MIN "GAMLE" iBOOK G4

sa solid takk for seg i forrige veke. Alle fotos frå turneen og mange lydfiler kan vera tapt. eg skal prøva å få de ut men skjermen er heilt svart. sit her og skriv på ei spildrande ny maskin MacBok Pro. eit steg videre kan ein vel kanskje sei. veit ikkje kva nummer i rekka av Mac´ar det er men det har nok passert minst ti maskiner.
er klar no, for å gå igang med nytt. skapa nytt, nye prosjekt, nye tonar, nye ord
vinteren kan komma. eg er klar. skal jobba og jobba

HEIME

Nokre glimt frå Urbs turen. Flotte, sterke minner:

DAY THIRTEEN

BOCHUM – PADERBORN (concert)
Smooth drive to Paderborn where we found our way to what some people call a hotel. A place you try to avoid going to has long as possible (but it was nice (and necessary) to have some schnapps late night on the bed - with Joachim, Olav and Helge). We had nice Italien lunch and this owner of the restaurant was a very funny guy. He made jokes all the time - and top moment was when he brought a fake coffee-drink to the table and "by accident" lost it. Gjermund was quick and catched the fake plastic-cream-top in his hand - and we laughed like mads. I guess we in one way where ( or are :-) mad too. After so long time traveling and playing, traveling and playing, traveling and playing. You get a rigid sense of humor, hard to explain - and I will not try it.
We could have played on and on – but I think we all need one or even two days off :-) Some of the band members don´t get this. Gjermund goes directly to USA and some gigs, and Håkon is on the road again sunday evening for another two weeks in Norway, playing traditional solo tunes, touring with two other fiddlers. Olav is soon back in Germany playing with singer Kristin Asbjørnsen. I guess Helge also comes back very soon. Busy guys for shure.
The Paderborn-concert was a nice final end of the tour. Very nice atmosphere - and fantastic response. Ingo worked like hell the hole evening - on a shitty PA. He made it work.
I am writing this at the airport in Hannover. On my way home. I look forward to it. Some pictures from the Tour will come her a bit later. Thanks for following The URBS Tour 2007.

DAY TWELVE

NEUSTADT - BOCHUM (concert)
I must give a great and heartly THANKS to Dagobert Böhm and Ozella Music. I apreciate very much his engagement in my music - and his work. He has been with us the hole tour - with his CD stand, selling CDs and giving the best. Sale has been up and down I guess, but still very important that he takes the time to do this - for this music and his label. It is really great.
And again: I can not tell how much I apreciate it
On our way to Bochum we stopped again at a music store: Musik Produktiv. Some of us bought more music equipment.

Olav with is brand new headset (Sennheiser state of the art headset), here with veloure patches for the ears. He tried it hard as you can see. This is how it went (and look at that T-shirt:

We did another nice concert in Bochum at Banhof Langedreer. Nice venue :-) And when I arrived I realised that I played there in year 2000 with Utla.

DAY ELEVEN

KÖLN-NEUSTADT (concert)
After a good and not too short nights sleep: fit for fight again. Breakfast (alone :-) in the Hotel Chelsea where we stayed. Then had a radio-interview with journalist Kerstin Kilanowski. Nice to speak to her. The others came down for breakfast late. Departure time was 12.00. Some had problems eating this morning. All members of the band know this feeling - and we offered Helge to sit in front of the car this day. He did not say a word for many hours working to get through it all. He finalize with a street performance in centrum of Köln - just outside a Konditorei. Say no more. We went to a music shop. Olav baught HD recorders and head sets and I got an upgrade for my Logic. I am inspired to compose a lot of new songs to this band the coming winter. Ready for it now. I only need to buy a new Mac too - when I come home. I miss my girls very much now. It´s a long time not seeing them. I am glad that friday is home turning day. We came a bit late to Schloss Landestrost in Neustadt because of the shopping - but what a place to come too. Life is for shure is full of contrasts. Beautiful venue with very nice people. The venue was packed with over 100 people and we did get extremely positive response. For my own playing I think this concert is one I am most happy with (so far), - and the band played like holy Gods! he he. A lot of new things happened - and the music gets in a way better and better - clearer and clearer. A fantastic night. We finished with a late visit to a wonderful Italian restaurant where Ingo sorted out a bottle of Amarone. We shared this bottle and this wonderful glass of wine made the day perfect. We all stumbled into the hotel and I think I fell asleep on my way down on the sheet.

DAY TEN

PASSAU-KÖLN (concert)
Not so much to say tonight. Or I am not the right person to say it :-) I don´t know what it is that makes these things happening. I thought it was over - way back in time. I would like to thank the fantastic musicians I am working with at this moment. We have a wonderful collaboration - and every night has been on the edge. We dare to develope and take new chances in the music. This is something very special - and not a "daily" thing between musicians. It is a fantastic feeling to be on stage with Håkon, Gjermund, Helge and Olav, and Ingo: a great sound-engineer. I think and know we can develope as a band playing my music. I am really inspired composing new things - for a long time. And I hope we manage to keep the power. On the picture you see one of the foremost Norwegian musicians, drummer, percussion players, man: Helge Andreas Norbakken, wiping the stage in a stinky dirty cellar/studionumber at venue Stadtgarten in Köln before set up on a stage that did not have the equipment we needed. But the good guy at the place managed to get a new mixer, more microphones and a reverb. Good work from him. This happened after driving from Vienna (only four hours sleep in Passau), to play this concert (check the distance on a map). I would also like to thank the people that showed up. Again an audience that gave us power to play the concert through. It was another good one.

DAY NINE

PLAUEN-WIEN (concert)
I am writing this in the night. At 03.25. This by many reasons, but mainly because I can´t write in the buss because of my MAC-battery, and that it sometimes is hard to find internet-zones in Germany. Hotels with this must be a prior for the next tour.Today we have been driving over one thousand kilometer. FIrst from Plauen to Wien where we did a very very good concert at Porgy&Bess, then back to Passau (where the last poem in my poetry book was written). I am not able to write much more. I need to sleep because we go back on the road again heading for Köln at eight o´clock tomorrow morning. This is another six hundred kilometer. We try to get some sleep in the car and everywhere else. But it is not easy. The seats in the Sprinter is terrible. Gjermund did it this way: The bass-sleeper
I am coming back with thaughts about how healthy this life is - later on.

DAY EIGHT

LEIPZIG-PLAUEN (concert)
An easy drive :-) from Schauspielhaus nach Malzhaus. I am happy with the way I presented my music and the band on the nomination for the Einsteiner Eversteiner in Plauen. This was a powerful and good sounding set from note one. We enjoyed it all, and so did the audience. Hard to say something about the possibillity to get the price. Time will show. As you see on the picture I bought a new shirt :-) Maybe that helped?

DAY SEVEN

BERLIN – LEIPZIG (concert)
Here is the band after the concert:
It was a great pleasure to come to Leipziger Jazztage. After playing on smaller venues it was so fantastic to get on stage at the Shauspielhaus. Such a fantastic audience, nearly 500 people I think, and such nice treatment from the technical crew there. It was like the music got both a lift and energy beiing played on this type of stage - with so much air, space, and for a festival audience. We had a great time on stage – and could have played for hours. I had a nice meeting with Bert Noglik and did an interview with him. I am so happy and honoured that he invited us to the festival. The concert was also recorded and will be transmitted on radio. This evening was the highlight of the tour so far. I am very glad, happy, inspired writing this. Ready to go the Plauen to prove that I earn the Einsteiner Eversteiner Preis ☺

DAY SIX

RÜSSELSHEIM – BERLIN (concert) The german word of the day: NACKENSTÜTZE: für ihnen Reisenkomfort im auto:auflasbar unt velourbeflockt. Olav is trying different types. And diffeerent sleeping situations. Look at that mouth

Busy day. Long day. Had to get on the road at 07.30. We arrived NH hotel in Berlin about 15.00. One hour before Get In at Kulturbrauerei. The concert happened at another place than planned – a nice stage. Machinenhall.
Nice to meet Birgit again. And some friends from Norway showed up. I also did an interview with Jazznytt (thomas and Ida) – had a short walk taking picture. Already five gigs. Eight more to go. We did a nice gig in Berlin - and about fifty people showed up. Look at the pedal board of Gjermund - while you are waiting for the next update

And look at Ingos point of view
And finally. The backstage food occasionally picked:

DAY FIVE

RÜSSELSHEIM (concert)
A quiet day. Mainly I stay at the hotel working on my Mac. Writing e-mails, paying bills, and keep on thinking about the Berlin gig that might not be happening? It´s depressing. Music business is not fair. Kulturbrauerei does not want to do the concert because they have not sold any tickets in advance. I think it is a very defensive way to act as a promotor. They knew about this gis months ago. Actually it was one of the first gigs booked on this tour. We want to play in Berlin – not sit on just another bar spending time. I´m trying to not let it drag me down, thinking that we deserves much better work – but I know that it is difficult to sell this music – but not that difficult ☺
In Rüsselsheim (the word Rüssels means the nose of the elephant Torstein B. told me!) we played a nice gig for not many people – but good people. That´s what counts?
Look at the pedal board of Olav.

DAY FOUR

FULDA-RÜSSELSHEIM
These two guys are good guys. I am very happy that Ingo (left) does the sound on this Tour. Great man - great sound, and a very nice and polite man to work with. He has been on the road more than one day before this Tour :-). And driver Roland with his GPS will guide us safe through the day and nights on the forthcoming kilometers. It´s the first Tour in Germany where we – or I, have a driver - and this makes a big difference. We can concentrate even more on what we are here for: play good music.

First and only? (hopefully) day off, on the tour. Easy drive to a proper hotel in Rüsselsheim – with internet, so I could post this blog. On the road Gjermund and Olav continued to struggle with mobilephones, iSync and Mac´s adressbook, now including Helge preparing his names and adresses on his phone. Very happy he started doing this. Clean his mobile for old and useless numbers, like the numbers to his boys kindergartens – they are grown up now (soon). ”Time goes by” – so fast -
Olav bought an incredible cheap and bad looking mobilephone – since is SIM card is crapped. Håkon found his way to the Sauna – and then to the Ratskeller to eat some heavy German meat. This he loves. Dagobert and me had good indian food. We finished the night at the place we are playing tomorrow: das Rind. Looked great – but not a poster or a flyer to see – this makes me a bit frustrated. Anyhow: we will play. And not a word tonight about Berlin.......
A BLURY PICTURE FROM BEIM ESEL

DAY THREE

EINBECK – AUTOBAHN-STAU – FULDA

Here is great Gjermund bass just before he is getting his breakfast. The place is Haus Johanna in Einbeck. No more to say about it. His egg was also cold, hard, green and tasteless. Pink confetti-room did not help. But he looks happy.
We used more than four hours on the trip to Fulda. Only 160 kilometers. The first stau: 9 km long appeared. Since some of us has a mac, some of us, I mean Gjermund and Olav used the time well?– to dive into iSync and adressbook. Trying to find new ways to set up things, and transfering data via bluetooth from mac to mobile. My mac is totally wasted when it comes to battery. I can not use it without power. I am not shure how it went. Had the feeling that it was not a big success, something always happens with these computers ☺

German word of the day: UNSICHTSBAR Dago had left the building when we had breakfast – or he was not visible. We are not shure.

Third concert at Kulturkeller in Fulda. I am thinking that this band is way too good to play concerts like this anymore. It´s not worth it. It drag me down, I have done it too many times. Even if I am not Michael Jackson – as Jörg Bachmann commented yesterday, I am too good, the band is too good, and I know that the potensial to reach a bigger audience with my music is big – IF the promotors also works for this, with posters, press, radio. Work much harder, better than the promotor in Fulda. The twenty people that was there was very very powerful, a very good audience. We did a very nice gig – again. Different and on the edge. But absolute last time in Fulda without getting paid. Paid what we are worth for more people that comes to hear Karl Seglem. Thank you for your kindness Minni – it was great to be there – but I am sorry to say that it might be the last time - under such conditions. Remember: It´s a long way from Norway to Fulda.

DAY TWO

LÜCHOW-HAUS JOHANNA-BEIM ESEL
First time in many years that I have travelled with so many smokers. Bad habits: hard to break. On the picture you see some of them trying to get a packet of cigarette out of an automat in the middle of the night. I think they had sucess.
Also the second night of the Tour we visited a club we played on in 2005: Beim Esel. A very nice stage reminding me of what we call a classic ungdomshus in Norway. All was well prepaired.
The first thing we did on sound-check was to get a bowing lection from Mr. Torget. He is a great bower. He has been learning by Toralv Maurstad (Norw. actor) he told us. As a bowing teacher he seemed to be very happy with the rest of the band. We did our best.
Then we played two powerful sets, and very different from saturday. It´s so inspiring to play this music together with musicians that always search new ways. I hope we will continue to seek new solutions throughout the tour. Fantastic audience again (about 70). I think they liked what they heard. Sounded like 200 when they applauded – and they did not stop.
I think we have to record our bowing on a dvd and put it out on uTube. Maybe that´s the reason why people applauded so well? The bowing topped it all. For shure.