats and including drinks and snacks. I think I will bring my own nuts.

So, wine for the Swiss show and nuts for Bonn - any food plans already for Dresden and the rest, JP?

You're well organized in terms of food, that's for sure, Mrs. Parker.

Passing through some good wine areas, too....

Nope, in 2001 he was the only act that night. If I remember well, the last time other performers shared the bill with him in Montreux was 1994 (with Bela Fleck as the opening act and Rory Gallager ending the night). Maybe there was someone in 98 but I'm far from certain. The 94 and 98 gigs were pretty short (around 90 minutes) but in 2001 it was indeed a 2+ hours show.

As for the sound in the Stravinski Hall, it usually ranges from very good to crystal perfect. The Leonard Cohen concert in 2008 was the best sounding show I have ever been to. Of course, there are flaws sometimes but it really is one of the best venue to actually listen to music in Switzerland. As for seeing an artist on stage, it's a different thing... The low stage is nice if you're close but if you got stuck in traffic on the highway and arrive just in time, you basically watch the concert on the big screens (if Bob allows them this time) while feeling like beeing in the public transports during rush hour.

The main problem with Montreux is that over the years, the atmosphere is more and more about showing around how wealthy you are money, how beautiful your limited edition Rolex is and how young is your new wife. It's very expensive, very snob, extremely crowded but once you're in the concerts halls, if you manage to get close to the stage (be there very early) and far from people talking about their holidays in St. Barth and their stock options while drinking overpriced champagne, you can have a hell of a good time.

Trust me, I've been going there every year since 1991 for at least one concert and even if I hate more and more what it's becoming, I go anyway because amazing things can still actually happpen once in a while (i.e. Prince playing a free set at 3 am in the Café after his paying concert earlier in the evening or Steve Cropper having to be almost kicked out of stage by the festival founder to allow the following acts to start. Great memories. Don't think something like that would happen with Bob but one can dream, right ?)

Eric73, how far from the central station is the place?

Really close, a 5-10 minutes walk

Oh lord, I'm looking at hotel rates in Montreux.

Are they serious?

I'm doing the same. It's show and go, I guess.

Last train to Milan is at 7.38 pm.

Oh.... if you don't mind sharing a room with a few strangers, I just saw there is a youth hostel.

You could also probably find a much cheaper hotel in Lausanne, for example. There are trains from Montreux until midnight and it's only 20-30 minutes away.

If I drive there, I can give you a ride to Lausanne or any place between Montreux and Geneva. But as the show will probably end quite early, I might take the train. We'll see when showtimes are published.

Anyway, if you decide to stay somewhere on that itinerary, feel free to send me a message and I'll let you know if I can help you.

Exactly, Lausanne is the place to stay and they hgave a variety of budget hotels.

Thank you so much Eric, I'll let you know.