Paul O'Brien

On October 9th Paul will be playing - as part of his BC Tour - at the Streaming Cafe in Kelowna . This gig will be streamed live over the Internet ( http://www.streamingcafe.net ) and you the audience will be able to participate live by asking questions . If you are one of Paul's European fans and strangely don't want to watch him at 4.30 am - don't worry because the gig will be available to watch for the next 24 hrs and so you can see him on October 10th ! Hope that you will join Paul for his show - and again that link :-

http://www.streamingcafe.net 

Paul returns to Victoria in October and commences his tour of BC on October the 8th at The Minstrel Cafe in Kelowna . His tour culminates with a gig here in Victoria on Oct 30th at Hermanns Jazz club. All his dates on his upcoming tour can be found on the events page. Here is a picture of Paul's new BSG guitar which he will be bringing home with him from Germany. The detail on the neck is a traditional Irish design A Claddagh, like Paul's wedding ring which can also be seen in the picture

We pick up Michael in Rotenburg, this is another long long day in the Mercedes…we then drive from Rotenburg to Hamburg.We unload the van into Uli’s house in Finkenwerder, say goodbye to lars and Heinz, then head back to Rotenburhg with an empty van,.the van has to be taken back to Andreas in Osnabruck, who incredibly gave it to  us to use for free.This kind of generosity and kindness has been the constant theme of this whole trip to Germany.

We finally get back to Rotenburg and eat some fantastic veggie pizzas.Michael and I have a chat about the tour and then I skype the family back home.Skype has been my total saviour on this trip, I realy don’t know what I would have done without it.

Friday 18^th…….Rotenburg----Osnabruck-----Rotenburg----Barmstedt—Rotenburg

We get up at 6am..this boot camp just keeps on going…..we then drive almost 3 hours to Osnabruck, traffic is terrible, it seems the whole of Germany is building roads right at this present time.

We meet up with Andreas in the incredible venue in Osnabruck, the car garage by day, and the amazing venue by night..we get a cup of coffee, and then Andreas takes us to the train station to get catch the train back to Rotenburg.

We get to the train station and the first thing that hits me is that many people are drinking beer and wine, what a country.Not only can they build amazing cars like BMW and Mercedes but they also drink beer for breakfast…

We get two trains, and manage to avoid sitting in the carriage with the drunken choir on tour, I’m sure they are wonderful people, amd possibly a decent choir, but I’m just not in the right frame of mind.

We get back to Rotenburg, and I get some washing done, and then ring a few friends back in England.My mentor when I was growing up in the UK was/is a man called Bob Howes,music producer, composer, musician, TV producer..I could go on…I had met Bob first when I was 17 ,  and we also had met in the UK back in February and I just wanted to say hi.

The plan today is to go and see Julian Dawson’s show in Barmstedt north of Hamburg..Julian had asked me to do a few songs in the second set,.the village of Barmstedt is like so many of the German villages and towns I have visited, beautiful, well kept and extremely historic.

Julian was joined by Uli on guitar, and also the incredible player and singer Fontain Burnett..this is perhaps the greatest name for a musician I have ever heard…and it so

 Suits him.Born in the States and now living in Hamburg, Fontain is known as a bass player but is an all rounder and a super super guy.

Rolf at the venue invites Michael and I to have some food and the atmosphere is wonderful.

Julian decides to do the show acoustically and it is immediately clear that he is a master communicator and performer…in at least two languages…

The room is jam packed and the crowd adore him.the songs are beautiful and the evening is a total success.I  sang a couple of songs and it seemed to go down well, hopefully I can play the same venue next year sometime.

After the show Michael and I head back to Rotenburg, a long day , but a great one.

Saturday  19^th  Einbeck

This was one of two solo shows I would be doing on this tour. The evening was also going to be filmed and recorded..gulp..I had never fimed and recorded a solo show before and I felt a little pressure.

Michael and I , plus Micheal’s daughter Imke, made the journey to the beautiful town of Einbeck.We arrived at the beautiful and ancient venue called Tangobrucken, built in 1566, and really the most equisite building I have played in on this tour.

I had some time to kill so I decided to go busking.the day was warm and it felt like summer despite the fact that we were in the middle of September.

I didn’t want to make any money [perhaps I wouldn’t have made any anyway] so I just found a spot with the guitar and started singing, one chap wanted to give me a euro, but I told him to keep it, I think I offended him.I really had a wonderful time singing on the street.I love busking, and somewhow it made me feel less homesick..a bit bizarre really, going busking for company instead of cash.

The owner/manager of the venue was called Martin and he was also a tango dancer…hence  tangobrucken..

The room felt like it belonged in Buenos Aries [see Anne Schaefer for correct proununciation] ….The Stockfisch family , my record company in Germany were doing the recording, so Gunther, Ines, Sara from Munich, and Evelyn were there , setting up all of the cameras..i still must admit it feels very odd having spent so many years of my career [if you can call it that]playing places that really couldn’t care less about you as long as you have a pulse and do whiskey in the jar.to have a film crew, and tour manager,and venue manager fussing over you, makes me feel decidedly uneasy.Once again I am reminded of my mate in Brum, Kieran Kelly, who found himself in TV studios as a carpenter, expecting someone at any minute to tap him on the shoulder and say, ‘come on fella’ time to go, its all over.

I managed to skype the family before the show and that always helps settle me down.The food was great and the vibe was 90.

The room was about three quarter full and the people of Einbeck were delightful.There was even some people from a show that I had done in Kassel.The filming did put pressure on me, I know in time it won’t bother me, but I was constantly thinking about tuning and accuracy as well of course trying to entertain.I have the upmost respect for the great solo performers of the folk scene, Christy, Vin, Mike silver, Allan Taylor,there are many many more. The ability to hold an audience for a couple of hours on your own always impresses me.

After the show we headed back to stay at friends of Michael in Markoldendorf.. Wilhelm and his wife Katrin. Their house was a farm house, with barns and cattle sheds attached to it.Wilhelm’s family had had the property for centuries.Wilhelm was completely self sufficient, an oven for baking bread, a garden with all the fruit and veg you could wish for.We spent a wonderful Sunday morning walking around the village.

I was then told by Michael that there had been a great folk promoter who lived in the village back in the 80’s and that unbelievably my favourite band of all time..Moving Hearts had played in the village, Clannad also..All throughout this trip I have felt that there has been an energy around me..[I know this is sounding west coast and flaky..but that’s how it feels] I have felt almost as if whatever I want will happen….I’m working on Birmingham winning the premiership…but that might be pushing the magic a little..?

Throughout this trip I have been reminded of a man called Elias Chacour.Abuna Elias Chacour is one of the most wonderful people I have ever met.I had the oportunity of visiting him in his school in Israel, some years ago.he built a school/university in a place called Ibillin,a school for all peoples, Jew, Christian, Moslem, Druze, anybody.The school is called the Mar Elias college, please check it out if you get a minute.Elias is internationally recognized as a peacemaker, and has been nominated for a Nobel peace prize and is a friend of US presidents.

So you can imagine my surprise when during a conversation with Wilhelm about his work with children all over the world, that Elias’s name comes up in conversation…this is what I mean, this sort of thing is happening to me a lot these days.

We said goodbye to Wilhelm and Katrin and headed out to Hannover for the final show of the tour.Michaels’s daughter Imke is with us and she is delightful company, and her English is amazing.

The Kannapee in Hannover is perhaps one of the most beautiful places I have ever played.owned and run by Yassir  Khalaila.Yassir was from Nazereth in the Galilee region in Israel. He is a wonderful man and the venue is a true reflection of him.We talk and then realize that he also knows the school of Elias Chacour,his niece went there!

The show is a wonderful experience for me, the people are so kind, ad I finish off the whole tour by singing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, it seems fitting somehow.

Yassir promises to ask me back next year and I tell him if I amever in Hanover again this will be the place I play. He prepares a wondrous salad for me as a parting gesture, the day has been perfect.

We drive home to Rotenburg , and Michael hits 180km on the autobahn and scares the living daylights out of me..by God the Germans like to go fast….

I manage to Skype lou and the kids when I get  in and then go to bed around 1.30 am.

Monday 20^th Hamburg

I get up early, Michael has to take back the hire car [donated free by another friend of his] ad s I drive his car to the garage.

Today is a business day…and then I must get the train to Hamburg.I am going to see lars and Steffi.

October '09 is the month that Paul will be touring BC. Starting on October 8th at The Minstrel Cafe in Kelowna - and culminating in a gig in Victoria his hometown on October 30th at Hermann's JAzz Club. For a full list of the gigs please visit his events page.

Paul's German Tour was a wonderful success and he is very excited to be traveling around BC on this next tour.

Before he leaves Germany he will be filming a BluRay DVD with Stockfisch Studio's - information on it's availability to follow .

From Cologne we made the relatively short [3hours ish] to Osnabruck. What an incredible venue……the venue was actually a car garage, that had a stage/office/dressing rooms/ in fact a complete home in it. I have never played in such a fantastically unique place.

We met Heike, Wolfgang, Andreas, Katarina, Lucas…who treated us like royalty…I have never experienced better hospitality in all the years I have played music.

Please check out the photos because I really don’t know how to describe it.

Many great great musicians had played at the venue, leo Kottke among them. Wolfgang, the part owner, and doctor, cooked for all of us, and the food was spectacular.

The audience was incredible. right from the very first note, they listened and made the evening very special.

We have been booked back again in March 2010 and I am already anxious to get back there.

We decided to drive home after the show, 280km, but this is Germany, and it’s famous autobahn, with no speed limit so we were back in Hamburg in half an hour…well it felt like it after driving in Victoria  [which I prefer!]

Monday 14^th September  Day Off

Lars and Heinz, and Heinz’s beautiful 4-year-old daughter Elia, joined me in Hamburg for a boat trip around the harbor, the sights of huge ships being unloaded and majestically ambling down the Elbe was most impressive.

We went for something to eat, and then headed off shopping.

We ended up in 2 guitar shops, tried out loads of guitars, and met Kristof, who owns a store. He is a good friend of Andy Irvine and the band planxty, and he was telling me he went to see their show in Vicar street in Dublin, as a guest of the band. Hopefully Uli and I can do a show in his store next march. We traded cd’s and headed back to Uli’s place in Finkenwerder.

Off to bed now, because we have a long day of driving ahead of us tomorrow..8/9 hours…..gulp

Bye for now…

 Tuesday 15^th   Erlangen

This was the longest drive on the trip, unfortunately for us it was made three hours longer because of a truck crash on the autobahn that closed the road. We left Hamburg at 9m and found the venue at 7pm…urrgh…Mind you, we did have a little musical session on the autobahn to help pass the time.

We were scheduled to play in a record store to help promote the show but of course that never happened

We were greeted by Stefan and the crew and before long the gear was set up. The venue was, like all of the venues we played, extremely professional and well run. We were going to film and record this show, both sound and vision, but if truth be known , we were all really tired from the time spent in the van…it will be interesting to hear/see  the final edit.

The show goes well, the crowd is small, but they seem to enjoy the show.

We head off to the hotel and I get to sleep at around 2am.

Wednesday  16^th Sinsheim

Last band show of the tour. I am still scheduled to play 2 solo shows, but for the band that’s it. It will feel very strange not having the band with me. The 4 of us have really got on well together; I have so much optimism for the future with these guys.

The drive from Erlanngen was only a couple of hours or so, and the vibe in the van is chilled. Last nights show was difficult, but we were assured by the manager of the venue that the people of this region are not know for their exuberance, I had some lovely comments though and met some lovely people.

We went straight to the hotel in Sinsheim, and had a sleep, I felt much better after that. We then went off to the church where the concert was being held. I am constantly in awe at the wonderful reception we receive when we arrive at the venues. The Pastor, Benjamin, and two of his friends, Phillip and Jonathan, greeted us.

There is coffee and tea and snacks for us all, the atmosphere in the church is beautiful.

We have loads of time so Heinz suggests that we record some songs in the sound check. I also teach the band a new song called ,’ Not in your dreams’, this song is super special to me because I co-wrote it with my son Fintan.Its our first co-write and I really love the song.

We also record looking for Dakota..I am so lucky that the guys in the band give me all this really positive feedback about the tunes,

This is the last night of the tour with the band and to make it even more special we are joined by Julian Dawson.Uli and Julian go back a long way. Julian is a stalwart of the British folk scene and has carved out a great career for himself in Germany.He is a wonderful guy and it is instantly obvious the evening is going to be great.

Julian also has the most beautiful guitars…he has a seven string Martin that has a g doubled an octave higher..[sorry for the nerd speak]…anyway. I want one,  he also told me the story of how he had had to sell an old Gibson when he was diagnosed with cancer, the guitar ended up in the hands of a German guy, who upon hearing the story of why Julian had decided to get rid of the guitar, had decided to gve it back to Julian free of charge…what a nice guy!

The concert is perhaps the most relaxed show of the tour, everyone is playing great.

Julian opens the second set with two super songs and Uli also plays with him. Julian also joins us on harmonica on Anniversary day, and plays a mean solo …twice…because the mic wasn’t turned on the first time!

We finish the show with Light The way, and the final chorus we are joined by Peter, a musician and member of the audience, he sings my song really beautifully.

The concert ends and we head back to the hotel,  we make camp in Julian’s room and have a good ol chat about the business, and we listen to the sublime music of John Martyn.

Hit the sack at about 1.30am

Thursday 17^th   day off…

We leave the hotel at 10.30 and start the long journey back to Hamburg via Rotenburg to pick up Michael….I am in the van as I write this…more later.

Saturday 12^th September Hertogenrath [{I think]

The journey from Berlin to Hertogenrath took over 7hours, not so bad really…perhaps having your wisdom teeth pulled would be worse….The welcome in Hertogenrath more than made up for the long time spent in the now cool and airy Mercedes.

We were greeted by Catharina and Wolfgang Stefan and a whole team of wonderful helpers , who welcomed us so warmly, the long journey melted away.The sound system was set up, and for the first time we were playing an outdoor show.The setting was magnificent, an outdoor stage with an imposing and floodlit castle high above us, a classic German scene.

Hertogenrath is so close to the Dutch border that there were many people from Holland at the show, the border was about 500 yards from the show, we were also really close to Luxembourg…how cosmopolitan am I ?

The guys went for a meal but I decided to stay at the venue and change my strings on my new gorgeous BSG guitar, and just chill out for an hour or so . I was starting to flag a little and I knew I had to conserve energy if I was to get through the show.

The audience were fantastic, the evening was a little cool, but everyone seemed to enjoy the show.I thought the band played well, and there were some lovely moments..Lars’s solo on Berlin, and Uli’s solo on Not Over Now, and Heinz’s dumbek extravaganza in Romero.

After the show, the same wonderful group of helpers came like a small army to help put all of the gear into the van.

We headed back to the hotel and then lars and Uli and I, went off to the bar, with Dorothy and Stefan from the show.

We had a great talking about loads of stuff, teaching, America, angels, accents, swimming pool cocktails,teaching,Uli’s life after marriage, teaching, you know yourself…

Had a good sleep in the hotel.

Sunday 13^th September Osnabruck

The weather has changed…Thank Christ! Traveling in the van is much more comfortable.

The guys take me into Cologne [Koln] and we stop right in the middle of town.

I had known that Koln was famous for its cathedral but I had never seen it before…

Omg   omg    omg  

From the outside it is an imposing gothic structure, dwarfing the skyline, however when I went in, the breadth literally left my body.Koln cathedral is an amazing feat of mans ability to mirror the divine.I could have stayed there the entire day, perhaps a week…Mass  was going on the incense had drifted into the vast ceiling and created a mesmeric image in front of the spectacular stained glass, I have to go back, I will go back, we only stayed minutes, but the experience will live with me forever  

Friday 11^th Berlin

We drove back to Hamburg after the show on the 10^th and I was starting to feel really tired.This tour has already been the most amazing musical experience of my life, apart from making the albums with Joby, but long drives and sound checks can drain you a little, I am not tour fit yet,

I got up early the next morning to go back into Hamburg and meet up with Lars.

Lars had told me about a really interesting project called dialogue in the dark….the concept is that you enter a pitch black building and get to experience what it feels like to be completely blind…for a whole hour.

I have always feared being totally blind, and have at times tried to put my head under the covers of the bed, but have always failed to stay under for more than  minute…however that could be because I hadn’t changed my socks….?

We were given a white cane, and told that at any time we felt uncomfortable we could say and we would be led out in about 20 seconds.as I neared the door I started to feel really panicked, I went in through the door and instantly felt the fear wash over me, there was a little girl in front of me and to be honest if it hadn’t been for her I would have turned back, but I suppose fear of looking scared in front of her was greater than the fear of being blind…stupid really.

I kept bumping into lars and ‘excuse me’ was the most common word spoken…the other issue was that the guide was speaking in German, Lars did translate for me but for most of the time I was blind and completely in the dark with the language..I kept telling myself that I had paid 15 Euros for this and I should relax…deep breathing . Thankyou Gian Carlo!

After 10 minutes I started to actually feel like I wasn’t going to scream and call out for my Mommy, our guide was a 28 year old Iranian, who had lost his sight 10 years ago from a disease, he asked us for our names and constantly gave instructions to us.

Our first task was to walk through a forest, the smells and sounds of birds, and leaves and trees, thank Christ there weren’t any bears or I would have been truly screwed….once the panic subsided and I had stopped whimpering the experience started to become amazing .My ears suddenly realized they were in charge and they rolled up their sleeves and said ..bring it on..I could hear everything so clearly, especially the giggles of the little girl in front who clearly had never seen a grown man reduced to jelly before.

The second task was a walk across the street…..never again will I Iook on if a person who is blind is next to me at a road crossing, it was scary, From the street we went into a grocery store, and to the vegetable section..our guide asked us to describe the different types of fruit that we could find, this I could do, I had worked in my aunt’s veg shop in London and if I say so myself I know a pumpkin when I feel one…ask louise, who also happens to be quite the authority on the said vegetable.

From the store we went into a bar,the barman asked me what I wanted to drink, I haven’t drank for a year now, but the thought of a swift one was now most appealing, I settled for water, I didn’t want to vomit over the little girl, mind you, it would have stopped her laughing……

I cannot explain to you how it felt to lose your sight, of course I knew that it would all end and in a matter of minutes I would be restored to my seeing world again…but it changed me…It is a brilliant idea, I would highly recommend it, however if you can do it without making  girls practically faint with laughter you may enjoy it more.

From Hamburg we made the 300 km journey to Berlin, the traffic was atrocious and the journey took about 5 hours, the guys in the front actually found a button that was well hidden we hadn’t spotted it for almost a week, it turns out Mercedes have heard about air con, I could have kissed Lars full on the lips for finding the air con switch regardless if either he or I had brushed our teeth  [personal hygiene is not top priority on tour]…

We arrived at a church where many koncerts take place in Germany.It was a wonderful folk club.They had had Show of Hands amongst many others at the venue , and I was really pleased to be playing there.

The concert was a great success as far as I was concerned,a full house, and the band were on great form.I was told there was a really famous German comedian and TV host, his name was Jurgen Von der Lippe, he was also joined by his friend Astrid , who is an actress .He was great fun, and told me many stories about some of the people he had met on his show, he said he also liked the Tim Hortons/ Mcdonald’s story with Emelia .I have a feeling he will use it, perhaps I’ll get a credit, and possibly a free big mac?

After the show we sat round the table with the folk club organizers, Ekheardt and Anita, Giesla, and many others whose names I have forgotten.Everyone was so pleasant and friendly, it reminded me of the halcyon days of the Red Lion Folk club in Kings Heath, when the show ended the crew and the artists would head back to Jim and Jill’s house and we would eat and drink and swap showbiz stories…bliss.

Michael Behr and myself were billeted out to Giesla’s house, and she made us feel so welcome…that I didn’t want to leave, she also had a golden retriever called Kimba.Kimba is the only retriever in the world who actually snaps and lifts her lips to show her teeth…but apart from that she was delightful.

The boys  in the band who had stayed at the Berlin Hilton came round at 10 am to pick me up .Saturday  was the big drive of the tour…more than 600km, I am writing this whilst still in the van,……its been a long day

Wednesday 9^th Bucholz

We headed out early for Boucholz,the journey took about 4 and a half hours.the weather again was fantastic, and I’m really enjoying the Mercedes Benz sauna, I should be about 20 pounds lighter when the tour is finished!

We get to Bucholz and to be honest I’m feeling a little bit car sick, what with the late nights and the traveling, but it seems to pass after I sample the local dish…bratkartoffeln, fried potoatoes, and I had eggs with mine.I gave up meat a while ago, and to be honest I think I picked the wrong country for vegetarianism..the Germans LOVE their meat, and I am seriously tempted to try some, I just don’t think it will agree with me….thats probably too much information!

This is by far the biggest venue we have played on the tour…I noticed that’s Moya Brenann from Clannad is playing there in November…gulp!

We have a great soundcheck, amd rehearse a new song, ‘Looking for Dakota’, I am really enjoying working with Uli, Lars and Heinz, everyday we spend together brings us closer together, I haven’t felt this way since playing back in Birmingham with Joe, Aidan, Karl, Sean , Dave and Will, and all the other great mates I had whilst working on the Irish bar and wedding scene.Someday I want to throw a big party ad invite all the players I have ever worked with.I calculated that I had over 50 players come through the band. Some have gone on to wonderful things.Karl Brazil my drummer for over 5 years got the job working with James Blunt, but well before that he was playing with the likes of Elton John and Lionel Ritchie…and Sean Barry on Keys, who has toured with Duffy and Girls Aloud, amongst many many others.Dave swift who was my first bass player and best man at my wedding is perhaps the most viewed bass player in England, he has played with Joolz Holland for over 10 years now, and has played with everyone from BB King to James Taylor…..quite the faculty!

The concert in Bucholz was a wonderful evening, I really enjoyed myself, I spoke with some people who had been to Victoria, and we reminisced about whales and bears.

The drive back to Hamburg only took an hour or so, I was pretty tired but managed to skype with the family when I got back to Uli’s house. Cormac started  high school yesterday, Fin also started the day before and Millie is also back at it…I am really sorry not be there for their first day at school, but my wife is more than capable, they also got new phones..which of course is all they wanted to talk about…Phones….a necessary evil, at 12 years of age I had an action man, times they are a'changing…..

Thursday 10^th  Rotensburg

Got up early because I was invited to do an interview for an internet radio station. I took the ferry to Landensbrucken and met Lars, he very kindly agreed to take me to the station. I am constantly humbled by the kindness shown to me by the guys in the band, and all of the people I have had the privilage to meet on this tour.

I had no idea what to expect from the station..somehow I had thought it was going to be a small computer in a guys apartment…WRONG!....I was greeted by the receptionst…offered a drink and then shown into the studio, taking careful note of the signed picture of Sting on he wall taken from that very same  studio….gulp! It was like the BBC, I was  introduced to Helge the station manager, Lena and Thorsetn, all very very professional.Helge aksed me would I sing live, I said I would try..He brought me into the studio and there was a Maton guitar from Australia.I knew this guitar company because of Tommy Emmanuel, arguably the greatest guitar player in the word..I have some dvd’s, books, of Tommy’s  music  [which I dream of being able to play one day] , he is a spectacular player.

The guitar sounded great, and I had a really good interview with Helge.

They asked me to pose for a picture and to sign a frame, perhaps I’ll be next to Sting??

We drove to Rotensburg from Hamburg and met my agent Michael Behr at the church where we are playing. Michael and his family live in Rotenburg and so he ws really excited about the show and so were we.  We had another good soundcheck and then headed out to a restaurant in the centre of town.I had eaten far too much the previous evening before the show so took no chances and just ordered some dust…very tasty, not very filling though. Michaels wife Ena and his daugter Emke also came to the dinner.

The show went really really well, The church was packed with people, and they all sang so beautifully right from the very start. I will never forget the wonderful people of Rotenburg for making me and the band feel so welcome.

Vielenl Dank an das Publikum in Rotenburg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

German tour 2009

I packed my one bag plus the bodhran [reluctantly] and kissed the family goodbye. Almost 5 weeks away in Germany. This journey that had begun with me cold calling agent Michael Behr a year ago, was now sending me back to Germany for a 12-date tour with my friend Uli Kringler and his band.

I decided to fly to Vancouver and was quite surprised to find that I was the only passenger on the 7am flight, me and two pilots, I am in truth not the greatest flyer in the world, however the view over the gulf Islands and the Georgia Strait is really quite spectacular, and almost stops me biting not only my fingernails but also those of the pilots.

I arrange to fly to Frankfurt and then take the 5-hour train journey to Bremen. From Bremen I make the short trip to Rotensburg, where my agent lives, and where I will stay the night.

Michael Behr and his family are wonderful people, I love being in their house. There is a special surprise waiting for me when I look inside the front room…my new BSG guitar, the Claddagh guitar, I ordered and designed the guitar which was made by Jan Stoviczek at BSG.I am left amazed after playing it for only 5 minutes, this is going to be a great tour.

I left the next morning for Hamburg to meet Uli and the band.Uli introduced me to lars Hanson on bass and Heinz lichius on drums.the guys are absaloutely fantastic, they have obviously listened to the songs and already have a great understanding of the music.we rehearse for 13 hours, and the crack is great.

Next day we do it all again, 13 hours, 17 songs, I am tired but I really excited about playing my songs with these guys.

Saturday is a day off because Uli has a show with Juian Dawson and Ian Matthews in Koln.Lars invited me to meet him and his wife Steffi in Hamburg.Both Lars and Uli , when not playing their own musc or touring with the likes of me, are top session players, and play in the big muscal in town..Tarzan.Lars got me a ticket to see the show, it was an incredible experience, all in German but apes are apes in any language.

The orchestra actually play in a room behind the stage and use cameras to keep in time,after I watched the show I asked lars could I watch the band play the show, so I had 6 hours worth of Tarzan.I obviously bought the souvenir loin cloth, actually two of them because they were quite small, perhaps I’ll wear them in the encore, if I get one.

Sunday 6^th was the first show, we played in Hamburg. The gig was really great, firs shows are always a little bit nerve racking, but there is magic on the stage and whatever mistakes there were , were overshadowed by the feeling of friendship and community on the stage…I feel incredibly lucky to be sharing my songs not only with the wonderful Hamburg audience but the also the boys in the band.

Monday 7^th.

We are playing Kiel tonight and I only have a few hours to go into Hamburg. Hamburg really is the most beautiful city. Full of energy and life I meet up with  lars and Steffi and we eat sushi for lunch. The journey to Kiel is about an hour, made even quicker by Heinz’s breathtaking u-turns!

Kiel is another harbor town situated on the Baltic sea. we are playing in the Kultur forum. The sound check is great fun, and everyone seems happy to playing and looking forward to the show . The gig goes really really well, the songs sound even better than the show in Hamburg, the audience is delightful and I even meta lady called Christina who had been to Hornby Island . Hornby is a gulf island and it’s our favourite place in Canada. Our good friends   CONTACT _Con-39E8782E2FB \c \s \l Gerianne and Wayne introduced us to Hornby four years ago and we have holidayed there ever since. Christina loved Hornby and also loved the Madrona trees, we decided to create a facebook group for people who love the arbutus tree.

For dinner we were treated to a local dish, a flat pizza like dish called flamkuchen, very nice.

I signed the Kiel guest book and off we went back to Hamburg.

Tuesday 8^th  Kassel

It feels like Italy. Its really very hot, especially in the back of the Mercedes van with no air conditioning. The drive to Kassel from Hamburg took about 4 hours, and the crack in the van is mighty. In all the years I have played I have really not done that many miles in a van with a band, and I love it. Heinz the drummer is the resident comedian and his knowledge of Eddie Izzard sketches is really quite impressive..

‘ I am your boss. are you Mr Stevens? Who is Mr Stevens? He is Head of Catering, I can kill catering with a single thought..’’

The venue in Kassel was called the Schlachthof…which translates as .slaughter house. The building had been converted into a community centre, complete with a musical venue. Robert and Janna meet us and help us with the equipment. It’s a small but cozy room with a good sized stage. I ordered a Turkish dish called Boerek,, very common in Germany, it looks like a loaf of bread, with filling, very tasty. see pictures if you don’t believe me.

The producer of my new album and owner of  CONTACT _Con-39E8782E31A \c \s \l Stockfisch-Records Gunther Pauler came to visit and see the show and it was great to see him and his lovely wife Evelyn again.

The show goes well and they seemed to like the songs and the band and the bodhran.

After the show I meta lady called Claudia. Claudia had been to the West of Ireland for the past 10 years or so. She told me all about the great times she had had in Westport, and how she was looking for the Irishman of her dreams…I think I should start a campaign to find Claudia what she wanted. however, he has to be able to sing whiskey in the jar reasonably in tune.

We stayed in a hotel after the show and in the lobby we found a Dubliner called Louis Fitzmahoney, he had been playing Irish music for a business conference that night, he sang the parting glass, and did a great job of it. He had been living in Germany for 27 years, but still had kept his Dublin accent.

Breakfast was great, salmon [makes me think of home] and fruit. as I write this now we are on our way to Buchholz,a town surrounded very beautiful scenery,

I must also say the new guitar is settling in very well. I call it the Claddagh guitar, because of the design on the 7^th fret, The sound is wonderful and it changes well from finger style and strumming.

Paul's tour is underway and he is thoroughly enjoying the experience ! Tonight see's him playing in Bucholz at Shlacthof ( see events page for all tour information ) .