September 27, 2018
“Your hand is huge to a hornet. It’s like a T-Rex coming at me. You think I’m going to like that?”
“But a T-Rex has tiny hands.”
- Ken and Deni, still debating the hornet incident ….
And so, at long and agonizing last, The Glitterboyz returned to the place where it all began.
Where were you ten months ago on that fateful night? Did you feel a tear in the celestial fabric? Do you have a gap in your memory that you just can’t explain? Do you lie to yourself and say you didn’t see the flash that burned across the European sky?
Last November we came to Eisenach, Germany as simply a band on the road. We didn’t know when we opened the ancient, heavy door to a bar called Schorschl that we were stepping into a new reality. We didn’t know that the lady of the house, Carolin – beautiful, ethereal, bewitching – would gather us at her table, touch our palms, look into our souls. We didn’t recognize her as a maker of destinies until she held out her hand and showed us the magic dust. We didn’t know what she was doing when she pinched it in her slender fingers, smiled her shy smile, and flicked the universe away.
In that instant, The Glitterboyz were born.
Last night they came home.
Eisenach is my favourite city in Germany. Sister Amy, I want to describe it for you but words fail. The rows of old buildings. The town square with its cobblestones. The church. It even has a freakin’ castle. It’s a postcard. A toy city in the hills. It is simply magnificent in its charm and grace. Nearly as magnificent as Carolin herself. Last year we rolled into that quiet little hamlet and had a show that was completely bananas in the best possible way. Maybe the best show of the whole tour. We couldn’t wait to go back.
I’m trying to remember yesterday’s drive. Eight days in and things are starting to blur. We were high up in the hills I described yesterday. For a change we had buns and meat and cheese and coffee for breakfast at our hotel. Then it was a long, slow descent through some of the most beautiful country that I’ve been lucky enough to see in my life. Just tall pine trees and hills and houses. The air was cool at altitude. It was lovely.
We drove deeper into east Germany, which is different from west Germany in subtle ways. Less English, some different architecture. This whole east/west thing is so symbolic of the Cold War. As a history student you learn about this stuff, but it’s still weird for me to be in the midst of it. This is really it. This whole country was the flashpoint of international politics for most of my life. It was the edge of ideology and annihilation. These places. Right here where I’m driving now. It fascinates me.
We reached Eisenach – Isengard to Ken – in the early afternoon. Such a quaint city. We were on our way back to Schorschl to meet Carolin and her husband Thomas. We were staying at their place, but the gig this time would be in der biergarten at Phantasie, which is a new business venture for them. As soon as we saw Carolin I stuck my hand out and demanded another palm reading. Last time around she told Deni that he would be world famous and then told me I’d get a hair cut. I wanted something a little more exotic. She looked at my hand, then smiled with her eyes in a way that only she can and said, “Party.”
Man, she’s good.
We dropped off our bags and then drove over to Phantasie, which is a great little spot in the woods on the outskirts of town. There was a bonfire and a guy making brats. We set up the gear and soundchecked and waited for the people to come. First to arrive were superfans Lexi and Kerstin (and thank you again Lexi for today's cover photo). It was great to see them as always. Then John Lennon showed up, or at least the ghost of John Lennon in the form of our promoter, Willi. It was trippy and awesome to meet him, and when he came up to play with us later I could pretend I was Ringo for a few blissful minutes.
The show was great. It was a bit tame in the beginning, but by the third set we had the people up and dancing. Things probably elevated just about the time Carolin and Francesca got the glitter out. The new stuff continues to get tighter and more powerful. If you’re on Facebook, you’ll see videos starting to emerge from some of these gigs. You’ll know some of the covers we’re playing and you may have heard early renditions of Sarah’s new originals. The band is really getting lean. We’re figuring out the rental gear and the arrangements are starting to feel natural.
My drummer friends will be interested to know that I’m using an old Rogers snare drum with the backline kit and I increasingly love it. It’s a heavy old dog, but man can it bark.
There were more encores. Another end-of-show karate kick. It was a really fun night.
Then we returned to Schorshl for real, to visit with Carolin and Thomas and Francesca and Felix. We re-lived memories of that fateful night last November. I closed my eyes and could picture all of those people crammed into the venue. Sarah laughing. Party Boy breaking through Deni’s chest as he played guitar in the crowd. Last night it was my turn to do palm readings and I think I’ve discovered a gift. If nothing else, I can speak complete nonsense with a convincing veil of wisdom. Once again people were so generous to us.
And now we’re back on the highway. It is an absolutely perfect, cloudless day in Germany. It’s warm and bright and we’re healthy as we set course for the city of Oederan. It’s a new place for us.
Commencing memory generation … now.