Hamburg, Germany

I quit carrying a travel clock when my last one gave up the ghost. Being technologically challenged, I don't buy watches with alarm settings and have no idea how to program modern devices to ring at a certain hour. If there is no clock in the hotel room, I am at the mercy of the hotel operator to convey or set a wake up call. Such was the case this morning in Copenhagen. Just before retiring at 3, I rang the switchboard requesting a 10:15 wake up call. You can sometimes tell by a person's voice that it's not going to happen. It didn't. As it turned out I woke up with about 10 minutes to spare before luggage call and it was a mad dash to throw things at my suitcase and get it out the door on time. I think I'll be shopping for a small and simple travel alarm clock tomorrow.

A short flight on the Legacy in to Hamburg where the winds were wailing and it made for an adventurous landing and a few well gripped arm rests. When we did touch down it was a perfect 3 point landing. Off to the hotel, then on to the Colorline Arena for soundcheck, a quick meal and show #3 for an enthusiastic crowd of 4,500. A few more set changes and the show is feeling great, always fun to play and seems like it's over before it's begun, always the sign of a good set. Emmy, Mark and band were up and rocking.

Back to the hotel to meet my Hamburg friend, songwriter and record producer Rudi Mussig and his son Peter who had attended the show. I might have mentioned in last year's notes that I met Rudi when he came to Nashville many years ago to record an album that I played on and we hit it off. Peter is a guitar player as well and is in two bands that play round Hamburg. Always good to catch up with friends. Finished the night with Guy, Danny and Stuart and a few late night night sounds courtesy of djFletch.

Tomorrow is a day off in Hamburg. I have a radio interview in the early afternoon and an appointment to be kept with the fantastic gym here in the hotel. If there's time, I'll get out for a walk, try to find that travel alarm and some sort of dinner this evening. It's on to Stockholm from here.

So long,

Richard