Gaby Book 27 Smell of the Crowd by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2022 Madeline Bell Life has some certainties, birth and death of course, but the rest is a mix of Minestrone and Spaghetti, some of which we have no direct influence over. We can however decide whether we want Parmesan or other seasoning, we can give Gnochi a try, doesn't mean we'll like it but at least we'll know. Gaby has reached just such a point in her life, she knows she likes Pizza, she's not averse to Spaghetti or Lasagne but is Gnochi for her? The Gnochi in this case is doing the singing with BlauHase on a more serious level, as a 'hobby' its fine but could this be a change of career? Well you don't find out without trying so that's just what our heroine is about to find out in this, the 27th book of the Gaby saga.

 
The Hotel Gartenhof is actually only 300m from Schanz – if you are on foot, in the bus its about a kilometre and a half on the shortest road route. Adam already suggested we leave the bus at the venue tonight, Animal, Pete can have a drink or three and we can cut through the bahnhof back and forth. That and the van will be more secure in the locked compound than parked, well who knows where.

The position of the Gartenhof is, I have to say, its main selling point, its clean enough but the whole place has an air of, not neglect exactly, lets say it needs some TLC. Outside the white stucco is dirty and grey, inside pretty much everything is looking quite tired. That said, for our purposes its fine, we don’t exactly spend much time in our accommodation do we?
 

"So what did you get?” I enquired once we’d ‘settled’ into room six.
"This and that.”
"It must be more than this and that for what you spent,” I observed.
"Maybe I did get a bit carried away,” Fraulein Tangerine allowed.
"So, lets see.”

And so most of our spare moments before heading out to eat were taken checking out Mists purchases in ‘Olivia’s Gebrauchte Kleidung’. I wasn’t exactly impressed with most of her choices, the Oma dress for example but there were a couple of nice tops i’d give a home to even if the miniskirt she picked up contained rather less material than i like to be wearing. We could hear the others heading back downstairs so exploring my own bit of shopping will have to wait.
 

Mühlheim/Main isn’t the biggest of places, its not exactly over endowed with eateries, in fact unless you want takeaway style stuff the options are very limited. Adam, the font of all knowledge for visitors, suggested the Hexestubb, its menu a fairly standard mix of German and Italian fare – plus its barely a hundred metres from the hotel.

"So what’s happened to Robert?” I queried as we processed to the eaterie.
"He sent me an SMS earlier, said he might be late, something to do with tomorrow night,” Stefan advised.
"Its still on?”
"Yeah, you know Robert, he’ll be wheeling and dealing, looking for any opportunity to make a buck.”

I’ve not known the man very long but I had to agree with that sentiment, sort of a German Del Boy1.
 

Turns out that the Hexestubb isn’t the biggest of places so we ended up sat in the ‘garden’ where a canvas gazebo affair, think big Ezyup, sort of turned the area into an all weather extension to the property. I say garden, that’s probably pushing things a bit, there were some planters and what is probably a feral Linden tree by the property boundary but otherwise, yeah, its the back yard complete with crates of empty bottles and a big wheelie bin. I paint it worse than it is, in truth it was quite nice in a sort of urban rustic way.
 

"So what’re you wearing tonight?” Mist enquired as we waited for the food.

I’d not given tonight much thought to be honest, all my attention in that direction going to tomorrows grand finale. What should I wear? I could borrow Mist’s ‘jeans’ again I suppose but that does seem a bit off when I have got my own stuff. Maybe that's what I should do, after all after tonight some of my ‘tour’ wardrobe will be retired, yeah one last outing.

"Think I’ll wear the purple dress, give it one last airing.”
"Good idea, you okay if I wear the tight jeans then?”
"They are yours,” I pointed out.
"I know but I don’t want to upstage you.”
"Think I’ll survive for one night.”

The food didn’t take long, my pizza, not my usual pepperoni but something they called a ‘Frankfurt’, think a basic three cheese with sliced Frankfurter sausage and olives and you won’t be far off, was the last to arrive. The conversation around the table was quite muted, I think my case of ‘end of Tour’ blues was endemic amongst our number. In just over twenty four hours, well call it twenty seven, this whole adventure will be over bar the clean up, sixteen days, fourteen gigs in fourteen different venues.

Yeah, there was definitely that sort of not quite end of term vibe as we ate our ‘last supper’, I guess this is our last actual meal all together. It hardly seems like a fortnight since we started this odyssey but I guess it has been fairly full on at times, the travelling, setting up, playing the gigs, after parties, sleep and repeat in the next town. I suppose it must be similar for Mum and the other Apollinaris girls – just with less actual partying!

Similar thoughts must’ve been fermenting around the table, I was still musing when Marcus stood up rattling a knife on his glass for attention.

"I know we’re not quite done yet but we probably won’t be all together like this again before we’re done. I must admit, I was a bit sceptical about the whole thing when Stef suggested the whole thing last year, so thanks Stefan for nagging us all into doing it. I think everyone has had a good time, its certainly put BlauHase on the map, who knows where things will go from here?

After tomorrow we all go back to our normal lives, the factory, garage, office, Erd will be back at college, everything normal again, but whatever the future has in store for us, we’ll always have the BlauHase Hessen tour in common. So a toast, to us, to BlauHase!”

We all raised our glasses and joined in a cheer of mixed ‘to us’ and ‘BlauHase’, I think I got something in my eye, it started to leak anyhow.
 

It was only seven thirty when we got back to Schalnz, changed and reasonably revved up for the nights performance. After the ‘freedom’ of my stage outfit of the last couple of nights, tonight I felt somewhat over dressed, yeah I know it was my choice but it felt like I was dressed for a wedding and everyone else dressed for the beach. Its only one night, I’ll survive.

"So where’s Robert tonight, he’s usual schmaltzing anyone who breath’s by now,” I threw to the room.
"Sounds like Robert,” Little Jo agreed.
"I’m sure he’ll be here,” Stefan told us.
"Like a bad pfennig,” Marcus observed.
"Talk of the devil,” Animal stated, with a raised eyebrow, "Robert!”

Our manager joined us in what answered for the Schalnz’ green room, a maybe five metre by four space which occupied a space to one side of the auditorium.

"My favourite band, everything okay?”
"Thought we might’ve seen you earlier,” Stefan replied.
"Yes, sorry about that, something came up but I’m here now.”
"So it would seem,” Mist whispered in my ear causing me to nearly choke on my lemonade.
"You alright Erd?” Big Jo asked as I spluttered.
"Er fine,” I allowed once I got my composure back.
"I should get the merchandise set up,” Hilde stated, extracting herself from her husbands lap.
"Need a hand?” Mist offered getting up from her perch on the arm of the slightly battered sofa I was sharing with Animal.
"Sure, more the merrier.”

"So what was so important?” Little Jo queried.
"This and that,” Robert suggested.
"Robert?” Stefan put in, "If it affects us we need to know.”
"Okay, I was going to tell you later anyway, I’ve arranged for Spex to do an interview tomorrow afternoon.”
"I thought they were more in to trends than actual music?” I opined having glanced at a copy now and then in Thalia.
"You guys are a trend,” Robert enthused.
"Should we be concerned by that?” Animal asked.
"Trends are good.”
"But they have a habit of passing quickly,” Marcus noted.
"So I should cancel?” our Manager offered sounding a little chastised.
"They are influential,” Little Jo mentioned.
"So where and when?” Stefan asked with a slight sigh.
Robert made a swift recovery from his previous tone, "Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof tomorrow afternoon, maybe you could be in your stage gear?”

I don’t even know what that’ll be yet.

"Why would that be?” Big Jo enquired.
"Photographs of course, they are sure to bring a photographer.”

Well I suppose that makes sense.
 

With no warm up act, not even yours truly warbling a few numbers, waiting to go on felt interminable.

"Looks like a lively crowd,” Mist stated after visiting the facilities.
"That’s what we like,” Animal grinned.
"As long as they aren’t too lively,” I stated just as the door opened again.
"Five minutes,” Adam informed us, "Its a full house so knock ‘em dead.”
"We’ll try,” Animal replied as he left, "Come on, lets do this.”
 

Whilst our little bit of theatre is essentially the same at each show, the vagaries of the venue mean that whilst the audience experience is pretty much the same, we have to adapt to very different back stage areas. Tonight for example there’s not a lot of space on the actual stage so we’ve got to wait in the narrow cross corridor behind and climb a narrow stair up onto the stage. It’s only four steps but in my stiletto heels and flouncy skirts, well its not exactly elegant.

Adam spoke quietly into his walkie talkie, the house lights went down and the buzz from the assembled masses faded. Animal climbed up onto the stage and waited for the signal.

There was a crackle from Adam’s radio before he quietly spoke, "Good luck guys, so three, two, one and go!”

Our drummer slipped through the curtain, LJ replacing him. I counted the seconds down, its ten seconds of dark the five of the spot for each arrival, well apart from Mist, she goes out with me and doesn’t get spotlit. Stefan went out and I followed her tightly clad bum up the steps, geez those ‘jeans’ are tight, you couldn’t hide a pimple under them!

‘Nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, go’, as I finished counting in my head, Mist slipped out into the darkness, me following a moment later. It’s not pitch black of course, by closing your eyes for a moment, when you open them you get a degree of ‘night sight’, enough to avoid walking into stuff as you cross the performance area at least. I removed my mic from the stand and started counting myself in, ‘one, two….’
 

‘...Thundering, thundering
Thundering thundering in the mountains

And it's breaking through
Breaking through
Breaking through...‘‘

I’ve sometimes wondered if any of our audience actually know the original, probably not, you’d have to be my parents age I guess and most of the faces out there looked considerably younger than that. I guess it doesn’t really matter, what does is whether they enjoy it and by the response as the final notes faded away suggested it was well received again tonight.
 

I’ve taken you through the set several times over the last couple of weeks so you’ll be familiar with both the songs and theatricals which go to make up the BlauHase Hessen Tour set. We’ve all become more ‘comfortable’ with the lyrics the result of which is, well a more polished performance, I kind of get why proper professional ‘artists’ spend so much time practicing now. Everything went like clockwork, it hardly seemed anytime before we reached the end of the show.

The cheering receded to a buzz and I raised my arms to quieten things down, which they did after a moment or two.

"Thank you Mühlheim, as you've been so nice to us tonight we'll leave you with one more. As you know, we only have one more gig on this tour in a little old place called Frankfurt.“

I paused hoping, now knowing there would be a response to mention of the towns much larger neighbour. The audience made the right noises and i continued my little speach.

"We've really enjoyed being here tonight, we hope you have too so sing along if you want, we have been BlauHase, thank you for having us, Luftballons!“

There was a bit of a cheer as the opening chords rent the air, i took a deep breath, gripped my microphone and started the familiar lyrics.

'Hast du etwas Zeit für mich?
Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich
Von neunundneunzig Luftballons
Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont
Denkst du vielleicht grad an mich?
Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich
Von neunundneunzig Luftballons
Und dass sowas von sowas kommt'

Neunundneunzig Jahre Krieg
Ließen keinen Platz für Sieger
Kriegsminister gibt's nicht mehr
Und auch keine Düsenflieger
Heute zieh' ich meine Runden
Seh' die Welt in Trümmern liegen
Hab 'n Luftballon gefunden
Denk' an dich und lass' ihn fliegen’
 

I know the lyrics are a bit dark, the English version is perhaps a bit smoother in telling the tale of a war sparked by balloons and trigger happy generals, written at a time when the Cold War was still a very real thing, Germany still divided and the future less certain than it is now. I haven’t thought about it much but I guess there are a few songs on our set which touch on the futility of war, from Luftballons to Stefan’s missing Legion, had that been an intentional thing or just coincidence? I don’t know, maybe i’ll have to ask.
 

There was a different vibe at the after party tonight, i’m sure there will be one tomorrow in Frankfurt but that’s sure to be stuffed with folk from HR3 and other ‘guests‘ whilst tonight was more intimate i guess. Oh don’t get me wrong, Herr Silsman had invited the local press and media along so there was a bit of pressing hands and making nice between the drinking. Okay, i’ll admit to not being alcohol free but i only had a couple, honest.

We were, as a group, a bit maudlin as we made our way back to the Gartenhof a little after midnight. The tap, tap of my heels echoed along the tunnel under the bahnhof, the regular sound somehow at odds with both the location and my companions. It was just as well it wasn’t far back to the accomodation, my feet were starting to ache a bit after being perched in heels for six hours.
 

"Fraulein Bondt?“
"That’s me,“ i allowed.
"Ah yes,“ the night clerk agreed as i returned to the desk, "There is a message from a,“ she checked her note pad, "Herr Binder, he said he will collect you at nine thirty in the morning.“

"Thanks, i think.“

Well i guess i won’t get a lie in then.

"Everything is okay?"
"Fine, thanks for telling me.“
 
Maddy Bell © 22.08.2022