The technique of Shopping and music performance!
A free day for us here in Hamburg with only the big evening bash for the big band and singers. Tomight Will be added a small string section and will be playing everything from Miller, Goodman, Dorsey and friends to Sinatra etc.
I'm glad that the Hotel has an internet connection as this allows me to post this and keep up with other things (my email for one!)!
After breakfast most of the group expressed a wish to go shopping for christmas and themselves. Prices over here are lower than the UK so after getting in touch with our kind KLM crew and asking them about weight etc I pass the information round the gang and off they go. It's a large plane and there's only us on it so weight is not a problem, but what can't be got on can go on the KLM cargo plane that's due to follow us back to the UK on a scheduled flight. our pilot assures us that he knows the crew and there'll be some space if need be.
A beer supermarket gets raided as a coach load of English musicians turn up and proceed to buy out the entire store of beer, wines and spirits. The coach is certainly lower on the old suspension on the way back to the hotel. People are busy putting sticky labels on their purchases to identify them and I pass the word to keep the purchase recipts for customs. My beer has cost me roughly 50p a pint.
Today we get a proper chance to re-visit the Christmas Market and look roundthe stalls, buy christmas presents etc. Rooms at the hotel already look like santas been. There's an impromtu acapella recital at the Christmas Market as traders recognise us and ask for more music. Gluwein, sausages and schnapps are once again available and consumed and followed by lunch at a nearby brewery bar. Good beer and a plate piled hight with food at a low price!
I take the time in the afternoon to visit with friends I have in the city and who are also going to be there at the gig tonight. It's great to see them and we sit down and chat over coffee and a beer for a couple of hours before I return to the hotel and have a short sleep before getting ready for the evenings big bash.
Yes... Hamburg's Christmas Dinner Dance. This is held in the Rathouse (Town Hall) and there is just loads of people there. At the summer arts festival we were the talk of the festival and city and there are lots of people waiting to greet us as we arrive at the Rathouse to set up and get ready to play. We are given our own room for our instruments, coats etc and also a table groaning with food and drink. Ground rules are set - especially for the brass section who are already eyeing up the bar!
We start playing about 8pm and to my surprise a roar of approval and applause greets our first notes, practically drowning us out! Heidi Klum, German model and celebrity is there and after sharing the stage with us for the Childrens Prom Concert in the summer wants to sing a song with us. Well it's a christmas party and everyone is enjoying themselves so why not! Heidi perfomes two songs, Sentimental Journey and Mack The Knife and joined in later with some duets. All of which goes down a storm with the party goers of all ranks, status and nationalities.
our Frank Sinatra impressionist singer went down well with New York, New York, Misty, Fly me To The Moon and also a reprise of Mack The Knife which Heidi Klum joined in and proved to be the smash hit of the night Close your eyes and mike sounds just like Frank! Also our regular big band & singers had the place swinging with well known swing music from Miller, Dorsey, Goodman and friends. Peope were up dancing all the night from the tables round the room. and requests came thick and fast. Even Myself, as conductor managed to get a quickstep in with one of my female friends that was there to get the party going. She looked stunning in a red dress. Even the Disney big band version of I've got a Friend In Me from Toy Story brought cries of "More!"
I
made sure that there were frequent breaks throughout the night for food and "refreshment". I didn't allow any drinks apart from water under the music stands but a beer could be consumed in the room along with the food provided and served by two white jacketed stewards. This means that we can keep playing for ages and nobody gets drunk and messes up. That way we get a good rep and people come back. Mind you I'll say that the lads and lasses are very sensible when it comes to freebies like that.
We finally get back to the hotel at about 7am. and treated breakfast guests to live big band music much to their delight. I think that all or most of the beer disappeared from the band room at the Rathouse into cases and pockets! I relented at the hotel and most of the band had an open bottle under their stands at breakfast time. When Hamburg Parties.... it parties and Christmas is no exception!!!!
It's well into sunday when I crash into bed! our next gig is tomight!
Snap